Why Maha Ghosananda Was Selected for the Niwano Peace Prize

Why Maha Ghosananda Was Selected
for the Niwano Peace Prize
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Maha Ghosananda, 68, is a Supreme Pah'iarch of
Cambodian Buddhism and a well-known Buddhist
leader worldwide. In particular, he has played a major role in various nonviolent activities to promote
reconciliation among the Cambodian people following the nation's civil strife, offering support to
refugees and encouraging the rebuilding of the nation. His warm personality and great compassion
have won him accolades as "Cambodia's Gandhi,"
"a Living Treasure," and "the Living Truth,"
Cambodia achieved independence from French
colonial rule in 1953. In 1970, a coup took place after
which the monarchy was replaced by a pro-American democratic government, but there was no end to
the internal strife, and in 1975, Pol Pot established
Democratic Kampuchea. That government pursued
extreme commwust policies, moving people from
urban centers to the cOlmtryside for forced labor.
Those other than farmers were severely persecuted,
and it is said that more than two million Cambodians, including the cOlmh-y's leading intellectuals,
died of illness or starvation or were executed during
the three years and eight months of the Pol Pot
regime. Cambodian Budcllusm was especially hard
hit, with the country's 3,600 temples totally shut
down, and many members of what had once been a
60,OOO-strong Budcllust clergy persecuted and slain.
Only 3,000 names were listed again as members of
the priesthood after the Pol Pot regime collapsed in
1979.
Maha Ghosananda is one of those few remaining
Buddhist clergy. When civil war broke out in Cambodia he was in southern Thailand engaged in the
discipline of meditation and escaped the worst of the
turmoil. Regrettably, however, most of Ius family in
Cambodia was slain by the Pol Pot forces.
Confronted by the h'agedy that was engulfing his
cOlmh'y, Maha Ghosananda threw himself with vigor into the nonviolent peace movement, doing all he
could for Ius fellow Cambodians. He established
temples in all of the Cambodian refugee camps on
the Cambodia-Thailand border, including Sakeo and
Khao-ee-dang, and traveled from camp to camp to
preach. The sight of Ghosananda in hjs saffron robes
stirred the Cambodian refugees to tears. Their weep13
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Maha Ghosananda visits the Cambodian Red Cross.
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ing is said to have echoed throughout the refugee
camps,
After the signing of the 1991 peace accord, Maha
Ghosananda led the first of the Dhammayieh'a Walks
for Peace and Reconciliation in emulation of Shakyamuni, who led his disciples to places of strife and
warfare while practicing meditation and preaching
detachment from suffering and the way to peace,
When a procession led by Maha Ghosananda passed
through villages, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
people are said to have followed it Through these
Walks, Maha Ghosananda became a bridge of peace,
bringing together people who had been separated by
war, and wiped away their fears with his call for
peace. He has continued to promote nonviolent
means, not only for peace, but also for solutions to a
wide range of peace-tlu'eatening issues such as deforestation and the use of land mines.
Maha Ghosananda has had a profolmd influence
upon movements for peace arolmd the globe
through his advisory role in such NGOs as the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), the
Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF), and the Ponleu
Kluner, the citizens' advisory cOlmcil to the Cambodian Constihltional Assembly. He has been a leader
in interreligious conununication, as evidenced by his
attendance at the Sixth Assembly of the World Conference on Religion and Peace held in Italy in 1994.
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Maha Ghosananda opens one of his many writings
with the following verse:
The suffering of Cambodia has been deep.
Froll/ this suffering cOlI/es Great COli/passion.
Great Compassion l11akes a Peaceful Heart.
A Peaceful Heart II/akes a Peaceful Person.
A Peaceful Person makes a Peaceful Family.
A Peaceful Fall/ily makes a Peaceful Conmwnity.
A Peaceful COl1ll11un.ity makes a Peaceful Nation.
And a Peaceful Nation makes a Peaceful World.
Mayall beings live in Happiness and Peace.
Maha Ghosananda offers his unlimited compassion
to all people, whether hiend or foe. In both spirit
and deed, he has shown the way to a hmdamental
resolution of regional and ethnic strife arOlmd the
world.
In bestowing the 15th Niwano Peace Prize upon
Maha Ghosananda, the FOlmdation wishes to express its highest esteem for his many years of devotion to peace and for his contributions to justice and
harmony in the name of religious cooperation. We
commend his nwnerous achievements to date and
pray that many others will follow in his inspirational
footsteps.
~~~~H~~¥~7fD~6~-~~~g.
Maha Ghosananda brings the Buddha's message to refugees.
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