An airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar's central Sagaing region has killed at least 23 people who were taking shelter in the compound, sources said.
This characterization of the illegal military regime and its actions as “buddhist” would be a gross misnomer. The internal strife in Myanmar is one of military versus different socio ethnic and religious groups - this air strike on the buddhist monastery safe housing refugees goes against your very argument.
Buddhist extremist monks have used hate speach in Myanmar for years to drive a genocide against the Rohingya, who they claim are a thread to the Buddhist identity of Myanmar.
I am a Buddhist myself, and I have to disagree with the “most peacefully religion ever” part. As the above example shows, every idea can be perverted and used for hate by humans.
Other examples against the idea of Buddhism beeing peaceful are Samurai beeing Buddhists, or that many people in Buddhist countries see disabled people as beeing at fault for their disabilities (the idea here is that the disability is the result of a karmic action in a past life).
Buddhism beeing overly peaceful is a misconception in the minority world (“the West”), possibly because it was introduced to Buddhism by New Age Hippies in the 70s, that worked it into the “Love and Peace” mindset that they already brought with them when encountering Buddhism.
I learned about Buddhism by one of the Lamas (Teachers) whon had encounter such Hippies and had been able to get enoth experience with “Westerners”, to be able to teach about the religion in a way that I could understand and connect from my point of view, while destroying the faulty concepts many of us have about Buddhism in the Minority World.
There are extremists in every religion is there not just as there are in every people? These Rohingyas committed genocide killing 99 Hindus in the very same month that illegal fascist military massacred over 100 Rohingyas during their insurgency campaign in 2017 Amnesty International. Let me guess that you are not familiar with the politics of Myanmar. The current military leader and the military’s political wing’s strategy has been to replicate Indian Hindu nationalist party’s strategy by wrapping themselves in ultra nationalist and religious ideology to win the elections. It was the military and its political wing who promoted and funded those militant monks - to this day. Yet those monks still remain a minority amongst the monk population and their following remains scant and small to this very day in Myanmar. There were many false-flag operations that were conducted in Myanmar by the military spreading rumours of rapes in one community by members of the other community or desecration of religious edifices which led to a few riots back then. When the Rohingya militants attacked several police stations and border posts in Arakan in 2017 successfully, this provided the military with the pretext to conduct a sweeping military campaign that created the current Rohingya refugee crisis and the earlier cited massacre. In the military-written constitution in Myanmar, the military is completely INDEPENDENT of the government and does not answer to the parliament or the prime minister. This campaign like every military campaigns all over the country are and were conducted without consultation of then civilian government, and done in support of their (military’s) political strategy. However that political strategy FAILED to win them much votes at all as the elections in late 2020 were won overwhelmingly by the NLD which was a clear REPUDIATION of the military’s ultra nationalist religious stand by the country’s vast majority BUDDHIST population. NLD was about to ascend to power for their 2nd consecutive term in early 2021 when the same military leader who ordered the brutal repressive campaign in Arakan staged a coup to seize the power he couldn’t seize through democratic means. The actions of this barbaric military junta whose leaders tries to atone for their sins by promoting a small group of militant monks does NOT count as blanket action by the entire “buddhist” majority population whose very voice through elections and through civil disobedience had made clear their disdain for the military’s actions. So do not accuse and falsely colour an ENTIRE population of something they have clearly stated in many unequivocal ways where they stand.
I have no interest in body count of each religion, as that’s just a pissing match that you’re taking exception to.
You are right that I am not familiar with the detailed context and I thank you for adding it.
It remain an unfortunate truth, even after reading your post, that Buddhism has been used here as a weapon to spread hate. And even if it was only a minority of the population that fell for this hate, it remains true non the less that Lord Buddhas teachings have been used here in such a way.
So, even with this context, my main point stands: Every idea can and will be twisted in a hateful way by humans.
Every religion can be twisted which is MY WORDS. But these monks did NOT cite any Buddhist teaching to the exclusion of others or one that promotes other’s death to its benefit. Once again, you are wrong to say that Buddhist teachings were used to justify killings - it is the men in robes who called for it, not the teachings itself. And these monks did not CITE any Buddhist teachings to justify them. Stop spreading falsehoods and hate without knowledge. This is the kind of shit MAGA lives on and you’re doing it here.
Listen, I understand your anger. I identify as a Buddhist and I am not happy to acknowledge that, in this case, the religion was at least used as an excuse for spreading violence.
Non the less, I don’t think talking around it is sensible. Sometimes we just have to face reality, even if it’s hard to swallow.
By your logic (if I understand you correctly, and by all means please correct me if not), something like the crusades could not be blamed on Christians. After all, they were politicaly motivated and the Pope only used the “Holy War” excuse to rally up troops.
I also don’t think it’s necessary to quote teachings in order to qualify the statement that “Buddhism was used to get people to commit a genocide”. Even if all they said was “we have to get rid of them, because they threaten our identity as Buddhists” that, in my opinion, is enoth to qualify the above statement.
And of course non of us knows of they quoted teachings. I assume you weren’t present, an I for sure was not. So they might have, or not have. Given the context of what happend it is at least a valid possibility.
Your patronizing tone is ironic in light of your ignorance. You don’t understand anything. That is the problem and issue. The crusades, the inquisitions, the “residential schools” in Canada etc were conducted BY priests, monks and officials of the church in the name of the religion. None of these militant monks were involved in these heinous crimes. They are absolutely guilty of rhetoric. And again, they are few and far in between in Myanmar. All the articles lead to just a handful of monks and a small group of their followers all of whom are military backed. It IS NOT wide-spread.
I can read and watch and understand what these militant monks have been saying and doing while you haven’t so your ASSUMPTION is again coming from absolute ignorance as are your arguments.
And it isn’t a coincidence that since 2017 when military conducted the Rohingya campaign and the populace knew what they were up to, there has been ZERO incident of racially or religiously motivated riots in Myanmar while these are still a regular occurance in South Asia.
All the articles lead to just a handful of monks and a small group of their followers all of whom are military backed. It IS NOT wide-spread.
I can read and watch and understand what these militant monks have been saying and doing while you haven’t so your ASSUMPTION is again coming from absolute ignorance as are your arguments.
I’m not assuming, I’m going by the information that has been made avaible. Like here:
This violence has often been supported by factions within the Buddhist monastic community in Myanmar. Buddhist sermons regularly include Islamophobic messages such as unsubstantiated rumors of Muslim violence against Buddhists or Muslim plots to take over the country and destroy Buddhism. Thousands of monks have participated in anti-Muslim demonstrations, increasing interreligious tensions in the region. These elements of the Buddhist community have justified their actions using Buddhist theology, claiming that violence is acceptable if it is done in defense of their religion.
Regardless, there is no doubt that much of the Buddhist religious leadership of Myanmar has promoted violence against Muslims in the region.
I can read and watch and understand what these militant monks have been saying and doing while you haven’t so your ASSUMPTION is again coming from absolute ignorance as are your arguments.
This seems to directly contradict you.
As a side note, I find this part interesting:
The ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar is incredibly complex; the traumas of colonialism, poverty, the recent transition from a military government to a more democratic state, and the global war on terror all play major roles in shaping the conflict. However, the role of Buddhism in this conflict is clearly no less complex. While many monks in Myanmar seem to support and even advocate for violence against their Muslim neighbors, there are others who are constantly working to end the violence. Both believe their actions to be deeply inspired by Buddhism, and both use theology to justify their claims.
Maybe you will habe to just accept that there is no such thing as an easy truth here.
This characterization of the illegal military regime and its actions as “buddhist” would be a gross misnomer. The internal strife in Myanmar is one of military versus different socio ethnic and religious groups - this air strike on the buddhist monastery safe housing refugees goes against your very argument.
That’s not what OP is referring to.
Buddhist extremist monks have used hate speach in Myanmar for years to drive a genocide against the Rohingya, who they claim are a thread to the Buddhist identity of Myanmar.
Read about it here, for example.
I am a Buddhist myself, and I have to disagree with the “most peacefully religion ever” part. As the above example shows, every idea can be perverted and used for hate by humans.
Other examples against the idea of Buddhism beeing peaceful are Samurai beeing Buddhists, or that many people in Buddhist countries see disabled people as beeing at fault for their disabilities (the idea here is that the disability is the result of a karmic action in a past life).
Buddhism beeing overly peaceful is a misconception in the minority world (“the West”), possibly because it was introduced to Buddhism by New Age Hippies in the 70s, that worked it into the “Love and Peace” mindset that they already brought with them when encountering Buddhism.
I learned about Buddhism by one of the Lamas (Teachers) whon had encounter such Hippies and had been able to get enoth experience with “Westerners”, to be able to teach about the religion in a way that I could understand and connect from my point of view, while destroying the faulty concepts many of us have about Buddhism in the Minority World.
There are extremists in every religion is there not just as there are in every people? These Rohingyas committed genocide killing 99 Hindus in the very same month that illegal fascist military massacred over 100 Rohingyas during their insurgency campaign in 2017 Amnesty International. Let me guess that you are not familiar with the politics of Myanmar. The current military leader and the military’s political wing’s strategy has been to replicate Indian Hindu nationalist party’s strategy by wrapping themselves in ultra nationalist and religious ideology to win the elections. It was the military and its political wing who promoted and funded those militant monks - to this day. Yet those monks still remain a minority amongst the monk population and their following remains scant and small to this very day in Myanmar. There were many false-flag operations that were conducted in Myanmar by the military spreading rumours of rapes in one community by members of the other community or desecration of religious edifices which led to a few riots back then. When the Rohingya militants attacked several police stations and border posts in Arakan in 2017 successfully, this provided the military with the pretext to conduct a sweeping military campaign that created the current Rohingya refugee crisis and the earlier cited massacre. In the military-written constitution in Myanmar, the military is completely INDEPENDENT of the government and does not answer to the parliament or the prime minister. This campaign like every military campaigns all over the country are and were conducted without consultation of then civilian government, and done in support of their (military’s) political strategy. However that political strategy FAILED to win them much votes at all as the elections in late 2020 were won overwhelmingly by the NLD which was a clear REPUDIATION of the military’s ultra nationalist religious stand by the country’s vast majority BUDDHIST population. NLD was about to ascend to power for their 2nd consecutive term in early 2021 when the same military leader who ordered the brutal repressive campaign in Arakan staged a coup to seize the power he couldn’t seize through democratic means. The actions of this barbaric military junta whose leaders tries to atone for their sins by promoting a small group of militant monks does NOT count as blanket action by the entire “buddhist” majority population whose very voice through elections and through civil disobedience had made clear their disdain for the military’s actions. So do not accuse and falsely colour an ENTIRE population of something they have clearly stated in many unequivocal ways where they stand.
I have no interest in body count of each religion, as that’s just a pissing match that you’re taking exception to.
Why did the Rohingyas commit genocide, but the fascists did a masscre?
You are right that I am not familiar with the detailed context and I thank you for adding it.
It remain an unfortunate truth, even after reading your post, that Buddhism has been used here as a weapon to spread hate. And even if it was only a minority of the population that fell for this hate, it remains true non the less that Lord Buddhas teachings have been used here in such a way.
So, even with this context, my main point stands: Every idea can and will be twisted in a hateful way by humans.
Every religion can be twisted which is MY WORDS. But these monks did NOT cite any Buddhist teaching to the exclusion of others or one that promotes other’s death to its benefit. Once again, you are wrong to say that Buddhist teachings were used to justify killings - it is the men in robes who called for it, not the teachings itself. And these monks did not CITE any Buddhist teachings to justify them. Stop spreading falsehoods and hate without knowledge. This is the kind of shit MAGA lives on and you’re doing it here.
Listen, I understand your anger. I identify as a Buddhist and I am not happy to acknowledge that, in this case, the religion was at least used as an excuse for spreading violence.
Non the less, I don’t think talking around it is sensible. Sometimes we just have to face reality, even if it’s hard to swallow.
By your logic (if I understand you correctly, and by all means please correct me if not), something like the crusades could not be blamed on Christians. After all, they were politicaly motivated and the Pope only used the “Holy War” excuse to rally up troops.
I also don’t think it’s necessary to quote teachings in order to qualify the statement that “Buddhism was used to get people to commit a genocide”. Even if all they said was “we have to get rid of them, because they threaten our identity as Buddhists” that, in my opinion, is enoth to qualify the above statement.
And of course non of us knows of they quoted teachings. I assume you weren’t present, an I for sure was not. So they might have, or not have. Given the context of what happend it is at least a valid possibility.
Your patronizing tone is ironic in light of your ignorance. You don’t understand anything. That is the problem and issue. The crusades, the inquisitions, the “residential schools” in Canada etc were conducted BY priests, monks and officials of the church in the name of the religion. None of these militant monks were involved in these heinous crimes. They are absolutely guilty of rhetoric. And again, they are few and far in between in Myanmar. All the articles lead to just a handful of monks and a small group of their followers all of whom are military backed. It IS NOT wide-spread.
I can read and watch and understand what these militant monks have been saying and doing while you haven’t so your ASSUMPTION is again coming from absolute ignorance as are your arguments.
And it isn’t a coincidence that since 2017 when military conducted the Rohingya campaign and the populace knew what they were up to, there has been ZERO incident of racially or religiously motivated riots in Myanmar while these are still a regular occurance in South Asia.
I’m not assuming, I’m going by the information that has been made avaible. Like here:
https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/religion-context/case-studies/violence-peace/conflict-myanmar
This seems to directly contradict you.
As a side note, I find this part interesting:
Maybe you will habe to just accept that there is no such thing as an easy truth here.