Decline Of Buddhism In Singapore

last SG · 2011-02-20T01:14:26+00:00

decline of Buddhism was predicted by the Buddha isnt it. also it goes to show that the law of impermanence is true. no country or religion stay the same fore...

sanath SG

seems like where ever PAP goes the local culture will be destroyed.

They are an extremely destructive force on local culture.

This is the most absurd thing i have even heard of! Don't bring politics into this channel!

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An Eternal Now SG

Have to agree with Sanath, this has nothing to do with the government.

Seriously, the government is not an organisation promoting religion.

Only believers can promote their own religion - and the government can't do a thing to stop us (unless we are some cult or sect like Jehovah Witness that's different).

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This is the most absurd thing i have even heard of! Don't bring politics into this channel!

But decline of local culture and buddhism is completely due to PAP.

This is the truth.

there is no Chinese-language business paper; there is discrimination in the intake of university students, in the engagement of university lecturers and school teachers, in the manning of positions in the army and police forces, and an absence of representation of the non-English-speaking Singaporeans in the decision-making process and in many top government posts. These are just a few examples.

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Have to agree with Sanath, this has nothing to do with the governmen

PAP, by destroying the chinese education system and imposing an alien system in Singapore is already a form of weakening the local culture and religion. The anglisation of Singapore society and weakening of local culture is all completely and totally due to PAP.

An Eternal Now SG

Chinese education system doesn't necessarily promote religion.

Buddhism does not require very high standards of Chinese to teach or learn - if it did, then perhaps it is time to change. (personally, I never thought very high standards of Chinese is necessary, especially in my particular tradition where very basic Chinese knowledge is required - no chim words, etc)

For the better - because if high standards of Chinese is required to spread its teachings, then the teachings become limited to only a group of people.

Perhaps, more effort must be put on spreading the teachings in English which is already happening nowadays.

For now, Theravada and Vajrayana is being taught in English... the Mahayana should put more effort in teaching bilingual.

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Chinese education system doesn't necessarily promote religion.

Once the education system is not one of local culture and is of an alien type the person produced under such a system, his culture and morale will be weakened, having trained under an alien system for years and not one of his own native culture. This is made worse by the fact that the system like ours from a young age is already of an alien type. The first 5 years of a person's life is the critical period in absorbing cultural traits, but ours is a bastardised system.

This is the reason why the culture has weakened, the morale is of a much weaker type and the language is a bastardised singlish.

This is why minority groups from all other countries will fight to the death for their educational and linguistics rights.

sanath SG

Tang Liang Hong?! The bugger should have really been put in ISA for all the stupid remarks he made before a GE long ago!

Tang should save his remarks for the Malaysian and Indonesian governments who have discriminated even more on Chinese education (after the 1960s it was even illegal to read Chinese in Indon right until the 2000s), as well as many Chinese around the world who DON'T EVEN SPEAK OR UNDERSTAND a word of Chinese. My parents also don't speak Chinese, they were English-educated before Independence. How?

I speak Chinese, i read Chinese, i write in Traditional Chinese characters (fan ti zi, can you or even Tang do so? If not, i rest my case!). My friends in Japan all admire the fact that Singaporeans can speak at least 2 languages, my Taiwanese friends admire us that we speak good English and Chinese to communicate with them.

And don't forget, we were a British Colony before Independence, so how can it be "alien"? Blame the British then. There are people cursing WHY we need to take Mother Tongue and have our kids struggle at it, and then some like Tang saying, why did we abolish vernacular schools? Don't forget, English has been a big factor WHY this country has been able to progress faster than any of our neighbours, because it's still the language used in the business world.

假如你覺得行動黨在除滅本地文化，那你乾脆不要用英文，用中文表達好了，來顯示你的"文化水準"啊！前幾天在公車上還聽到外國遊客說新加坡政府還對文化保存做的非常好，不像他自己國家，早就把很多文化東西除滅掉了！

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Tang Liang Hong?! The bugger should have really been put in ISA for all the stupid remarks he made before a GE long ago!

Seems to be hopeless with you. May you see the truth. You seem to be completely blinded by PAP propaganda.

SoulDivine SG

One does not need to have a religion to live a happy and meaningful life.

One does not need to have a religion to develop love and respect for all living things.

One does not need to have a religion to regain consiousness and see through the illusions of life.

Only direct experience brings wisdom and enlightenment.

sanath SG

There are so many "local cultures", so if by your argument, whose "culture" do we use in education? Malay? Chinese? Indian? Eurasian? Should we have continued following our neighbour up-north where they have continue having vernacular schools, but the people divided and ruled apart, even to the point where those of a different race and religion are discriminated and still called "pendantang" or "immigrants" even though they've been here for generations?

Anyway, this is getting off-topic. I agree one thing with AEN, Mahayana Buddhism or rather, Chinese Mahayana Buddhism still continues to be largely mono-lingual. Even Christian churches are starting to use Chinese and even dialects to preach, even though English is still the main language of missionary work for them. We Buddhists ourselves just don't bother and then want to blame the government for the loss of numbers, which doesn't even make sense.

sanath SG

Seems to be hopeless with you. May you see the truth. You seem to be completely blinded by PAP propaganda.

The same to you, you've been blinded by opposition propanganda.

Zenist69 SG

I dun noe why is it so difficult for some of you guys to see the relation between the decline of Buddhism and PAP. Almost everything here in this country has to do with the PAP directly and or indirectly. Let me show u a quote from Lee Kuan Yew. Thats how his way of running this country:

"I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn't be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn't be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters - who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think." - Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Straits Times, 20 April 1987

So why are u guys still defending the PAP? C'mon. Seriously. U want to do something about the decline of Buddhism here in Spore, first of all thing, u gotta face up the root cause of the problem! U could beat around the bush whole lifetime, I gurantee you, Buddhism in Spore will keep on declining if we dun do something about the decline of Asian culture, religions, heritage, values, language here in this country! Dun tell me Asian culture is flourishing 'cause of some Daoist temple somewhere here in this country very crowded during eve of CNY. Go talk to the kids and see how they think about Asian language and values. They will say 'Duh? Where got time.' Thats how this country is going. Dun tell me XYZ Asian countries also like that leh. XYZ Asian countries go eat shit should we also follow??

I also dun like to talk about politics, and the worldly stuff such as education policy, or language we use. But its a fact of life, those earthly policies by a all powerful government, those stuff affect our lives. We cannot deny the fact that politics do affect the growth or decline of religion. Look at chinese history. Buddhism ganna jia lat jia lat at some point of ancient chinese history, and also during modern china during cultural revolution. Politics affect the development of religion. Stop this irrationality denial mode.

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We Buddhists ourselves just don't bother and then want to blame the government for the loss of numbers, which doesn't even make sense.

You can't deny truth.

Decline of local culture, buddhism is due to anglisation policies of PAP.

It's simply the truth and is obvious to an outside observer.

Vote PAP OUT to Save SG SG

So why are u guys still defending the PAP? C'mon. Seriously. U want to do something about the decline of Buddhism here in Spore, first of all thing, u gotta face up the root cause of the problem! U could beat around the bush whole lifetime, I gurantee you, Buddhism in Spore will keep on declining if we dun do something about the decline of Asian culture, heritage, values, language here in this country! Dun tell me Asian culture is flourishing 'cause of some Daoist temple somewhere here in this country. Go talk to the kids and see how they think about Asian language and values. They will say 'Duh? Where got time.' Thats how this country is going. Dun tell me XYZ Asian countries also like that leh. XYZ Asian countries go eat shit should we also follow??

You are more clear in your thinking and you can see clearly the role played by PAP in the destruction of local culture.

So in this sense, you have grasped the truth and the root of the problem which is PAP.

An Eternal Now SG

I simply don't see why Buddhism needs to be tied up with Chinese culture and education.

Buddhism is not even of Chinese origin to begin with.

Also, it is taught primarily in English in the Theravada and Vajrayana tradition, though still dominantly taught in Chinese in the Mahayana tradition (but that said I do not think very high standards of Chinese is required to learn the teachings).

Our Chinese standard is still not bad - or good enough to learn Buddhism. English also comes in handy. I can say I read more Buddhist articles and books in English than I do in Chinese nowadays.

I think Buddhism needs to adapt to the changing trends.

China and Singapore are totally different - there is no religious persecution because our government is secular in terms of religion.

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I think Buddhism needs to adapt to the changing trends.

I prefer destruction of PAP which is causing the negative trends.

Zenist69 SG

Look here, those in denial mode on the effect of this PAP gahmen on how things turn out for Buddhism here in our country, go read the below quote.

Who is our neighbour LKY also wanna interfere, do u think he will hands off in the religion matter? Do you seriously think that??? THINK!

An Eternal Now SG

Look here, those in denial mode on the affect of this PAP gahmen on how things turn out for Buddhism here in our country,

If who our neighbour he also wanna interfere, do u think he will hands off in the religion matter? Do you seriously think that??? THINK!

There is no denying the LKY wants to influence our lives.

I however do not believe he intends to change our religions, this is ridiculous.

Of course, I do believe they are controlling our education, etc - but that is a different matter, for a different purpose.

And controlling our education does not mean they will influence our religion. As I said - many dharma centers are teaching in English.

Vote PAP OUT to Save SG SG

Look here, those in denial mode on the affect of this PAP gahmen on how things turn out for Buddhism here in our country,

If who our neighbour he also wanna interfere, do u think he will hands off in the religion matter? Do you seriously think that??? THINK!

This perverse and sick mentality and control freak totalitarian nature of Harry Lee Kuan Yew.

This sickness is caused by his insecurity of being a peranakan but yet have to pose as a fake chinese in order for him an anglo dog to rule over an island with 75% chinese and the constant fear of being exposed as someone who worked for the Japanese during WWII.

He is always wary of the dialect chinese in Singapore and so he surrounds himself with people from other minority groups. The important positions in cabinets are almost always given to people from minority groups.

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