Supplied Content (HWPL)
Bangkok, January 28, 2018
The need for peace and harmony, respect for all religions and people of all beliefs was emphasised at an interfaith meeting held in Bangkok on January 19, 2018.
Among the delegates to the meeting were representatives from Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.
They discussed the relationship between human beings and the spiritual world in the context of the role of religion in making a peaceful society.
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international NGO affiliated with the UN ECOSOC, hosted the 32nd interfaith dialogue.
Meaningful Dialogues
The dialogues of religions by HWPL, called the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office Meetings, have been conducted across 216 offices in 124 countries to stress the commonality of human values contained within religious scriptures.
The event in Bangkok brought forth a number of inspiring observations.
Thailand Ramakrishna Vedanta Society President Sathit Kumarn said, “We talk about dialogues based on scriptures, which is a very important part of peace-building to the individual person. It is also important to understand that we have to build peace within ourselves first, the inner quality of the person”.
Mr Kumarn is also Advisor to the National Legislative Assembly in Thailand.
Can founders be teachers?
During a panel discussion, Pan Asia International School and Social Welfare Society President Dr Husin Hamad said, “The founder of a religion (the messenger) cannot teach from his own knowledge, they have to teach only from the will of the heaven which is revealed to them from God.
Speaking about Jesus’ teaching in the Bible, Senior Pastor Virendra Arora from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church said, “The founder of religion should not teach from his own knowledge but on the basis of that which the person has received from heaven.”
In the Theravada Buddhist Cosmology, there is explanation of an individual that leads to a new existence.
Venerable Sumanpriya Bhikkhu from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University said, “Gautama Buddha received his own knowledge by doing meditation. He discovered the 31 planes of existence in which rebirth takes place.”
“I am Buddhist, but I do not go to temple.”
Buddhists declining
Pew Research Center recently reported that Buddhist populations in Asian countries, including Thailand, are expected to decline for the next decades. It was reported that such expected decrease comes from low fertility rates and aging populations.
“This indicates that young generations in Asia are more prone to having distance from religion. Just as Christian congregation members are drastically declining in South Korea, young people in Thailand are also losing faith and hope in Buddhism,” Ian Seo, General Director of Public Relations for HWPL Head Quarters said.
“Now is the time for religions to consider how people can come to recognise that their daily issues with material values can be improved through satisfying the spiritual values at the same time,” he added.
Addressing the Youth
Mr Kumarn said, “What is required is to think about how to make people as human beings and teach the values of human beings. It can be through establishing religious studies in schools and building programs regarding human development together with spiritual enhancement. We must be able to understand the trend of young generations, so that we can find their needs according to their demands. Music, sports and many other activities for youth can be useful to develop ideas of peace from religion.”
Photo Caption: Some of the participants at the Bangkok Meeting on January 19, 2018
(Picture Supplied)
