05issues

1、0001NotjustbynameNotjustbynameCommentaryTheBuddhistChannelOct312004KualaLumpurMalaysiaTakBaiwillremainininfamy.NotjustinThailnotjustfallofSouthEastAsiabutfBuddhismaswell.WhenThaisecurityfcesquelledageneralprotestsledby20

2、00mostlyMuslimyouthsinTakBaiatownlocatedatthesouthernprovinceofNarathiwattheydidmethanmakebatongesarrests.Thosearrestedwereliterally“herded“ontowoefullyinadequatetranspttrucks.Reptsfromeyewitnessessaidthatmanyoftheprotes

3、terswhowereobservingtheMuslimfastingmonthofRamadhanwerestrippedfromhipsuphstiedtotheirbacks.Somewereliterallykickedpunchedwhiletheyweredown.Thosesubduedweretoldtolieonthegroundwhilewaitingtobepickeduptobesenttoanotherdes

4、tinationf“processing“.Whenthetrucksarrivedtheywerethrownliterallyontothetrucksstackedhizontallyontopofoneanother.thedetaineeswerelaidlikethatinajourneythatwouldtakesixhourstoarrive.Of1300whoenduredthetture78perished.Many

5、diedfromsuffocationsomewithbrokennecks.PnthipRojanasunthekingdomsmostprominentfensicexpertbrokethenewstoashockednewsgalleryofthecauseextentofthedeaths.IfthishadhappenedinSaddamsIraqIdiAminsUgaonewouldhaveexpectedthetypeo

6、fbarbarisminvolved.ButBuddhistThailWhatonearthwerethegeneralssoldiersoftheThaiFourthArmythinkingaboutInanationthatpositionsitselfastheprotectofTheravadaBuddhismwhereitswatsancienttemplesareadnedwithBuddhaimagesothericoni

7、cdepictionofpeacecompassionlovingkindnesstheextentoftheactsofbarbarismatTaiBakisnothingmethanmindboggling.Thisthenliestheparadoxofthesituation.ManyThaisreadilysubscribetotheteachingsofkammavipaka(causeeffects)whereanykin

8、dofintentionalvolitionalactionwhethermentalverbalphysicalwillresultinacausewhichtheninturnbecomeacausefanothersetofreactionsfurthersettinganotherroundofvolitionalretribution.TheteachingsofkammavipakaisingrainedinThaisoci

9、ety.FmanyBuddhistsitiscentraltotheirbeliefswhichguidestheirmalbehaviour.WhatiscertainisthatTakBaiwouldnothavehappenedifthelocalsecurityfcesactionwereguidedbyBuddhistprinciplesiftheywereme“mindful“.Whatisevenmecertainthat

10、thosewhoperpetuatedtheactionswereeitheroverzealouswereplainlydrivenbyvengefulanger.Wewouldliketoassumethatthisoverzealousgroupisbutasmallminity.IfthatisthecaseitwouldbeinthegreatinterestofThailtotheimageofBuddhismtodemth

11、atthestateshighestauthitiestakeimmediateactionagainsttheserenegadefceswhichimpudentlytrampledhumanrightsperpetuatedinjusticeagainsthumandignity.Nothinglesswilldo.Inthistimeagewhereajitterywldistraumatizedbyinternationalt

12、errismThailisuniquelypositionedtoshowcasealternativewaystohlesocialharmonytopreventcivilizationalconfrontation.ByplacingBuddhismsidebysidetoitsnationalidentityitisimperativethattheauthitiesusethereligionsgentleaxiomstogu

13、ideitspoliciesactions.letusallsendourthoughtsoflovingkindnesstothosedeceasedsothattheirrelativesclosedonesknowthatthecivilizedwldwhetherMuslimsnotfeelftheirunftunateloss.mayweallprayhardthatgoodsensesprevailsothat“righta

14、ctions“aretakentosettheprocessofhealinginmotion.IfeveranyoneThailinparticularneedanyadvisetheyshouldlistentotheirwiseKingwhosaidthatinderfpeacetobeachievedthegovernmentmustfollowthreeprinciples“khaojaikhaotengpattana(und

15、erstthepeoplesproblemswintheirheartsdevelopthem).Ifthegovernmentissincerethereisnoreasonwhypeacewillnotberestedintherestivesouth.togetherwithitperhapstheimageofBuddhismasaspiritualbrokerofpeacefhumanity.Withinthegreatint

16、erconnectedwebofbeingeachpersonhasauniquepurposetofulfillacontributiononlyheshecanmake.Evenifpeopleareengagedinproblematicbehaviweshouldnotgiveintothetemptationtoregardpeopleasaproblem.Weshouldinsteadlearntoregardeachind

17、ividualasaresourceoftrulylimitlesspotentialrememberingthatthewisdominsighttoresolvehumanitysmostpressingchallengesalreadyexistsasahiddenuntappedpossibilityintheheartsofpeoplealivetodaymostespeciallyintheheartsmindsofthey

18、oung.Tobeeffectiveeducationfsustainabilitymustberootedinadeepfaithinhumanitythedeterminationtoawakenhumanagencythroughtheinterlockingprocessesoflearningreflectionempowerment.ThefounderoftheSokaGakkaiTsunesaburoMakiguchiw

19、asaneducatwhosefirstwk“TheGeographyofHumanLife“writtenin1903offersadetailedexplationoftheinterrelationshipbetweenhumanityournaturalenvironment.AtthestartofthisbookMakiguchidescribestheobjectsinhisstudythevariousaccouterm

20、entsofdailylifenotingthattheseareinfactresultsofthelabsofpeopleinotherls.Inhiswkwecanfeelthecommonpulsehearthesharedbreathingofselfotheroftheunseenpeoplenearfarwhoselivesarelinkedtooursinrelationshipsofmutualsuppt.Hiseff

21、tsasaneducatwerefocusedonenablingchildrentodevelopaconcreteappreciationftherelationshipsthatconnectustoeachothertothenaturalenvironmenttothewld.Makiguchinotedthefactthatwhilehumanscannotcreatemattertheycancreatevalue.Hes

22、awthedevelopmentofwisdomasthekeytoenhancingchildrensabilitytomakethewldahealthiermebeautifulbetterplace.Ithinkthisinsightthatourcapacitytocreatevalueisnotintrinsicallyconstrainedbythephysicalresourceswehaveavailabletousp

23、ointstoaceaspectofsustainability:WheredowefindthewisdomtodomewithlessHowdowecreatelimitlessvaluefromafinitenaturalresourcebasesothatallpeoplenowinthefuturemayenjoylivesofdignitycomftfulfillmentKeytothischallengeisconfron

24、tingthenatureofhumandesire:whetherwecontrolourdesiresarecontrolledbythemwhetherinthewdsofoneSutrawearethemastersofourmindsourmindsareourmasters.Buddhismteachesthatdesirescanbetransfmed.Thethirstfjusticeisadesire.Soisthed

25、esiretofreethewldfromneedlesssuffering.ThequalitiesofcouragewisdomcompassionImentionedearliercanacttounleashthesemostelevatedfmsofdesireencouragingreflectionactiontransfmation.ThesuccessoftheDecadeofEducationfSustainable

26、Developmentwilldependonwhetheritcantouchpeopleslivesatthisdeepestlevel.Efftsfthefuturethatcomestraightfromthehearthavethepowertochangethewld.DaisakuIkedaispresidentofSokaGakkaiInternationalfounderofSokaUniversity.Alonger

27、versionofthisarticlewillappearintheDevelopmentEducationJournalofFebruary2005(www.dea.g.uk).0003ThesagaofthefirstBuddhistschoolThesagaofthefirstBuddhistschoolbyProf.W.M.KarunadasaUniversityofColomboDec52004ColomboSriLanka

28、MediainrecentmonthshasgivenwidepublicitytothefirstBuddhistschoolinSriLankaGPiyaratanaMahaVidyalayawhichislocatedbetween6465milepostalongGalleColomboroadintheSouthernProvince.Itwashighlightedinboththeprintelectronicmediat

29、hatthisschoolisheadingtowardsarapiddeteriationpossiblecollapseifunattendedbytherelevanteducationalauthitiesthepublic.ItmaybeofhisticalinterestfmanySriLankansparticularlytheBuddhistswhoarelivinghereabroadtoknowaboutthepio

30、neeringroleplayedbythisschoolthepioneeringefftsmadebythefounderofthisschoolinpromotingthenative(national)educationinSriLanka.HisticalrecdsspeakmeonthevaliantismaticroleplayedbyPiyaratanaTissaNayakaTherathefounderofthisBu

31、ddhistschoolwhochallengedthemissionaryeducationinCEYLONundertheBritishrule.ThesignificanceofthischallengewasthatitwasthefirsteverattempttoreviveBuddhismthroughthepromotionofnativeBuddhisteducationsubsequenttothevictiousg