Yesterday, as I was visiting my childhood friend who is currently living in Lisbon, we went together the famous Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a magnificent monastery that became one of the main tourist attractions of the city.
Next to the monastery, there is an important chapel with impressive architecture and decoration. In this place, I witnessed a very special moment... and the best part is that I had the opportunity to take a picture right on time:
A buddhist monk observing an image of Jesus Christ, at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Lisbon.
I just love this moment. Respect and understanding between two religions.
After watching the monk observing the chapel with curiosity, I had the chance to talk to him. This monk is known as Phramaha Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi and he is a famous personality in Thailand.
Coexistence is possible.
At least this is something I would like to believe in.
After seeing this image, it made me think...is coexistence between religions a different issue in developed and developing countries? Is it harder to reach this type of understanding in the developing world? Why?
What do you TH!NK about it??
(Andrea Arzaba, June 2010)
“Coexistence between religions”. Such an excelent article!! I loved it. I think this subject has to be with people openess towards other ideas, cultures and religions, which often has to be with tolerance. And for some reason societies from developed countries put up with other religions, and that is admirable. ¿What can I say? I´m Catholic and my boyfriend is Jew. I wish everyone could understand that there is something deeper and more important than religion, that is LOVE.
Thoughts:
First, the picture is beautiful. Buddhism and Christianity are the fabric of my spirit; that’s no exaggeration. It brings me joy to know that you’re still breaking out of cages, having adventures and pushing back your horizons.
To briefly address your question (which is way too big to be sufficiently explored in a comment thread), I’d say cautiously that the dynamics of religious conflict are heavily influenced by class and colonialism, so developing nations almost certainly experience sociocultural tensions differently.
I want to clarify that I actually don’t believe coexistence is possible. At least not in the utopic sense of the word - that we can all get along and embrace our differences. Human nature, scarcity of resources, and the weight of centuries of injustice make that pretty unlikely, in my eyes.
I live and breathe the love ethic, which IS vaster than organized religion. I know in my bones that I am made of the same matter, emptiness and light as you are, just rearranged for a breath in (the illusory) now. So I intentionally, carefully, continuously manifest compassion. But that doesn’t mean I have hope or faith, which just get my heart broken. Because corruption, cruelty and ancient grudges are much larger and stronger than I am. I prepare for the worst, allow for the best, and don’t get attached to outcome. Coexistence? Probably not ever, in my opinion.
But just as I will never see the world I want, the forces I fight will never be able to stop me. Freedom fighters are like weeds, and tyrants just change faces. It’s an endless dance, but I WILL play my part(s).
Hello Andrea,
Indeed a timely and thought-provoking image.
Let me play the devil’s advocate: how can you tell that there is respect and understanding from the image? Can you look inside Phramaha’s head?
(I know that monks are striving for peace).
Having lived in an a developing country, I’d say it’s a little different. I have had orthodox friends (I am a Muslim) since I was so young and it never was an issue. However, it’s becoming clear to me that the more we immerse into this sea of ignorance, intolerance arises and now it IS becoming an issue. People, being put aside of politics and education, all they are left with is religion and now it’s everyone’s game. So it’s not weird to see religious-masked terrorism acts every once a while.
However, in spite of all this, it’s really possible and it’s already there, it just doesn’t get that much of media. GREAT photo and article!
@Andrea: I agree with your comment, there is something deeper that unites us all. Thank you
@Camellia: This is a very important point, class and colonialism come together in the developing world. I would also add education, is this another aspect for coexistence to become “less possible”. We could also say there are different types or levels of COEXISTENCE, maybe from respect to understanding, and from understanding to unification?
@Johan: Johan I do not know what the monk was thinking inside his head (haha) but actually, just seeing this image, being there in this second made me wonder so many things… I would like to say that for the monk, only by visiting this sacred place and being able to observe it and visit it, this says a lot about him. He is showing respect and admiration to another religion, don’t you think?
Yes, monks do radiate peace everywhere they go! they will always talk to you with a smile on their faces
Actually, at the start of the last century there was a reunion in order to make a script containing some areas of census between leaders of different religions. I find it very interesting that almost in all of them the basic principles are the same and it is important that we take advantage of that.
In fact, on Obama´s speech at El Cairo he established as one of his points that religion should be a way to unite us in spite of what Samuel Huntington affirms: “the differences between ideologies will be the reason for the next wars that we will experience”.
I think it is a good picture the one that you took, and of course, religions may serve as means of union, but since I´m not really religious that doesn´t really inspire me a lot jaja. Greetings there my friend good luck
I like this one. Really one of those times when picture is stronger then words.