Role of Religion for World Peace

Let me at the outset say confessedly that I do not know what is the exact definition of the word “Religion”, “World” and “peace”. Everyone has his own interpretations of these words and under such conditions the discussion becomes incommunicable. To minimize the confusion I am using these words as equivalents of “Dharma”, “Jagat” and “santi”. When we talk about Santi as stated before everyone has his own conception of santi which differ totally from each other. Yet, every nation, every society and every individual is agitated and so asanta clamoring for Santi. Wars are wage to achieve Santi, terrific war missiles such as hydrogen bombs, are piled up under the pretext of their necessity to maintain Santi in the world or in defense of it. Should I believe it be true since such has been declared by the state heads and policy makers of the worlds’ powerful nations? Such handful of persons believes that the modern civilization has reached a point where the defense of Santi is not possible without these weapons. It is an undeniable fact that men in the world today have been badly shaken by the tremours of the fearsome holocaust that has envisioned them with nuclear catastrophe. In fact, this is by no natural calamity which is beyond human control but it is created by power mania of a few autocrats who have thrown the world in the web of chaos. The general human will appears to be so weak and ineffective in the face of the unwanted carvings of a few state heads. It is unmistakably clear that inspite of scientific and technological development and advancement of modern civilization we are going back to the point if savage from where human civilization began. In the past, circumstances of the law of jungles and operation of theory that might is right was applied to only smaller areas and limited communities, but now, the theory has deeper penetration to be applied universally. If we look back into historical past we do not discern a period of complete integration or conflicts of desire and fear which made the world as inhabitable place. It appears that the great founders of the dharma like Buddha, Mahavira, Jesus and Shankara were all fed up with the nature of cyclic suffering in the world through the aeons. If the peace has been recoverable by wordly methods the prophets and saints would not, perhaps, have thought of renouncing the world. It does not mean that the prophets lacked compassion; the fact is that they knew they would not help people except teach them the path to renounce the world in order to step out of the miserable world and make a retreat to the other end of ultimate liberation or “Nirvana”. As such the role of dharma is to slow the path to every sentient being to step out of samsara as there is no Santi and also there is no possibility of Santi in samara (cyclic existence.

Social orders and political systems are temporary measures devised to transform one suffering into another suffering in order to impart the illusion of relief in the process if transaction of sufferings. It does not need argument, for it has been the experience of every one that no worldly system has resolved the human problem on permanent basis. The flow of human life passes through various kinds of knowledge, thoughts, experiences, illusions, afflictions, desires, attachments, fears and all the rest emanating into a great current of energy flow of process which is nothing more but contradictions and struggles. In this dynamism of human life no individual can swim towards the reverse order or hold unmoving. The way is just to step out of it which certainly needs a great amount of skill and effort. I may be excused for my random statements. But I confess that I believe that the alteration of one kind of asanti into another or simply total absence of asanti is the Santi, apon which we are pondering. Until few years back, it made not much sense to me that “Nirvana alone is the Santi” which the Buddha had spoken to his disciples. Gradually as I gathered more of the worldly experience and realize more of the untruth, now, it has helped me in the great sense and on the basis of this single statement I can emphatically say that Tathagatha is the Sarvajna, the enlightened and the pramana –purusa, the reliable personality. If the transference of a-santi is santi, nuclear holocaust is the quickest method for achieving it. What I am trying to arrive at is that neither santi is not a worldly pleasure nor it is not the negation of displeasure or absence of a-santi. It is rather a positive, integrated, fullness, unfragmented reality and a total view.

A comperhansion of such reality alone bestows sense to the true conception of “Santi and asanti” which glues meaning to Dharma and how Dharma can provide a role for world integration.

For the “Dharma”, according to the Buddhism the entire “Sadharma” is epitomized into its two branches, its literature called “agama” and the “adhigama” which is the realization; in other words the branches may substantiate for teaching and practice. Out of these, realization of true dharma which could uphold the mind of the practitioner.

As for the “World” the Buddhism do not confine the definition of world only to mankind or this globe. The “Jagat” means all the sentient-beings including the bhajanaloka (receptacle). In short, it is cyclical existence of beings moving under the force of karma and klesa.

As for the “Santi”, in the Buddhist terminology, it is used for the “Nirvana” only, in which all kinds of klesas (afflicitions) have been eliminated with roots.

In this context the role of Dharma for world peace is manifestedly clear and does not need to be elaborated. Hearing the teaching (agama), sattvas (or the beings) will understand the law of dharma and will achieve “Nirvana”, the everlasting peace by the practice of what has been comprehended of the good law as laid down in the scriptures. The impact of such an individual with both wisdom and practice of dharma in the world will be indelible peace.

From what has been said it may appear that the problem is not precise and the solution not of an empirical communication. This has caused the slur on Buddhism as scepticle doctrine. But we should not over look the simple reality that the massive brick wall cannot be held together by imposing superstructure, but it shall be built with each component as sound, solid and well mortared together to enable the wall to stand in solidity, similarly, unless the components of individual are enlightened, society cannot be transformed by imposing social systems or judicial laws.

The problem today for which this gathering is trying to find a solution is not the problem of saddharma and the Nirvana of entire sentient life. But it is the sectarianism which has replaced the dharma and the problem caused by it is not only for mankind but for all living beings. Indeed, each surviving religious tradition has lost the threads which could uphold the doctrine and adherents together.

The various traditions of religion, culture and civilization all appear to be stresses upon mankind instead of being a help to men for getting liberation from the conditions. How under such circumstances could we help anyone when the medicine itself turned into poison? Each religious tradition advocate peace, absence of violence and justice, compassion, universal brotherhood, co-existence and many other terms which have became intellectual phrases. Till today I have not known a religious canon or, teacher who recommends violence, hatred, division among men, still we find great many internecine war, violence of various descriptions, impediments that create crime that knows no specification and acts committed in the name of religion for conversion, for eliminating rivalries in dogmatic assertions and separate claims to truth for excluding one’s own beliefs from the mainstream of popular conviction or in defense of religion. In fact, history is replete with a record of crime and war. What is the logic behind the historical antecedents and how do we explain them being religious persons. Should we honour the crusaders who laid down their lives fighting and perpetrating untold violence for the sake of the dissemination of their professed faith, or should we consider them as sinners and not as religious persons who deserve to be openly condemned for committing acts opposed to religious principles. Spiritual; commitment needs a whole some enquiry. The Buddhist teaching has for example condemned hatred and anger and arguments have been put forward against the demerits of hatred and anger and methods have been investigated into how to control and root out the very sinews of defilements. But a Buddhist as an individual cannot tolerate even a few words of criticism which are leveled against Buddhism. If I tell any Buddhist that his religion does not bear out sense, he would immediately flare up and become ready to fight against me at all cost and towards any consequence instead of showing thje loving kindness and tolerance which is so glaringly emphasized by the Buddha.

Today we are witnessing around us such chaos which is mostly caused in the name of religion. Any people are ready to commit crime on the pretext of their religious sentiments being hurt or their religious customs not properly being respected. If we take today’s sectarian alignments are religious traditions, then I must surely declare that the religion would contribute the world peace. This spectacle of reality has led my friend Dr. K Satchiddananda Murty to put it thus, “there are many areas in which the interest of the non-religious, the anti-religious and the religious are identical; and it is naïve to believe that the anti-religious are less ethical and less sincere than the religious”. The famous scholar of Amdo Gunthan Tempai Donme has rightly said that “ when a person is fed and happily sits in the sun, he behaves to be a perfect religious man. But as soon as some untoward incident occurs he would behave absolutely like a lay man”. I must say that this is applicable to almost all of us.

These relative truths make it clear the indispensable need of a total dedication of persons to their own religious doctrines, if they ate desirous of peace on earth.

In nutshell, I see three basic tasks before religious workers who are concerned with the world peace. Firstly, we must eradicate the gap between the religious doctrine and the daily life conduct of its followers. Every person belonging to any religion must try honestly to lead a life in accordance with the doctrine to which he subscribes. Even if he is not in a position to lead a clean life in consonance with his religious doctrine, at least, he must not use the name of the religion or let not exploit it by others for their selfish ends or for disintegrating the human society. Secondly we must promote better inter-faith understanding as to create workable degree of unity among all religions without distorting the uniqueness of each tradition. Thirdly, we must bring about another workable degree of consensus of fundamental spiritual values that touch every human heart and enhance greater understanding among the humanity.

If it is not possible to bring about the above mentioned measures, I personally feel it would be better if all the religions disappear from the face of earth to minimize the division among man at least the power mongers and wealth maniacs find no religion handy to exploit in gaining their selfish ends. Let me repeat the caution. Beware of the most dangerous inclination of the power and wealth holders for explicating the culture, religion, scholars and religious personals, particularly, in developing nations. All the professors and religious workers should join hands and strongly oppose these foul moves which really threaten peace in the world.

I hope the learned professors will give us some concrete new light and hope by today’s delibration to revitalize the religions to enable them to play an effective role for world peace.

May all sentient being achieve everlasting peace.