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Vishudhananda Mahathera from Pokistan
better existence for centuries together, the entire mankind stands before the possibility of total extinction which will make no distinction between men, black or white, victor or vanquished. In the context of this situation with the horror of atomic war haunting mankind, the holding of this Conference lends out an immense significance to the whole of peace-loving humanity, as was never felt perhaps since the dawn of human civilization. The sponsor of this Conference strikes a right motto; 'Ahimsa' key to peace, an undying motto which is the only thing that can assure the existence of human civilization in an age of atomic horror. I therefore, on behalf of the Budhists of Pakistan, extend my hearty congratulations to the sponsor of the Conference and fellow-delegates assembled here from different parts of the world.
We cannot avoid admitting the fact that religion is losing hold of human mind and hence serious thought should be given to inculcate religious and spiritual values in man once again. But if any religion aspires to survive in the present age, which is marked by intense intellectual scepticism. it must respond to persistent intellectual query of the time, as well as, be consistent with conclusions of scientific and rational minds. It is a happy sign that when conventional religious values are being sought to be undermind in the scepticism of the times, Buddhism has gone high up in people's estimation, largely because it has a vital dynamic potentiality which is fundamentally based on recognition of logic and rationalism in philosophy, religion and life. By steering clear of supernaturalism on the one hand and obtruse metaphysical subtleties on the other, Buddhism has insistently emphasised the rational approach to life and has for its basis of analysis the famous doctrine of Paticca-Samuppada, the 'Law of Causation', as it is termed, which denotes that every phenomenon has a logical explanation and every cause has an affect and vice-versa.
This epoch-making rational creed laid down more than 25 millenniums ago, gave a clue to Buddha's analysis of human suffering and the way out of it. Every thing whether in the individual self or social set up, is in a state of continous flux and evolution and his amous doctrine of Anicca. (Impermanence or Inconstancy), if logically interpreted, bears the supreme fact of Buddha's recognition of the pattern of change in life. To think of any person nourishing such selentific minds in so remote a period of h'story, is something to wonder about. Buddha's philosophy on denial of continuance of personality and non-existence of ego (anatma) is an epoch-making and unchallengable contribucion in human thought and is respected and upheld ever more to-day when the supreme ego of irrational personality 16 Hought to be decried.
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Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
