Current World Affairs

Current World Affairs MahapanayaVidayalai An Affiliated Institute of MCU Semester I 2011 Part V

Buddhist Perspective on World Peace • Even development of Science and Technology, everyday 20,000 children die of hunger • World spends more than $4 billion on war, many people living with poverty • Current nuclear powers are enough to destroy dozens of equivalent earths, To dispose of this nuclear waste billions of dollars are needed that amounts to just 10-15% of the total cost of producing, maintaining and managing the nuclear industry. • Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty $102 billion • Ensure environmental sustainability $ 156.6 billion • Develop global partnership for development $40 billion • Global military spending (2009): $1.53 trillion • World Peace • Some believe that humans are naturally violent • Other believe that war is not innate part of human

Meaning of peace Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict and commonly understood as the absence of hostility. Peacealso suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interests of all. Peaceis the key ingredient to Happiness. Peaceis not merely the absence of war and hatred but also the presence of cooperation, compassion and worldwide justice

Theories of peace • Democratic peace theory: The democratic peace theory holds that democracies will never go to war with one another. Contradiction: Marxist theorist, assumed that the world revolution would lead to a communist world peace. • Capitalism peace theory: The capitalism peace theory says that war can be prevented by free economy concept rather than controlled economics. • Cobedenism theory: The cobedenism theory says that removing tariffs and creating international free-trade would remove war. • Mutual assured destruction theory: MAD theory says that full-scale nuclear weapons by two opposing sides would effectively reduce the threat of war. • Globalization Theory: Globalization removes the inter country conflict. • Isolationism and non-interventionism Theory: Country should concentrate on national issues not other issues.

Other religion views about peace • Christians: Christians believe that one must develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ , The basic Christian ideal promotes peace through goodwill and by sharing the faith with others, as well as forgiving those who do try to break the peace. • Islam: The religion of Islam means the way of life to attain peace. According to Islam, faith in only one God and having common parents Adam and Eve. Islamic view of global peace is mentioned in the Quran where the whole of humanity is recognized as one family. • Hinduism: Traditionally Hinduism has adopted a saying called Vasudaevakutumbakam, which translates to "The world is one family." World peace is hence thought by Hindus] to be achieved only through internal means—by liberating oneself from artificial boundaries that separate us but it is good in acquiring peace.

Buddhist religion about peace • Every religion mentioned about peace, but Buddhism clearly explained to achieve peace. • The fundamental goal of Buddhism is peace in all universes, but the first step on the path to peace understands of peace. • No matter how vigorously we stir a boiling pot of soup on a fire, the soup will not cool. When we remove the pot from the fire, it will cool on its own, and our stirring will hasten the process. • The Buddha taught that peaceful minds lead to peaceful speech and peaceful actions. If the minds of living beings are at peace, the world will be at peace. • Buddhist perspective: three types: inner peace; peace in the community of humankind; and ecological peace or peace with Earth.

Four Noble Truths • Suffering does exist • Suffering arises from attachment to desires • Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases • Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path Noble Eight fold paths 1. Right view 2. Right Intention (Wisdom) 3. Right Speech 4. Right Action 5. Right Livelihood (Ethical conduct) 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Concentration (Mental Development)

Buddhism clearly explains about peace. The Noble Eightfold Path unambiguously maps out the way to achieving lasting personal peace. If everyone could but perfect their own personal life, world peace would come almost naturally. Buddhism preaches love, kindness, compassion, benevolence and respect for the lives of all. It advocates abstention from causing any harm to or inflicting any suffering on any living being. All disputes and conflicts among families, communities or nations should be settled by peaceful means, such as tolerance mutual respect, mutual agreement and wisdom.

Theory of dependent origination (PratityaSamutdpad) undergoes changes, we are born as babies: gradually we grow older and finally we die. So when birth exists, old age and death arise, for old age and death have birth as their cause.

Theory of Karma (Cause and Effect) The doctrine of karma teaches that force and violence, even to the level of killing, never solves anything. Killing generates fear and anger, which generates more killing, more fear, and more anger, in a vicious cycle without end. Because Buddhists see the problem of war as a karmic one, the solution is seen as the practicing and teaching of correct ethical behavior. Good deeds lead to good consequences, bad deeds to bad. If you plant bean seeds, you get beans; if you plant melon seeds, you get melons. If you plant the seeds of war, you get war; if you plant the seeds of peace, you get peace.

Karmic laws • Physical law • Biological law • Psychological law • Moral law • Spiritual law

Theory of Middle Path MadhyamaPratipada: Bina, a musical instrument with strings. If all strings are too tight, it produces sharp notes while it produces dull tone if it is too loose. So to have the most melodious notes it must be neither too tight nor too loose. The seed of peace is found in the inside of the human being. It is not imposed from the outside on a person or a nation. Peace, by its very nature, is linked to the spiritual aspect of the human being and not to the physical sphere.

Causes of suffering Buddha mentioned: fires of greed, foolishness, passion, egoism, sickness & death, sorrow, suffering and agony…, first of all understanding of the root cause of suffering, and three poisons: greed, hatred and ignorance. The three motives The Buddha was very clear about the causes of rivalries, conflicts, quarrels and wars. These, he explained, resulted from three kinds of motives: TANHA - selfish desire for pleasure and acquisition. MANA - Egotistical lust for power and dominance. DITTHI - clinging to opinions, faiths and ideologies. • Buddha constantly explained that the world was full of suffering (dukkha), there is no peace for any ordinary individual, only enlighten state has peace, this state only achieve by detaching from fear and attachment.Buddha's explanation of the three types of impurity: gross, sensuous and subtle. Gross impurity is wrong conduct in deeds, words and even thoughts. Anger and violent thoughts form sensuous impurity, while subtle impurity is to do with nationality, country, family, home and reputation.

Testing on our self • May I be free from hatred • May I be free from anger • May I be free from jealousy • May I be free from mental suffering • May I be free from Physical suffering • May I be free from mental suffering • May I live in peace • May I live happily.

The fundamental misconception today’s world has is that they are trying to eradicate war using approaches such as law, sanctions, policies, banns, seminars, conferences, meetings etc. They are under the illusion that what generates within our own minds can be cured by external means. The Supreme Buddha taught that the first step on the path to peace is understanding the causality of peace. When we understand what causes peace, then we know where to direct our efforts. No matter how vigorously we stir a boiling pot of soup on a fire, the soup will not cool. Once we remove the pot from the fire will it then cool on its own, and our stirring will hasten the process. Stirring causes the soup to cool, but only if we first remove the soup from the fire. In other words, we can take many actions in our quest for peace that may be helpful. But if we do not first address the fundamental issues, all other actions will come to naught.

The principle of non-violence is the basic concept on which the ideal of peace is founded, as the use of violence is bound to provoke violence in return. The development of non-violent modes of thought and action is achieved through the cultivation of the virtues of loving-kindness, compassion, altruistic joy and equanimity. The roots of violence are greed (lobha), hatred (dosa) and ignorance (moha).The elimination of greed, hatred and delusion and the cultivation of their opposites, selflessness (alobha), compassion (adosa) and wisdom (amoha) brings release from suffering here and now, not just in some future life or afterlife.

Buddhist religion is not violence religion • The most fundamental moral precept in Buddhist teaching is respect for life and the prohibition against taking life. • Buddhists believe that the minds of all living beings are totally interconnected and interrelated, whether they are consciously aware of it or not. • When the individual minds of all living beings are weighted, if peaceful minds are more predominant, the world will tend to be at peace; if violent minds are more predominant, the world will tend to be at war. • Providing people with physical well-being and wealth does not necessarily lead to peace. • Practical application from Buddhist perspective: Vegetarian practice, less use of violence resources, spread the knowledge of karmic principle, generate compassion to everyone

Thank you!!!

Current World Affairs