What is the Buddhist way of comportment?

Hi Rudy, Thank you so much for giving me a very nice reply.Ok comportment means how you carry and project yourself as well as your behaviour in public. I hope that is a clear enough explanation. Oh, yes, why the problems between Tibetan and Sri Lanka Buddhism? Seems foolish, isn't it? Probably it has to do with animism in Tibet and also Buddhism reached Tibet maybe around 700CE as compared to Sri Lanka who claims that Buddha visited Sri Lanka 3 times. And it seems that all 3 times there was a full moon. So every month there's a full moon and it's supposed to be a holiday. I think they call it Poya but I might be wrong. I know they have the Parahera procession.

I understand that there is no so-called Head of Buddhists except maybe the Dalai Lama but then again that's for Tibet only. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I will suggest something soon but that may be very feeble because basically I am just an insignificant figure. But it hurts me very much to see the people mar the scared name of Buddhism. Buddha taught them better.

In Malaysia, we have a Buddhist head and he is Sri Lankan and supposed leader of the Buddhist faith here. Just yesterday he did something very wise which averted friction between Buddhists and Muslims. We live in a Muslim majority country and recently a Muslim resort owner opened the doors to some Buddhist vacationing at his resort, to a small mosque called a "surau" to these Buddhist to meditate. Other Muslims came to know about it because somebody posted it on You-Tube and caused a lot of anger among Muslims and in fact the resort owner was arrested.

So the Buddhist head made an apology and reminded Buddhist here to be sensitive towards such things and other people's faith. That was a very good move in fact and I hope it puts the matter to rest.So in fact there is much we Buddhists can do - perhaps not to change the world - but to let the world know that sensible Buddhists do speak out against their own when violence and mayhem crawl into the picture. There are bound to have trouble-makers in every faith and those who dare to speak out against injustice even though it may make them unpopular. Otherwise, it's just politics. By the way, am I right to say that Buddhism is a way of life rather than a religion?

Thank you so much Rudy and I am so happy to meet you.

Oh I just reread the other thread, and I can see you are not saying we should just be evil. But suggesting it might be good to think we are on the right path in an evil world, perhaps? Anyway, I think we have to be realistic about the world, but I do not believe in being too pessimistic. Sometimes when we focus on negative things, that is all we see, then we should make an effort to find positive examples to balance that. Malaysia is very beautiful, and I am sure you can find many examples of kindness and compassion if you look for them.

Thank you, Samuel. It was a good question, just not one we have a succinct answer for. I can see now why it is on your mind, I was not aware there were so many Burmese migrant workers in Malaysia. I agree that was a wise and compassionate response by the Buddhist leader there. That takes great humility and self confidence, and those are signs of real progress on the path. Usually pride is our immediate response when we feel we are being criticized or attacked.

It was, after all, a compassionate and reasonable thing the Muslim resort owner did. That it caused an uproar, and got him arrested and may have led to violence is an example of why our normal, proud and insecure attitudes don't work well, and are more dangerous as populations grow, and resources become more scarce.

This is why, whenever people raise questions about issues in the world, I remind them that while it is good to be concerned, they should continue to practice and not let endless problems and issues provide an excuse not to work always to train our own minds.

Perhaps this explains a little, it's a teaching from my main teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

"How many problems there are in the world – global warming, global problems, religion-fighting problems, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow – so many problems. Disease and famine, earthquakes, large numbers of people dying [from these]. Now all that, including global problems, country problems, couple problems, family problems, individual problems: they all come from the mind, not from somewhere else, not from outside. All, everything came from the mind, from the unsubdued mind. "Do not collect any unwholesome action; create wholesome action; subdue one's own mind. This is the teaching of the Buddha." Buddha said that.

All these problems came from the mind, the unsubdued mind. Liberation, full enlightenment comes from the subdued mind. "Subdue one's own mind, this is the teaching of the Buddha." To achieve liberation, the blissful state of peace, liberation from samsara, full enlightenment, to achieve that comes from your mind; it has to come from your mind, by subduing the mind, from the completely subdued mind. Also to immediately stop global problems, country problems, suicidal problems, family problems, your own personal problems, all come from the unsubdued mind. So then by subduing, all the peace and happiness come, as I mentioned before, up to enlightenment – incredible, incredible.

So then the Dharma center which offers Buddhadharma, not just a meditation center – there's all kinds of meditation, like a supermarket – so not that! The Dharma center which offers Buddhism, Buddhist philosophy, and especially the essence, lam-rim, which is particularly focused on subduing the mind, to shape the mind – you need a meditation center like this. Our FPMT centers are like that. These are centers of teaching Buddhism, practicing Buddhism. Their essence is compassion to sentient beings, compassion to every single sentient being – not only your friend but no compassion to the enemy – not like that; compassion to every hell being, hungry ghost, animal, human being, sura, asura, intermediate state beings – compassion.

The less good-hearted compassion there is, the more there will be problems in this world – globally, in the country, in society, in the family, in your own life; the more problems [there are], the less compassion, less good heart there is. The more good heart there is, the more peace in the world, in the country, in society, in the family, in your own life. There is more happiness if you have more compassion. So, therefore, one of the very basic things for the meditation center is compassion – teaching and practicing compassion. That's the most, most, most, most, most, most, most, most, most important. As I used to mention in the past, whenever you have a conversation with somebody, always try to talk about, always try to bring in compassion, try to talk compassion to that person. Live with compassion, study with compassion, meditate with compassion, work with compassion, sleep with compassion, go to the toilet with compassion, eat with compassion. So that's really, really, really, really, really, really, really, good. That's the really, really, really, really good thing to do, to help sentient beings; to help you and to help sentient beings. That's the really, really best. Real happiness comes from that; inner happiness really comes from that. So then you can make family happy, you can make center people happy, you can make society happy, you can make the country happy, you can make people in the world happy."

Read the full advice.

Hi Brian, I heard your message loud and clear. Let it all out. It’s good that there is an outlet for you to express yourself. Let me look at it in another way. Ethnicity is very subjective especially around borders. It’s virtually impossible to know who came first or after because in ancient times, there were no borders where people couldn’t cross. Even today, Tibetans are walking across to Nepal as if there are no borders.

And it’s remarkable how ethnicity works because you have the “watering” of people as you move along and race gradually change. So to ask the Rohinyas to leave to their land of origin is unfair and illogical. They are where they have been all along but got displaced. At the same time you don’t punish an entire society for the wrongs of a few men. That only shows humans to be animalistic and don’t differ much. It’s the caveman mentality when there were Neanderthals still lurking around. And like it or not the majority can’t simply maraud upon the minority. That is unadulterated victimization. How can 10 men fight against 1? Not only would it be immoral but inevitably exemplify cowardice. So are we not better than hyenas which attack in packs? And when you retaliate at what you opine to be inferior, then you have only unwittingly glorified inferiority with your participation. Violence begets violence and more violence which is a direct contradiction to what our Great Master thought us.

As for Islam? You are entitled to your own perception and it’s not my call to correct you. But as an observer I can only add that unless you have delved into the religion then your views are probably inadequate. You may have been marred by a fleeting understanding and see things rather superficially. You ought to look at the roots of the Middle-Eastern religions and compare their teachings with Indian religions. It’s night and day. The setting were entirely different, circumstances too and perhaps it was karma on a global scale for things to turn out as it did.

There has been many bloody wars fought over there and in Europe so perhaps we can count ourselves lucky for not being caught-up in their tribulations. Then again even for the so-called peaceful Buddhists, other people might bring war to them like the case with in Indo-China. And my heart bleeds in seeing what Pol Pot dis to Cambodia.

Samuel wrote

Ethnicity is very subjective especially around borders. It’s virtually impossible to know who came first or after

That's a good point, yet I want to stress that my political stance is against the Islamic religion itself and NOT the Islamic people. It's the ideology that governs their laws and archaic customs I find destructive and not the great majority of ordinary men, women and children who live normal lives and just happen to be born in a Muslim nation. It is like for example, I denounce Nazism but I have nothing against Germans. I denounce Fascism but I don't hate Italians. I separate the teachings of Islam from the people who are subservient to them as I would with a totalitarian regime who subjugates their countrymen. One might say that Muslims and Christians CHOOSE to follow their respective religions, but in reality evidence shows that most religious people are born into their religion.

With that clarified to dispel any notion that I am solely biased against certain races or ethnicities, I'd like to give a quick example of what the situation in Myanmar is like. 1) We have group A (Buddhists)that has a total of 100 persons. 2) group B (Muslims) includes 10 persons. The larger majority, group A, has continually been welcoming, tolerant and willing to compromise and share it's land and resources. The minority, group B, is constantly demanding, uncompromising and imposing it's will and ways onto group A. After many years of group A giving, giving and conceding while group B takes, takes and is confrontational in disagreements, Group A finally gets fed up with this minority group. Group A changes it's initially embracing and peaceful attitude toward a stance of stark opposition and non-acceptance towards group B, while group C (all other religious followers) including only 5 persons, is accepted in their country because no serious problems have ever arose between them.

Of course this is over-simplified but is how I see it in a nutshell. Maybe I am completely wrong b/c I have never been to Myanmar personally, but that's the impression I get from what I've seen and heard through media and various news sources.

Hi Dan, Thanks for your comments. But I would like to relate to Brian at the same time. So Hi Brian too. I was fortunate to visit the Buddhist Stupas in the Swat Valley years ago in a place called Saidu-Sharif and Mingora. Those places are gone now but I wonder about the stupa ruins. They were already ruins when I got there and also I visited the stupa in Moenjodaro – what’s perceived to be the cradle of Indian civilization. And while there, I was treated very well by the Muslims and they really made my day. In Turkey, Muslims are also modern and liberal. In other places, some are militant some fundamentals and some ultra-conservative. I cannot finish counting the acts of kindness etc. that I received from Muslims from around the world. But yes, I’ve had my rude shocks too. That’s normal.

So, there are always 2 sides to a coin and humans are baffling as a specie. As for Myanmar, I have been there and got a feel of what Burmese psyche is like. It was oppression after oppression and only Buddhism wasn’t oppressed and everywhere they have Gnats too - which are deities they pray to. So Buddhism in Myanmar is a fusion too. The politics in Myanmar is also delicate with rebels still in the north and then you have Muslims along the borders with Bangladesh. There are various races and tribes too.

The last time, the monks came out in droves to augment public demonstrations which cut into the heart of every Buddhist Burmese and still they were downed and oppressed. Lately, we have begun to see some semblance of freedom. But only some! When faiths divide people then trouble will brew because man is mostly not individuals but pack and herd creatures – not much different than dogs and cattle except in a more sophisticated way. And all it needs is for someone (like politicians) to strike a match. That’s why we are all very tolerant in Malaysia where there are the various faiths and races.

On suicide bombers, it was the Tamil Tigers – many of whom are Hindus – that introduced the world to such terrors. They introduced that in the early 1980s when they were fighting against the Buddhist Singhalese who are the majority in Sri Lanka. Then later on, these Muslims emulated them.

Hi Brian, It’s so beautiful how you expressed yourself in your last comments. My country is a prime example how politicians can successfully rule and control the people with religion and race. As for the other Middle-Eastern religions I gave you a big hint to compare it with the peacefulness of Indo religions.

I have initially thought I’ll not implicate and quote other religions in this Buddhist forum but on second thought, it may be useful to use my comments as inter-faith understanding. But like the Christians will say the second thought is from the devil. Then again we are Buddhists who believe in adjusting to our environment while keeping wisdom of thought. So I guess that annuls it.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam trace their source to Abraham. He was about to sacrifice one of his sons to God and it is preached that God had tested him by asking him to sacrifice his beloved son but later on just as he was about to plunge the knife, God stopped him.

Buddha walked away from richness to go and meditate under a tree. The Jains won’t even hurt an ant and Hindus were refining the art of lovemaking and making poetry and literature out of it. The Christians had Jesus who was crucified on a cross and Mohammad heard voices in Jebel-Ai-Noor. Moses came across talking flaming trees.

So they and we are from very different worlds. Look at Jerusalem. It was at one time ankle-deep in blood with all the wars among “brothers”. Maybe all roads lead to God but we can consider ourselves lucky to have awoken to the wisdom of choosing the peaceful path. They on the other hands are championing their religion and seemed to have gotten into an unending “war and strife” because this world might not be big enough for their faith. To us, we move inwardly so we can have all the space we want.

Muslims and Christians in my country are having a big disagreement on Christians using Allah as God in Malay-language Bibles. They have gone to court and so far the High Court has ruled in the Christian’s favour. Now the government is appealing and it’s going to the Appeals Court and next there’s still the last avenue through the Federal Court. Yet both of them believe in only 1 God.

As for Muslims, they are divided. You have the liberals, moderates, conservatives and fundamentalists. So it’s hard to say they are all the “warring” type because it’s not true. They too have their tribulations among themselves. Christians are quite alike and the Jews always get blamed.