Loving Kindness Builds the Nobility of the Nation

Just as a mother would protect her only son at the risk of her own life, even so let one cultivate a boundless heart toward all beings. Develop thoughts of infinite love. This is the advice of the Great Teacher of the Buddha to his students (The Sermon on Loving Kindness).

Kompas

A number of monks take holy water in a series of Tri Suci Waisak at Umbul Jumprit, Ngadirejo District, Temanggung Regency, Central Java, Sunday (31/5/2015). The holy water will later be combined with the taking of the fire which is brought to Borobudur Temple in the commemoration of Waisak.

Loving kindness contains the meaning of "something that softens the heart". It defeats all forms of violence and hatred. It appears as an impulse or intention that wishes for happiness and seeks welfare for all beings without exception.

Loving kindness is not based on lust, impartiality or favoritism, does not differentiate family ties, race, nation, religion, politics, social status and culture. With that loving kindness, a person unites himself or does not differentiate himself from other creatures. The ego or "I" dissolves in the wholeness, like a drop of water entering the ocean.

Also read:

> Waisak, Message of Brotherhood

> The Love of the Guardian of Diversity

How to develop the loving kindness in us? Let’s try to contemplate and perceive it word for  word: may all living beings be happy. Continuous contemplation should be carried out with full attention and understanding so that the seeds of love will be planted in our minds.

Thus, the loving  kindness is a quality of mental attitude, not a form of individualistic emotion, but a mental attitude that hopes for oneself to be happy and for others too. True love is universal love, it does not differentiate even in diversity.

The nobility of the nation in diversity

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). This meaningful pledge is found in the book Kakawin Sutasoma by Mpu Tantular (14th century).

Differences occur here and there as a consequence of the various kinds of actions (karma) that each person performs. Everyone does what they want, therefore everyone will receive different consequences.

That is what causes differences in the midst of life, differences in birth, ethnicity, diversity and even differences in the quality of life of each person. Therefore, the difference is the reasonableness that happens in any case. Despite the similarities, there are still differences in the similarities.

How can we live together even though there are differences here and there? Therein lies the nobility of a nation that can create togetherness in the midst of differences, respect differences, and interpret differences as friends along with the joys and sorrows of the nation\'s life journey.

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Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin (third from right) gave a statement to journalists after visiting interfaith leaders on Tuesday (26/11/2019). During the meeting, all religious leaders agreed to jointly maintain harmony in Indonesia.

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika as a guide for people\'s lives in the 14th century had created a society that was tranquil and peaceful.

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika will play an important role for the nobility of the Indonesian nation in terms of: (1) Building national unity, (2) Building a tolerant national life, (3) As a guideline for regulations and policies that respect togetherness, (4) Maintaining Indonesian peace, and (5) Preserving the noble ideals of the nation\'s ancestors.

Loving kindness enlivens the nobility of the nation

The expectation on other people to live happily is because everyone loves themselves. After comparing other people with himself, one should not do something that he does not want others to do to him.

Humans must protect each other: by protecting oneself, someone protects others, by protecting others, someone protects oneself.

Also read: Upholding Buddha’s Glory

The attitude of suspicion, discrimination and hatred among community groups will lead to clashes among citizens. By applying the loving kindness, those in dispute should be willing to sit together to reveal the root of their problems and seek mutually agreed solutions to be implemented in a brotherly manner.

Extreme attitude and religious hatred will not occur if humans realize that such an attitude will cause suffering to themselves and others.

Other people who are frightened, hurt, or even killed will suffer terribly. The family of the victims will also suffer. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid the extreme attitude and hatred by cultivating a religious view that respects various beliefs, accompanied by the principle of living in the loving kindness.

Extreme attitude and religious hatred will not occur if humans realize that such an attitude will cause suffering to themselves and others.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

The head of the Dhammasoka Vihara Banjarmasin Bhante Saddhavira (left) provides food assistance to representatives of aid recipients in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Saturday (18/4/2020).

The essential truth itself has the nature of the loving kindness and vice versa in the loving kindness there is the essential truth.

The loving kindness will flourish when people have a moderate attitude to life or avoid the extreme views. Religious moderation is a field for the growth of the loving kindness and on the other hand, the loving kindness will nurture religious moderation.

Prayer of hope

Waisak 2565/2021 reminds three holy events, namely the time of birth, attainment of Perfect Enlightenment, and the death of the Great Master Buddha Gotama, on the full moon day, in the month of Vesak or in May, with different years.

He was born in 623 BC in Nepal, attained Perfect Enlightenment in 588 BC in India, and died in 543 BC in India.

Sangha Theravada Indonesia wishes all Buddhists Happy Waisak 2565/2021, with the hope that Indonesian Buddhists will play an active role in shaping the nation\'s nobility by applying the loving kindness in various fields, both in the field of religious and national life.

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Bhikkhu Sri Subhapannyo, Mahathera,

Apart from that, let us share our loving kindness by complying with the health protocols and following vaccinations to enable the Covid-19 pandemic to end soon so that economic and social conditions will gradually recover.

May God the Almighty, Tiratana, always protect.

Bhikkhu Sri Subhapannyo, Mahathera, General Chairman of Sangha Theravada Indonesia

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.