First Buddhist University conf on SDGs mulls challenge of averting Global Warming AND Global Meltdown
By : IMTIAZ MUQBIL
Travel Impact Newswire
Bangkok – When the Rector of the World Buddhist University (WBU), the Venerable Phra Anil Sakya was invited to speak recently at a conference of bankers and economists on alleviating poverty and implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, he asked if they had made a mistake inviting him in the first place. After listening to two hours of talk, “I told them that I should not have been invited here. It was all beyond my understanding. It didn’t make any sense.” Why? Because Buddhist monks take vows of poverty and live below what the UN describes as the poverty line of US$3 a day. So, he asked the bankers, “What do you mean by eradicating poverty? I want to live as a poor person. I don’t have any income. I go out every morning with my alms bowl. Does that make me an obstacle to achieving the SDGs?”
The moral of the story: Bankers seeking solutions to global poverty and ways to implement the SDGs may want to first look inwards before pursuing external solutions. Indirectly, Ven. Phra Anil was challenging them: Who is really living an unsustainable life? Who is really living in poverty? Is poverty defined only in financial terms? Are the SDGs just about economics? He told the bankers their main concern is always the economy. “But if I change to my own language, you will see that hunger, health and conflict are universal human problems, not just the problems of 21st century.”
WBU : WISDOM * BALANCE * UPRIGHTNESS
Welcome
to the World Buddhist University
The World Buddhist University (WBU) is a global Buddhist think tank working under its mother organization, the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB). The office is located at the headquarters of the WFB in Thailand. The mission of the WB University is to contribute, through collaborative academic and education, to efforts to assist Buddhist organizations and Buddhist academia in dealing with education, propagation and prosperity of Buddhism.
In carrying out this mission, the WB University works with universities, Buddhist academies, research institutes and Buddhist organizations, functioning as a bridge between the international academic community and the WFB.
The WB University functions in accordance with the university motto: Wisdom, Balance, and Uprightness.
In recent years, WB University has been taking initiatives in developing a Buddhist Big Data (BBD) for public uses. The wbu.world will be a BBD where resources on Buddhism can be easily accessible for public uses.
The WB University has uniquely developed the Buddhist Portals to facilitate public for finding their suitable Buddhist courses offered around universities all around the world.
The WB University is gradually developing the wbu.world as a virtual source of the Buddhist e-library where all Buddhist digital materials are easily accessible for world Buddhists and non-Buddhist alike.
WB University has taken step in engaging Buddhist organizations, government agencies and academia in developing a theory and implementation of ‘Buddhist Path to Sustainable Development Goals.’
Through seminars, conferences and special activities, the WB University contributes to capacity building of the WFB members all over the world.
On behalf of the WB University, I would like to invite you to browse our web portals to get benefit from the wbu.world and latest development. Also, I would like to welcome you to contact for more interaction with us and experience the loving-kindness of the WB University community in particular and the WFB as a whole. I wish you a Buddhist informative experience that you will always remember with a loving-kindness, and that is full of happiness from the harmonious effort.
