Akon and Buddhism in Sri Lanka: A Response to Bhikkhu K. Tanchangya

by Chandula, Sri Lanka, The Buddhist Channel, Apr 7, 2010

[Editor's note: This article is a rejoinder to “Akon and Buddhism in Sri Lanka – A Monk's Response” by Bhikkhu K. Tanchangya published on the Buddhist Channel website on the 28th of March 2010. Bhikkhu K. Tanchangya's article was a response to the author's original article 'Akon and Buddhism in Sri Lanka'.]

I wrote “Akon and Buddhism in Sri Lanka” exclusively for Groundviews, a prominent citizen journalism website in Sri Lanka. I expressed my opinion on the “Akon issue” as a citizen of Sri Lanka. Groundviews published my article on the 27th of March 2010 and later ‘The Buddhist Channel’ website published it attributing the original article to Groundviews. The Constitution of Sri Lanka guarantees its citizens the freedom of speech, expression and publication [Article 14(1) (a)]. Therefore, as a citizen of Sri Lanka I have every right to publish what I think and write be it under my name or under a nom de plume.

I feel that Bhikkhu K Tanchangya has misunderstood the essence and the main argument of my article. The essence of my article was my perception of Buddhist philosophy. In order to communicate my perception, I referred to the primary principles of Buddhist philosophy and also quoted examples from the life of Lord Buddha that is detailed in Buddhist literature.

My argument was based on the politics surrounding the issue and the double standards depicted by the Government in denying Akon a visa for blasphemy and disrespect of Buddhism whilst issuing a visa to the Leader of Myanmar, Tan Shwe, whose administration has committed hundreds of atrocities against Buddhists and Buddhist monks in his country which I feel is far more damaging to Buddhists and Buddhism than Akon’s music video.

The writer mentions in his article that, “although Lord Buddha accepted thieves, murderers and prostitutes into the sasana, he never condoned such acts.” I am aware of this and I agree. Lord Buddha’s acceptance of these people into his Sasana as disciples demonstrates the non-violent approach in changing their lives by showing compassion and loving-kindness rather than by punishment. The best example in Buddhist literature is the case of the violent murderer, Angulimala. At a critical juncture, Lord Buddha himself took Angulimala into the Sasana even though the prevailing monarchy ordered him to be arrested and charged for his crimes.

Moving onto the Devadatta issue mentioned by the writer. The words, “ignorant bugs and trouble makers destined for hell” attributed to Lord Buddha seems uncouth. Lord Buddha did not approve of the misdeeds of Devadatta and his group of disciples and pointed out to his followers that engaging in these misdeeds will bring misery and could lead them to hell. At the same time, Lord Buddha asserted that demonstrating hatred and anger towards them will not benefit the followers or the monk Devadatta, and requested his followers to demonstrate loving kindness (Meththa), equanimity (Upekkha) and compassion (Karuna) towards them.

I feel that there is a huge contrast in the way most Buddhists in Sri Lanka have behaved towards Akon and the people associated with his concert, and the teachings of Lord Buddha as highlighted above.

The very fact that the MTV/MBC was attacked for promoting his concert portrays the intolerance in place of tolerance, hatred in place of loving kindness and ignorance in place of equanimity. My main argument is that if showing disrespect towards Lord Buddha and Buddhism was the reason for the denial of a visa to Akon, that same principle should have applied to General Tan Shwe- the Leader of Myanmar.

The oppression of the people of Myanmar by the rulers and atrocities committed against Buddhist monks is a well-known fact. Yet, General Tan Shwe was issued a visa while the true spiritual leader of Tibet- the Dalai Lama- was denied a visa last year by the Sri Lankan Government. This depicts the politics involved and the double standards practiced by the Government.

I neither have any personal regard nor animosity towards Akon. The artist’s morality, spirituality and ethics could be considered abhorrent or at the very least, controversial. Instead, my main concern is the misinterpretation of the basic principles of Buddhist philosophy in advancing the agenda of the Government.
We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP