Without a home

Without a home

Among Venerable Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi's many good deeds is his work on behalf of refugees

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
Without a home
Venerable Vajiramedhi during a visit to a refugee camp. photo courtesy of UNHCR

The world currently has 68.5 million refugees, and to Venerable Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi, that is considered one of the worst tragedies of the 21st century.

Popularly known to Thais as V. Vajiramedhi, the well-respected Buddhist monk, thinker and writer was named UNHCR's Patron for Peace and Compassion last month for his role in advocating for peace and supporting refugees. At a special commemoration event held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, venerable gave an hour-long talk on the topic "We Are One, We Are World", in which he reflected on his experience visiting refugee camps in Thailand and Malaysia.

Heartbreak. Torture. Forced labour. No home. No food. No medicine. Sickness. Death. The story of a refugee life can be unsettling to listeners, and the venerable said the refugee's recollection got him to ponder a lot of things in life, especially about giving and doing something for others.

"Some have asked me before if I've already helped enough Thai people since I'm now extending the help to others, to Rohingyas. But I don't see them as Thai, Chinese, European, American, Syrian or Rohingya. To me, all of us belong in the same nation, which is humanity."

Lose the label, he advised. Overcome the segregation -- the gender, race, class and nationality that humans made up as classification and division. Reach out to help others before the problem can occur in our own country.

"We don't know where the war began, but we know of its effect as it sent refugees all over the world -- more than 68.5 million of them. The saddest thing is they barely have anything to do with the war," he said. "But we also shouldn't hate those who caused the war. We are all part of this complex and messy world. The real cause of war is not from outside, but rather within. It's the greed in our heart."

At the event, he also announced a plan to write a new book on universal love, inspired by his experience at the refugee camps. All proceeds from sales will be given to UNHCR to support its humanitarian quest. He also vowed to visit refugee camps in other countries to learn more about their situation in order to share the knowledge with the world.

Venerable Vajiramedhi, who is in his mid-40s, is one of the best-known Thai Buddhist monks who appears frequently on television and different media. His method of applied Buddhism in his writing and sermons -- with the modernised application of word play and humour -- has regenerated the interest of people in Buddhist teaching.

And as people have migrated online, he's adjusted to this changing behaviour and platform of the 4.0 era and become quite an engaging figure on social media. His Facebook page has over 6 million followers. To many, he is considered one of the pioneers who's made Buddhism trendy again.

Venerable Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. Photo: Chanat Katanyu

Monks have always been revered figures within Thai society. However, as both laypeople and monks have gone online in recent years, the image of the clergy -- and hence of the religion they represent -- on social media can be met with different reactions. We began to see monks in different fields, from politics to activism. Monks with ripped abs. Monks with a private jet. Monks who use Facebook. Debate goes on about what is appropriate, and even the role and place monks are playing today. Even Venerable Vajiramedhi himself has many times been criticised as behaving more like a celeb than a man in an orange robe.

During a post-event press interview, the venerable discussed the role of monks in our society, and the relevance of religion in today's fast-changing world.

There are three duties a monk should perform, said the venerable. Learn Buddha's words. Train the mind through vipassana meditation. These two are about developing oneself, which isn't enough. A monk needs to perform his third duty, which is to engage and help out in society.

"The third duty is perhaps the most important one. Whenever a monk doesn't do this duty, the importance of the monastery institution decreases," he said.

"Whether any institution means anything to society or not depends on if the institution is benefiting society in any way. If the monastery institution is still beneficial to society, then society will realise its value and significance. So, social work is really one of the main things that all monks should engage themselves with."

Monks can help society through education, spreading the messages of Buddha and reaching out a helping hand in times of need, whether it's to do with social issues, natural disaster or humanitarian crises. The words of Buddha are spread not just through words but actions.

"The more problems society has, the more it needs monks. Society needs help from everyone," he said.

The venerable also exemplified the connection between Buddhism and social work, especially in humanitarian issues like that of refugees.

"Buddhism is hailed as a religion of peace. The UN also recognised that Vesak is an important international day. The main reason for this is that Buddhism teaches people to support and love one another, to create world peace. One of our important principles is about compassion for people without borders. We can all help fellow human beings without prejudice and discrimination."

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