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NEWS | EASTERN HORIZON 57

BUDDHISM
Patients come from all walks of life,
but most of them are poor, Thuan
REVEALED AS
said.

Local residents and people from
FASTEST-GROWING
neighbouring provinces know about
the reputation of the clinic through
RELIGION IN
word of mouth, he said.
Many people with arthritis and back
SCOTTISH JAILS
pain have switched to traditional
medicine after many years of trying
treatment at hospitals, he said.
By Stephen Stewart, Daily Record, 9 OCT 2017
Many patients come with back pain
and have herbs applied on their Cons are feeling karma as faith soars in popular across prisons in Scotland.
back twice a week, Diu Bach, a
volunteer at the pagoda, said.
Edinburgh, Scotland (UK) -- Buddhism Followers of the faith, whose leaders
is one of the fastest-growing religions in include the Dalai Lama, believe in the
Besides the monks who are
Scottish jails, the Record can reveal. sanctity of life but almost all of the
in charge of examination and
Buddhist inmates in England were
treatment, there are five or six
Figures show there are more than 20 serving time for serious crimes such as
Buddhist volunteers who perform
practicing Buddhists in our prisons. violence and sex offences.
such tasks as handing out tokens,
preparing herbs and bandaging
A Freedom of Information request has It is claimed most of the Buddhists in
injuries.
revealed 22 inmates registered their jail converted after being convicted,
¬religion as Buddhism in the past three and chose it because its emphasis on
“We want to help disadvantaged
years. meditation helps them cope with being
people with health problems,” Bach
locked up.
said.
Prison chiefs were unable to say where
these inmates were or how many Previously, Lord Avebury, the patron
Nguyen Van Thuan, 72, of Tan Binh
professed their Buddhist faith before of Buddhist prison chaplaincy
District brought his wife Vo Bich
2014 – but the figure is believed to be a organisation ¬Angulimala, said: “I think
Ngoc, 68, who had had back pain for
significant increase on past years. it does enable people to come to terms
many years, to the pagoda.
with their situation.
The news comes as Buddhism was
He said despite going to several
revealed as the fastest-growing religion “Buddhism gets people away from
hospitals and taking lots of
in England’s jails, with numbers rising the idea of material ambitions, and if
medicines she did not feel any
eightfold in 10 years. A source said: people are in prison they can’t go for
better.
“It was a surprise to see so many cons those goals anyway.”
professing their belief in a peaceful
Their relatives had told them that
religion about karma and love. Killer gangster Robert “Birdman”
the clinic was reputed for treating
O’Hara has joined the ranks of converts.
back pain, he added.
“In the past, inmates have said they
were Jewish or Muslim to get better More than 130 prisoners demand food
Source: Buddhist Channel (www.
food but it’s hard to see what’s behind for religious reasons and prison chiefs
buddhistchannel.tv) can’t challenge their beliefs. EH
the sudden surge in popularity of
Buddhism.”
Source: Buddhist Channel www.
buddhistchannel.tv