teachings on peace and harmony of the 14th dalai lama and selected peace advocates

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines i THE TEACHINGS ON PEACE AND HARMONY OF THE 14 TH DALAI LAMA AND SELECTED PEACE ADVOCATES A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Batangas State University Batangas City In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in English Language and Literature by TRAN THI NHI 2014 THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines ii ABSTRACT Title: Teachings on peace and harmony of the 14 th Dalai Lama and selected peace advocates Author: Tran Thi Nhi Course: Doctor of Philosophy in English language and literature. Year: 2014 Advisor: Dr. Maria Luisa A. Valdez Summary This study analyzed the selected works by the 14 th Dalai Lama, a modern day leading figure of peace, and some other authors namely Mawlana Rumi, Rabindranath Tagore, Pope John Paul II and Daisaku Ikeda to explore how peace and harmony is conceptualized by these peace advocates. Likewise, the study aimed to reveal the universal concepts of peace and harmony shared by the peace advocates as the representatives of different cultures and religions. The research also discussed and how their common teachings on peace and harmony have been transferred into a global peace movement. Although these peace movement leaders represent different religions and come from different cultures, they share much in common in THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines iii espousing their view on peace as a way of life. In this study the author attempts to weave a mosaic of universal and permanent moral values and principles, rooted in the teachings of these advocates for peace. This mosaic promotes a spirit of respecting cultural pluralism, cultivate human good qualities and appraise responsibility must be integrated in education so that the young generation’s peace spirit is fostered, energized and enlivened through literature and culture. She proposes the adoption of this new paradigm for living in the modern world. THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This has been a wonderful life changing experience for which I am so very grateful. It would not have been possible without the kindness and generosity of several people. I wish to acknowledge my special debt and my deepest gratitude to Dr. Maria Luisa A. Valdez, my supervisor, whose generous help and constant encouragement have been valuable. Her intellectual curiosity, dedication, openness and humility have showed me a model of scholarly endeavour that will follow me for my whole life. My study of peace and harmony began under her inspiring direction. I would also like to sincerely thank the faculty at the Graduate School, Batangas State University for their invaluable guidance and support throughout my studies. My thanks should go to my colleagues and at Thai Nguyen School of Foreign Languages, Vietnam for their encouragement and support. For setting an example to aspire to, as well as for his friendship, I thank Dr. Melvyn Sakaguchi. Finally, my special thanks should be expressed to my family and friends for their unconditional love, support and their trust in my ability to complete this. THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines v TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE i TABLE OF CONTENTS ii THE PROBLEM 1 Introduction 1 Statement of the Problem 7 Scope, Delimitation and Limitations of the Study 8 Significance of the Study 10 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 14 Conceptual Literature 14 Synthesis of Literature Review 57 Definition of Terms 67 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 71 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 78 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 169 THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines 1 Chapter I THE PROBLEM Introduction There exist myriad problems in the current world which threaten the existence of humanity. Violence is accelerating everywhere. Ceaseless wars and conflicts are taking place in several regions, killing thousands of people and causing suffering for millions of human beings. Furthermore, more and more modern weapons with massive destruction capacity are being produced, threatening the whole mankind in every minute. Meanwhile, the world is also faced with terrorism, environmental pollution, racial religious conflicts, political disputes, social and economic inequality, the large gap between the rich and the poor, diseases and poverty. Making the situation worse, these problems happen in every continent without exception, and tend to happen to not only one nation or a few nations but also bigger groups of nations. For example, the United States and Western countries have recently experienced terrorist attacks, civil unrest and violent massacres; the political disputes between Russia and other European countries around the issues related to Ukraina has resulted in the THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines 2 embargo and trade and business sanctions which creates hardships for of millions of citizens in the European continent; the rise of terrorist country self-called Isis has created turmoil and terrible violence in Middle East and North Africa; constant conflicts in the China Sea are threatening the stability and the maintenance of peace in the South East Asia. All of these catastrophic events beg the question of how to save humanity. As stated in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) constitution, the statement that “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed” is an appeal for a psychology of peace, a movement which seeks to find a the solution to conflicts without violence but via mutual and harmonious relationships. Accordingly, peace education is a principal means to maintain and promote peace. To establish and foster a culture of peace is a necessity for any nation, including Vietnam - a country vulnerable to peace. Aligning with UNESCO constitution, the country has been a long time advocate for peace, maintaining and promoting education for THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines 3 peace via its education policies implemented in both informal teaching and formal education. Peace education as a social movement can be traced back from religious traditions. For centuries, peace and peaceful resolution of conflict was primarily discussed in the teachings of religious leaders such as Lao Tse, Jesus Christ, the Buddha, the Dalai Lama, and Bahau llah, who taught that people were supposed to promote peace in their lives and in the world as a whole. The contribution that religious figures can make to peacemaking has been increasingly studied and recognized. Peace education has evolved from radical values in religious traditions of love, compassion, tolerance and charity to modern theories revolving interpersonal relations and environmental issues (Harris, 2002). Buddhism, the religion which was introduced to Vietnam about two thousand years ago, despite ups and downs, has tremendously influenced all facets of Vietnamese culture, especially the spiritual life and the system of moral values. Historically, most Vietnamese have dentified themselves with Buddhism. Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam as being a peaceful way, aimed at seeking justice, compassion, freedom for humans from sufferings. These beliefs are close to the long standing cultural values of the Vietnamese and THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines 4 suitable with Vietnamese people, who advocate peace and always desire happiness and freedom for their nation. Therefore, the religion was easily accepted and quickly spread by the Vietnamese. Throughout the country, there exist thousands of Buddhist pagodas in the cities and the countryside, playing an important part in the spiritual life and making an identified culture of the Vietnamese people. These pagodas function not only as the place for communal activities but also a place for ideological teachings to be conveyed. Buddhism has been considered as the national religion of Vietnam. During the Ly dynasty in the eleventh and twelfth century, Buddhism was so popular and vibrant that half of the Vietnamese population at that time followed it. In the 20th century, the country experienced a series of harsh historical events, affecting the development of the religion. However, with recent changes in economics and social developments, the picture of religious life within Vietnamese people has become more vivid. If in the past, only old women went to the temples and practiced Buddhist rituals, nowadays, there seems to be an increasing interest in practicing the religion in both men and women, and in both old people and young ones. This trend likely creates a a favorable environment to promote peace education for the whole nation in general and for its young THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines 5 generation in particular. It is undeniable that Buddhism has deep roots in Vietnamese culture, since its principal beliefs and values can be found in various facets of Vietnamese culture, from folklore, arts and literature to many aspects of everyday life. The religion has been imbedded in the common life of the Vietnamese communities. The core value in the philosophy of Buddhism largely recognized by the Eastern Buddhist countries and recently by Western countries is its interpretation of peace and harmony, its nature and the way to attain it. For centuries, Buddhist countries have practiced the doctrine and followed the teachings of Buddha. However, in the modern era where rapid development in information technology is at hand, it is very timely to contemplate if the Buddhist philosophy on peace and harmony is still appropriate for the hectic and busy and frenetic life style experienced by people in the present day. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, has been the primary proselytizer and advocate of the philosophy of peace and harmony from the perspective of Buddhism in recent times. Notably, he has been successful in making relevant the thousand-year wisdom of Buddhism to the specific and practical teachings for the modern life of the new millennium. [...]... of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines Statement of the Problem This study is an analysis of the teachings on peace and harmony of the 14th Dalai Lama and selected other notable peace advocates and to integrate their viewpoints into a global peace education perspective Specifically, the study seeks answers to the following questions: 1 What are the teachings on peace and harmony. .. of the conceptual literature yields four types of constructs, which may be used in the analysis and interpretation of the novels to be dissected These constructs include the 14th Dalai Lama and his significant works; the other selected peace advocates and their significant works; peace education and culture of peace; and philosophical and sociological approaches in literary criticism The 14th Dalai Lama. .. modern times Because of the importance of this peace movement, the researcher has decided to focus on studying the works of the Dalai Lama and a few other selected advocates of the peace movement to have a deeper and holistic view on understanding of the concepts of peace in current time and discuss the implications of this movement for life in modern times, particularly its impact on Vietnamese student... harmony held by the 14th Dalai Lama? 2 What are the peace concepts that may be drawn from the works of the following peace advocates: 2.1 Mawlana Rumi; 2.2 Rabindranath Tagore; 2.3 Pope John Paul II; and 2.4 Daisaku Ikeda? 3 What are the common aspects on the teachings of peace held by these individuals ? 4 How may the varied teachings on peace be integrated in a global peace education perspective and. .. series of Tibetan traditions that are intended to help an individual gain a warm heart, a respect for others, and a general concern for the welfare of others Showing compassion, however, is still the underlying theme of this text The Dalai Lama states, “I believe that the practice of compassion and love - a genuine sense of brotherhood and sisterhood - is the universal religion.” The Dalai Lama goes on. .. for them in the sense that the selected works have showcased how the 14th Dalai Lama s and the selected peace advocates activism which helped shaped the people’s understanding of peace as a philosophy of life Likewise, they may be motivated to bring peace awareness in the mainstream of their disciplines, their lives and the world and be inspired 11 THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam... of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines Beside the Dalai Lama, there have been a great number of peace advocates, including religious figures, political leaders, literary writers and philosophers, who have advocated the teachings of peace and harmony in their books, sermons and speeches All of this have provided a basis for a trend and a growing movement for peace and harmony. .. Socialist Republic of Vietnam BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Republic of the Philippines Scope, Delimitation and Limitations of the Study This study analyzes the philosophy of nonviolence as embodied in the selected literary pieces of the 14th Dalai Lama and the selected peace advocates Mawlana Rumi, Rabindranath Tagore, Pope John Paul II and Daisaku Ikeda and focuses on its implication for Vietnamese students’... Kagyu-pa, the school of oral transmission; and the school founded by Je Tsong Khapa, the Gelug-pa The Dalai Lama participates in all of these and in so doing has a sense of the universality that should be a model for the development of Buddhism in the West The Dalai Lama' s manner of teaching well illustrates what the Buddhist attitude in a Western context should be As regards the essential philosophy, the Dalai. .. in their present state of existence but in some future rebirth, after living many more lives The Dalai Lama claims: The cultivation of happiness and the minimization of suffering will take a very long time, that is, many more rebirths in the cycle of existence We must accept the laws of nature as they are and transform the mind in a way that does not contradict them” The Western image of the Dalai Lama . explore how peace and harmony is conceptualized by these peace advocates. Likewise, the study aimed to reveal the universal concepts of peace and harmony shared by the peace advocates as the representatives. following questions: 1. What are the teachings on peace and harmony held by the 14th Dalai Lama? 2. What are the peace concepts that may be drawn from the works of the following peace advocates: . Delimitation and Limitations of the Study This study analyzes the philosophy of nonviolence as embodied in the selected literary pieces of the 14th Dalai Lama and the selected peace advocates