Gosreligia: chem vinovaty slony? (sorry za translit)
Vot, drugi, kakaya fignya tut, na nas pohozhaya: v Tailande sobirayutsya obyavit' buddizm gosudarstvennoy religiey. Estestvenno, gotovitsya izmeneniye Konstitucii i ojidaetsya, kak vy mojete videt', polaya zhopa ot islamistov na yuge strany - dovol'no nespokoynih islamistov, kak eto voditsya na yugAh nekotoryh stran.

No ya ne sovsem ob etom. A o tom, kak eto osveshayetsya v ih angloyazychnoy presse - naprimer, v angloyazychnoy Bangkok Post. Prikin'te kontekst: voenny rejim, nedavno byl ocherednoy perevorot. Odnako uroven' diskussii i sloga, po-moemu, nikak ne ostavlyaet zhelat' luchshego. Poglyadite, drugi - nadeyous, u menya budet connect, chtoby obsudit' s vami eto delo na dnyah.

Pod katom, na vsyakiy - polny tekst originala. Ocenite argumentaciyu so slonami.

COMMENTARY

A march amounting to wrongful conduct
Atiya Achakulwisut

Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism, aims for enlightenment of the mind, a personal experience. It is sometimes criticised for being too inward and not adequately engaged with the sufferings of society. Should one then feel delighted to see scores of Theravada Buddhist monks coming out to campaign for an issue _ the codification of Buddhism as a state religion in the new constitution?

No. One does not. For this is about the constitution, a secular roadmap for democracy, and not about enlightenment or peace of mind. It is no business for monks.

I am sure they won't listen _ these state faith proponents even brought along nine elephants to walk in their demonstration. That showed just how out of it they are.

The elephants were used to conjure up the nationalist sentiment _ the pachyderm being a national symbol worthy of glory. But it was a hot April day. The procession didn't look good with regard to showing compassion to animals _ and mercy is a central tenet in Buddhism.

They may not be aware that by calling for a national religion in the charter the monks are attempting to mix a spiritual issue _ a private belief and practice _ with the worldly business of running a country with people of diverse backgrounds.

It seems they aren't. They don't want the Buddhist sila to become law. They don't want to be punished for killing or making other animals suffer (think of the elephants walking on hot asphalt under the searing heat of day). They don't want to be jailed for drinking alcohol.

Indeed, it seems they are only for the prestige of it. They want a legal mechanism to force children to recite Buddhist chants in front of the flag every day and to study Buddhism in class. Don't they know the world has changed? That no matter how many Buddhism classes you force on your children, they won't pay attention until they see the value for themselves? That nobody rides the elephant on asphalt streets anymore?

The thing is, they can't just pick and choose only what they want when it comes to the constitution. The law must be applied to everyone equally, regardless of spiritual faith, ethnicity, gender or abilities. The public law does not (well, should not) allow hypocrisy. It's not like you can say you are a good Buddhist and drink alcohol or lie on a regular basis.

That the constitution or secular law is a package deal is why some countries like the United States or France make the separation of church and state the cornerstone of their charter. Pray if you want to, as long as you do it in the privacy of your home. That way, no one has to be bothered by people who pray in a different way than yours. That way, every faith is treated equally under the same law.

The constitution serves as basic rules for diverse groups of people to co-exist peacefully. It deals with what measures are necessary to achieve that goal _ the rights, liberties and duties of the Thai people, state policies and government mechanisms and functions. It has no business promoting any religious faith.

If Thai Buddhism is staggering, it is because of the weaknesses within. Does it hurt too much to admit to one's shortcomings? Is it more difficult to try to solve the long-accumulated problems than to secure an impressive nameplate and hope that it covers up the rot inside?

The campaigners have picked up momentum not solely because people agree with them, but because it is a contentious issue which provokes dissension and passion among the people.

The issue can easily be politicised. It has been. About 30 years ago, a top Buddhist monk announced: ''It is not sinful to kill Communists.'' This utterance captured the lowest point when religious passion was allowed to mix in with, and to serve, divisive politics. We know the result _ the massacre of leftist students on Oct 6, 1976, was an atrocious crime in this country of mostly Buddhists.

I am a Thai. I am also a Buddhist. And I feel ashamed.

Atiya Achakulwisut is Editorial Pages Editor, Bangkok Post.




Ogromnoye spasibo za vcerashniye pozdravleniya, ya peredal ih pape; on ochen' tronut. Ne zabyvayta menya, kak i ya ne zabyvayu vas.

Do vstrechi!