1. The Buddhist perspectives on the
role of religion in society

2. I Introduction:
The purpose: To understand the Buddhist perspectives on
the role of religion in society
what the role of the religion ?
what are the influences of religion ?
how to deal with religion and politic ?
how to deal with the conflict ?
how to live under the conflict?
we will interview some professors(3), teachers(2) and
students(3).

3. To the masses, Islam, of all the major
world religions today is unfortunately
seen as a violent religion promoting
‘jihad’ and unrest in societies. Do you
agree to this? Why and why not?
Kitichai
II The conclusion of interview:

4. There are seven of teachers and students interview agree in the
violence, but there are some one have explain that not all the
Moslems are bad. Those who are secular minded, they are good.
If we see the humanity, every people want to live happily no one
wants to die or harm others. Religion is religion when there is
talk about peace and happiness. However, the situation of
Buddhism in Bangladesh now is very dangerous. They abuse any
group of people, the Buddhism is also one of victim of this
opinion. Really Islam is trying to propagate their religion for the
attacking other religion. They used the weapon to persecute the
Buddhism because they believe that Buddhism is like something
attacks their religion. In order to prevent Muslim from other
region, they operated the persecution for the Buddhism. Some
Muslim see another innocence people die, they are so happy. But
they don’t know the result. It’s very destruction power. They
make all Muslim in the problems.

5. Therefore the people must have the freedom to accept any
religion according to their own view. The purpose of
religion should make the person good, to consider the
benefit own and others,
we should live without killing each others by idealism or
the method of untruth belief. Buddhism emphasizes on
non-violence. For instance, five moralities of Buddha’s
teaching suggest human beings to practice for the good of
many and out of compassion such as the first morality is
not to kill not only human but also animals. On the other
hand, the Buddha teaches us to practice compassion and
loving-kindness in order to bring the peace and happiness
for all beings.

6. 2) Conventionally,
may we know how we
should view such
incidences? In your
opinion, apart from our
usual Buddhist non-
violent mind set
and approaches, would
there be any other likely
measurement/s to
effectively mediate such
long-enduring conflict.
Could you please
suggest?
CuiYanju

7. We should know the Buddhism, other religious people
who are not Muslim are in the dangerous situation from
these conflicts.
Mr. Peerapong:
The concepts of the Muslim mostly are exclusivism.
Muhammad arose his follows to initiate the wars to go
against his enemy. Compare with Christianity, Jesus's action
is very different from Muhammad.
Prof. Kapila says:
Muslin are very mad at their religion, very rude and
roughly in the fundamentalism.
Common belief: To propagate their religion, it’s not the
wrong thing to kill other religion people .

8. The characteristics of Muslim, almost interviews agree
that the Buddhism's compassion and love-kindness is
useless for the Muslin. In early Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Kashmir, and India are evidences as Ven. Piyaratana
mentioned.

9. Even though, the interviews still give some
suggestions:
Mr. Peerapong :
The religion can resolve this problem, such as Jesus's
action . Vs.
Ven. Rahula’s:
But in Bangladesh, Muslims also attack Hindus and
Christians.

10. Mr. Peerapong and Prof. Kapila mention to accept their
desires, respect their believes if it’s reasonable.
Ven. Sumeda:
Due to the human rights, both the government and United
Nations and the international community should have the
responsibilities.
Human rights are inherent to all human beings in equal
without discrimination.
The fact proved that government is the important role.
Within ten months all the temples were rebuilt by the
government itself in Bangladesh.

11. Ven. Rahula:
The proper education and dialogue are necessary.
The legislative rules and regulations should be strict and
the culprits should be punished.
To compare with these non-violence ways, Prof. Jamspal
provides the contradiction way:
The Buddhists should fight back in the right way. They
have the merits because they protect the innocence people.
-- In the sixth chapter “Zen and the Bodhisattva”

12. 3. Do you think that religion should be
separated from politics and governance? If
yes, why so and how could this be done,
seeing that religion is very much an integral
part of any given society.
(Loch Savong)

13. The religions should not separate from the politics and
government but they have to combine with government in
the right way. If without the government and society, the
religion cannot stay permanently, for example if the
Buddhist monks practice in the right way and response the
Buddha’s teachings, the people who live in the society
including the government also accept their behaviors, but,
if they practice in the wrong way, those people cannot be
accepted their behaviors at all. Because as the Buddhist
monks have to teach the people in the right way. So the
government and religious cabinet should be interfere, they
should put some relations and cooperation between religion
and government. This is the good way to connect both
together, if they separate from each other, for example, if
the Buddhist Sangha has the problem in society, so the
government officers should have the main role in solution.

14. Some countries recommend the Buddhism or any religion
as the religion of state that means the government accepts
religion as the part of governmental policy, for example Sri
Lanka, Cambodia and so on. Because the government
wants the people live by harmony in the same religion, but
there are some countries which do not accept any religion
as the religion of the state, because they want to provide the
religion from the government. Government has function as
the referee when there are some problems between religion
and religion.

15. Ven. Meschai

16. Everyone should know the doctrine and history of other
religions. Doctrine and history can make you understand the
nature of that religion. When you understand this doesn’t mean
that you should convert them to the Buddhism or to other religion.
But understand the nature of each other, and then accept the
individual value. As the Buddhist, we have to accept the advice
from the Buddha. It is the highest ethic of the practice. So that is
specially applied in the monastery who have influenced in this
accident.
You may be hurt because something, you maybe have the idea
of retaliate. If you retaliate, that’s the wrong. It’s maybe the
violence. It’s the nature of violence. Do this start from very small
reason, just like the fire, it spread quickly all over the country.
Otherwise, fighting is never stopped by the fighting. Violence
cannot be stopped by violence, but by the non-violence. If there
is the violence, you should fight in right way.

17. Do not directly involve in conflicts with the
religious war, but try to take help from the
government system. If they do not get support from
the country law they need to think of moving from
there and find out a peaceful place. We should make
counterattack in the peaceful way and let them now
that we are not weak, but just peaceful people.
We have to try to create an environment where
all people are educated and do not have blind faiths
regarding their religions. We can make them
understand that it’s the nature, there is good, bad
thing, good or bad religion. They may be
completely conflict and war problem between the
people, that’s the nature of the world.

18. If anyone wants to kill you, you should protect
yourself, because the life is the very important than
another thing. Therefore the Buddhism accepts that
strategy. That is why the Buddhism emphasize don’t kill
others. Because first you love your life, nobody can hurt
your life. If someone wants to hurt you it’s your duty to
protect you.
In the same way, but the Buddhist doesn’t allow any
people to kill others. For the purpose of protection, you
maybe do something. But you cannot make them die,
that means intentionally killing. As far as possible, you
try to prevent this accident which is going to happen.
First, protect yourself and innocent people from such
accident or violence.

19. 5. What role/s would you foresee our
present Bangladeshi students here being
the youth and masters of future
generations play to lessen the suffering of
their brethrens back home?
(Ven. Winai)

20. The Buddhist situation
in Bangladesh can do to
be a fiction it depend in
one night Buddhist
temple were burn by
Muslim people, they
think that Buddhist
people disparage the
Quran and his religion.
So first we have to
understand the habit of
other religions, and
Muslim that they have
some violence again
other religions.

21. So when the
Buddhist in Bangladesh
live in muslim community
have to pay attention and
improve that the
Buddhism is not
dangerous religion for the
Muslim. So we have the
compassion, do the good
thing, follow the
teachings of the Buddha,
and improve that the
Buddhism is good for
other religions.

22. III Conclusion:
we should understand and accept the nature of
religions, accept the diversity, shouldn’t criticize other
religions.
we should be the good Buddhists according to the
teachings of the Buddha
protect ourselves and innocence people without harm.
keep the calm without retaliate
maintain the peace and happy in the world through
Buddhism compassion and loving-kindness.