VERSION|0.5.1|SUBJECT|Vishvapani (formerly Simon Blomfield), member of the Triratna Order (formerly the Western Buddhist Order) - I'm ordained you know! |CONTENT|[b]Rating[/b] 1 out of 5 (Not platitudinous)

[url=http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap130622.html][img=images/2013/06/pic130622.jpg popup=false float=right][/url]He calls himself the [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/18/buddhist-monk-spreads-hatred-burma]Buddhist Ben Laden[/url], although his real name is Wirathu. He likes to stir up hatred against Muslims. Indeed, a great deal of the anti-Muslim violence in Burma, including murder, could well be due to the incitement from Wirathu.

This is not how Buddhism likes to portray itself. Yet Burma is not alone: Buddhists have clashed with Muslims in Thailand and Malaysia, and with Hindu Tamils in Sri Lanka. It's no good just pretending that these aren't proper Buddhists, clearly they are. The Buddha, equally clearly taught that hatred can only ever produce suffering.

If Buddhism is to address these problems then it has to acknowledge their existence and attempt to understand what has brought them about. In many cases, Buddhism has become synonymous with militant nationalism or ethnic identity. This is perhaps inevitable in any religion or other organisation that has to operate in the real world. However, compromise is one thing, losing all sight of your core values is another.

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01btgxk]Listen/Read[/url]|CATEGORIES|64|IP-ADDRESS|94.168.119.214|DATE|1371889223|CREATEDBY|admin
