Please I need help with this!!! Please help! I beg of you! 1. In Sivaraksa’s vie
ID: 3468030 • Letter: P
Question
Please I need help with this!!! Please help! I beg of you!
1. In Sivaraksa’s view, global capitalism is marked with a think-big strategy and a
quantitative approach to development. What does he mean?
2. According to Sivaraksa, how has capitalism shaped people’s lives and the
environment in countries like Thailand?
3. Why is it that capitalist lifestyle and culture are not so fulfilling (in fact, far from
satisfactory) for Sivaraksa? How does he critique capitalist culture from a
Buddhist perspective?
4. What does Sivaraksa mean by buddhism with a small “b”?
5. Sivaraksa always believes that self-transformation could help alleviate suffering
and injustice caused by globalization. In addition, he also believes that religious
individuals can reinvent their faith-based ethical principle to fight the problems
of the world. As a Buddhist, he thinks that the famous five precepts are very
beneficial for those who want to confront the problems of globalization. What
are these five precepts? How could they help people to engage with the injustice
of global capitalism?
6. Although highly critical of global capitalism, Sulak Sivaraksa dislikes violent
approaches (for instance, Marxism) to confronting capitalism. He prefers non-
violence. Why does he think that non-violent resistance is superior to violent
resistance? How is his theory on non-violence based on the Buddhist tradition
and examples?
Explanation / Answer
Sivaraksa's idea of Buddhist activism includes the act of translation (i.e. self-translation) is defined by the association between a concept of the foreign and a concept of the native. Self-translation for outsiders is therefore a process in which the translator reforms - selects, preserves and (re)arranges elements of - the domestic so as to build a culture with traits s/he wants foreign readers to see. This is his major idea of development and societal transformation. . Sivaraksa distinguishes what he classifies as indispensable Buddhist elements from what he considers as insignificant. The components identified by him as fundamental are foundational for his critique of modern Thai history. The same was iterated by him in comprehensive detail in his research findings. In the scrutiny by Sivaraksa, driven by greediness and encouraged on by the Think-Big Strategy and the obsession with measurable success, the rich have been accountable for creating what he calls "structural violence," including phenomena like the misuse of natural resources and the slit between the rich and the poor. Therefore, the discrepancy between the haves and have nots is self-created in very many ways according to his outlook. Sivaraksa, by Buddhism with a Small 'b', seems to necessitates a religion that is not established or worried with myth, culture, and ritual. He feels that these magnitudes of religion lead to dogmatism and prejudice, so he advocates that humans must step away from these and emphasize on the elementary wisdoms of the Buddha. He promotes a return to the original teachings of Buddha as a way of social transformation. Additionally, he believes that the social magnitudes of Buddhism cannot be unheeded because Buddhism is "concerned with the lives and consciousness of all beings".