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Friday, April 29, 2011

What I Would Say to Osama bin Laden

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese monk in the Zen tradition, who worked tirelessly for peace during the Vietnam War, rebuilding villages destroyed by the hostilities. Following an anti-war lecture tour in the United States, he was not allowed back in his country and so he settled in France. In 1967, he was nominated by the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is internationally known for his teaching and writing on mindfulness, and for his work related to "socially engaged Buddhism," a call to social action based on Buddhist principles

If you could speak to Osama bin Laden, what would you say to him?

If I were given the opportunity to be face to face with Osama bin Laden, the first thing I would do is listen. I would try to understand all of the suffering that had led him to violence. It might not be easy to listen in that way, so I would have to remain calm and lucid. I would need several friends with me, who are strong in the practice of deep listening, listening without reacting, without judging and blaming. In this way, an atmosphere of support would be created for this person and those connected so that they could share completely, trust that they are really being heard.

You personally experienced the devastation caused by the war fought in Vietnam and worked to end the hostilities there. What do you say to people who are grief-stricken and angry because they have lost loved ones in terrorist attacks?

I did lose my spiritual sons and daughters during the war when they were entering the fighting zone trying to save those under the bombs. Some were killed by war and some by murder due to the misunderstanding that they were supporting the other side. When I looked at the four slain corpses of my spiritual sons murdered in such a violent way, I suffered deeply.

I understand the suffering of those who have lost their loved ones. In situations of great loss and grief, I had to find my calm in order to restore my lucidity and my heart of understanding and compassion. With the practice of deep looking, I realised that if we respond to cruelty with cruelty, injustice and suffering will only increase.

When we learned of the bombing of Ben Tre village in Vietnam, where the pilots told the journalists that they had destroyed the village in order to save it, I was shocked, and [racked] with anger and grief. We practiced walking calmly and gently on the earth to bring back our calm mind and peaceful heart.

Although it is very challenging to maintain our openness in that moment, it is crucial that we do not respond in any way until we have calmness and clarity with which to see the reality of the situation. We knew that to respond with violence and hatred would only damage ourselves and those around us.

What is the "right action" to take with regard to responding to terrorist attacks? Should we seek justice through military action? Through judicial processes? Is military action and/or retaliation justified if it can prevent innocents from being killed?

All violence is injustice. The fire of hatred and violence cannot be extinguished by adding more hatred and violence to the fire. The only antidote to violence is compassion. And what is compassion made of? It is made of understanding. When there is no understanding, how can we feel compassion, how can we begin to relieve the great suffering that is there? So understanding is the very real foundation upon which we build our compassion.

To understand, we must find paths of communication so that we can listen to those who desperately are calling out for our understanding, because such an act of violence (9/11) is a desperate call for attention and for help.

There are people who want one thing only– revenge. In the Buddhist scriptures, the Buddha said that by using hatred to answer hatred, there will only be an escalation of hatred. But if we use compassion to embrace those who have harmed us, it will greatly diffuse the bomb in our hearts and in theirs.

The method of the Buddha is to look deeply to see the source of suffering; the source of the violence. If we have violence within ourselves, any action can make that violence explode. This energy of hatred and violence can be very great and when we see that in the other person, we feel sorry for them so that drop of compassion is born in our hearts and we feel so much happier and so much more at peace with ourselves.

Do you believe that evil exists? And, if so, would you consider terrorists as evil persons?

Evil exists. God exists also. Evil and God are two sides of ourselves. God is that great understanding, that great love within us. What is evil? It is when the face of God, the face of the Buddha within us gets hidden. It is up to us to choose whether the evil side becomes more prominent, or whether the side of God, and the Buddha shines out. Although the side of great ignorance, of evil, may manifest strongly at one time, it does not mean that God is not there.

It is said clearly in the Bible, "Forgive them for they know not what they do." This means that an act of evil is an act of great ignorance and misunderstanding. Perhaps many wrong perceptions are behind an act of evil; we have to see that ignorance and misunderstanding is the root of the evil. Every human being contains within him or her all the elements of great understanding, great compassion, and also ignorance, hatred, and violence.

Compassion is a very large part of Buddhism and Buddhist practice. But it seems impossible to muster compassion for terrorists. Is it realistic to think people can feel true compassion in the wake of an event like 9/11?

Without understanding, compassion is impossible. When you understand the suffering of others, you do not have to force yourself to feel the compassion... the door of your heart will just naturally open.

All of the hijackers involved in the 9/11 incident were so young and yet they sacrificed their lives for what? Why did they do that? What kind of deep suffering is there? It will require deep listening and deep looking to understand that.

To have compassion in this situation is to perform a great act of forgiveness. We can first embrace the suffering; we do not need to wait many years or decades to realize reconciliation and forgiveness. We need a wake up call now in order not to allow hatred to overwhelm our hearts.

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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Irom Lady: In that frail body, given to 10 years of continuous fasting, is contained an enormous spirit- one that the state

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

its might and its army with all its 'special powers' can't dampen. TSI salutes Irom Sharmila chanu

What has been the most hopeful moment in these 10 years of fasting?

It was when the central government withdrew the Assam Rifles from our sacred Fort Kangla just after the brutal gang rape killing of Thangjam Manorama in 2004.

A bold step for a great cause demands sincerity, persistence with selfless effort and positive vision. Those who lack this indomitable spirit can hardly be a threat to the wrongdoers.

Fighting for a cause they believe in must be idealistic and divine, not meant to harm common, innocent people. They have no right to destroy anything if they can’t construct something beautiful in its place. Every fighter with a genuine cause should create a weapon of their own inner soul, not resort to violent power to conquer minds and hearts.

States reeling under armed conflict need to realize that any communal or national boundary is an artificial landmark that is perishable property like all of us mortals. People are fed up of all separatist movements. The democratic citizens of India need to inculcate righteousness in their deeds, speech and thought for everlasting peaceful co-existence.

On the birth anniversary of the Mahatma, it is good to remember that everybody is equal in the eyes of the Creator.

What is your message to the people of India on the occasion of Gandhi’s birthday?

What would you say is the way ahead for states like Manipur and Kashmir?

What would your advice be to armed insurgents fighting for their cause, like the Maoists, or the Taliban or groups like the al-Qaeda?

Why haven’t more people joined you in this epic fast?

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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Alan Clements draws the contrast between Burma's benign and courageous apostle of peace

that is Aung San Suu Kyi, and the despotic juggernaut she is up against

Burma is a system of prisons within a prison. The Commander of this resource-rich South East Asian nation is Than Shwe– a xenophobic, uneducated former postal clerk driven as much by fear and insecurity as stupidity and greed. Than Shwe is your vintage psychopath but without a trace of finesse. Over the past 20 years alone, Shwe has ordered more than 3,000 villages in the border areas ethnically cleansed. Within the numerous prisons and forced labour camps, unremitting torture is routine.

It is no mystery why Shwe is terrified of Aung San Suu Kyi. During her brief periods of freedom, when she travelled across the country, thousands of people would gather to catch a glimpse of their beloved leader and hear her dynamic speeches on the power of truth and non-violence. Shwe, on the other hand, is forced to travel in armoured vehicle surrounded by trucks of armed soldiers.

Further, with every soldier Than Shwe faces, he is forced to look into the eyes of General Aung San (Aung San Suu Kyi’s father, who negotiated Burma’s independence from Britain in 1947), and ultimately Aung San Suu Kyi herself. To be precise, it’s an epic battle between Aung San Suu Kyi’s love of freedom and Than Shwe’s fright of it.

The upcoming election (November 7) is Than Shwe’s hallucination and the world knows it. Not long ago, Aung San Suu Kyi called on all people in her country to "boycott" Shwe’s sham election. The whole country can stay home on November 7th and leave the ballot boxes empty. This is Aung San Suu Kyi’s style of non-violent activism. It is an example to us all to use the power of our conscience as our weapon of choice, not violence or a gun.

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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Guru mantra: Renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...

Renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has touched millions of lives by way of his efforts in the areas of self development and conflict resolution. The smiling guru leaves no room for doubt on the power of peace and non-violence...

In the land of Buddha, Mahavira, Tailanga Swami and Ramakrishna in India, why do the common people still have to contend with various forms of oppression and
unhappiness?

Oppression is not due to following the precepts of these statements. It is, in fact, the failure to follow or even propagate the message of these men, the reluctance of the education system to incorporate spirituality, and the confusedJustify Full secularists who have found anti-spirituality to be the meaning of secularism.

The Gandhian method of peaceful and non-violent non-cooperation worked with the British, but do you think that the reaction to non-violence and the possibility of its success as a method is often subject to the culture of the oppressor? For instance, would it have worked with occupation forces like the Nazis?

Definitely. Some of these values are time-tested. Non-violence would certainly take a longer time with people who are not sensitive. Sensitive people would recognise it soon. We have the story of Angulimala in India, who was like an ancient Nazi. There are many such stories in the lives of hundreds of saints where they could influence dacoits to drop violence to become kind and loving, and turn jihadis into social workers. I do not think it is impossible. It (non-violence) takes time and requires persistence.

Violence tends to beget violence. Generations of Kashmiris or Palestinians or Chhattisgarh tribals (Naxals) who have suffered oppression and seen the murder of their near and dear ones will possibly have revenge on their minds. Wouldn’t it be difficult to convince them of the virtues of peace and non-violence?

In fact, not if it is the issue concerning oppression. We have done it in many cases, including a recent case of Ramendra alias Guruji. If violence is motivated through allurement of money or heavenly pleasures, then it is difficult, though not impossible.

In today’s era of fundamentalism and religious violence, religion is often seen to be the root of evil. As a man of God, what would you say to those disillusioned of faith and given to questioning it?

They are right to some extent, if that has been their experience. I would request them to see things from a broader perspective. Not all religious people are violent. In fact, religion helps people to survive with sanity in tiring times and the strength to move through difficult times. Atheists and communists are no less involved in violence. When people have shunned the values of a religion and held on to religion as an identity out of insecurity, then religion causes problems. I would say people should move on from divisive religious fundamentalism to unifying global spirituality.

In a country like India where corruption, religious and class differences, and vote-bank politics seem to have weakened the faith of its citizens, would you still say that the principles of Ahimsa and Satyagraha are relevant?

These principles are more relevant than ever before.

Saffron terror is a relatively recent trend mentioned in association with Hinduism. How can Swami Vivekananda's religion, and that of the Gita, rescue themselves from such elements?

If you really take the statistics of this so-called saffron terror, it is a fringe element. It is just a handful of people who are enraged, outraged and impatient, looking at the vote-bank politics and the terrorism that is being rained on India. It’s just a handful of people who came out as a result of this continuous reign of terror on the Indian citizens. The shadow of terrorism from one religion will definitely fall on the others too. By and large, Hindus are non-reactive. There are instances where there are such reactions, but they are miniscule compared to the others.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
An array of unconventional career options
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
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After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

Labels: ,

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.