Aim Quote by Sulak Sivaraksa
“I make a distinction between Buddhism with a Capital 'B' and buddhism with a small 'b'. Sri Lanka has the former, in which the state uses Buddhism as an instrument of power, so there are even Buddhists monks who say the Tamils should be eliminated. Thai Buddhists are not perfect either. Some Thai Buddhist monks have compromised with the kind and possess cars and other luxuries. In many Buddhist countries, the emphasis is on being goody-goody, which is not good enough. I am for buddhism with a small 'b' which is non-violent, practical and aims to eliminate the cause of suffering..”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Buddhism and State Power, 2015
Distinguishes between institutional Buddhism used for power and personal, non‑violent practice aimed at ending suffering.
In simple terms: State Buddhism is political; personal Buddhism is compassionate.
Key Takeaway
Practice Buddhism as personal, non‑violent path.
Themes
religion
politics
ethics
violence
Mood
concerned
hopeful
Type
philosophical
activist
When to use this quote
- social activism
- interfaith dialogue
- education
- policy reform
Key Concepts
state power
personal practice
non‑violence
suffering
Questions to Reflect On
- How can individuals maintain pure practice?
- What safeguards prevent religion from becoming political?
A Different Perspective
Institutional Buddhism can corrupt true teachings.
![“The trains [in a country] contain the essential paraphernalia of the culture: Thai trains have the shower jar with the glazed dragon on its side, Ceylonese ones the car reserved for Buddhist monks, Indian ones a vegetarian kitchen and six classes, Iranian ones prayer mats, Malaysian ones a noodle…” quote by Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/336/paul-theroux-913_buddhist-monk_the-trains-in-a-country-contain-the-esse_1757305.jpg)
![“He [an earnest young reporter] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be art, the object of children's books is to whip the little rascals into shape.” quote by Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2cf/katherine-paterson-2365_adults_he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-s_6101.jpg)
![“I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback [in "The Invisible Woman"]. Ralph [Fiennes] was very open to my input, I think knowing that he couldn't always be there 100 percent, that he had dual aims with directing and acting.” quote by Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/56e/felicity-jones-2070_acting_i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-wa_11933.jpg)
