Global Policy Forum

By Sanitsuda Ekachai

With the Pak Moon villagers back on Bangkok's streets this week to continue their struggle to protect their river, one thing they cannot expect from Bangkok's residents is sympathy. The rural folk's rally is a big nuisance for Bangkok's motorists by deepening the traffic jam blues. For policymakers, the rally is ignominy, for it tells the world the government's pro-poor platform is a total failure.

Interestingly, the Pak Moon folk cannot expect any sympathy from the clergy either, even though compassion lies at the heart of Buddhism. Thailand prides itself on being a Buddhist country which exercises tolerance and hospitality. So why does the struggle of poor people to preserve a simple way of life based on Buddhist teachings continually face antagonism from middle-class Bangkokians and a cold shoulder from a clergy supposed to embody kindness?

Instead of sympathy, rural folk suffer mostly disdain. They are portrayed as anti-development, greedy trouble-makers _ even cheats _ by the state media machine which shapes public opinion.

Ironically, this city scepticism occurs when Bangkok is experiencing a rebirth of religious interest. After the 1997 economic crisis, many people who before never paid any attention to Buddhism beyond the usual rites and rituals think it is chic to meditate ``to be in touch with themselves''. Many high-ranking officials and top politicians have joined meditation retreats and can talk fluently about the Buddha's teachings.

Yet this religious movement has failed to soften the city people's harsh attitude towards the rural poor. Why is that?

Is it because the educated Bangkokians who worship science view meditation as mere mental practice to ease daily stress and strain? If that is the case, it might explain why they have failed to understand that Buddhism is not only about inner peace, but about compassion as well. And non-exploitation.

The Buddha teaches that the inner peace that arises from meditation isn't a goal in itself. It's a means to explore the illusion of self and a tool to undo the sources of conflict which stem from our identification with a certain race, faith, ethnicity, country, clique, gender, opinion or even ideal.

He also teaches that the idea of self stems from the super-fast interplay between the sensory world and our mental reception, which is influenced by value-laden thoughts and emotions. This mental process continuously produces reactions shaped by likes and dislikes, which in turn perpetuate an endless stream of thoughts and reactions that _ given their lightning speed _ create the illusion of continuity of one's self.

Once we experience this truth through insight meditation, we realise that we're one and the same, similarly subjected to the same wheel of illusion and suffering. Hence the rise of compassion and the understanding that everyone and everything is interconnected.

We're advised not to hurt or exploit others _ and nature _ because this only ends up hurting ourselves. We're advised not to hurt ourselves because this only ends up hurting others, causing aggravation and escalating the cycle of violence. Hence the principle of non-exploitation. And counsel on forgiveness.

We don't have to go that deep to understand the links between the city's affluence and rural poverty. The story of Thailand's economic growth is one of ruthless exploitation of rural people's resources to feed the urban rich. The Pak Moon tragedy is just one example.

But many of us don't want to see the connections. Maybe it's guilt. Maybe the cults of consumerism, materialism and individualism are more powerful than the Buddhist teachings on compassion and non-exploitation. Whatever the causes, the mushrooming of urban spirituality seems to be unable to bridge the mistrust between rich and poor. And the gap is widening and the poor's patience is wearing thin.

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