By Matters India Reporter
Yangon–Religions have a great role to play in promoting peace, harmony and justice in society, stressed three religious heads from Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.
They were speaking on “Witness to the Truth and Light: Religious Perspectives” at the ongoing Asia Mission Conference (AMC) organized by Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) here on October 13.
Speaking on Buddhist standpoint, Venerable A Shin Pannajota, lecturer at the department of BA and MA Buddhism, Sitagu International Buddhist Academy, Yangon said every one wishes to possess peace and happiness so also there is no being without facing problems such as family, political, social and economical, racial and religious problems. To end these problems, it is hard to solve. However, nowadays most people are trying to sold these problems with the help of religions. To liberate from all problems and sufferings, spiritual leaders in the world teach their doctrines to their followers.
Today the world witnesses the unfair competitions based on racial and religious sensitivity. For that matter, people belonging to different faiths of religion are attacking, fighting, and quarrelling each other without considering real reason. So there is need to understand the sufferings and problems as fact clearly and completely and face and eliminate them, he added.
Whatever religion one accepts should try to learn to be understood rightly intrinsic meaning of one’s religion, practice and follow it accordingly, said the Buddhist monk.
People who lack in observing the noble teachings of their respective religions cannot experience peace and happiness in human society and its surroundings. Today human world is mentally poor because of people who are in the absence of knowledge about the essence of their respective religions and fail to observe noble teachings of their religions. So all spiritual leaders must strive to lead people in the right direction to be mentally rich, said Pannajota.
“Human life is short. So everyone must not waste time in disputes, fightings, conflicts, disappointments, discontents, worries and worries, rather in order to live a meaningful life, one must establish a peaceful and happy life knowing and analyzing the Truth expounded by one’s respective religion,” Pannajota said.
The next speaker was Swami Navanama Janana Thapaswi, director of Santhigiri Ashram, Kerala, India.
Speaking from the viewpoint of Hinduism, he said that truth and light are the two core components of spirituality surpassing all forms of religiosity, which most of people are not aware of. Thus, all need to strive to attain such spirituality that liberates human beings. This can enable to lead a life of peace, unity, love and happiness which are propounded by different religions.
Based on spirituality of truth and light, human society could be a better place to live in for one and all, Thapaswi stressed.
Addressing from the view point of Islam, Professor Musdah Mulia, Council of Indonesian Ulema in Indonesia, said different religions have common enemy in society that is injustice. Religions could be strong basis for the promotion for any nation in maintaining peace and establishing a solid civilization.
Muslims, Christians and others need to work together to continue the efforts of cultural reconstruction through education beginning from family and later in formal educational institutes stressing on the efforts to promote peace, respect, tolerance and inclusiveness. This will enable to reduce prejudice behavior in society and embrace multiculturalism, so education is a means to a harmonious intercultural society, she said.
People of different religions needs to collaborate reforms laws and public policies which are not conducive to the establishment of peace and justice as well as upholding human rights and democratic principles, Mulia added.
All efforts should be made to have healthy interpretations of religious texts which will lead to end all forms of prejudice, hatred and violence, she added.