Buddhist monk on the warpath

A Buddhist monk has captured deputies of Thailand parliament as hostages. According to information agencies, the incident took place today at 8:30 (local time). The events developed as follows. 37-year-old Sayan Chitasuro, whose decent appearance could not cause any suspicions, entered the parliament. Then, he used a Kalashnikov submachine-gun, which for some unknown reasons turned out to be in his hands. Sayan Chitasuro, while wishing to frighten the police and probably to encourage himself, started to randomly fire into the air. As a result, 20 people, workers of the parliament, became refuges. After having committed this act, which conflicts with Buddhist and national laws, the armed monk politely invited journalists to a room “leased” by him to give an interview. According to the monk, he was motivated by the best of intentions. He was driven to commit this because of his cruel treatment by the police. Sayan Chitasuro was beaten and imprisoned, because he entered without his knowledge, the territory of a guarded forest reserve. However, what could have the Buddhist monk searched for besides solitude for his prayers and contemplation of natural beauty? The police would be better to keep an eye on poachers, while society itself should be guarded from such guards. After having decided he has nothing more to add, the monk released all the refugees and gave himself up to the police. Therefore, nobody was injured. However, what would Buddha say? First, “Solitary life in a forest is good only for the one who follows it, while it is of no use for the people’s good” (The police probably thought of this while detaining the monk). Second, “hatred was never annihilated with hatred, but only with goodness, as this is an eternal law.”

Petr Byely PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/22/41482.html