When you ask such a religious name as Muslim or any other names of such religions, I will be very hard to answer. Of course, I may have the same feeling as you do on Trump’s ban on Muslim countries. However, I believe that Trump, himself, thinks that he is a Christian. Now, here, I want to highlight how religions have divided humanity throughout human history by creating quite many problems.
Yet, nobody can stop such serious religious conflicts even in these days. We can see that people in the past were seriously tortured and abused by religions for their faith and belief when we learn history of religions accept such a peaceful one as Buddhism. We have never found that Buddhism has been involved in any kind of war in the names of religion. Of course, as a president of United States, he must be very careful of whatever he thinks, speaks and acts because everything he is doing is very closely observed by the world.
In my opinion, American president needs much more wisdom than knowledge. Now, here, we, almost everyone, know his official ban on Muslim countries by name. It is not good to himself, to the American and to America too. This ban will not make America and the American safer. I do not agree that his official ban on Muslim countries will help him and his administration to keep American secure.
According to the Buddha’s Teaching, we have to view ourselves in the two aspects about nationalities around the world: in the truth of secularity and in the truth of spirituality on who we are. At first, I will explain you on who we are in the truth of secularity. Let’s have a look.
However, here, I want to say that our identity, priority is our respective nationality, not our faith or belief in the truth of security. I want to be serious here with all of you because when we were born in our country, the name of our nationality was together with us. We were born in the name of our own nationality. Our faith, our belief or religion is really foreign to all of us when we were born. The name of the religion is put on us just later after we were born.
Therefore, we must seriously be faithful to our respective nationality as our first priority identity. The name of religion must be second if we comparatively have to be faithful to the two identities: the name of nationality and the name of religion. Actually, if we are all quite honest, we can see that the religion we followed is exported from abroad. For example, for the Burmese, Buddhism was exported from India so it is quite foreign to them but the name of Burmese is their nationality, their identity.
For the American, the name of American is their nationality, first priority and their identity. Christianity or Islam or Judaism or Hinduism or Buddhism is exported From abroad. They must be much more seriously faithful to their nationality than their faith or their religion. Their nationality must first priority identity; the name of religion must be second. They must be deeply united and faithful in the name of their nationality but not by the name of their faith because faith is very much personal. It is something taken as you believe. I hope you get.
Now, I’m going to continue how you have to wisely view who you are and why you are here in human life and for what is the purpose of your life, according to my Vipassanā understanding in the truth of spirituality. We will rightly view everything and everyone as they really are regardless of names and labels nothing more on us and with us according to Vipassanā understanding taught by the Buddha.
Because of religions, we are divided. Being divided by religions makes us feel even spiritually different and sometimes uncomfortable. I do not like this feeling different among humanity. We are human. We are brothers and sisters. We are the same in common sense. I have never felt nice with being divided by religion since I was young. However, when I’m fully grown up physically and mentally, I feel with the Buddha’s Teaching and the Teaching of the Buddha is really amazing and attractive to me like a magnetic force.
The first thing I like most and best is the word of the Buddha, “Paññatin Thapetvā” meaning by taking off particular name and label to see the truth or reality. It is a simple word but the meaning is something like universal. The Buddha said “Please, take off your particular name and label if you want to see the truth”. It deeply touches my heart. Of course, if you take off your particular name of American, Burmese, German, Italian and so on, we will see that we are the same just in the name of human being.
A Brahmin’s question and the Buddha’s answer
Another one that I like most and that deeply touched my heart is that we are going to the same direction even though we believe differently in something else. Once, one of Brahmins came to the Buddha and sat down before the Buddha. He said, “Venerable Sir, we, Brahmins believe that we are higher than the rest of all by birth. What is your opinion, Sir?”
The Buddha said, “Oh, Brahmin, there is no one higher than others just by birth but those whose defilements have been totally eradicated and purified by Right Understanding are, of course, higher than the rest of all” not by birth but by practice and by development of one’s quality of life. He agreed with Buddha and he was converted himself from his to the Buddha’s Teaching. There were a lot of Brahmins converted themselves to the Buddha’s Teaching after they listened to Dhamma talk given by the Buddha because they had understood the Teaching very well.
The Buddha continued, “Brahmin, we are in the same boat going to the same direction. When we were born, we were born as a child without any religious names and labels on us and with us. It is the first stage of life. In the second stage of life, we all get older and older. In the third stage of life, we all get sicker and sicker. Finally, we are all going to die. This is the reason why I said that we are going to the same direction”. The Brahmin felt very delighted with the Buddha’s Teaching. I also love this Teaching so much.
The Buddha’s Teaching repels my feeling of division by religions in the world. The Buddha is so wise to repel human doubt very suitably. It makes me feel so happy. I do not need to be feeling divided by any religions after I have understood the Buddha’s Teaching, Dhamma. At the same time, I do not need to reject any faiths or beliefs. Therefore, I can harmoniously, wisely and happily live in life; my heart becomes open to all. The Buddha’s Teaching makes out me who I’m, and how I should live.
As long as we are treated differently by religious faiths and beliefs, we will never be able to see the truth and reality. Remember that I’m not blaming any faith or belief. You can believe in whatever you want; I’m just saying who we are in the truth of spirituality and you should be more faithful to your national identity as first priority in the truth of secularity.
However, I believe that only when we are able to talk off names and labels we are attached to, by developing “Right Understanding” will we be able to see the truth and able to live harmoniously, peacefully and happily as I do now. This is the Buddha’s Teaching I love. Of course, if you take a 7 days’ retreat course, you learn more of the Teaching by applying the Dhamma as you learn. I hope you got it.
