Sri Lanka, July 8 -- In Sri Lanka, on a 24/7 basis, the words of wisdom ofGautama Buddha are related in some place or another. In over 12,000 temples spread across the rustic villages to the urbanized city, Dhamma values and traditions are encouraged by nearly 43,000 monks daily.Not to mention the hundreds of places alongside roads or at junctions, where the statue of the Buddha is placed on an altar and the chanting of Karaniya Metta Sutta (words on loving-kindness) happens daily over loudspeakers.

In this great nation of ours, steeped in Dhamma and its Non-violence (ahimsa) teachings, is it not disturbing to learn that almost none of the venerable monks have voiced their concern on the unprecedented genocide in Palestine? The Karaniya ...