Time’s “Buddhist Terror” cover story provokes outrage, reflection

Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma online contributor Konchog Norbu takes a look at reactions to the ongoing news of anti-Muslim violence and other negative acts attributed to Asian monks.

It's been a tough couple of weeks for the image of Asia's Buddhist monks.

In addition to a video that went viral seeming to show some Thai monks living a jetset lifestyle (Asian Correspondent insists that's just the "tip of the iceberg"), Time Int'l's July 1 cover story, mentioned here last week, depicts the somber face of Burmese monk U Wirathu under the blaring headline, "The Face of Buddhist Terror." The Burmese government deemed the cover, and Hannah Beech's attendant story about how a growing nationalist element within Burma's monastic sangha is stoking anti-Muslim resentment and violence, enough of a national security threat that it has now banned the issue's sale within Burma.

Nonetheless, the story has quickly spread, provoking the gamut of reactions throughout the Buddhist world, from outrage (The Buddhist Channel rounded up the initial reactions here) to concerned self-reflection. Burmese-driven Facebook pages and online petitions to boycott Time have sprung up, accusing the magazine of promoting the false equivalence of Buddhism with terror. But others see the issue differently. Frequent online commenter about Burma, Kenneth Wong, ponders in a post entitled, "Sooner or Later, We Face History's Judgment," how in six short years Burmese Buddhists went from deeply sympathetic coverage of its monks' peaceful role in the Saffron Revolution to being accused of fomenting movements labeled "terrorist":

"I want to tell my American friends — and the rest of the World, for that matter — that Wirathu's preachings and his get-them-before-they-get-us battle cry do not represent the kind, gentle, tolerant spirit of my homeland. But reports of Burmese mobs burning down mosques and leveling Muslim villages suggest otherwise…

"You can't defend Buddhism by taking up arms in its name. If you do, you have already lost your faith. You defend it by becoming an exemplar of Buddhist compassion. You can't protect Buddhism by sending other faiths into exile. You do it by banishing prejudice, bigotry, and hatred from your heart. Only that brand of Buddhism will allow my fellow Burmese to stand proud and tall when they face history's judgment."

Elsewhere, Singapore-based Australian Shravasti Dhammika, a Theravada monk of 32 years, uses Time's story to explore "Dhamma or Ethnic Buddhism":

"During my travels [in Asia] I have generally found Buddhists to be open, gentle, generous and kindly folk.

"But I am not blind. As samsaric beings Buddhists have their defilements just as people of other faiths do. They are capable of being stupid and greedy, prejudiced and uncaring, provoked and provoking, self-centred and inflexible, tradition-bound and superstitious. They practice their religion as often as they fail to practice it – just as people of other faiths do. Despite this there has long been the illusion in the west that Buddhists, unique amongst humanity, practice their religion with complete fidelity – that because the Buddha taught gentleness, understanding and love, Buddhists follow these teachings unfailingly. Well, it looks like those with such illusions might be about to be disillusioned…

"I am not entirely unhappy that a more realistic view of Buddhists and Buddhist lands is beginning to emerge…When you tie yourself to a particular culture or country you involve yourself in people's minds with that culture or country. And when that country or culture looks bad people see Buddhism as bad. Dhamma is universal, it transcends culture and ethnicity. The practice of the Dhamma is not the special preserve of any particular ethnic group. Let us practice the Buddha's teaching, not Thai Buddhism, not Tibetan Buddhism, not Burmese Buddhism or any other culturally-specific expression of the Dhamma. Let us practice the Dhamma with a minimum of cultural trappings."

What do you think?

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