- BUDDHIST EVANGELISM INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
- Pst. Gerald Chen Hsiongcai
- © 2001 Panna Youth Centre, Singapore
The Asian Wind
A trend is apparent throughout the all Asian countries is that the
population of Buddhism has decline heavily and what can we Buddhists do to save this
situation ? Many people has taken Buddhism as an oriental religion or even mere
superstition, what has led to the decline in Buddhism?, the teachings of Buddha?, the
outlooks?, or an opportunity for people to come in contact with Buddhism ?Perhaps it is
time for Buddhists to focus on Evangelism especially towards the coming 21st century and
get a steady structure of the corporate body of the development of Buddhism in the future.
The Challenging Scene
Where this trend is apparent, there will be an impact on the Buddhist
community. The Buddhist population is "greying" like the general population that
Singapore is facing! Already in Singapore many of our Chinese-speaking Buddhist temples
and especially the dialect-speaking congregations have a very high proportion of members
who are older adults or senior citizens. By the year 2002, there will be at least 7000
Buddhists having their 60thBirthday each year. By 2010 there will be almost more than
10000 people in our Buddhist temples who will turn 60 year old -and perhaps will have only
another 20 - 30 years to live on. Changing demands and Opportunities. It is imperative for
the Buddhist community to be sensitive to the changing demographic trends both within the
Buddhist Temples and in the society at large. The preaching and Dharma teaching ministries
needs to be relevant to the life experiences and situations of older adults. These
"seniors" also need to be natured to competently face the challenges for living
a fulfilling and meaningful life. The cohorts of "young-olds"(those who are
60-70 years old) which will be emerging in front of our eyes can be a new source of
manpower for them inistry of the Buddhist temples and associations, if they are encouraged
and equipped with good knowledge of the Buddha-dhamma. It is timely now to create and
start a new educational sessions which will reflect this particular need among the
Buddhists. Older members should not be seen as liabilities or passive recipients but
rather as tremendous assets who can be active providers. The challenging demands of youths
Buddhism has also been losing it's youth to other religions such as Christianity which may
seem more appealing to these teenagers a religion that teenagers find it more modern and
Westernised. Again, this comes back to the propaganda of Buddhism. The faith had always
given young people the image of an old religion whereas a church where rock and roll songs
are sung and a place where more youths and peers can be found. A church meeting can be as
fun as a friend outing or even a music concert to the teenagers. Here is a call for all
Buddhists to wake up and take up the responsibility of propagating the Dharma. This
includes inculcating and training youths and teenagers with the goodness of the Dharma and
introducing them to Buddhist evangelism which can be simply done by an invitation to join
the organisation's youth activities etc.
Strategies for Evangelism Strategies for Buddhist Evangelism needs to
be promoted amongst all Buddhists, such as forming Lunch-time fellowships and a miniature
group todiscuss the Dharma in the office, Evangelism should start from the people around
us, such as our family, and friends. Tools for Evangelism is knowing the basics of
Buddhism, techniques to approach our fellows and even converting others to Buddhism. Such
Evangelism is not new to the western Buddhist community. Flims, drama performance,
counselling, music, Dharma-talks and Dhamma crusades can be useful tools. Such evangelism
may help build up the foundation for the survival of Buddhism in the next century.
Buddhist Missionary works are not only the responsibility of the Buddhist temples and
associations but rather also a job of all the Buddhists. We should take the initiative
always to approach and introduce Buddhism to others and not wait for others to approach
us. the Buddha told us to go forth to expound and proclaim his Dhamma to others, and we as
Buddhists have the every responsibility to teach and make disciples of all nations!
Checking our attitudes. As we move towards the new millennium, a new attitude and interest
in propagating the teachings of Buddha is necessary, as it changes me may also be
pleasantly surprised at the impact of the Buddhist Community as truly inclusive
Dharmafarers. The fate of the development in the future depends on we people now. May
Buddhist Evangelism uphold the survival of the Dharma always and now is the time to come
forth with hard work. The people of all nations shall rejoice in the grace and spirit of
Lord Buddha. May this article inspire more youths to spread the Law far & wide.
The author, presently the President of Panna Youth Centre, a Buddhist Based Youth
Organisation, Singapore, can be reach at hsiongcai@yahoo.com