Vesak Day

Opinion
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EDITORIAL
A timely chance to reflect upon our human failings

Vesak Day offers Buddhists an opportunity to consider what brings us together and why we continue to tear ourselves apart

The timely fall of Vesak Day this year is more auspicious than ever. This very significant Buddhist celebration comes at a moment when Thais need to be reminded of the Lord Buddha's wisdom.

Vesak Day reminds Buddhists of the Lord Buddha's enlightenment, which has brought wisdom and insight into the cause of suffering. It is quite simple: Human suffering is caused by the desirous mind. The Buddha's Four Noble Truths are the Dukkha - suffering, the cause of suffering, the path that leads to enlightenment, and the end or cessation of suffering.

The events of the last two months have been tragic, and we must all share responsibility for inflicting this tragedy upon ourselves. Thais should come to their senses and reflect how we have let our emotions overcome our sense and rationale. We used to be known as compassionate and generous. Sad to say that this will be a thing of the past if we continue to hate each other.

It's inevitable that human beings will be emotional. But when we feel emotions such as hatred or fear, we should strive to understand these feelings - and thus overcome suffering. After all, these feelings are essentially the same thing. As hatred is the flipside of love, ignorance is the flipside of wisdom. If we learn to understand these opposite forces, we will become whole human beings.

We have become selfish because we have forgotten the Lord Buddha's concept of selflessness. We have failed to think about others. Selfish people fail to recognise the importance of co-existing with others and nature. They forget that every action has a consequence and that what we do has an impact on others. Selfish people demand their rights without respecting the rights of others, or realising the consequences that their actions cause. As we have seen, this can lead to violent conflict. We need to be mindful of the fact that everything is intertwined.

For centuries, Buddhism has united the majority of Thais peacefully. Its self-sufficiency concept is based on an effort to ensure that we consume our resources reasonably without harming the natural environment, and to ensure that we leave sufficient and quality resources for our children.

The Lord Buddha preached a middle path, where people work towards a balanced and rational consciousness. Extremes tend to let emotions overcome logic - leading to undesirable results. The middle-path concept helps us learn and gain the spiritual knowledge to overcome extreme situations. We have suffered such an extreme situation for the last two months, during which information has been politically based and opinions have become polarised.

Vesak Day reminds us to be compassionate. This difficult time will be a test to prove that we are still able to forgive. Forgiveness is a way to end suffering. Justice does not come from an angry heart. We may not forget, because there are always lessons to be learned from mistakes. But we should reflect with compassion and understanding.

Vesak Day also reminds us of the three great events in the life of the Lord Buddha - his birth, enlightenment and passing. He gave us the chance to liberate ourselves from suffering and realise a new world of wisdom and true happiness. As we recall the auspicious anniversary, we should take time to reflect, with reasons and insight, upon what has happened to us.

Like everything else in this world, this moment shall pass, but we must emerge from it as wiser, more compassionate people.

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May 27, 2010 11:34 am (Thai local time)
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