Reflecting on real source of present day upheavals<\/p>\n
By Rusdi Rukmarata<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Buddhists join their brethren around
\nthe world tomorrow in marking the enlightenment of Buddha.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, the Buddhist faithful of this country -- one
\npercent of a population of 200 million people -- will use the day
\nto contemplate recent events in the country.<\/p>\n
The election campaign, which some say has been the most
\nviolent ever, is nearing conclusion. Its violence reminds one of
\nthe ethnic and religious tensions which surfaced in destructive
\nriots last year.<\/p>\n
In Rengasdengklok in West Java, places of worship, including
\na Buddhist temple, were burned down last year. At Sanggau Ledo
\nethnic clashes erupted among people of different faiths. These
\nincidents are more than adequate to warrant introspection,
\nespecially by religious leaders.<\/p>\n
Yet the root of the riots does not lie in differences in
\nreligion. If this were so, Indonesia would have crumbled long
\nago.<\/p>\n
One of the problems is that religious leaders tend to equate
\n\"having a religion\" with identity rather than an actual
\nprofession of faith.<\/p>\n
Within Buddhism, the ability to measure the level of faith of
\nmembers is still inadequate. This is important because we can
\nnurture devotion of an adherent if we can ascertain the level of
\ntheir faith.<\/p>\n
We can assess whether a member actually practices maitri
\nkaruna (removing another person's suffering and giving him
\nhappiness). But we have a tendency to consider somebody a
\nbeliever merely by the official notation on an identity card, and
\nto think of a community as believers by their regular attendance
\nat places of worship. We do not give serious thought to whether
\nmembers actually practice religious teachings, even though
\nquality of faith is most important for believers of any religion.<\/p>\n
From one perspective, last year's riots could be likened to a
\nbuilding being gutted by fire with no fire extinguishers
\navailable. There were no preventive measures in place.<\/p>\n
The question is why. Part of the answer is cultural. The
\npractice of Asal Bapak Senang (literally \"As Long as Sir is
\nHappy\" and commonly known by its acronym ABS) is pervasive,
\nincluding in religious circles, of reporting only positive
\nmatters to superiors.<\/p>\n
A religious leader will invariably reply that all is well when
\nasked about the status of his flock.<\/p>\n
This aspect of our culture cannot be ascribed to legacies of
\nfeudalism. Reliefs on the Borobudur temple attest to a different
\ntime.<\/p>\n
Buried at the bottom of the foot of the temple are the
\nKarmawibhangga engravings depicting the king, religious leaders
\nand other prominent members of society. These do not gloss over
\nhuman shortcomings nor detract from their superiority.<\/p>\n
In this 1,200 years old monument in which our nation takes
\npride, an honest depiction of society is presented. There are
\nengravings of abortion, devastation of forests by business
\ninterests, abuse of power by high officials, corruption and drug
\naddiction. But there are also the generous, the religious
\ncommunity in prayer, the king and his subjects enjoying an art
\nperformance and Buddhist priests in amiable conversation with
\nHindu ascetics.<\/p>\n
It was the diversity of ethnic groups, religions, races and
\ngroups which was the strength of the people at the time. An open
\nculture, honest and generous in accepting their own and others'
\nfoibles and strengths, formed the society. Togetherness was the
\nIndonesian people's way of life.<\/p>\n
Buddha himself came to the world to wipe out hypocrisy, the
\nsuperficiality of the ABS culture and discrimination. It rests
\nwith the Buddhist religious leaders whether they seriously wish
\nto nurture the faith of the religious community.<\/p>\n
Last year's riots stemming from rupturing of differences in
\nethnicity, religion, race and communal group (popularly known as
\nSARA) should be the cue for Buddhists to reflect and contemplate.<\/p>\n
Today people tend to put blame on a third party. If one always
\nblames others in matters like abuse of power, reckless lifestyles
\nof young people or the influence of a foreign culture, a solution
\nto the problems is hard to find. If rioters can only protest and
\ncomplain, precious time to solve the problems is lost while the
\nissues fester.<\/p>\n
The riots were also caused by a communication gap. Each side
\nclaims to be the sole bearer of truth, and prejudice exacerbates
\nmatters. Parents believe the youth is rebellious, anti-
\nestablishment, influenced by foreign culture and averse to hard
\nwork. Youngsters in turn view their parents as authoritarian,
\nrigid defenders of the status quo and undemocratic.<\/p>\n
Religious leaders are not exempt from the responsibility of
\ncounseling members who harbor prejudice. Buddhist leaders must go
\ndeeper into the source of the problems to find a solution. Buddha
\nleft his ancestral palace and led an ascetic life because he saw
\nand felt the sufferings of the people.<\/p>\n
Buddha predicted the souls of people would be disturbed in
\nhis own and future societies. As was true in Buddha's day,
\nselfish individualism and materialism continue to be the reasons
\nfor this spiritual turmoil.<\/p>\n
The writer is a Buddhist priest.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/reflecting-on-real-source-of-present-day-upheavals-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }