IN A greeting laced with surprises, PAS displayed some sense of spiritual knowledge of other faiths when it not only wished “Happy Wesak Day” to all Malaysian Buddhists but also took some pain to find convergence or similarities between both religions.
A bit of credit is due here, perhaps, in that the perceived fanatical Islamist party is able to decipher the significance of Wesak Day “which is celebrated to commemorate the life journey of the founder of the teachings, namely Siddharta Gautama Buddha, at the stages of birth, attainment of enlightenment and also his death”.
“Just like many other faith traditions and religions, Buddhism grew out of the efforts, observations and experiences of an individual and a group of followers to find a way out of the misery of human life,” PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan pointed out in a media statement.
“Doing no evil, nurturing goodness and purifying the heart is the core teaching of this religion as a way to achieve wisdom, love and ultimately liberation from misery itself.”
Elaborating further, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief whip also highlighted the concept of ahimsa or not causing damage and injury to creatures, including animals, plants and the world in general in Buddhist teachings as closely related to the achievement of awareness and love which is a highly regarded value.
This is where similarities can be drawn between both faiths, according to Takiyuddin who is also the Kota Bahru MP.
“PAS as an Islamic party believes that many of these noble values are in line with the teachings of Islam and if they are practiced evenly, they will greatly help efforts and ambitions to form a better life together and in turn give birth to a more superior and brilliant country,” he opined.
“PAS hopes that this year’s Wesak celebration goes smoothly and safely among Buddhists in the country and that it also strengthens religious life among people of various faiths.” – May 4, 2023
