Is Buddha Political?

I am always amazed by collective peaceful retaliation, of how struggles against oppressive regimes and corrupt despots, that exploit the people, and recently few groups have emerged, in our own backyard and also in Myanmar.

It is even more emotive and thrilling to see how the religiously devoted monks of Myanmar, hundreds of thousand of them marching on the street, championing for justice and freedom. I wonder whether the monks would ask, "Is Buddha political?". I wonder whether buddhists around the world would say, "we should not ask for our democratic rights, but should focus more on meditation and breathing". If this is the case, then I would have to look towards the Dalai Lama and the Burmese monks in Myanmar and Vietnam (who burnt themselves against the Vietnamese regime) for more explanation.

In KL, the lawyers marched with suits and briefcases, with the scorching hot sun and rain in Putrajaya, calling for accountability and restoration of confidence towards the judiciary system. I am glad that there are a number of G2 people of the christian persuasion (apart from the so-called Rotary, Lions and peranakan sect) who do share the passion for justice in Malaysia. But there are only a handful of people who wet their hands while others just watch.

I wonder whether the rest of the G2 people do feel the same passion for justice with the handful few in KL and Burma. Is Jesus political? If Jesus is, then shouldn't we feel the same way Jesus felt about love and justice? What would Jesus do? What would Jesus say about corruption in the political establishment of the day?

Do we only voice our concerns when it directly affects our lifelihood (only during the petrol price hike, threat to our 'modern' affluent lifestyle, as Kar Yong blogged about)? Do we care more of ourselves than others who are persecuted and marginalised (religious converts, Burmese grassroots, mistreated migrant workers, poor rural and East Malaysians, orang Aslis)?

I wonder Jesus during the 1st century, in his scandalous act of destroying the stalls of the merchants in the Temple and chasing them away from corrupting the temple, eating with the unclean, and preaching another new Kingdom of Heaven and dying on the cross, would fit into our description of activism today?

Would Jesus be someone like Aung San Suu Kyi, speaking forth against the junta? Or be like Karpal Singh speaking against the corruption of justice? Or like Kim Kong speaking for freedom of worship?

We always sing about the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. Do we sing about the life of Jesus as much? Do we sing as much about his life; how he turned the tables of the merchants, work during the sabbath, heal the sick and do miracles, eat with the outcast, challenge the corrupt establishment?

Do we live like Jesus today? WWJD?