Buddhism

‘Like one who plucks flowers in a garden, the man who plucks the flowers of sensual pleasure, whose mind is distracted, and whose desire is insatiable, is overpowered by the Destroyer.’
–Buddhist scripture

One of the pleasures of traveling in Myanmar is experiencing the religion and philosophy of Buddhism embedded in everyday life. Monks, in essence, are beggars sustained by their communities, whose charitable acts gain a reciprocal deed of goodwill in supporting a monk’s quest for enlightenment. So many Burmese participate in Buddhism at some point in their lives - as laypeople, novices, or monks - that the religion is truly a collaborative undertaking of society. Perhaps it’s Buddhism’s influence that inspires the peaceful nature of the Burmese, some 80-90% of whom claim its faith. How else would the Burmese derive the patience to withstand the rigors of their public transportation?

In Nepal, where Buddhists, as a minority, suffer from a mild inferiority complex, I recall a conversation with a Buddhist man who frowned upon Hindus for their caste structure and, until recently, dishonorable treatment of the Untouchables. But Buddhism has its shortcomings too – one contradiction being its disparaging treatment of women. Take, for example, this excerpt from ‘A Manual of Buddhism’, written by a Burmese monk: The evil effects of unchastity are: having many enemies, getting undesirable wives, birth as a woman or as a eunuch. Are women evil? Perhaps that explains the impaired fate of Buddhist nuns, whose highest rank is limited to Novice.