Decline Of Buddhism In Singapore
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i stand with AEN/sanath reasoning, yet i'm also moving away from supporting the goverment as a whole be it PAP or the oppositions, not because it cause the declining of Buddhism, but because of making S'pore too competitive and if u want a better ecomomy/GDP, u will lose out on GNH (gross national happiness). part of the reason why there's declining in birth rate, as ppl too stress out. if any oppositions are able to support and bring up the GNH (gross national happiness), i'm very happy to vote for them.
as to the truth of why the decline, hmm, i'm thinking last time people are more ignorance of religion, esp in Buddhism. when i young and ignorance of the true meaning of buddhism, i filled up the forms, stating that we are "Buddhists", as our parent or grandparent pray to Guan yin. so last time more people filled up as Buddhists. those who pray to Da puo gong or Guan gong etc, may also filled up as Daoist/Buddhists as Guan Yin is also involve. nowaday due to globalisation and more educated people, i do see more Buddhists are better educated with the knowledge of TRUE Buddhism. but sometimes the knowledge of cause and effect or reincarnation does deter people away from Buddhism. so i prefer the increase in such number than the number of those that are folk-believe-pray-pray buddhists. i don't mind the decline in folk-believe-pray-pray buddhists. better still.
due to internet/globalisation, the western world, nowaday also seeking eastern religion, like Steve Jobs. and easterners go and seek western religion. when easterns start to see that the moon is not always rounder in other places, they will still come back to Buddhism. i hope. :)
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Just look at the catholic schools in Spore. I am sure quite a number of them students are influence by christianity 'cause of the school environment. And when they leave school, guess wat religion would they likely to take up? Asian religions or Western? Buddhism or Christianity?
The more we are expose to Western culture, values, religions, the more likely we will take up the Western values and religions. So as we are getting more and more westernize, we tend to move away from Asian values and religions Its just simple as that.
How to reverse the trend, the decline of Buddhism here in Spore, the answer is right in front of us. One of the most important step is to reverse the trend of overly Westernization. If we day in day out, speak english, read english books, what are the chances we pick up Lao Tzi or Buddha? Chances are high we will pick up Plato, Christianity, etc instead of Lao Tzi or Buddhism. I dun noe why u guys cant see this... *slap forehead...*
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Originally posted by Zenist69:
Just look at the catholic schools in Spore. I am sure quite a number of them students are influence by christianity 'cause of the school environment. And when they leave school, guess wat religion would they likely to take up? Asian religions or Western? Buddhism or Christianity?
The more we are expose to Western culture, values, religions, the more likely we will take up the Western values and religions. So as we are getting more and more westernize, we tend to move away from Asian values and religions Its just simple as that.
How to reverse the trend, the decline of Buddhism here in Spore, the answer is right in front of us. One of the most important step is to reverse the trend of overly Westernization. If we day in day out, speak english, read english books, what are the chances we pick up Lao Tzi or Buddha? Chances are high we will pick up Plato, Christianity, etc instead of Lao Tzi or Buddhism. I dun noe why u guys cant see this... *slap forehead...*
Let me give u an example. Instead of religion, lets shift gear think about literature.
If we day in day out speak english, write english, when we think, we think in english, now wat are the chances we pick up chinese literature versus english literature??
So tat apply in religion too. If we are with westerners mindset, of course we will move towards western values and religions, and move away from asian values and religions. Thats why the decline of Buddhism here in our country Singapore.
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They say that all good intentions pave the way to hell, still, there are others like Ksitigarbhga who will volunteer to enter hell so long as that place is not emptied. There is no proper dharma taught in the hell realms, and in that place only suffering due to evil karmic deeds by their do-ers are found.
I find myself relatively blessed, living in Singapore, where AT LEAST, I do not need to enter megachurches if I do not wish to, and whenever I get the free time from work, I can visit my neighbourhood monastery kmspks and spend a day in peace. I do not tell people at office that I am Buddhist, because in Singapore being Buddhist does not qualify you for tax rebates anyway.
Just last week I went to a job interview, and the interviewer asked if I have a religion. Without breaking the precepts intentionally, I blurted out a reply which my ex-boss taught me, I am into Confusionism. I never understood if my ex-boss meant Confucianism or Confusionism, but chiampedak and jackfruit are also just labels for something sweet and yummy, and my new boss could be a Christian for all I know. I was shown the door by 2 chrisitan software houses before, and I know better these days.
I do not know where the Buddhists here come from, because within my family itself we have conflicts between :
1. I am a Zen Buddhist
2. My grandmother is a incense paper burning but guanyinma worshipping devotee, more pious than me in expression
3. My aunt who introduced me to the religion, is a buddhist on days when required
4. My uncle believes in karma, ghosts, hells, but he is only a buddhist when he bumps into ghosts when he works graveyeard shifts as a lift technician
5. The children at home are buddhists because going to the temple can bring them good karma (come home can play maple story)
6. My parents was very much into Tzuchi yesteryear, and they watched every DVD that I bought for them, but when my father drinks, he forgets everything and starts cursing and swearing and breaking all other 4 precepts that he upholds.
7. The only person who practises vegetarianism in the family is a distant uncle who believes that Gautama let him down, and he subscribes to the unorthodox IGuanDao. Yet, he has been vegan for almost 10+ years, when nobody else in the family succeeded.Still, on Vesak, we all go to the temple together. This year I will do my 3-steps-1-bow because last year I missed it since I was unwell.
Like the Lotus Dharma Sutra mentioned.. there are times when Boddhisattvas just well forth from the earth. And Singaporean Buddhists do that on Vesak every year. For the other 360+ days we are just mee pok sellers, garage repairmen, and forum moderators who look like innocent day to day stray cats.
It's a skill I tell u, being a true-to-yourself Buddhist in Singapore, and not one for government statistics.
After I post this article, you may critique me... and humbly I still get along with my life.
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If I get my way, my favourite Buddha's disciple are Rahula and Ananda. One practises without nobody knowing what he is doing, the other understands, but does not attain for the purpose of shying away from publicity.
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Originally posted by Zenist69:
直�直说，just say it lah. What is the motive of saying there is a decline of Buddhism in Spore?
"I can't tell" meaning I do not know, unable to tell the reason. Sorry, should put it straight as I do not know. I guess some of the reasons but no proof so better don't anyhow comment.
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fyi Sun Yat Sen although he study in the west, wrote in his book that he only feel that western machinary and technolgy is stronger, other than that, the rest, we are still stronger.
think the previous posts also indicated the decline in Christianity, right? then more are becoming freethinkers and or religion of science. yea, also 'western' ideas or Globalization ideas. see middle east also booming. slowly north korean will slowly open up, with the newer generations. it's Globalization.
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Dun think globalization is the main reason. There's an increase in percentage in Christianity, and there's a sharp decrease in Buddhism here in Singapore.
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i miswrote, i never say globalization is the main reason for the decline. but it's going to be mix of west meet east and east meet west.
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Globalization is inevitable, "Buddhism" declining in East, but growing in the West, Buddhist teachers from the East , many are not groomed or inculcated with such western values facing a new culture and mindset have adapted the teachings to suit the lay masses, whereas religion as practiced in east have remained stagnant, owing to applying different philosophies applied to different compartmentalised aspects of daily living. Religion seems to most in the urbanising societies in western style of economy, seems more like buying "insurance", just to be on the safe side. For the East inflow of technologies, cultures also bring along beliefs too. In our current economic atmosphere, greed is good, self interest is of primary importance, the difference is how we label greed. Everything is that can tangibly measured has a value relative to self, can traded and accumulated is deemed more important above everything else. Everybody wants more and some having more and more whereelse most are having less and less. There are lots of sublimal unhappiness around than before. The 3 Ks said it all; Kiasu, Kiasee, Kiabo. The best solution I feel is Bhutan's policy of "Gross National Happiness", it put things into proper perspective, placing paramount importance the person of a human as against current important on material gains. However, I do not believe that the majority of the politcal leaders around are capable of doing it, they are simply not inculcated and educated to see the world this way. Also, like it or not, existing governments exist by public acquiscience, democratic or otherwise. There are probably more effective venues to explore this as there will always be pro, neutral and anti government Buddhist.Unless as policies are discriminatory against Singopore Buddhists, there is very little reason for political agendas to be posted here. However, as long as people are not poisoned by hate and anger, sometimes a different constructive perspective is helpful. How would you define a Buddhist identity, a tribal label, devotee, layman practitioner, or a person who have renonced the worldly ties, to speak the least. Why we be very strict and only label enlightenen people as Buddhist, or maybe easing abit, non returners with this label. So which one do you want to play, the quality of the Buddhist or the numbers' game. If that's the case, we can certainly add all the so called "buddhist" cults. Should we allowing the labelling of being Buddhist be a politically adversarial and divisive? Everytime someone mentions the Dharma Ending Age, I get that there is a feeling morbidity, a kind of doomsday kind of feeling. No, the world is not going to end, just that it would be harder and harder for the future generations to practise true Buddhism. The real urgency is that the more times you are going to be reborn in the future, the harder it is for the Buddha seed to germinate and ripen. But that is in the future, you are here now, practise now. The world view of an average Buddhist has changed, owing to rapid changes, thus relevancy of current religious practice too changes. Buddhism primarily, is about renunciation, non clinging above everything else. That Buddhism is an antidote to the all the madness, is the teachers to understand the madness, and touching a chord with the everyday man and woman.
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Originally posted by Weychin:
Globalization is inevitable, “Buddhism” declining in East, but growing in the
West, Buddhist teachers from the East , many are not groomed or inculcated
with such western values facing a new culture and mindset have adapted the
teachings to suit the lay masses, whereas religion as practiced in east have
remained stagnant, owing to applying different philosophies applied to different
compartmentalised aspects of daily living. Religion seems to most in the
urbanising societies in western style of economy, seems more like buying
“insurance”, just to be on the safe side. For the East inflow of technologies, cultures also bring along beliefs too.In our current economic atmosphere, greed is good, self interest is of primary
importance, the difference is how we label greed. Everything is that can
tangibly measured has a value relative to self, can traded and accumulated
is deemed more important above everything else. Everybody wants more
and some having more and more whereelse most are having less and less.
There are lots of sublimal unhappiness around than before. The 3 Ks said it all;
Kiasu, Kiasee, Kiabo.The best solution I feel is Bhutan’s policy of “Gross National Happiness”,
it put things into proper perspective, placing paramount importance the
person of a human as against current important on material gains.
However, I do not believe that the majority of the politcal leaders
around are capable of doing it, they are simply not inculcated and educated
to see the world this way.Also, like it or not, existing governments exist by public acquiscience,
democratic or otherwise. There are probably more effective venues to explore
this as there will always be pro, neutral and anti government Buddhist.Unless
as policies are discriminatory against Singopore Buddhists, there is very
little reason for political agendas to be posted here. However, as long as
people are not poisoned by hate and anger, sometimes a different constructive
perspective is helpful.How would you define a Buddhist identity, a tribal label, devotee, layman practitioner, or a person who have renonced the worldly ties, to speak the least. Why we be very strict and only label enlightenen people as Buddhist, or maybe easing abit, non returners with this label. So which one do you want to play, the quality of the Buddhist or the numbers’ game. If that’s the case, we can certainly add all the so called “buddhist” cults. Should we allowing the labelling of being Buddhist be a politically adversarial and divisive?
Everytime someone mentions the Dharma Ending Age, I get that there is a feeling morbidity, a kind of doomsday kind of feeling. No, the world is not going to end, just that it would be harder and harder for the future generations to practise true Buddhism. The real urgency is that the more times you are going to be reborn in the future, the harder it is for the Buddha seed to germinate and ripen. But that is in the future, you are here now, practise now.
The world view of an average Buddhist has changed, owing to rapid changes, thus relevancy of current religious practice too changes.
Buddhism primarily, is about renunciation, non clinging above everything else. That Buddhism is an antidote to the all the madness, is the teachers to understand the madness, and touching a chord with the everyday man and woman.
“Buddhism” is declining in the East, but growing in the West"Christianity is declining in the West but growing in the East. I think the trends got to do with human nature.
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http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=22,9835,0,0,1,0
Home Letters
Decline of Buddhism in Singapore: Learn from the Christian evangelists
by Alvin Wong, Sinagpore, The Buddhist Channel, Jan 18, 2011
A recent drop of Buddhists in Singapore were not due to the presence of Pentacostal and Evangelical churches, but reflect on our fellow Buddhists of not doing enough to understand the needs especially the lay Buddhists.
Buddhist leaders shall look into the possibility to study and learn from the Christians evangelization. There are nothing wrong for Buddhists trying to increase the followers in the active way.
Just like some Christians learning Buddhist meditation to enhance their spiritual path. Buddhist leaders and organisations shall make plans and brainstorm as a community efforts.
If all Buddhist temples, organisations encourage each of their followers to bring two or more followers each time they attended the Buddhist meditations, chanting, Dharma talks or retreats, the communit will growth exponentially. And each of the newcomers will be nurtured and taken care of by senior members and assist in the spiritual path. -
Shun qi zhi ran and sui yan are oft quoted by Buddhist, so how do we actively promote Buddhism without being pushy ? How do we create an appeal that the masses will relate?
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ha, no matter how i promote Buddhism to my parent, they also don't wish to learn. no affinity and conditions bah. or next time i become real bodhisattva, then i'll know how to help them.
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Originally posted by sinweiy:
but it's going to be mix of west meet east and east meet west.
mix here, mix there, end up with cultureless freak like Harry Lee Kuan Yew.
For instance, Dick Lee (an internationally acclaimed Singaporean pop star),
in a newspaper interview in 1993, said he had suffered an identity crisis
for all of his life. "My [Nyonya] grandmother was very British. She drank
tea at four and read Jane Austen. I thought I was a character in an Enid
Blyton novel."
He only realised he was not English when he visited England at age 14.
In my description of the social and cultural history of the Babas, I have
refused to apply a modern, culturally-based definition of the Babas.
While the public focus until the electoral victory of the PAP was clearly
on Baba politics, there began -- after a decade of silence and the
Peranakan Association's intermittent attempts to restore some political
weight -- a public emphasis on Baba culture.
Ironically, this switch of emphasis occurred at a time when aspects of Baba
cultures not only began to disappear or be diluted, but they were also
commercialised and used to promote tourism.
The new cultural definition, which necessitated a deviation from the
equation of "Baba" with "Straits Chinese", is thus, in historical terms,
rather recent.
This assessment is not contradicted by the justifiable assumption that the
synonymous usage of the terms Straits Chinese, Peranakan and Baba in
written records was trailing behind the rapidly changing social reality of
Singapore and was becoming increasingly ambiguous.
In my interpretation, the Babas' newly-published distinctions between
"Straits Chinese" and "Babas" along cultural lines have to be taken
seriously when accounting for the time of their appearance and the more
recent past, but not further back (namely, the period preceding the
Japanese Occupation).According to the new cultural definition, a Baba should also be a Hokkien.
According to some purist Hokkien Babas, who regard themselves as true-blue
Baba jati, non-Hokkien Babas are only Baba chelup.
The expression suggests that the Baba chelup are only superficially dipped
in the paint of Babaness and are at best "nominal" Babas. Apart from the
conceptual history until the late '50s which contradicts such a narrow
conception of a Baba, we have a few examples of prominent non-Hokkien
Babas.
First and foremost, there is Hakka Baba Lee Kuan Yew (who regards himself
as a Baba only technically). Others are the Melaka dondang sayang singer
and serunee player Yeo Kim Swee, who is a Hainanese Baba, and Ambassador to
Germany Walter Woon, who is a Cantonese Baba...http://www.asiawind.com/pub/forum/fhakka/mhonarc/msg01319.html
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i dun think just pure evagelising and incepting people into the path is good enough. For dharma, if you bring someone into dharma, you have the added responsibility of introducing him to proper dharma and guiding his development. It is not so simple. Dun think that it is just enough to bring a person to temple, take refuge, do some chanting and so on... this person if he/she doesn't learn proper dharma, the consequences could be worse, he/she could develop wrong ideas, pick up wrong habits, and slander or harm the dharma later and lead more people away from it. It is important to do it holistically. If you want to guide others to dharma, first, you yourself got to be sufficiently versed and well-practised in it. If not, how to guide?
The Buddhadharma is not a shallow subject and owing to the different roots of different people, it takes years for them to go deep into the teachings... and there needs to be the structure for their education and support for their progress as well as people around them who are genuinely pursuing the path. Therefore all the past masters have put in great effort in setting up the support system. It is not so simple. And propagating dharma should not just emphasize quantity.
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Originally posted by Weychin:
Shun qi zhi ran and sui yan are oft quoted by Buddhist, so how do we actively promote Buddhism without being pushy ? How do we create an appeal that the masses will relate?
I think firstly, we got to dispel the myths. The myths due to mixing of folklore deity worship, supernatural occult and real Buddhism.Secondly, we got to remove the mental barrier that Buddhism is fully practised only by monastics. Layperson, due to lack of time, need a relevant way to practise the dharma, that shows impact in their lives too. We need to increase the relevance of dharma in the present society in different aspects of living and dying.
On the practical level, we need to have more teachers who are well practised and learned in the dharma who are willing to come out and speak on a wider platform. The propagation of dharma entirely hinges on this. There is no limit to what just one very good teacher can do.
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buddhism has aryan roots basically a western religion older than christianity so why the east west divide
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Buddhism founded by a Nepali prince, and propagated in India.
The influence is mainly Indian, and the only thing thats Aryan would be the DNA in the prince and some of the Indian scholars.
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mix here, mix there, end up with cultureless freak like Harry .
i'll just link this to Buddhism, since this is after all a Buddhism forum.
in Singapore there was once a Ven Hong Yi, who had reached the level of the realm of non-obstruction between principle and phenomena �事無礙法界. last time he use to be an angry person, but after learning Buddhism, he's become more calm as he gets more experience with his cultivation.
one day, while eating, the cook ask about the food, is too salty or too sweet or if it's tasteless etc. Ven Hong Yi said, it doesn't matter, as salty is a form of taste, sweet is a form of taste, tasteless is also a form of taste.
so cultureless is also a form of culture (as time goes by) - zen talk :)
å�æ›°:"å�¾å��有五而志于å¦,三å��而立,å››å��而ä¸�惑,五å��而知天命,å…å��而耳顺,七å��而从心所欲ä¸�逾矩。"
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=22,9835,0,0,1,0
Home > LettersDecline of Buddhism in Singapore: Learn from the Christian evangelists
by Alvin Wong, Sinagpore, The Buddhist Channel, Jan 18, 2011
A recent drop of Buddhists in Singapore were not due to the presence of Pentacostal and Evangelical churches, but reflect on our fellow Buddhists of not doing enough to understand the needs especially the lay Buddhists.
Buddhist leaders shall look into the possibility to study and learn from the Christians evangelization. There are nothing wrong for Buddhists trying to increase the followers in the active way.
Just like some Christians learning Buddhist meditation to enhance their spiritual path. Buddhist leaders and organisations shall make plans and brainstorm as a community efforts.
If all Buddhist temples, organisations encourage each of their followers to bring two or more followers each time they attended the Buddhist meditations, chanting, Dharma talks or retreats, the communit will growth exponentially. And each of the newcomers will be nurtured and taken care of by senior members and assist in the spiritual path.We shouldn't learn from Christian evangelists, they are putting many people off. We should have our own way of spreading the dharma. It is better not to be as pushy as them.
However, I agree that Buddhist temples should have a special group of people or conduct special course to look after and guide the newcomers. We have to be cautious that we do it in a way to guide them and not to just welcome them when they are new and neglect them when they are mature Buddhists.
I wonder can we change our way of praying. Personally I find kneeling down for hours is too tiring. Many youngsters will be turn off. May be we should make chanting in a more comfortable manner like sitting down. Sometimes I don't care, I will just sit down while others are kneeling down.
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there is a very simple reason why Buddhism is declining on a very general level, Buddhists are lack of identity. I see many forummers here "pushing" the blame to "popular folkslore practises" or even Taoist deities mixing up with Buddhism, there is no doubt but here comes back to the question which I once raised.
If taoism and Buddhism deities are mixed causes decline and misunderstandings about Buddhism, how about those who promote the three religions teachings like Ven Jing Kong? It's exactly the same, just making Buddhists mixed up and loosing the Buddhist identity.
If you think that taoist worship n deities should be seperated from Buddhism, similarly, taoist teachings should also be seperated and not brought into Buddhism.
Why are you a Buddhist? Becos of the Truth the Buddha taught or because you are a chinese? or because you feel comfortable with Buddhism? or simply you don't why too ?
Make Buddhism simple and pure, go directly into the Buddha's teachings and not through taoism, confucionism or whatever "ism". Just Buddhism ! -
My own experience in dealing with some people is that they confuse Buddhism with reifying a certain deity and praying to it. They bring the fundamental assumptions of other folk beliefs into Buddhism. So Buddha becomes like another kind of God/Deity to pray to. This is not what is propounded in Diamond Sutra where it is taught that all (clinging to) forms are delusion. When this is not corrected, even in Tibetan Buddhism or Thai Buddhism, the problem is that people are still looking for an external savior of their problems outside from a higher source of power, rather than facing their own neurosis and looking at their own mind to address the causes. This leads to increased spiritual pollution and greed.
To my thinking, mixing of taoist deities, or any kind of gods with Buddhism is not a problem. Because in the sutras, in the Dharma assemblies, many different gods/deities are mentioned as well. Some of them practise the dharma too. Certainly, from a relative point of view, they exist just as we think we exist. Buddha also mentioned the many levels of heavens in the three realms.
So if you totally deny the taoist and other religious deities, people (esp those who came from folk belief backgrounds) may also get confused or are put in doubt. I feel that it is permissible to utilise skilful means to lead others who began with other religions into dharma without losing the essence of dharma. Basically, the essence of Buddhism has the ability to fuse with any religion. In the initial entry of Buddhism to any country,considerations has to be made in how Buddhism can be transmitted via the already current forms, rather than trying to destroy / remove it completely, we can merely elevate the present forms to reflect the higher truth of ultimate liberation. Trying to ignore it completely is like not taking into the account the culture that people have been brought up in from young.
Actually to say this is easy. But it usually takes an extremely skilful and charismatic and not to say the least, highly realised individual who can do this accurately or else more will be lost of the dharma than achieved of its propagation.
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wisdomeye, since that is the case, our moderators here should stop pushing the blame to mixing up of taoist deities and Buddhism.
Buddhism recongizes the existence of difft levels of devas but to mix them into buddhism is another issue.
If there issnt a problem to you, then should Buddhist temples start to bring in Jesus, mary, laotzu, tua pek gong, hindu deities, Mohd all and put beside the Buddha ?
This is exactly the case of some "Buddhists" who promote Taoism and Confuciuanism along with Buddhism in the name of Buddhism. -
Originally posted by WeeShun:
wisdomeye, since that is the case, our moderators here should stop pushing the blame to mixing up of taoist deities and Buddhism.
Buddhism recongizes the existence of difft levels of devas but to mix them into buddhism is another issue.
If there issnt a problem to you, then should Buddhist temples start to bring in Jesus, mary, laotzu, tua pek gong, hindu deities, Mohd all and put beside the Buddha ?
This is exactly the case of some "Buddhists" who promote Taoism and Confuciuanism along with Buddhism in the name of Buddhism.the problem with the mixture is with mixture of the fundamental axioms or viewpoints, which basically contradict each other. Or should i say, that Buddhist viewpoints are not being understood or adopted at all in the first place.
statues are not the point.
and i am not advocating promoting other religions alongside Buddhism. Only that their forms can be utilised instead of forcing people to break clean with what they are used to for a long time.