Pakistan hopes for Buddhist boost to tourism drought

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Amid rising violence, the country is trying to revive travel to its northwest - rich in Buddhist history and significance - which could generate billions in revenue, but lies next to Taliban havens

TAKHT-i-BAHI, Pakistan -- Religious violence may be on the rise and the Taliban still a threat, but Pakistan is hoping a rich Buddhist heritage will help it boost international tourism to its troubled northwest.

<< Religious students sit on the premises of the Takht-i-Bahi Monastery in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on Nov. 16 last year.
Photo: AFP

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, with its balmy climate in the mountains and its wealth of history on the border with Afghanistan, was once a playground for colonial adventurers and a favorite holiday destination for upper-crust Pakistanis.

Yet after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the US ushered in war in Afghanistan and an insurgency against the Pakistani government, it has become synonymous with Pakistani Taliban and other Islamist militants who have killed thousands in recent years.

Wealthier Pakistanis and Westerners stopped visiting, scared away by attacks and the threat of being kidnapped, but the provincial government is now trying to lure thousands of visitors from wealthy Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea.

A group of about 20 Buddhist monks from South Korea made the journey to the monastery of Takht-i-Bahi, 170km from Islamabad, and close to the tribal areas that are a haven for Taliban and other Islamist militant groups.

“We really felt it is our hometown, it was a great feeling which it is not possible to describe in words,” Jeon Woon-deok, a senior South Korean monk, told reporters by e-mail of the visit last year. “We only regret that we waited so long to come here.”

The journey was no straightforward pilgrimage.

The monks defied appeals from Seoul to abandon their trip for safety reasons and were guarded by Pakistani security forces on their visit to the monastery, built of ocher colored stone and nestled on a mountainside.

From about 1000 BC until the seventh century AD, northern Pakistan and parts of modern Afghanistan formed the Gandhara Kingdom, where Greek and Buddhist customs mixed to create what became the Mahayana strand of the religion.

The monk Marananta set out from what is now northwest Pakistan to cross China and spread Buddhism on the Korean Peninsula during the fourth century.

The gardens of Takht-i-Bahi host picnicking families and daydreaming teenagers, as well as students from nearby Qoranic schools, but foreign visitors are rare.

“There used to be foreign tourists here in the past, but after the attacks there are hardly any,” local guide Iftikhar Ali said.
The flow of adventurous tourists from East Asia is no more than a trickle at the moment — Ali said he sees only one or two visitors a month on average.

“For them this place is like Mecca,” said Zulfiqar Rahim, the head of the Gandhara Art and Culture Association, which is dedicated to the promotion of Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage.

Last year, monks from Bhutan also came to visit, but the Pakistani government wants to boost numbers quickly.

“We are currently working to promote religious and archaeological Buddhist tourism,” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Deputy Minister of Tourism Syed Jamaluddin Shah said.

The Pakistani authorities are even planning package tours for visitors from China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, including trips to the Buddhist sites at Takht-i-Bahi, Swat, Peshawar and Taxila, near Islamabad.

“The tourism potential is enormous. If each person who comes spends US$1,200 with hotel costs and all the rest, and 1 million people come, that makes 1 billion dollars,” Rahim said, “And we’re not talking about 1 million people, but 50 million Mahayana Buddhists in Korea, China and Japan.”

However, there is a long way to go. It will be difficult to overcome huge security problems, poor tourist infrastructure and the challenges of getting a visa and permission to travel to high-risk areas.

Enormous floods in 2010 caused further damage, although the US has since provided US$5.4 million to help revive the local economy and rehabilitate tourism in the province’s Swat District.

For now, it is mostly local visitors who come to the remains of the Buddhist sites in Pakistan. Reflecting on his country’s woes, Sajjad, a teacher gazed at a statue of Buddha and sighed: “We need this calm so much.”

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Dr B.R. Ambedkar to be monumentalized in Sri Lanka

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Colombo, Sri Lanka -- On March 1 at the Maha Bodhi Society premises in Maradana Colombo, a discussion was held towards creating new channels of Lanka-Indo relations initiated by Buddhist activists from both here and India who have opened a dialogue as private citizens, hoping to strengthen bonds of amity between the two countries on the basis of shared Buddhist heritage.

<< Left to Right - Dr. Lilaknath Weerasinghe (President, SUCCESS SRI LANKA), Senaka Weeraratna ( Co - ordinator, Indo - Sri Lanka Buddhist Network), Bernard Kulatilaka, Ven. Dr. Bhadant Rahula Bodhi Maha Thera

The initiative was the culmination of a successful goodwill tour of Sri Lanka, recently, by a delegation of Indian Buddhists, consisted of both clergy and laity. The eight member Indian Buddhist delegation led by Ven. Dr. Bhadant Rahula Bodhi Maha Thera met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Kandy on February 22, which speaks soundly of the government’s recognition of the group’s endeavour to build bonds on the basis of a common Buddhist heritage.

The Buddhist delegation consisted of Indian Bhikkhu Sangha’s United Buddhist Mission president, Ven Dr Bhadant Rahula Bodhi Maha Thera, former member of parliament (MP) Ramdas Athawale, World Fellowship of Buddhist, India vice president, Avinash Kamble, India United Buddhist Federation president, RL Tambe, Tambe Education Society College, Mumbai, principal Sachchidanand Fulekar, Nagpur Dr Ambedkar Law College principal, Sachin M. Moon, India Lord Buddha Television, Managing Director, Ven. Bhadant Rewat Bodhi, high priest, Bhikkhu Niwas Gedam layout, Nagpur, India and director, HR & IR, Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai, Vishwas Sakru Sarode.

The importance of cultural symbolism for diplomacy and bond building has been long understood by people who reach out to form intercultural harmony. The symbols of Buddhist affinities between India and Sri Lanka in the more modern context was brought out in the course of the presentation discoursed by Ven Dr Bhadant Rahula Bodhi Maha Thera on the lines of modern figures who are seen as symbols of Buddhist revivalism. One of Sri Lanka’s foremost national figures of Buddhist revivalism during the last stages of British colonialism, Anagarika Dharmapala holds a place of esteem amongst Indian Buddhists according to the venerable Thera. And the quintessential symbol of Buddhist revivalism in India is none other than the erudite Dr B.R. Ambedkar. who is revered as the father of the Indian constitution.

What was propositioned by Ven Dr Bhadant Rahula Bodhi Maha Thera is the installation of a life-size statue of Dr Ambedkar as a public monument to mark symbolic bond between the Buddhists of India and Sri Lanka. The thera emphasised that India has thousands of monuments commemorating Dr. Ambedkar and that there are monuments dedicated to Anagarika Dharmapala as well, although Sri Lanka has not yet recognised Dr. Ambedkar with a public monument.  And the bronze needed for this monument will be gifted by the Buddhists in India stated the Thera.

Speaking on the schema of Buddhist iconography that represents Buddhism through Indian symbols of State, the Thera pointed out that the State emblem of India has the lion of the Buddhist Emperor Asoka, as well as a version of the Dharma Chakra on the Indian flag. “The Brahmin people in India were angry with Dr. Ambedkar for making Hindus to become Buddhists. He converted more than half a million Hindus to Buddhism in a single stroke in 1956. Never has it been recorded of such a feat in any country where such a great number of people entered the Buddhist fraternity,” said the Thera.

“Sri Lankans and Indian Buddhists are brothers.” Emphasised the Thera stressing that the nearly 70 million strong Indian Buddhist populace will hold Sri Lanka in great affection if the hero of the Buddhist revivalism in India is recognised with a public monument being raised on Lankan soil. If the project is given recognition by the Rajapaksa government, the Indian Buddhist lobby will ensure the participation of either the President or Premier of India at the unveiling ceremony declared the Thera.

Ven Banagala Upatissa Thera from the Maha Bodhi Society declared that space for erection of the monument can be committed by the Maha Bodhi Society which will provide space within its premises. The suitability of this location was further stressed as ideal on the grounds that the Maha Bodhi Society which is a pivotal institution to the Buddhist lobby in India was after all founded by none other than Anagarika Dharmapala. 

Ven. Rahula Bodhi Thera of India stressed that India’s Buddhists are very much for a united Sri Lanka and outlined what he believes to be identifiable results of the future installation of an ‘Ambedkar monument’ in Sri Lanka. A tidal rise in the numbers of Indian arrivals to Sri Lanka was cited as an initial response. The Indian government’s appreciation of Sri Lanka will grow for honouring one of India’s greatest sons noted the Thera, stating further he believes millions of Indians who are ardent followers of Dr. Ambedkar and people who admire him around the world will view Sri Lanka favourably. As stated by the Thera Dr. Ambedkar’s vision for India was that of Emperor Asoka’s, which was to create a Buddhist country.

This initiative which is presently being spearheaded by private citizens from both India and Sri Lanka to strengthen bonds between the two countries is now coming to fruition after Senaka Weeraratna, a Sri Lankan Buddhist activist advocated, early last year, the idea for a commemorative postage stamp to be issued by Sri Lankan postal authorities to honour Dr. Ambedkar, which gained attention amongst likeminded people. Time will surely show how great a flame may grow from a spark of thoughtfulness to build bridges across nations and cultures in pursuance of ideals of international amity.  

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Korean Protestant pastor urinates inside Buddhist temple, community apologises

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Seoul, South Korea -- The Korean protestant community sent an official letter of apology to the abbot of Donghwasa temple, Ven. Sungman, on regarding the actions of the Korean Protestant pastor, Seong, who urinated in the dharma hall and vandalized the Buddhist portraits with a permanent marker.

The Korean protestant community officially apologized for their poor actions and promised never to repeat their mistakes.

Donghwasa temple repeatedly ask for an official apology since the tragic occurrence last August, however Pastor Seong nor his church gave any comments and refused to give any sort of apology to the Buddhist community or Donghwasa temple.

The Head of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), Pastor Yong-ju Kim and the Head of the Assemblies of God of Korea, Kil-hak Choi had a meeting with Ven. Sungman at Donghwasa temple and directly apologized for their member, Pastor Seong, for his poor actions.

During this meeting, Choi stated, “We deeply regret the actions caused by our community to the Buddhist community and Donghwasa temple, and we will educate and keep an eye on our community for this sort of action will never happen again

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‘Buddhist’ Thugs Make Their Comeback

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Meiktila, Myanmar -- There is no doubt that the violent attacks on Muslims in Meiktila, a garrison city in central Burma, were politically motivated. It has been a gruesome spectacle. Muslims were beaten, dragged out into the streets, doused with petrol and burned alive.

The police were slow to restore law and order. As the attackers, who were armed with knives, machetes and walkie-talkies, roamed the city, the police just stood by and watched. Some thugs allegedly pushed though police lines to attack Muslims, and still the police did little to protect them, according to eyewitnesses.

Min Ko Naing, a former student leader and prominent activist, rushed to the scene with some monks to stop the violence. At one point, a group of people involved in the attacks threatened to kill them.

When he arrived Meiktila, Min Ko Naing pleaded with the marauding mobs to stop their attacks. His words were not well received, however, and he was forced to retreat. Within hours, photos likening him to an Al Qaeda terrorist were posted on Facebook. This came after weeks of anti-Muslim vitriol filled social media sites. Clearly, there has been a very well-orchestrated campaign to vilify Muslims in Burma and discredit anyone seen as sympathetic to them.

Journalists were among those singled out for intimidation. Despite efforts to silence them, however, many said that the violence they witnessed seemed systematic and well-planned.

Several witnesses and reporters on the ground said that the killers rode around the city on motorcycles looking for Muslims to murder. Nobody made any attempt to stop them. In addition, “monks” from other parts of the country joined in the carnage, while local authorities stood idly by.

It’s hard to believe that Burma’s security forces and riot police, who have a reputation for ruthlessly suppressing protests, have suddenly lost their nerve. In 1988, they did not hesitate to gun down people who took to the streets to call for an end to military rule. And in 2007, they violently cracked down on monks without a second’s thought. So what happened in Meikhtila?

Many suspect that last week’s violence in central Burma involved the same people who took part in attacks and riots in Arakan State last year. But so far there is no evidence to support this claim. I’m more inclined to believe that masterminds behind the Meikhtila attacks are people too big to catch. The government has yet to apprehend anyone involved in the recurring spasms of violence that continue to traumatize the country.

So who organized the attacks? One theory is that hardcore elements in the establishment are behind the violence. Some speculate that they may be enemies of the Thein Sein government who want to undermine the president’s reforms. Others suggest that the malefactors may be powerful countries and businessmen who feel that they are losing out because of Burma’s new opening to the outside world.

At any rate, the clear winners here are the military, which was called in to quell the riots after Thein Sein ordered a state of emergency last Friday. In the current atmosphere, the sight of troops in the streets is almost reassuring. This has raised fears that if the situation deteriorates further, the military could take over the reins of power completely to restore law and order.

It is also clear that Burma’s Buddhists—particularly its monks—have suffered an enormous black eye due to the actions of a shadowy group of chauvinists who have used religion as a pretext for terrorizing a segment of Burma’s population.

The sad truth, however, is that this is not the first time that Buddhism has been twisted beyond recognition to serve the interests of a tiny cabal with malicious intentions. After all, for half a century, successive military dictatorships employed a grotesque parody of Buddhism to manipulate the masses.

Non-Buddhists have always had a hard time in Burma’s armed forces, at least since independence in 1948. But the situation deteriorated even further after the military seized power in 1962, after which only ethnic Burman Buddhists stood any chance of rising through the ranks.

The military also sought to impose ethnic purity on the nation as a whole, by relegating non-Burmans and non-Buddhists to the very fringes of society. Eventually, even Buddhists, who watched helplessly as their religion was degraded by power-hungry murderers, were marginalized along with everyone else who did not wear a uniform.

Although they portrayed themselves as devout Buddhists, Burma’s military rulers showed no compassion toward anyone who did not bow before them. They repressed not only ethnic minorities, but also critics and dissidents, often with brutal force.

The outcome is that we now have countless “Buddhist extremists” in Burma. Sadly, they are everywhere. They are out on the streets and sitting in Parliament, wearing military fatigues, business suits and monk’s robes.

So the rise of “Buddhist” fascists in Burma comes as no surprise to anyone who has witnessed the machinations of the country’s rulers over the past half-century. Their presence in the streets of Meikhtila is no more than a throwback to the darkest days of military rule, and one that will not be exorcised easily.

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Aung Zaw is founder and editor of the Irrawaddy magazine. He can be reached at aungzaw@irrawaddy.org.

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Seminar introduces western Mainers to Buddhism

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FARMINGTON, Maine (USA) -- In an effort to leave stress behind and seek introspection, a group of western Mainers unfurled meditation mats and blankets, laid down on the floor with their arms at their sides and their eyes closed to participate in guided mediation.

<< Joe Rankin, right, and Tim Davis spoke to participants during the Western Maine Buddhism seminar at the University of Maine in Farmington on Sunday. Rankin is a former Morning Sentinel reporter and Kennebec Journal editor. Staff photo by David Leaming

The 30 people in attendance were gathering for the Western Maine Buddhism seminar, which met Sunday afternoon at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Co-organizer Jeb Enoch, who said he has been practicing for 18 years, said while many of those in attendance have been practicing for years, most have begun only recently to meet as a group.

"We're just really starting to build the community," he said.

The organizers decided to host the event as a way of gathering people interested in Buddhism along with members of three local Buddhism groups, or "sanghas."

Buddhism, considered one of the major world religions, was founded in India around 500 B.C. Most followers are found in Asian countries such as India, China and Japan.

Buddhists generally believe that correct thinking and self-denial will enable the soul to reach nirvana, a state of release into ultimate enlightenment and peace. Specific philosophies, however, vary by sect.

A co-organizer from each of the three groups spoke to the crowd about their respective Buddhist traditions and their personal experience practicing.

Tim Davis, of the Theravada tradition, spoke about mindfulness-based stress reduction courses he co-leads at the Franklin County Health Network; Joe Rankin, of the Full Moon Sangha, spoke about the Zen tradition; and Jeb Enoch, of the Tibetan tradition, spoke about his group, Rime Sangha, and his philosophy.

Along with the mini-seminar about the different traditions, the group participated in a question-and-answer session, along with meditation and yoga exercises.

Those in attendance also brought food donations for Care & Share Food Closet. The invitation for the gathering stated that in Buddhist circles, giving, or "dana," is an important part of the tradition and asked those planning to attend to donate if they were able to do so.

Chesterville resident Marjorie Cormier said she thought the event was informative. She said she has practiced Buddhism on and off and enjoyed the seminar as a way to help renew her practicing.

"It was a very nonthreatening way to learn," she said.

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Ancient Buddhist Vihara found in Munshiganj

The discovery was made during an excavation conducted jointly by Agrasar Bikrampur Foundation, a local socio-cultural organisation, and Archaeology Department of Jahangirnagar University (JU).

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs financed the project.

The excavation is the result of four years of hectic effort of the team.

Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, Director of the Archaeological Excavation and Research in Bikrampur region, confirmed reporters from the site about over a 1,000-year-old Buddhist Vihara being spotted.

Lenin, also a Presidium member of the ruling Awami League, said it was believed the monastery had been built about 1,100 years ago.

He said over 100 precious idols and sculptures have so far been discovered from the region.

Project researcher Prof Dr Sufi Mostafizur Rahman, a teacher of the Archaeology Department at JU, said it was believed that the monastery was related to Atish Dipankar Srigyan, a child prodigy like the Lord Buddha, who was born in Bikrampur region during the regime of King Dharmapala (820 AD).

It is said that some 8,000 students and professors came to the Buddhism education centre in Bikrampur from as far as China, Tibet, Nepal and Thailand during the period and Atish Dipankar was the Chancellor of the centre.

The friendly people of China had constructed a mausoleum at his village, Bojrojogini, in Bikrampur.

Through Atish, the teachings of Lord Buddha reached the world.

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Book Review: Buddhaland Brooklyn

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Buddhaland Brooklyn by Richard C. Morais
(Allen & Unwin $36.99)

Auckland, New Zealand -- The premise of Richard C. Morais' Buddhaland Brooklyn is that an apparent fish-out-of-water can eventually find, and adjust to, its new pond. Morais takes rather a long time to get there, but he makes it.

Oda, an 11-year-old boy from what is described as a quaint mountain village (with 15,000 people, no less), is sent to train as a Buddhist monk at the nearby head temple of the Headwater sect of Mahayana Buddhism. After nearly 30 years in this secluded environment, he is chosen to go to New York to set up a new temple in Brooklyn.

Almost greater than the shock of the huge city on Oda's sensibilities is the motley collection of American Buddhists he has to re-educate into the traditional ways of religious practice. Although reportedly proficient in English, Oda has difficulty understanding the Bronx dialect - and he would not be alone in that - but he also has cultural misunderstandings and misguided practices to negotiate.

His arrogance and isolation from his new flock do not endear him to most of his believers. Only when Oda realises his shortcomings and appreciates the care he has unwittingly been receiving does he understand what acceptance really means, and finds the true meaning of his faith.

Morais' style of writing is difficult to analyse. His descriptive passages are convincing, although adjective-heavy, but the frequent juxtapositions of the spiritual with the risible are disruptive.

In one instance, Oda finds solace on a wooded slope beside the river, at peace under the trees as he watches a troop of macaques "pick their noses and scratch their bums".

From the sublime to the gor-blimey, as my mother used to say.

Characterisation is another area where Morais has difficulty. The cast of characters in Buddhaland Brooklyn is wide and varied, but they do not convince or appeal.

They seem uniformly unable or unwilling to accept Oda's form of Buddhism, which was what they had, after all, requested, and all seem to confirm an outsider's rather unsympathetic view of Americans.

But all comes right in the end. The temple is built, Oda decides to stay in New York rather than return to his cloistered life in Japan, and the true meaning of enlightenment reveals itself to this turbulent priest.

Morais does not make life easy for himself either. Rather than writing about what he knows, he reaches for subjects outside his realm of experience and borrows heavily from works of mysticism and religion, which he freely admits.

This imparts a degree of confusion and lack of credibility. Conversation is stilted and unconvincing and the phrasing is often clumsy.

In Morais' first novel, The Hundred-Foot Journey, he followed the path of a young Indian man from humble beginnings in his family restaurant to three Michelin-star success. This rags-to-riches pilgrimage seems to be his schtick. One wonders where he will take it next, but not with a great deal of interest.

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Phoebe Falconer is an Auckland reviewer.

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