Author: Minh Mun

The presence of Buddhism in over 2552 years is not long compared to other ancient religions in India and other places in the world, but it is not as young as some other religions that have appeared in or over the last 2000 years. One feature that helps the survival of Buddhism, its development, albeit a slow one in the world and its acceptance in any society is its adaptability, not only in its theories but also in its behavior and response!

Previously, from the point of view of practical and active persons, the activities of Buddhist monks seem to be inactive, the teachings of the Buddha pessimistic and weak and Buddhism is more appropriate to isolated places. That is why, after the Second World War, Buddhism has been pushed into mountains and forests while Protestantism was leading the society, but what Vietnamese Buddhism and other Buddhist countries have represent a silent response to this subjective point of view. Particularly under difficult circumstances that threaten the survival of a population or its own survival and, in addition, in the fields of literature, arts, science, psychology, medicine, philosophy ... Buddhism has made its widespread presence, humble but solid and deep!

When Prince Siddhatta witnessed the four human conditions, Birth - Old Age - Sickness -Death, that no one can escape, he felt that senseless life is spent in suffering, and he resolutely left everything to seek the liberation for the human race. Is this not the strong will of a great man? On the contrary, it has been considered pessimistic! During six years he suffered many hardships, harsh weather, wild beasts, irregular meals, alone by himself in the old forest, his own life in grave danger like a bell hang up by a thin thread, and the occasional appearance in his mind of the royal palaces where his beautiful wife and child, his royal consorts and his father lived in luxury. He had to constantly struggle against such temptations in his mind. Can a weak person overcome these difficulties to reach complete success? This expresses the strong will of a great being, a great mind, and a great courage for the Great Cause for the human race. From his own experience, the World Honored One has taught the Bhikkhus to struggle against themselves by psychological and physical practices:

Above are the experiences during his struggle against himself to attain supreme enlightenment, to control his body and mind, and they cannot be called pessimistic! That is why the Buddha has said: "Victory over ten thousand troops is not equal to victory over oneself, since victory over oneself is the most glorious one!

On his struggling path with practice and karma power, a monk or a lay disciple who want to render his like holy has to voluntarily practice with a strong will. One with strong will and ideal cannot be characterized as pessimistic!
When attaining the holiness of his own body, love will be everywhere in life. This is the only way to bring peace and happiness to others, help others in abandoning the bad and evil, and increase the good. The Buddha has thus realized and humankind has recognized this success. Throughout the past thousand years, his disciples have continued peacefully and diligently, even before violence, this compassion and non-violence, not only when the Buddha was still living but in the 131'1 century in India, during the 20th and 21st centuries in Tibet, Myanmar, Vietnam.

The Buddha has taught: Use favors to pay back resentment, then resentment will disappear. Use resentment to pay back resentment, then resentment still persists.

This is the spirit of non-violence, an expression of internal power and not a helplessness before violence. In the unstable conditions and violence existing today in some parts of the world, humankind appreciates more and more the peaceful and non-violent characteristics of Buddhism. That is why the United Nations had chosen Buddhism as a cultural and peaceful religion.

Purifying and pacifying oneself are not enough to express the positive contributions to life, since they only represent internal power. During his earthly lifetime, the Buddha Sakyamuni had resolved several conflicts between neighboring countries. When King Virudhaka wanted to invade VaiSaly, he went to Vulture Peak to consult the Buddha. The Buddha asked Ananda: Are the citizens in that country filial with their parents?

Ananda replied: Yes, World Honored One, they are very filial with their parents.
Do the wives love their husband, and do the husbands love their wife? The Buddha asked

Yes, World Honored One, the married people love each other!
Do the king of that country and its people respect and unite each other?
World Honored One, the citizens there respect their king, and the king love them and
they are very united!

That country is very powerful and do not touch it. The Buddha replied.

King Virudhaka was forced to abandon the idea of invading Vaisaly and causing bloodshed to its people.
During the thirty year war in Vietnam, a monk single-handedly entered the invading country and the United Nations to call for peace .in Vietnam. He is known today as Dharma Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

At the present time, Nepal and Maoist rebels have been fighting each other for several decades, resulting in death and impasse. Following the example of the Buddha, a Vietnamese monk has contributed some ideas and, after severe hardships, both sides have agreed to disarm, a general ceasefire and to hold elections during this year 2008.

Throughout the course of Vietnamese history, Dharma Masters Khuong Viet, Phap Thuan, Van Hanh ... had made important political contributions to help stabilize the country of Vietnam, yet they did not participate in the government after completing their tasks or due to their efforts did they try to dominate the royal families. Not only in the past but also at the present time, there are masters who do not bow before the ruling powers, yet they are ready to contribute their ideas, if consulted, to build a better country. During his return trips, Dharma Master Nbit Hanh has directly presented ten ideas for building a stronger country, even though his ideas have met some difficulties and doubts on tin- part of the receivers.

During the dynasties of Dinh, Le, Ly and Tran, Buddhism had assisted the country to a prosperous rule for four centuries. Monks were mainly intellectuals, doctors and astrologers and King Dai Hanh had asked Master Khuong Viet to row a boat and Master Phap Thuan to meet Ly Giac of China. Following an exchange of prose, Ly Giac really admired the Vietnamese and, after his return to China, he had composed some poems to praise the king and the Vietnamese people.
The dynasties had successively produced several eminent monks to support the country but, under the misrule of the bad King Le long Dinh, the country was in ruin and this had forced Master Van Hanh to help Ly Cong Uan in taking over the throne. This is the period when Buddhism had play a dominant role in the cultural affairs of the country.
Following its transmission to Vietnam and China, Buddhism had improved the monastic clothing and daily activities to adapt to the new societies, replaced the food begging by the monk labor, and transformed the monks into farmers, of which Patriarch Pai-Chang Huai-Hai is a good example of a Dharma Master performing farm labor.

Previously under the Chinese domination, Buddhism infiltrated into the society through literature, medicine and astrology, then after the French invasion, Buddhism had also infiltrated the society through activities in charity, education, politics, environment... Some important contributions in manual arts, painting, arts were also made by monks and lay disciples.
Almost in all countries where Buddhism was active in community affairs for a long time, there were valuable masterpieces in painting and sculpture. Especially in Afghanistan, there were caves with oil paintings that were the world's oldest, such as in Bamian, proving that Buddhism existed here for a long time before its demise by Islam.

In Indonesia there were also vestiges of a period long ago where Buddhism thrived in this country. After 1975, there were some developments in social contributions other than some solitary successes like that. In the past, Buddhism has been active in bringing peace to the country. At the present time, its heavy responsibility is building strong morality for future generations, besides the widespread charity activities.

Some Vietnamese monks are taking care of the drug addicts and АIDS/HIV victims. A number of pagodas are raising handicapped children and open resting homes for old people.

Saigon has been the focus of several charitable organizations, including the Charity Section of Van Hanh Meditation Institute has spent over 10 billions VND during the last 15 years, and every month has reached isolated areas far from the city.
At the present time. Buddhism, through some young and capable monks, is present in prisons to assist the inmates and encourage the goodness inherent in human nature.

After 1990, Buddhism in Vietnam as wel! as overseas has actively participate in relief efforts helping victims of flood and other natural disasters or long-term famine in isolated places and mountainous regions. There are some groups of Buddhist doctors providing free medical care in Da Nang. Several Buddhist lay disciples have actively participated in charity works, and so do silently some pagodas.

In particular, Buddhists in Ba Ria - VOng Tau and in the southwest provinces have formed kitchens to provide daily thousands of vegetarian meals to hospitals, medical staff and visitors alike, in HCM City, its suburbs and other provinces.
Recently, a small number of monks and lay disciples are active in calligraphy, sculpture, painting, poetry and drama that bear open Buddhist influence. Some young monks are economically self-sufficient, but this number is still small and limited.
During the periods when the country was under foreign domination, the Vietnamese Sarigha has closely participated with fellow countrymen in protecting the local culture, fighting against the enemies, acting according to its own capabilities and thinking. There were some old monks that resided in mountains and forests, but they served as moral symbols to the common people. There are some who have mistakenly viewed them as evading from the world to seek self happiness. Externally, that seems to be the case but, in reality, they have made great contributions through their upholding power and their non-action behavior.

In any age, there always have spiritual masters who are hermits and upholding the country. They have made contributions greater than the apparent actions that we can see!

In Korea, with Buddhism being mistreated in the 14lh century, Buddhist monks were led at the end of the 16th century by a monk leader to save the country against the Japanese invasion. It was Master Tir Minh Duong who went to Japan to sign on behalf of the government the Japan-Korea peace treaty. Korean Buddhism has made great contributions to mass education and is always close to the people. After World War II, Protestantism has developed through material means and good organizations, Buddhism has ceded the center stage to the new religion but, today, Buddhism has begun to recover. At the beginning of the 20lh century, Phac Trpng Ban had formed the Buddhist Garden to offer services in education, charity, commerce, banking, journalism, medicine ...It is a successful Buddhist organization trying to overcome the inactive behavior towards society. With the motto Dharma is life and life is Dharma, the organization has incorporated the Buddhist teachings into daily life, joining skillfully materialism and spiritualism. Today, the organization has spread overseas. There are 108 locations, over two million followers and ten thousand staff members in the Buddhist Garden organization. With less than 100 years in existence and 30 years under Japanese domination, this Buddhist organization has been a success and is currently the most prestigious one in Korea. It has participated in the mass education, raised its standard of living, and made great contributions to Korean society.

Without a strong organization such as South Korea and because of the war times, Vietnamese Buddhism was held back between by the 1st and 2nd republican governments.

During the Second World War, Vietnamese Buddhism had not retreated into the mountains and forests like its Korean counterpart, but its societal integration was not as successful as Christianity.

However, Buddhism was still widespread within the masses, focusing on the most part on the ceremonial aspects.
However, when the masses remain poor victims of the war, a Buddhist monk had courageously founded the Youth for Society School to help them build homes destroyed by the war, acquire knowledge on hygiene and find peace in the faith but it was not to be a success, because violence does not spare anyone!

In Hong Kong, Buddhism does not have large organizations like those in Korea but it still has resting homes for old people, schools and hospitals to lend helping hands to society.

Even if Buddhism is a national religion in Thailand, its societal contributions remain limited to education where the education ministry is in charge. Recently, Most Venerable Chamroon of Thamkrabok Pagoda in Saraburi has fabricated medicines against drug addiction. Pagodas still remain the center of activity for the community, reunions, ceremonies...

In Maryland. Taiwanese Buddhists have bought the Good Shepherd Church in Reston to operate as a chanty center. It is a organization founded by Dharma Master Cheng Yen and named Tzu Chi in Taiwan. It is very active in society affairs and is comparable to Buddhist Garden of Korea. It has offered great help to society, and due to this, lots of people have found peace and happiness in their life.

Master Dhamapala had resurrected Buddhism in Sri Lanka but he also had assisted the government in several social affairs.
A Japanese master is the CEO of a computer software company and has made significant contributions to the world information industry.

Several Buddhists in developed countries have participated in meditation workshops and have effectively improved Iheir work performance.

When human rights-freedom-democracy are understood as such, they all are conditions and characteristics common to all. There will be no more conflict between countries, generations or eras!

To decidedly resolve these fundamental issues, Buddhism has to be integrated into the life of the people, the society, the schools. Once the basic personality is solved, then the problems with the environment, climate, nuclear weapons, violence and all other crises will be dissolved by themselves.

Due to a lack of responsibility and good conscience, a plant releases its toxic wastes. Greed for profit has destroyed the environment. Interests in materials lead to wars.

Oil does not solve all economic problems. Biological, chemical and nuclear weapons ... will not threaten the extremists in violence. Financial restrictions and economic sanctions will not stop the leaders of the extremists. The UN Security Council has not brought security to the world. The world is facing daily more hot conflicts because there are no agreement on fundamental viewpoints.

The United Nations has, at one time, focused on nations that are under-developed but Africa is still dominated by poor and hungry peoples. India has started a green revolution, is famous for software and other technologies but, still, its poor majority has much suffering. That goes to show that a good economy does not solve all society problems if the economy is not based on morality and compassion and a reasonable food distribution system. In prosperous economies from developed countries there still remain psychological and moral instabilities in their society!

The spirit of common good in the six-unity practice or the giving spirit in the four ways of popularity should serve as the average profit of the society, and the basic moral value in all welfare of the country.

Facing with the current global problems. Buddhism cannot afford to be inactive and propagate its faith on "if somebody is interested, then he/she should come. Buddhism is not a merchandise!'"

Today there are many problems that did not exist a half century earlier and Buddhism can not be inactive: We cure the sickness when it comes, if there are prayers then there are rewards, we should not waste time worrying about problems of others! It needs to have good plans before the negatives happen.

Propagating the Dharma are for the benefits of mankind during the old times of easy-going economy and controlled population. Today, everything is upside down and all moral concepts have to be revised. On a macro scale, the benefits come before the Dharma propagation as performed in Taiwan, South Korea and some organizations in Vietnam. Founded in 1934 by Master Minh Tri, lay disciples of the Pure Land sect simultaneously practice and make real contributions to daily life. They live and share the sufferings of others to collect merits and virtues.

While the country was enslaved and its people under great suffering, Phat Thay Tay An appeared in 1849 to cure the sick, encourage the rice growing, strive for self-sufficiency economically to practice and help others in distress but not to ask for donations from them. That is why there is a saying: Practice the religion after eating.

At the current time, a number of Buddhists practice according to the Meitreya spirit, striving for self-sufficiency in their life, applying the spirit of the Six-Unity and bringing peace and happiness to brothers and all others around them. This sect is called the Joy sect that includes some teachings both practical and profound. Practicing the religion does not requires one to live in poverty. A Buddhist can be rich to help the poor and build a better society; personally, he/she lives frugally and always happy. In some countries like Taiwan and Korea, Buddhism no longer has the notion of "making offerings to the three Jewels" but the reverse is true where the Three

Since its presence and propagation in the west. Buddhism has helped balanced the social psychology that has been lacking for many centuries, an imbalance between materialism and spiritualism.
In countries where Buddhism had planted its roots, its religion and culture have created a faith. In a country that has carried Buddhism for a long time, its life breath will become the breath of the people through the politics, culture, education, arts and the special characteristics of the people. It will become an inherent characteristic of a people that occurs in several Buddhist countries existing today.

Similar to the countries where Buddhism co-exists in times of prosperity as in difficulty, Buddhism is the high point for the country independence and peace. Under the Chinese rule. Buddhism had assisted the kings in fighting off the enemies. During the French occupation, Buddhists had participated in the liberation movement and, especially, Buddhists in the southwest provinces had organized armies to fight the French. From the South to the North, monks and lay disciples had made the ultimate sacrifice.

With such a past and facing the current needs where a nation cannot be an island, what should Buddhism do? How to contribute? These are problems not only for Vietnamese Buddhism but also for Buddhism in the world in general.
Currently, the world is concerned with economic matters related to oil, environment, climate, global warming by greenhouse gases, clean water, violence, nuclear weapons, melting of polar ice.

Buddhism has organized several scientific conferences on the environment, the effects of greenhouse gases, but it has only been cries in the desert.

What has been criticized internationally about human rights, liberty and democracy in developing countries, Buddhism has not provided definitive answers to these hot questions. These answers are in the Buddhist teachings that exist for three thousand years.

Different social structures and notions about human rights, freedom and democracy lead to different understandings about the same problem and, thereby, different behaviors that create difficulties among all parties.

When the Buddha was still alive, he gathered al! the monks together and respected the common decisions about the acceptance of a new monk or any matters related lo the Sahgha. This custom still remains today m monasteries when judging a violation of the prohibitions by a monk. That is why the democratic spirit had appeared early in the Buddhist Sahgha. Bhikkhus with 250 prohibitions, more with Bhikkhunis, five prohibitions for lay disciples, and 10 prohibitions for novices ... these are used for purifying oneself, and accepted voluntarily based upon his/her own capabilities and vows during the ceremony for prohibition transmission. Is it not the human rights that exist in the Sahgha from the ancient times till now? What is freedom? There is no clear and definitive answer. Freedom does not mean what a person can do whatever he/she wants. The law defines the limits of freedom. But it is still a convention, because limits depend on the country, customs and era. You can use any name for your children as long as it is not the same as the king's. You can demonstrate as long as national security is not violated. In another country, you can demonstrate with only a permit ... Freedom has numerous manifestations and there is no universal agreement and always a disagreement.

In Buddhism, freedom is understood more freely and deeply: freedom is free from the domination of desires. Freedom means one is one's own master. Freedom means free from the nets of ignorance. Freedom requires wisdom in all actions. This means that, as along as one is still controlled by the mind and the external world that lead to greed, ignorance and afflictions, one still does not have freedom!

Jewels have to make offerings to help the poor, the hungry and the people in suffering. A Buddhist monk cannot ask others to pray to the Buddha for filling their stomach.

It is the engaged Buddhism of today. Protestantism and Christianity have already practiced this kind of religion several decades ago.

Before the global problems, Buddhism should not only see the 'common karma but should have methods for changing it, since the religions based on God cannot handle the spiritual problems as good as Buddhism.
A Buddhism not only provides liberation for a single person but also solutions to real problems in the life of the community. A Dharma for three realms cannot get stuck before problems created by humans. Buddhism has to contribute to solving the global problems. Contributions from some Buddhist countries in the past are no longer sufficient. Buddhism should maintain a global outlook and provide global solutions. This is the responsibility that the world needs today from Buddhism.
In six paths. Buddhism is always present;

In three realms, Buddhism co-exists to help sentient beings;

Each realm has its own problems;

And each era has its own needs.

That is why the presence of Buddhism should provide solutions to global problems besides personal salvation.
Buddhism in all eras should face all kinds of challenges to apply its practical teachings in life. Because the presence of Buddhism is not to bring humankind to the religion but Buddhism should bring the religion to humankind. Only then, all problems may be solved!