Bangkok Post - May 23, 2003
Danai Chanchaochai

So there you are relaxing over a beer with a group of friends when one, then another lights up a cigarette. What do you do? Read them the King James's riot act? Ask them not to smoke in your presence? Or do you say nothing, trying your best to ignore the stinking fumes until you have to back away from their effects?

This type of situation is one we often encounter and one that can pose something of a dilemma. If we do protest, we risk upsetting what's meant to be a convivial get together. If we say nothing we are not being true to our convictions plus were likely to be physically affected by the cigarette smoke. Because you're with friends you can something like, "You know how much I dislike smoking so if you don't mind I'll get some fresh air for awhile. By the way you can get me another beer while I'm gone." If you don't drink alcohol either you of course risk being regarded as a bit of a bore but you will not have offended your friends or comprised your stand on smoking. Also, simply by expressing your views, your message may have some effect. After all, its their selfish actions that have caused you to react.

Smoking though is just one of the problems that confront us in today's turbulent society and they all challenge us to do what is right. Do we stand up and be counted as they say, railing against the evils we see around us or do we turn our face to the wall and let it all go by? Do we step over the drug addict, sprawled senseless across our path, shy away from the Aids victim, stare in morbid fascination as a road accident unfolds before our eyes, but do nothing to help the blood splattered victims?

For some rare individuals there is never any doubt about the right course of action. They make it their life's work to help others. Around the world, they achieve a fame they probably do not seek, a fame which also helps them get things done. But what of the rest of us? We may even look upon those champions of the poor, the sick and the underprivileged with a certain amount of envy. They at least have made it clear where they stand, their conscience is clear. What are we to do? Do we walk into a gambling den in Klong Toey and denounce the assembled throng of drug pushers, addicts, pimps and prostitutes as worthless members of society, asking them to mend their wanton ways or else? Do we challenge the endless corruption that we see all around us?

We justify our inaction by asking ourselves what good would it do anyway. If we stop to help every helpless person we come across we say, we would bring all kinds of trouble on ourselves having to be responsible for hospital bills for instance, being late for work, and anyway they're usually just drunks who are sleeping it off, we'd be wasting our time trying to help them. Of course we're never really convinced by those arguments but for many of us that's how it is; a daily dilemma we cannot escape and which we sometimes try to resolve by some act of merit making or charity work. "I want to do the right thing, but I am just one individual," we say.

If we think back to the issue of smoking we know of course that this was not a problem in the time of the Buddha, there were no cigarettes around in his lifetime but he did warn against the use of intoxicating and harmful substances. When we smoke, we not only hurt ourselves, were also hurting other people.

So far as smoking is concerned we can make a stand simply by not doing it and there are countless ways we can actively campaign against it, including through the many existing anti-smoking organisations. And the same goes for all those other evils which confront us.

When we take the hand of an Aids patient who is lying without family or friends in a hospital bed we are doing more than simply offering comfort. By helping others in this way we are also helping ourselves. Overcoming fear and prejudices and helping those in need can be a potent force in encouraging others to do the same.

I was reminded of this recently when I came across an account of the work at Wat Hua Rin at Tung Satoke, near Chiang Mai run by Abbot Dhannawat who runs a programme to unite local people in the fight against Aids. He explained, "When we started six years ago the problem was on both sides _ people who had HIV-Aids were secretive, while the community would not accept them. Everything was negative, threatening the community's ability to survive peacefully. So we set out to teach people about the importance of solidarity, of helping others _ not only in relation to HIV-Aids, but as a whole. We started groups for women, for children, for young people, for seniors and for people living with HIV."

Today the Abbot works with Sangha Metta (The Compassionate Society) project run by Unicef as part of its Thailand country programme. Sangha Metta enlists Buddhist monks and nuns, through scripture, in the fight against the disease. The Four Noble Truths _ suffering, its cause, its cessation and the path leading to its cessation _ underpin the programme. The driving force in the Sangha Metta is Laurie Maund, 56, an Australian Buddhist who has lived in Thailand for 32 years, and is now professor at the Mahamakut Buddhist University (MBU) in Chiang Mai. From there, he manages Sangha Metta for Unicef.

Reading of the inspiring work of Abbot Dhannawat and the Sangha Metta reminded me once again that if we really want to be counted, all we have to do is to stand up.

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