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PEACE AND HARMONY
BY VEN. MUGUNUWELA ANURUDDHA THERO
SECRETARY GENERAL OF WORLD BUDDHIST SANGHA YOUTH
15th General Assembly of
World Assembly of Youth
22nd – 26th November 2010
Malacca, Malaysia
The words “PEACE AND HARMONY” have many meanings. For this talk, for the
word “PEACE”, I shall take the meaning ‘freedom from war and the absence of
violence’ and for the word “HARMONY”, I shall take the meaning ‘freedom
from conflict and freedom from disagreement among people or groups of
people’.
War caused by disharmony among the people motivated by fear, greed and
the desire for power has been a common occurrence in human history.
Humans have killed each other more than the effects of natural disasters. By
the end of the 20th century, the number of humans who died in the hands of
fellow humans rose to more than 100 million. In the 21st century, human
cruelty towards one another continues. In 2002, 30 countries around the world
were fighting in 37 armed conflicts – a combined population of 2.29 billion
people. All 37 of 2002’s conflicts were civil wars.
The lack of peace in the world today is caused by disharmony among the
peoples of this world. How do we bring harmony to the world, where humans
can live in peaceful harmony? Harmony can only be achieved when humans
can live in agreement. And it is up to us youth today to see it through as we are
the leaders of today and tomorrow.
The fundamental ingredient to attain human harmony is when we see each
other as fellow human beings from one home, our planet earth, not through
our nationality, race or religion. As Albert Einstein said” We appeal as human
beings to human beings. Remember your humanity, and forget the rests”.
In the point of view of religion and its contribution to peaceful harmony, the
basic essence of all religion is morality. The core of all religion is the teaching of
living in harmony with our fellow human beings by the showing of love and
compassion. We have to go back to the fundamentals of each of ours religions
– the practise of morality. The essence of morality is found in the Golden Rule
which is found in all religious traditions.
The Golden Rule exists in all religions. It is a basic requirement of human
behaviour. The positive form of the Golden Rule is “Treats Others as You
Would like to Be Treated” and the negative form of the Golden Rule is “Do Not
Treat Others as You Would Not like to Be Treated”
I shall now share some sayings of the Golden Rule found in some major
religions in the world:
HINDUISM
“This is the essence of morality: Do not do to others which if done to you will
caused you pain.”
CONFUCIANISM
“Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.”
BUDDHISM
“A state that is not pleasant or delightful to me must be so for him also and a
state which is not pleasant or delightful for me, how could I inflict that on
another?”
JUDAISM
“What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour – that is the basic law, all
the rest is commentary.”
CHRISTIANITY
“Whatever you wish that others do to you, do so to them – that is what the
law of God, and the teachings of the prophets are all about.”
ISLAM
“No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he
desires for himself.”
SIKHISM
“Do as you desire goodness for yourself, as you cannot expect tasty fruits if you
sow thorny trees.”
BAHA’I
“If your eyes be turned towards justice, choose for your neighbour that which
you would choose for yourself.”
As a Buddhist Monk, I shall explain now, how Buddhism can contribute to
Peace and Harmony in the world:
Buddhists takes the virtue of non-harming, as an important guide to the
human conduct. We should respond to violence with non-violence. As the
Buddha said: ”Hatred is never overcome through hatred; by love alone is
hatred overcome. This is an ancient principle.”
Recognizing that we are all one is the most important lesson for all Buddhist. I
cannot act against the welfare of anyone – even those who have caused others
suffering. The awakened human mind can see both sides are acting out of their
own desire for happiness. And I am as much responsible for wars, pollution
and suffering as anyone else.
The Buddhist perspective towards attaining Peace and Harmony is “There is no
path to peace; peace is the path.”
The Buddha has said: “Seek yourself first. We must individually establish peace
in our own hearts before we could carry the message of peace to others and to
the world.”
What we need today is to bring about a change in man’s mind more than a
change in the environment. Since wars begin in the minds of men, since
conflicts and disharmony is the cause of war, in our quest for peace, we have
to remove the causes of conflicts. The preamble to the UNESCO Charter
reminds us that “It is in the minds of men that the defence of peace must be
constructed.” Therefore as youths today, we must together embrace a
responsible mind-set to each and one another to deter all these conflict and
disharmony.
We should think peace, speak peace and act peace.
From the Buddhist point of view, another way of promoting peace is by
following the five precepts. Buddhists or non-Buddhists, anyone who observes
the minimum five precepts which are abstinence from killing, stealing, sexual
misconduct, lying and drunkenness – brings about peace and harmony
everywhere.
The Buddhist concept of love and compassion has no compromising
limitations. The Buddhist view of life is such that no living being is considered
as outside of the circle of love and compassion. All living beings are ONE and
interconnected. The virtues of love and compassion practised by Buddhists
make no distinction between men as high or low, rich or poor, strong or weak,
wise or unwise, dark or fair, or as Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jew, etc.
All beings suffer in one-way or another. Suffering may be physical or mental or
both. All know the pain of starvation, of want of clothing, want of shelter and
the pain of disease. Death is a blow to all alike.
So let us not add to the suffering of others, but bring good will to those who
are in hostility, unity to those who are divided, peace and harmony to the
confused and restless.
Buddhists recognizes that the whole world would not change overnight. My
consciousness affects yours, and yours affect others you come in contact with.
Eventually a critical mass is reached and peace is realized.
In conclusion, peace and harmony can be attained in the world when men
treat each other as fellow humans and cease to look at each other through the
lenses of nationality, race or religion. All of mankind is ONE. Practising the
Golden Rule, we should begin to treat each other with respect and love
without any discrimination.
When we youths learned how to live in harmony as ONE, true peace will finally
be attained in the world.
I shall end my talk with a popular Buddhist blessing:
“May all beings be well and happy. May there be Peace and Harmony in the
world”
Thank you.