Sulak Sivaraksa
Encyclopedia
Sulak Sivaraksa [sù-lák sĭwarák] ' onMouseout='HidePop("13036")' href="/topics/Thailand">Thailand
) is founder and director of the Thai NGO
“Sathirakoses-Nagapradeepa Foundation”, named after two authorities on Thai culture, Sathirakoses (Phya Anuman Rajadhon) and Nagapradeepa (Phra Saraprasoet). Besides being the initiator of a number of social, humanitarian, ecological and spiritual movements and organizations in Thailand, such as the College SEM (Spirit in Education Movement).
Sulak Sivaraksa is known in the West as one of the fathers of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists
(INEB), which was established in 1989 with leading Buddhists including the 14th Dalai Lama
, the Vietnamese monk and peace-activist Thich Nhat Hanh
and the Theravada Bhikkhu Maha Ghosananda
, as its patrons.
When Sulak Sivaraksa was awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize (Right Livelihood Award
) in 1995 he became known to a wider public in Europe and the USA. Sulak was chair of the Asian Cultural Forum on Development and has been a visiting professor at UC Berkeley, the University of Hawaii
and Cornell.
and at the University of Wales, Lampeter
, where he is now an honorary fellow in Buddhism. Upon his return home, he became the editor
of Social Science Review magazine. Many considered it the leading Thai intellectual journal of its time. By 1968 the Social Science Review had become “the intellectual voice of the nation." Also in 1968, Sulak founded the Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation (SNF), which publishes “the intellectual successor” to Social Science Review and acts as an umbrella organization for a group of NGOs. Soon after his return to Thailand, he directed his energies towards the development of sustainable models for a rapidly changing economic and social environment. The military coup of 1976 forced him into exile for two years. At this time he toured Canada, the US and Europe to lecture to academic audiences. Because of the tragedy of the coup, Sulak’s commitment to peace was strengthened. Since then he has been championing nonviolence in war torn and repressed countries like Sri Lanka. His devotion to peace and nonviolence is demonstrated by his leadership and membership in international peace organization like Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Peace Brigade International, and Gandhi Peace Foundation. After he returned to Thailand, Sulak was prompted to establish the Thai Inter-religious Commission for Development (TICD), and soon thereafter Sulak was appointed chairperson of the Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD) and the editor of its newsletter, Asia Action. In 1982, Sulak established the Thai Development Support Committee as a way to coordinate other nongovernmental organizations in order to better tackle large problems that they could not tackle alone.
He foreign contacts he made while in exile proved beneficial when Sivaraksa was arrested in 1984 for lese majesty, causing international protests which pressured the government to release him. Sivaraksa was again charged with lese majeste
in September 1991 after a talk he gave at Thammasat University
about the repression of democracy in Thailand. Sivaraksa fled the county and went into exile until he was able to convince the courts of his innocence in 1995. He was awarded the Swedish Right Livelihood Award in 1995, the UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization) award in 1998, and the Indian 'Millennium Gandhi
Award' in 2001. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the American Friends Service Committee in 1994.
Sulak was a strong critic of deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
. He publicly accused Thaksin of adultery
at rallies organized by the People's Alliance for Democracy
. However, he has never cited any evidence for his claims. During a protest on 26 February 2006, Sulak called Thaksin a pitiful dog. Sulak's comments were condemned by Somsri Hananantasuk, Chairperson of Amnesty International
(Thailand), who said that such words could provoke violence.
In 2007, he spoke out against proposals to declare Buddhism Thailand's 'national religion' in the new constitution, arguing that to do so would exacerbate the existing conflict in southern Thailand.
Sulak Sivaraksa also appears in the feature documentary film about the Dalai Lama, entitled Dalai Lama Renaissance
.http://www.dalailamafilm.com
Sulak Sivaraksa is an advocate for social and political change in his native country, Thailand, as well as on a global scale. Sivaraksa has written several influential works that have both inspired thousands of people to work towards justice and provoked controversy from political leaders. Nonetheless, Sulak Sivaraksa’s speeches and other writings discuss political and economic corruption in Thai government, universal ethics and socially engaged Buddhism (his website). Some of Sivaraksa’s most influential works include his autobiography- Loyalty Demands Dissent, as well as Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society, and Conflict, Culture, Change: Engaged Buddhism in a Globalizing World. Sulak Sivaraksa’s writings, as well the organizations he has created express his desire for a moral and ethical world from a Buddhist perspective. Sivaraksa’s religious faith is clearly the foundation of all of his political and social beliefs, yet he uses his religious beliefs to create social change in a modernist fashion.
Sulak was arrested on November 6, 2009 for lèse majesté. He was bailed out shortly thereafter.
He is councilor of the World Future Council
.
Sulak’s commitment to inter-religious dialogue has been important throughout his life. Sulak established a relationship with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and believed that there was much work to be done within society by Buddhists and Catholics together. When discussing the dialogue between Buddhists and Catholics, Sulak states “the idea that one religion is better than the other simply doesn’t exist." This perspective concentrates on the work that needs to be done in society by people of all faiths.
In a movement to modernize monasticism, Sulak began a group named sekhiyadhamma in order to increase social awareness among monks. Sulak claims that he relied heavily on the ideas of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto in forming his own ideas. While Buddhadasa Bhikku advocated a theory of Dhammic socialism, Payutto’s main focus in Buddhism was studying the original teachings of the Buddha and making them more applicable to the modern world.
Sulak advocates a return to the Buddha’s original teachings as a means of social reform. In addition, he believes that the social dimension of Buddhism cannot be ignored because Buddhism is “concerned with the lives and consciousness of all beings." Sivaraksa also explains that many Buddhists understand religion and politics “as two interrelated spheres,” implying that government should adhere to the moral and ethical values that Buddhism, or any religion, has to offer.
Sulak applies these ideas to social and political situations as a response to social injustice. He uses the principle of nonviolence as a call for action against social injustice, defining a strategy to bringing about long-term peace to the world: peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building. Sulak’s application of Buddhist principles show his intention of instilling morals and ethics into corrupt institutions around the world.
Sivaraksa chooses to highlight the universal and rational aspects of Buddhism and eschews ritualism and mythology in order to make Buddhism more applicable to contemporary global issues. By presenting Buddhism in this fashion, people of all faiths can relate to, and interpret his work in a universally spiritual light. Though he is both a Buddhist and Thai nationalist, he makes it clear in his work that all religions should be tolerated and respected.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) is founder and director of the Thai NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
“Sathirakoses-Nagapradeepa Foundation”, named after two authorities on Thai culture, Sathirakoses (Phya Anuman Rajadhon) and Nagapradeepa (Phra Saraprasoet). Besides being the initiator of a number of social, humanitarian, ecological and spiritual movements and organizations in Thailand, such as the College SEM (Spirit in Education Movement).
Sulak Sivaraksa is known in the West as one of the fathers of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists
International Network of Engaged Buddhists
The International Network of Engaged Buddhists is an organisation that connects engaged Buddhists from around the world. It was established at a meeting in Thailand in February 1989 organised by Sulak Sivaraksa and Maruyama Teruo. INEB maintains an office in Bangkok. It has members in about 20...
(INEB), which was established in 1989 with leading Buddhists including the 14th Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, the Vietnamese monk and peace-activist Thich Nhat Hanh
Nhat Hanh
Thích Nhất Hạnh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist who now lives in France. Born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo, Thích Nhất Hạnh joined a Zen monastery at the age of 16, and studied Buddhism as a novitiate. Upon his ordination as a monk in 1949, he assumed the Dharma name...
and the Theravada Bhikkhu Maha Ghosananda
Preah Maha Ghosananda
Maha Ghosananda, , was a highly revered Cambodian Buddhist monk in the Theravada tradition, who served as the Patriarch of Cambodian Buddhism during the Khmer Rouge period and post-communist transition period of Cambodian history...
, as its patrons.
When Sulak Sivaraksa was awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize (Right Livelihood Award
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award, also referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", is a prestigious international award to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". The prize was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, and is...
) in 1995 he became known to a wider public in Europe and the USA. Sulak was chair of the Asian Cultural Forum on Development and has been a visiting professor at UC Berkeley, the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
and Cornell.
Life
The grandson of a Chinese immigrant, whose surname was Lim, Sulak Sivaraksa was educated in BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and at the University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter
University of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
, where he is now an honorary fellow in Buddhism. Upon his return home, he became the editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of Social Science Review magazine. Many considered it the leading Thai intellectual journal of its time. By 1968 the Social Science Review had become “the intellectual voice of the nation." Also in 1968, Sulak founded the Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation (SNF), which publishes “the intellectual successor” to Social Science Review and acts as an umbrella organization for a group of NGOs. Soon after his return to Thailand, he directed his energies towards the development of sustainable models for a rapidly changing economic and social environment. The military coup of 1976 forced him into exile for two years. At this time he toured Canada, the US and Europe to lecture to academic audiences. Because of the tragedy of the coup, Sulak’s commitment to peace was strengthened. Since then he has been championing nonviolence in war torn and repressed countries like Sri Lanka. His devotion to peace and nonviolence is demonstrated by his leadership and membership in international peace organization like Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Peace Brigade International, and Gandhi Peace Foundation. After he returned to Thailand, Sulak was prompted to establish the Thai Inter-religious Commission for Development (TICD), and soon thereafter Sulak was appointed chairperson of the Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD) and the editor of its newsletter, Asia Action. In 1982, Sulak established the Thai Development Support Committee as a way to coordinate other nongovernmental organizations in order to better tackle large problems that they could not tackle alone.
He foreign contacts he made while in exile proved beneficial when Sivaraksa was arrested in 1984 for lese majesty, causing international protests which pressured the government to release him. Sivaraksa was again charged with lese majeste
Lèse majesté
Lese-majesty is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state.This behavior was first classified as a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman republic in Ancient Rome...
in September 1991 after a talk he gave at Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
about the repression of democracy in Thailand. Sivaraksa fled the county and went into exile until he was able to convince the courts of his innocence in 1995. He was awarded the Swedish Right Livelihood Award in 1995, the UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization) award in 1998, and the Indian 'Millennium Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
Award' in 2001. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the American Friends Service Committee in 1994.
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. He publicly accused Thaksin of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
at rallies organized by the People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
. However, he has never cited any evidence for his claims. During a protest on 26 February 2006, Sulak called Thaksin a pitiful dog. Sulak's comments were condemned by Somsri Hananantasuk, Chairperson of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
(Thailand), who said that such words could provoke violence.
In 2007, he spoke out against proposals to declare Buddhism Thailand's 'national religion' in the new constitution, arguing that to do so would exacerbate the existing conflict in southern Thailand.
Sulak Sivaraksa also appears in the feature documentary film about the Dalai Lama, entitled Dalai Lama Renaissance
Dalai Lama Renaissance
Dalai Lama Renaissance is a feature length documentary film, produced and directed by Khashyar Darvich, and narrated by actor Harrison Ford. The film documents the Dalai Lama's meeting with the self-titled "Synthesis" group, made up of 40 Western "renaissance" thinkers who hope to use the meeting...
.http://www.dalailamafilm.com
Sulak Sivaraksa is an advocate for social and political change in his native country, Thailand, as well as on a global scale. Sivaraksa has written several influential works that have both inspired thousands of people to work towards justice and provoked controversy from political leaders. Nonetheless, Sulak Sivaraksa’s speeches and other writings discuss political and economic corruption in Thai government, universal ethics and socially engaged Buddhism (his website). Some of Sivaraksa’s most influential works include his autobiography- Loyalty Demands Dissent, as well as Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society, and Conflict, Culture, Change: Engaged Buddhism in a Globalizing World. Sulak Sivaraksa’s writings, as well the organizations he has created express his desire for a moral and ethical world from a Buddhist perspective. Sivaraksa’s religious faith is clearly the foundation of all of his political and social beliefs, yet he uses his religious beliefs to create social change in a modernist fashion.
Sulak was arrested on November 6, 2009 for lèse majesté. He was bailed out shortly thereafter.
He is councilor of the World Future Council
World Future Council
The World Future Council is an independent body formally founded in Hamburg, Germany on 10 May 2007. "Formed to speak on behalf of policy solutions that serve the interests of future generations", it includes members active in governmental bodies, civil society, business, science and the arts...
.
Loyalty Demands Dissent
Sulak Sivaraksa’s presents his view of Buddhism is his autobiography, Loyalty Demands Dissent. Along with a first hand account of this life, he also includes information about his views on the relationship between religion, society, and politics. Two chapters in his autobiography, “Interfaith Connections” and “Working with the Monks,” discuss Buddhism’s relationships with other religions and also the changes in Buddhism that he believes are necessary for it to apply to the modern world."Interfaith Connections"
An important aspect of Sulak’s work as an engaged Buddhist is his focus on inter-religious dialogue. Spending some of his early years in Great Britain enabled him to present Buddhism in a way that is congruent with Western Logic. His concern for social change as a religious matter moved him to found the Coordinating Group for Religion and Society (CGRS) in 1976, which included Buddhist men, but also students, women, Catholics, Muslims and Protestants. While many had religious backgrounds, Sulak has stressed the fact that they were all just people who were coming together to discuss social change.Sulak’s commitment to inter-religious dialogue has been important throughout his life. Sulak established a relationship with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and believed that there was much work to be done within society by Buddhists and Catholics together. When discussing the dialogue between Buddhists and Catholics, Sulak states “the idea that one religion is better than the other simply doesn’t exist." This perspective concentrates on the work that needs to be done in society by people of all faiths.
"Working with the Monks"
With the growing concern about communism in Asia in the early 1960s, Sulak received funding in 1962 to promote a reform of Buddhism as an alternative means to social change. He traveled to monasteries where he encouraged the monks’ education in higher institutions of learning so that they would be “concerned about conservation, peace, and society,” because he writes, “our monasteries had to become more modern, and our monks needed to understand the West. We can’t keep Buddhism as it is. It has to change to meet the modern world."In a movement to modernize monasticism, Sulak began a group named sekhiyadhamma in order to increase social awareness among monks. Sulak claims that he relied heavily on the ideas of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu and Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto in forming his own ideas. While Buddhadasa Bhikku advocated a theory of Dhammic socialism, Payutto’s main focus in Buddhism was studying the original teachings of the Buddha and making them more applicable to the modern world.
"Buddhism with a Small 'b'"
In “Buddhism with a Small “b” in Seeds of Peace, Sulak discusses the foundational teachings of the Buddha. He presents mindfulness, tolerance, and interconnectedness in a way that makes them applicable not only to the individual, but to entire communities. “Buddhism with a Small “b” seems to call for a religion that is not institutionalized or concerned with ritual, myth and culture. Sulak feels that these dimensions of religion lead to chauvinism and prejudice, so he believes humans must step away from these and focus on the basic teachings of the Buddha.Sulak advocates a return to the Buddha’s original teachings as a means of social reform. In addition, he believes that the social dimension of Buddhism cannot be ignored because Buddhism is “concerned with the lives and consciousness of all beings." Sivaraksa also explains that many Buddhists understand religion and politics “as two interrelated spheres,” implying that government should adhere to the moral and ethical values that Buddhism, or any religion, has to offer.
“Buddhist Solutions to Global Conflict"
In a chapter on Buddhist solutions to global conflict in Conflict, Culture, Change: Engaged Buddhism in a Globalizing World, Sulak Sivaraksa explains the principle of nonviolence in the teachings of Buddhism. Sulak describes the three forms of violence according to the Buddha’s teachings. “Every action has three doors, or three ways we create karma: through body, speech, and mind." Sulak explains that nonviolence, or ahimsa, does not mean non-action. For example, if a person sees a violent act and does not attempt to prevent it, this can be considered an act of violence because the bystander is not acting with compassion.Sulak applies these ideas to social and political situations as a response to social injustice. He uses the principle of nonviolence as a call for action against social injustice, defining a strategy to bringing about long-term peace to the world: peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace building. Sulak’s application of Buddhist principles show his intention of instilling morals and ethics into corrupt institutions around the world.
Socially-engaged Buddhism
Socially-Engaged Buddhism advocates religion as a means of reform. He states, “Religion is at the heart of social change, and social change is the essence of religion." Sulak advocates environmental protection and environmentally sustainable ways of life through the use of Buddhist principles. Sivaraksa calls for the “value of simplicity,” and connects this with the Buddhist idea of “the freedom from attachment to physical and sensual pleasure.”Sivaraksa chooses to highlight the universal and rational aspects of Buddhism and eschews ritualism and mythology in order to make Buddhism more applicable to contemporary global issues. By presenting Buddhism in this fashion, people of all faiths can relate to, and interpret his work in a universally spiritual light. Though he is both a Buddhist and Thai nationalist, he makes it clear in his work that all religions should be tolerated and respected.
Works
- Buddhist Perception for Desirable Societies in the Future. (Papers prepared for the United Nations UniversityUnited Nations UniversityThe United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
). 1993 - A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society (Collected articles by a concerned Thai intellectual). Thai Watana Panich Co. Ltd., Bangkok 1981, ISBN 9740750958.
- Loyalty Demands Dissent (Autobiography of a Socially Engaged Buddhist). ISBN 1888375108.
- Religion and Development. 1987
- Siam in crisis. (A Collection of Articles by Sulak Sivaraksa). Second edition 1990.
- Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society. Foreword by H.H.The Dalai Lama. Parallax Press/International Network of Engaged Buddhist/ Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation. 1992. 186 Pages. ISBN 0938077783.
- A Socially Engaged Buddhism. Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation, Bangkok 1999, ISBN 974-260-154-2
- Global Healing (Essays and interviews on structural violence, social development and spiritual transformation). Thai Inter-Religious Commission for Development, Bangkok 1999
- Powers That Be: Pridi Banomyong through the rise and fall of Thai democracy. 1999
- Conflict, Culture, Change. Engaged Buddhism in a Globalizing World. 2005, Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0861714989
- The Wisdom of Sustainability: Buddhist Economics for the 21st Century. 2010. ISBN 0982165617
External links
- Sulak-Sivaraksa.org
- Recipient of Right Livelihood Award 1995
- Large Anti-Government Protests in Thailand - video interview with Sivaraksa by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
- Sulak Sivaraksa: Happiness lies 'beyond GDP' 'Hard Talk', BBC World Service, 28 June 2011