Malaysian Buddhists calls for peaceful elections

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Petaling Jaya, Malaysia -- Malaysia is facing a crucial general elections (GE) on May 5, 2013. The 13th GE promises to be the most heated to date, with home made bombs exploding at a few campaign sites. No injuries were reported.

Being a large portion of the electorate, leaders of the sizable Buddhist population of the country (about 19% of total population) have urged the parties involved to campaign "in the spirit of upholding Buddha Sakyamuni's compassion and wisdom".

In a joint statement, members of Malaysian Buddhist Consultative Council, Fo Guang Shan, Malaysia and the Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia have called on Malaysian citizens to:

(1) Step forward and fulfill one's duty as a citizen; to vote in earnest and with responsibility to elect a government that will bring advancement, harmony and equity in serving the people of different races and faiths.

(2) Follow Malaysia's founding spirit which emphasise on unity and the mutual prosperity of all ethnic groups. Whichever political party that comes into power, the ruling government must assure that the resources are equally distributed and that racial, religious and educational issues shall not be manipulated by political parties as tools to polarise the people.

(3) Encourage religion which has the effect of purifying the society and our hearts. We seek the ruling government to protect the constitutional rights of freedom of religious beliefs, put to a stop the marginalisation of non-Islamic religious education and accord fair treatment to religious development.

(4) Ensure Malaysia shall maintain its status as a secular country, pursues a policy of separation of religion and state. The ruling government must also ensure that the Federal Court is the highest source of adjudication in all matters.

(5) Ensure that the political parties must be genuine in curbing the malpractices within current electoral system, including money politics, vulgarism and abusive language should not be engaged during campaigns. Politics is everybody's business as political parties and politicians' words and deeds affect the social life of the people. Let's elect an ideal government.

6) Urge the political parties and people throughout the country during the election period to be more action oriented in the decision-making with compassion to curb violence and more wisdom to reduce ignorance.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the Malaysian Network of Engaged Buddhists (MNEB) said that they were "deeply saddened over the high reports of political violence", stating that "a total of 1,056 cases of political violence have been recorded since the dissolution of Parliament on April 3.

MNEB also expressed concerns on recent reports of bombing as "worrying" and "that such incidents may mar the election process, leading to more violence which may have the tendency to destroy peace and harmony".

They have called on the Buddhist community to denounce all acts of violence, taken in the form of  body (physical), speech and thought.

They also urged all those participating in the elections to "let peace and compassion be the force of the country’s social and political transformation".

About 13 million of the country's 27 million strong population is expected to go to the polls this Sunday.

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Pre-dawn calls and hard beds – South Korea’s spiritual tourism

Home Asia Pacific North Asia S/N Korea Temple Stay

SEOUL, South Korea -- As a paying guest at Mihwangsa, there’s no need to book a morning wake-up call.
It’s provided well before sunrise, at 4am to be precise... and it isn’t optional.

<< Participants and monks taking meditating sessions during a temple stay at a yard of Mihwangsa temple in Haenam, 350km south of Seoul. – AFP pic

Instead of a phone call - none of the rooms have phones - guests are roused by a monk walking past their rooms, knocking on a wooden block to call them for a round of pre-breakfast chanting and meditation.

The dozen guests who make their sleepy way to the temple’s main hall - clad in identical grey loose-fitting outfits - are all taking part in Mihwangsa’s Templestay programme.

Ranging from middle school students to housewives in their late 30s, and including Koreans and foreigners, they were attracted by what has become a thriving mini-tourist industry in temples across South Korea.

“I wanted to be isolated in the mountains while experiencing the traditional life,” said Helena Ranneberg, a Danish web consultant.

Mihwangsa temple is undoubtedly isolated, located halfway up a mountain in coastal Haenam county around 320km southwest of Seoul.

The Templestay programme has its unlikely origins in the 2002 football World Cup which was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

When the government made a general appeal for help in overcoming a shortage of hotel accommodation, the Jogye Order, the country’s largest Buddhism sect, saw an opportunity and began opening its temples to short-term paying guests.

“There were shared voices within Buddhism that we needed to interact with the outside world by opening ourselves to the public,” said Kumgang, the head monk of Mihwangsa.

The rates are relatively cheap, ranging from 50,000-80,000 won (RM138 to RM230) a night, and the amenities are spartan compared to any mainstream hotel.

Guests are obliged to sleep on thin cotton mattresses on a hardwood floor, eat vegetarian food and participate in classes on Buddhism, morning meditation and evening chanting of scriptures — all led by monks.

“The most difficult part for me was to sit and lie on the wooden floor,” confessed Ranneberg.

“I just couldn’t sleep at night.”

In their free time, they can hike in the surrounding area, read books, drink tea and participate in much of the temple’s daily life. Drinking and smoking are forbidden and mobile phone use actively discouraged.

“Other than ceremonies, I can relax, drink tea with the monks and have discussions on life... It’s all I could wish for,” said Park Seung-Kyung, a housewife from Gwangju who had booked in for three days.

None of the monks at Mihwangsa speak English, but a lay Buddhist living in the temple helps interpret for foreign guests.

For Ranneberg, the language barrier was not an issue.

“Before dawn, I had time on my own in complete darkness, just sitting in front of the traditional architecture... And that really was something different, something I would never be able to experience anywhere else,” she said.

Since the programme began a decade ago, the number of participating temples has risen from 33 to 109 and close to two million people have stayed in them.

Last year, the number of Templestay guests was 212,437, of which around 12 per cent were foreigners.

Since 2004 the government has provided subsidies totalling around US$100 million (RM306 million) to the programme which the government sees as a force for promoting traditional Korean culture.

But not everybody is happy.

Last year, the Korean Association of Church Communication issued a statement arguing that there was “room for conflict” in the government subsidising a programme associated with one particular religion.

“There clearly is a problem with financially supporting missionary events by specific religion,” it said.

The official Templestay website stresses that the programme is mainly aimed at providing a cultural experience, rather than an effort to promote religious belief.

Tensions between Buddhism and the Christian Church have deep roots in South Korea.

Historically the dominant religion, Buddhism has been eclipsed by Christianity which grew at an incredible pace in the 20th century, especially after the 1950-53 Korean War.

Thirty percent of the population describe themselves as Christian, making South Korea one of the most Christian countries in Asia, ranking third after the traditionally Catholic Philippines and East Timor.

Buddhists now comprise a little over 20 per cent, and there is some resentment in the Buddhist community over South Korea’s embrace of a particularly evangelical style of Christianity that places a strong emphasis on proselytising and missionary work.

The Jogye Order plans to designate more temples as Templestay hosts next year and head monk Kumgang says Mihwangsa will continue to participate in the programme.

“Templestay can provide people who live a busy life with a place to relax and refresh... like a realm of peace and spiritual growth,” he said.

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