Dhammananda_Why_Religious_Tolerance.pdf

WHY RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE ?

BUDDHIST TOLERANCE

This is a very important subject for us who live in any multi-racial and multi-religious

country. As Buddhists, we must know how to regard other religions, how to

accommodate them and what place we are going to give them in our religion.

First we must understand the various ways which the different co-religionists regard

each other: we must understand how the various religious groups react to each other:

some religious groups are indifferent to the teachings and the practices of other

religious. Some maintain their religious affiliation and yet respect other religions and

appreciate their teachings. There are those who do not have a religion and look down

upon every religion, while there are still others who do not bother about any religion and

completely ignore all religion: their excuse is that they have no time to think about

religion or to practice religion since they are always engaged with their business and

family affairs.

Buddhists belong to the religious group that accepts and appreciates the reasonable

teachings of every religion. Buddhists can also tolerate the practices of other religious,

cultural traditions and customs, although they may not necessarily wish to emulate

them. In other words, Buddhists respect the other man’s views and appreciate other

practices without harbouring any religious prejudices. This is called religious tolerance.

And if there are certain Buddhists who feel they are unable to appreciate the ways of

other religious practices, then the least they could do is to maintain their silence and

refrain from any undue criticism: this attitude is very important for peaceful co-existence.

This is called sympathetic understanding.

If we study certain incidents, practices, traditions and teachings of Buddhism, then we

can understand the basis of our religion and our attitude towards the other religions.

Others may say that Buddhists are very passive because of this policy of tolerance, but

still, we maintain that this attitude is correct and can be appreciated by every thinking

man. To practise a religion we must be honest, sincere, truthful and kind to others: we

must avoid deceit and cruelty: and in our relation with others we must be broad-minded.

According to the Buddha, if we adopt aggressive and violent methods to solve our

problems, we cannot find the real solution to overcome them. No doubt, we can

suppress some troubles and temporarily win the battle as long as our enemies remain

weak. But when our enemies get the chance, they will not keep quiet and will not

forgive us. Therefore, if we act with violence, we can never find lasting peace. This is

why the Buddha once said: “Hatred is never ended by hatred, but only by loving-

kindness.” Buddha also said: “It is not that I quarrel with the world but the world

quarrels with me. A teacher of truth never quarrels with others.

In Buddhism there is no such thing as righteous indignation or righteous anger:

Buddhism never tried to justify war under any circumstances. There were no nervous

irritability or emotion or anger in the Buddha’s mind just because some people did not

pay attention to him.

The only harsh word that the Buddha ever used was “foolish man”, to point that certain

beliefs were wrong.

We have ample evidence to prove that, for the last 2500 years, in the propagation of

Buddhism, Buddhists have never ill-treated or used violence against the followers of

other religions. The sources of evidence include the original teachings of the Buddha,

the actual Buddhist practices and traditions and world history. We have introduced this

religion all over the world as a goodwill message. We have introduced this religion

without forcing people to embrace it; and we have not shed even a drop of blood –

either human or animal – in the name of Buddhism. This is a record in world history – a

record which is appreciated by every cultured man anywhere in the world, irrespective

of his religious denomination or belief.

The attitude of a real religion must be to advise the people instead of ruling or

intimidation.

DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

According to the Buddha, human beings are not cruel or wicked by nature, but they

make many mistakes and act as cruel people because of their ignorance. Therefore, as

wise people, it is our duty to show them the correct path instead of condemning them

into eternal suffering or religious damnation.

Buddhist tolerance shown to other religions is reasonable. Buddhists do tolerate other

religious practices, and yet at the same time they can express their views freely

regarding those practices and beliefs without harbouring hatred or prejudices.

Pointing out the futility of certain religious beliefs and practices is one thing and

religious intolerance is another thing. Some have taken the liberty of incorporating all

sorts of superstitious beliefs in the name of Buddhism. Others take undue advantage of

that tolerance of Buddhists to convert them into their faith.

According to the Buddha, real religious tolerance is not mere tolerance of other religious

beliefs but the tolerance that we have to bear when others try to irritate us by

condemning our religion. The Buddha advised his followers: "If you become angry

when others condemn your religion you are no followers of Mine.” Perfect religious

tolerance is practiced, but it does not mean that false doctrines are to be encouraged.

Therefore, Buddhism is not a yes man’s religion.

Some religionists had a belief that religious tolerance can only be regarded as an

unhealthy symptom, a sign of approaching dissolution. To them, religious tolerance

could never be seen as a virtue, but only as a reprehensible weakness of faith or a

disregard for the welfare of others. It was on this ground they tried their level best and

in every possible way to convert others into their faith and condemned all those who did

not agree to accept their faith.

In the Buddhist scriptures so much boundless love and kindness is mentioned and so

much tolerance is preached: it is clear that in the scriptures there is no sanction for

Buddhists to engage in any conflict with other religionists. Furthermore, no missionary

or monk would ever think of preaching ill-will and hatred against so-called ‘unbelievers’.

At the same time, there are certain religious practices and customs that Buddhists have

incorporated from other religions and have refined them in the course of its historical

expansion.

THE BUDDHA AND OTHER RELIGIOUS TEACHERS

One day a well-known person approached the Buddha and told him that he would like to

be one of his followers. The Buddha asked him the reason for changing his religion.

The man replied, I heard that so many people are praising and appreciating the

Buddha’s teachings and his religious way of life. So I also decided to follow the

Buddha.”

Then the Buddha asked him, ”Have you ever heard my teachings? Do you know

whether there is truth in my teachings? Do you know whether you can practice my way

of life.”

The man replied, “Ven. Sir, this advice that you just gave me, is more than enough for

me to understand the nature of your teaching.”

Soon he became a follower of the Buddha. Again he asked, “Is it permissible for me to

continue giving alms to the priests of my former faith?”

The Buddha replied that there was no reason whatsoever for him to stop giving alms to

any priests. The Buddha explained on many occasions that anyone could give alms to

anybody in this world. Giving alms is a meritorious deed.

This story is a good example for us to understand the sort of method the Buddha

adopted to introduce his religion and to understand how the Buddha treated the

followers of other religions.

Yet when one religious group approaches another religious group to ask for donations

towards their religious, social and cultural activities, the reply is usually “Sorry, we

cannot help you; it is against our religion. We are forbidden to give donations to other

religions.” Buddhists do not support this kind of attitude.

After receiving certain religious indoctrinations, some people become very allergic to

other religions. Their allergy takes various forms: it makes them afraid to step into a

place of worship that belongs to other religions; it makes them deaf when they hear the

teachings of other religions; it makes other religious books ‘untouchable’ for them.

Here is a most important point: the Buddha has advised his followers to accept and to

respect the truth wherever they find it. This means that we need not ignore the

reasonable teachings of other religions. This clearly shows that the Buddha never had

any jealous attitude to other religions, nor did he try to monopolise religious truth. He

wanted to point out only one thing: the Truth. His whole teaching is based on the Four

Noble Truths.

The Buddha stressed that no one religious teacher can reveal all the important

manifestations of the truth for mankind. Most of the world’s religious teachers have

revealed certain aspects of the truth according to the circumstances that prevailed at

that time. The Buddha also explained that during his life time, he pointed out only the

most important aspects of religion and of the truth; he designed his teachings to help

man to get rid of his sufferings or unsatisfactoriness. This is why his teaching is known

more as a righteous way of life rather than a religion or a philosophy.

But we are the people who organized his teachings as a religion by incorporating

various religious rites, rituals, traditions and customs. Of course, these practices are

important to introduce and to preserve religion amongst the masses. But for a man

seeking to be good or to be religious, such ritualistic practices are not really important.

As Buddhists we can respect and honour the founders and teachers of other religions.

All religious teachers have dedicated their lives for the sake of human welfare. They

deserve respect and honour, for they also have done good service to mankind. If we

like, we also can keep pictures or symbols of these religious teachers in our homes; our

religion never objects to that. Our religion advises us to honour those who are worthy of

honour. But very unfortunately others do not wish to adopt this policy and sometimes

they even condemn an enlightened, most compassionate and liberal-minded religious

teacher like the Buddha as a “devil”. This kind of unfriendly and uncultured attitude to

other religions cannot be found among the followers of the Buddha. The Buddha once

said: “As an elephant on the battle-field endures the arrows shot from a bow, even so,

Ananda, shall I endure abusive speech; most people are, indeed, ill natured.”

Buddhists can respect every religious teacher and also can accept their reasonable

teachings. Then the question arises: how are we going to accommodate these teachers

in our religion? What place are we going to give them? Are we going to give them the

same place that we have given to the Buddha? It is up to the public to have an

unbiased judgement and decision by studying and comparing the teachings of all those

religious teachers and their attitudes towards certain problems regarding our life, our

salvation and the world. After making such comparisons, then we can decide whether

all the religious teachers are equal or otherwise. Certainly there are different opinions

and interpretations as well as similarities in all the religious teachers and their

teachings.

When we compare the Buddha to the other religious teachers, we should not forget that

the Buddha had not committed himself on certain issues such as the origin of this world

and the origin of life. Many great thinkers, philosophers and scientists appreciate this

attitude of the Buddha.

There are three opinions regarding the origin of this world. Materialistic and scientific

concept is that this world came into existence due to combination of certain elements

according to the nature of this universe and this will go on changing according to the

same natural law. This is the first opinion.

The second opinion is that it is impossible to find out either the beginning or the end of

this world. It is incomprehensible to our human mind which is covered by the dark cloud

of ignorance, and we should not bother about it.

The third opinion is that this world was created by a powerful god and without god it is

impossible for this world to come into existence in this manner.

Again, amongst those who believe that the world was created by the god, there are two

opinions. One group says god has provided the necessary elements to create the world

and after that left the whole responsibility in the hand of nature without any interference

from him.

The other belief is that god created the world according to his own wish and he is

responsible for everything in this world and it moves according to his wish. Man’s duty

is to obey him, pray to him and live according to the laws imposed by him.

H.G. Wells a well known historian, in his Short World History , says, “You see clearly a

man, simple, devout, lonely, battling for light – a vivid human personality, not a myth.

Beneath a mass of miraculous fable I feel that there also was a man. He too, gave a

message to mankind universal in its character. Many of our best modern ideas are in

closest harmony with it. All the miseries and discontents of life are due, he taught, to

selfishness. Selfishness takes three forms – one, the desire to satisfy the senses;

second is craving for immortality; and the third is the desire for prosperity and

worldliness.

Before a man can become serene he must cease to live for his senses or himself. Then

he merges into a greater being.

Buddha, in different languages called men to self-forgetfulness five hundred years

before Christ. In some ways he was nearer to us and our needs.

Buddha was more lucid upon our individual importance in service than Christ and less

ambiguous upon the question of personal immortality.

Buddhism is strong enough to face any challenge pertaining to religion in a peaceful

manner, and answerable to any critical modern scientific questions which shake many

religious faiths.

THE BASIC TEACHING OF THE BUDDHA REFLECTS

HIS ENLIGHTENED NATURE

The real nature of the Buddha’s enlightenment is reflected in the three characteristics:

anicca, dukkha, and anatta. Anicca is the impermanency of everything in this universe.

Dukkha is the unsatisfactoriness of everything pertaining to our life. Anatta is the

impersonality of the life.

The three basic principles of the Buddha’s teachings are: sila, samadhi, panna. Sila is

the development of morality. Samadhi is concentration or introspection of the mind in

order to understand the nature of the mind and how to control it and how to develop it

and how to make use of it. Panna is wisdom or enlightenment: the realization of the real

nature of the life and the universe. The whole teaching of the Buddha is based on these

three pillars.

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