Page 10 - Applied Buddhism

Foreword Divided into four sections, the first part of the book asks us
by Benny Liow
The term Applied Buddhism means that we can practice
Buddhism in our everyday lives, in the midst of our family, jobs,
community, and society. It also means that the Buddha’s teachings
can be applied in every circumstance in order to bring clarity and
understanding, and solutions to problems in our world. When we
apply what the Buddha taught, we will realise that it offers concrete
ways to relieve suffering and bring peace and happiness in every
situation in our lives and in our society.
Even though the Buddha attained enlightenment more than
2600 years ago, the teachings he left behind remain relevant to
people in the modern age. If we were to ask what is the essence
of the Buddha’s teaching, it would be as follows: to understand
suffering, and how to overcome it so that we can experience real
happiness. The Buddha adopted a very practical approach to create
a happier and more peaceful world. He did not want his followers
to merely believe what he said, but to put them into practice, i.e to
apply his teachings in their daily lives. He consistently mentioned
that if we truly apply his teachings, we will find true peace and
happiness.
In this excellent book, Ang Choo Hong, a learned and
experienced lay Buddhist leader has compiled a total of 19 articles
he wrote as well as lectures he delivered at local and international
conferences on various aspects of Applied Buddhism into a handy
volume. As such, the selections in this book all have great bearing
on how we can apply the teachings of the Buddha in every aspect
of our lives.
v Applied Buddhism
to explore various aspects of modern living in terms of our rights
to water, vegetarianism, tobacco consumption among monastics,
issues in bio-technology, why the need to meditate, and lessons by
Steve Jobs from a Buddhist perspective.
In Part 2, the author delves into inter-religious issues which are
common in a plural society like Malaysia. The author discusses the
importance of diversity, peace, global ethics and universal values,
and the threat of global evangelism.
In the section on politics, the author discusses if monastics
should participate in politics, the ethics of political engagement,
and the rise of secularism in the modern world.
The book concludes with an interesting discussion of the
challenges of Buddhism in the modern age and how they affect
contemporary Buddhist movements in Malaysia and overseas. The
author also discusses the relevance of lay Buddhism, significance
of a global organisation like the World Fellowship of Buddhists,
socially engaged Buddhism and the success stories of the late
Venerable K Sri Dhammananda, the icon of Malaysian Buddhism
for many decades until his demise in 2006.
The articles in this book bear testimony that the ultimate
purpose of the Buddha’s teachings is to serve and benefit humanity
so that mankind can truly find peace and happiness when they apply
the Buddha Dharma in their daily lives. I am confident that the
readers, after digesting all the chapters in this book, will find their
lives happier and more enriching.
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