MANDALAY, Myanmar - Myanmar police imposed an overnight curfew in the country's second largest city of Mandalay on Thursday, after two nights of sectarian unrest that left two people dead.
Dozens of police were seen patrolling the streets and shops were shuttered as tension gripped the normally bustling central metropolis where angry mobs rampaged through central areas on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Two men, one Buddhist and one Muslim, were killed in violence that continued into Thursday morning - the latest of several waves of sectarian unrest that have exposed deep religious tensions in the Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation."
Religion, as I understand it, is to teach the followers to be good to mankind and create happiness and peace. Of course, on the deeper level, to be like the God that each religion ascribed to.
Lessons for me are:
1. I am not sure how many of the rituals and 'customs' and practices of the various great religions of the world come about. I somehow has the nagging feeling that many, if not all, were created by the human disciples or followers to resemble their earthy lifestyle unconsciously. e.g. which should there be a hierarchy? why revered one religious 'teacher or scholar' over the other? why some related to 'rewards and punishment if you don't follow the religious teaching?;
2. when one is LOCKED in to a RELIGION, one should become more challenged to understand how to become good. How to become more peaceful with self. How to help others understand one's religion WITHOUT imposing or demanding others to follow JUST BECAUSE one feels that it is GOOD for them! If this is the mind-set, there will NOT be such incident as: 'Hey, you are wrong and I am right!' but 'Hey, you are not getting it still, let me explain it one more time and you decide. No pressure!;
3. alas, in reality, judging from the many conflicts, some very big and very old, on Mother Earth, my version of 'what is a religion?' is simply naïve and unrealistic. Crazy is some may even labelled it! If this is the case, then it is BEST to leave 'religion' out of the politics and followers of DIFFERENT religion. If they MUST engage in 'constructive understanding each other' conversation, set the GROUND RULE as: 'you can talk about your religion BUT you CANNOT, absolutely CANNOT talk about the RELIGION of OTHERS.' i.e. you can say your Apple is great and delicious but you cannot say anything about the neighbour's Orange while your neighbour can said how great and sweet is his/her Orange but cannot comment about your Apple!
Myanmar has come a long way from dictatorship rules. Peace loving and vegetarian Buddhists CANNOT be killing another human being just because he or she is a Muslim! Surely the same apply for the Muslims too right?
If not, it STILL has a long way to go before it can truly focus on non-religious issues.
Dozens of police were seen patrolling the streets and shops were shuttered as tension gripped the normally bustling central metropolis where angry mobs rampaged through central areas on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Two men, one Buddhist and one Muslim, were killed in violence that continued into Thursday morning - the latest of several waves of sectarian unrest that have exposed deep religious tensions in the Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation."
Religion, as I understand it, is to teach the followers to be good to mankind and create happiness and peace. Of course, on the deeper level, to be like the God that each religion ascribed to.
Lessons for me are:
1. I am not sure how many of the rituals and 'customs' and practices of the various great religions of the world come about. I somehow has the nagging feeling that many, if not all, were created by the human disciples or followers to resemble their earthy lifestyle unconsciously. e.g. which should there be a hierarchy? why revered one religious 'teacher or scholar' over the other? why some related to 'rewards and punishment if you don't follow the religious teaching?;
2. when one is LOCKED in to a RELIGION, one should become more challenged to understand how to become good. How to become more peaceful with self. How to help others understand one's religion WITHOUT imposing or demanding others to follow JUST BECAUSE one feels that it is GOOD for them! If this is the mind-set, there will NOT be such incident as: 'Hey, you are wrong and I am right!' but 'Hey, you are not getting it still, let me explain it one more time and you decide. No pressure!;
3. alas, in reality, judging from the many conflicts, some very big and very old, on Mother Earth, my version of 'what is a religion?' is simply naïve and unrealistic. Crazy is some may even labelled it! If this is the case, then it is BEST to leave 'religion' out of the politics and followers of DIFFERENT religion. If they MUST engage in 'constructive understanding each other' conversation, set the GROUND RULE as: 'you can talk about your religion BUT you CANNOT, absolutely CANNOT talk about the RELIGION of OTHERS.' i.e. you can say your Apple is great and delicious but you cannot say anything about the neighbour's Orange while your neighbour can said how great and sweet is his/her Orange but cannot comment about your Apple!
Myanmar has come a long way from dictatorship rules. Peace loving and vegetarian Buddhists CANNOT be killing another human being just because he or she is a Muslim! Surely the same apply for the Muslims too right?
If not, it STILL has a long way to go before it can truly focus on non-religious issues.
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