If You See Something, Say Something

May all beings be happy and well

May no harm or difficulties come to them

May they live in peace and harmony

Adherents to the teachings of the Buddha are generally perceived as being guided by such benign tenets as harmony, not harming, non-discrimination and compassion. We have only to reflect upon our daily thoughts, words, and deeds to discover how difficult it is to put this into practice consistently, regardless of the sincerity of our intentions. It should not be surprising, then, that through the centuries, entire groups of people calling themselves Buddhist have engaged in or condoned acts of aggression, violence, and worse against those who are considered to be different. The incidences are too numerous to recount in this article, but economics, ethnicity, territory, and power resound as root causes. Do greed, aversion, and ignorance sound more familiar?

In contemporary times, you may have heard about the oppression of Muslims in Myanmar (Burma), where 90% of the population is said to be Buddhist. A small but vocal faction of monks and nuns, named 969 to represent the supreme traits of the Three Treasures, argue that the country and its national religion are in danger of being overrun by Muslims. The latter account for less than 2% of the population, though this is difficult to verify since legislation has quickly been eroding the rights of these Burmese-born people who have been forced to live in concentration camps under inhumane conditions. Many have tried to flee in refugee boats, and many die on the open sea after being forced away from foreign shores such as those of Thailand. This is another largely Buddhist nation which is dealing with it’s own Muslim “crisis” by militarizing temples and arming soldier-monks in the conflict area. Again, the details of these realities merit an entire study in themselves, but we need to be aware that this is happening and be informed so that we can speak up, not only on behalf of the oppressed, but also in the interests of our teaching.

Why should this matter in a pluralistic country such as this, where freedom of religion is a much-trumpeted right? Because, unfortunately, ignorance is the primary cause of dukkha (suffering, dis-ease, dissatisfaction) and it is just as rife here as anywhere else. Coupled with this, media and politics thrive on controversy whether real or imag­ined. Hence, publications such as Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times have featured major articles about the persecution of Muslims by Buddhists in Burma, leaving readers to send comments expressing disappointment and shock at what they once thought was a religion of peace.

Several months ago I had proposed to the BCA Ministers’ Association that we take action to address the claims of the 969 Movement in Burma. The intent at the time was to make a statement protesting the persecution that was taking place through the misuse of religious authority. Already, 381 Buddhist teachers in the United States had signed an open letter to President Obama asking him to speak out against anti-Muslim violence in Burma. Buddhist leaders all over the world also co-signed a letter to fellow Buddhists in Burma reminding them of the tenets of the dharma and offering support to stand up to the violent movement. American media articles did not seem interested in asking whether one small group represented the entire religion. Does this sound familiar?

Our Muslim friends here have for some time been dealing with similar bad press caused by certain groups who purport to be acting in the name of Islam. We need to be informed before even thinking of passing judgment on a religion. Sadly, ignorance and fear burn brightly together. People fear the unknown; they fear what is different. Like Muslims, unless we speak up to educate and inform others of what our teaching represents, we have only ourselves to blame if we are swept up in generalizations characterized by sensational headlines. A Pew Research survey of Mus­lims in America indicated that roughly half of them felt that their own religious leaders had not done enough to speak out against Islamic extremists.

In an ironic twist, recent pronouncements in this country have eclipsed my original intent of speaking out specifically against religious discrimination in another country. We have to start where we are. By understanding our teaching and truly knowing ourselves, we will gain the conviction to speak out in defense of others, not with sanctimony, but with humility and gratitude for the great compassion that we receive, even as we struggle with our own mind of discrimination. Then, it is incumbent upon all of us to set the record straight in a society in which religions like the Buddha-dharma are still relatively foreign and new.

Namo Amida Butsu.

Gassho,

Rev. Patricia Usuki