Buddhism, Concord, and Conflict

Seeking to put the Buddha’s teachings about wisdom and compassion into practice, committed Buddhists are working alongside others to make the world a better place for everyone. Buddhists practicing Engaged Buddhism, a term coined by Thich Nhat Hanh in the 1970s, are alleviating social, political, and economic suffering through organizations that include the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Buddhist Global Relief, Zen Peacemakers, the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, and the Order of Interbeing founded by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Although Buddhism has a well-deserved reputation as a religion that promotes peace, we would be mistaken in assuming that Buddhists never lose sight of this ideal. Recent events in Myanmar and Sri Lanka demonstrate that when ethnic and religious identities become more important than peaceful coexistence, the results can be disastrous.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is a small country in Southeast Asia with a long history of ethnic and religious strife. Ruled by a military junta from 1962 until 2011, its parliament is now in the hands of the National League for Democracy whose leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Despite its democratic ideals, Myanmar’s Buddhist- dominated government has persecuted ethnic and religious minorities. Its most visible victims are the Rohingya people, Muslims who have been denied citizenship and have suffered killings, house burnings, and the displacement of thousands.

Ethnic and religious conflict has also plagued Sri Lanka, a small island country southeast of India. Here, the majority Sinhalese, who are Buddhists, fought Hindu Tamils in a civil war (1983-2009) in which more than 80,000 were killed. More recently, there has been violence against Muslims, much of it incited by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS; Buddhist Power Force). An organization led by monks, BBS sees Islam as a threat to Sri Lanka’s Buddhist culture. It makes effective use of public rallies and social media to attract supporters.