Cultivating a culture of peace: Buddhism as a Path of Engaged spirituality

Professor Toh Swee-Hin (S.H.Toh)
Director, Multi-Faith Centre
Griffith University, Qld, Australia

ABSTRACT

Worldwide, the pervasive realities of violence in all its forms and levels of life, from global to global, have catalyzed individuals and movements to build a culture of peace. Peace can no longer mean only the “absence of war”. Rather a holistic culture of peace is a multi-dimensional framework of diverse but inter-related themes including dismantling the culture of war; living with justice and compassion; promoting human rights and responsibilities; building cultural respect, reconciliation and solidarity; living in harmony with the Earth; cultivating inner peace. In this urgent work of uprooting violence and cultivating peace, the role of education is increasingly recognized as indispensable. Policies and strategies to transcend all kinds of violence need complementary educational processes at all levels of society (formal, non-formal, informal) to cultivate values, attitudes and worldviews that are internalized by individuals, institutions and conflicting parties.

There is an emergent consensus that education for a culture of peace seeks to raise critical awareness and understanding of the root causes of all forms of conflicts and violence from micro to macro-levels of life. Second, based on this understanding and on appropriate values, learners feel empowered to take action for transformation, to change their and the world’s realities from a culture of violence to a culture of peace.

It will be emphasized in this paper that the teachings and wisdom of Buddhism hold deep sources of understanding, inspiration, skilful means and mindful commitment for uprooting all forms of violence and conflicts, and for cultivating patiently but steadfastly all petals of a culture of peace. In this way, Buddhism is therefore a personal as well as social vehicle for engaged spirituality rather than a passive faith. Spiritual growth hence cannot be a self-centred goal and process divorced from social and political realities, but rather needs to be expressed in action and practices that transform the everyday lives of individuals, communities, nations and the world community toward a culture of peace. The paper concludes by affirming that the growing interaction of Buddhists with other faith communities in interfaith dialogue will further enrich the sustainability of Buddhism as a path of engaged spirituality.

BIOGRAPHY

Professor Toh Swee-Hin (S.H.Toh) is the founding Director of the Griffith University Multi-Faith Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, which seeks to promote inter-faith dialogue towards a culture of peace at local, national and international levels. Born and raised in the Buddhist tradition in Malaysia, he has taught in Australia and Canada in the fields of intercultural and international education and education for peace, human rights, justice, multiculturalism and sustainability. Professor Toh has been extensively involved since the 70s in education, research and action for a culture of peace in North and South contexts, including Australia, Canada, South Africa, Japan, Uganda, South Korea and especially in the Philippines. In 2000, he was awarded the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. He has also been active in various global networks or organizations for peace education, peace-building and interfaith dialogue, such as UNESCO, the International Institute on Peace Education, the World Council for Curriculum & Instruction, the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding, the UN University for Peace(as a Senior Fellow), the Parliament of the World’s Religions, Religions for Peace, and the Asia-Pacific Regional Interfaith Conference, in which he was a member of the Australian delegation at the 3rd meeting in Waitangi, New Zealand. In 2007, Prof. Toh was invited to serve on the Executive Committee of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists.