Student – I’ve always been curious about the world, but since I left school at an early age, there’s still so much I don’t know. Recently, with the political shifts happening in the West, I began exploring European history and came across the Holocaust. It was such a horrific atrocity, and I couldn’t help but feel that something like this couldn’t happen in a Buddhist country. What are your thoughts on this? How do you think such a terrible tragedy like the Holocaust could occur, and what steps can be taken to prevent similar horrors in the future? Should we all try to develop compassion? Thank you.
Master – Unfortunately, genocides and atrocities have occurred in countries where Buddhism is practiced. While Buddhist teachings never justify violence for self-preservation or personal gain, it’s important to distinguish the core principles of Buddhism from the actions of its followers.
Buddhism offers a perfect path to awakening to reality and liberation from samsara. However, Buddhists, as samsaric beings, remain susceptible to the flaws and ignorance inherent in unenlightened existence.
When asked how such events, like the Holocaust, could occur, the answer lies in ignorance. In Buddhism, ignorance is not a lack of knowledge; it is the mistaken belief that we are fixed, permanent beings. This ignorance is essentially a lack of understanding of interdependence.
Interdependence refers to the concept that nothing exists inherently and permanently on its own. For example, a piece of paper did not always exist as paper and will not remain so forever.
It is a result of wood, water, and machinery joining together. The wood itself comes from a tree that grew from a seed interacting with moisture, warmth, and nutrition. If any of these components are missing, the paper would not exist. Eventually, as the forces binding these components weaken, the paper disintegrates.
This reality isn’t limited to a mere piece of paper; it spans all phenomena, including the human body and character. Failing to recognize this truth can give rise to violence. When we see someone as a fixed, independent entity, we attribute permanent traits to them. This becomes especially problematic in conflict, where anger can lead us to view our opponent as entirely bad, devoid of any redeeming qualities.
It’s like wearing dark glasses, making us see that person in only one colour — black. Even when others highlight their good deeds, we refuse to acknowledge them, fixating on seeing them as bad. This narrow mindset fuels anger and rage, justifying violence.
From the perspective of interdependence, the belief that negative attributes are inherent and permanent is a fallacy. Just as paper is formed through the combination of numerous factors, these attributes also develop from various components like experiences, education, and role models. They are not intrinsic to the individual, nor are they unchanging.
Consider an infamous person in history. We might view them as inherently bad, but if that were true, they would have always been aggressive and harmful, starting from the very moment they were born. However, this is not the case. Even those who have committed the most heinous acts express moments of kindness and enjoy times of peace.
This demonstrates that negative actions do not indicate a permanent dark streak; instead, a person is a mixture of constantly shifting qualities. Understanding this, even at an intellectual level, can help dismantle the anger and rage that justify destructive actions. Ignorance is replaced with sanity, and we begin to approach situations with greater calm and rationale.
Recognizing that no individual has a permanent, fixed trait makes it clear that an entire race or group of people cannot be defined by a single, unchanging characteristic.
Yet, this was exactly how Adolf Hitler saw the Jews. He viewed them as one singular mass of inherent evil, a belief that justified, in his mind, their extermination, which later became known as the Holocaust. Pol Pot in Cambodia had a similar view towards intellectuals, and the Hutus in Rwanda used the same false reasoning to justify the slaughter of the Tutsis.
To repeat, genocides and mass killings are based on ignorance. Groups of people are considered inherently bad based on their race, skin color, or religious beliefs, and this mistaken view ignites the rage and anger that enables genocides and mass violence to occur.
The same applies to social and family conflicts. When we fight with a neighbour or sibling, we lose a sense of reality, seeing them as totally bad and losing all perspective on the situation. We compound this ignorance by believing that our view represents an ultimate point of view.
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche described such rigid, dualistic ways of thinking that categorize experiences as either entirely good or entirely bad, without recognizing the middle way or the complexity of reality, as extreme views.
Rinpoche further emphasized the importance of transcending these extreme views to achieve a more balanced and open perspective. By doing so, he explained, practitioners can move beyond the limitations of black-and-white thinking and embrace the full spectrum of human experience.
Practically, how do we confront these views and change our attitude? When we notice that we are expressing strong opinions about a person or group of people, we remind ourselves that no being is inherently and purely bad.
In such situations, it is helpful to recall instances when they expressed kindness and generosity. This will dismantle our fixed belief that they are inherently bad. As a result, we can address their actions directly, avoiding entanglement in our version of their personality. This is genuine compassion.
It is also helpful to remind ourselves that our opinions are just that — our opinions, which are based on our exposure and experiences, and are not ultimate facts.
To conclude, genocides have occurred in countries where Buddhism is the primary religion. However, the teachings of the Dharma not only denounce violence in theory but also offer profound insights into the nature of phenomena, effectively severing the extreme views that give rise to violence at their roots.
For the Dharma to effectively counter extreme views, however, people need to listen to the teachings and practice them as prescribed by an authentic teacher. Otherwise, it is nothing more than medicine prescribed by a doctor but left unopened on a shelf. This is how genocides occurred in Buddhist countries — the leaders either rejected the teachings or treated them as mere cultural ornaments.
Losar Tashi delek! May the Year of the Horse nurture wisdom and compassion in us all, guiding us to become steady and stabilizing forces in these uncertain and challenging times. We hold in our hearts prayers for the peace, safety, and prosperity of our nation.
