The Influence of Buddhism on a Country — A Reposted Online Article

Thailand is a country that believes in Buddhism, but its school differs from those in our country: what they believe in is Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism. The biggest difference between the Small Vehicle and the Great Vehicle is that the Small Vehicle pursues benefiting oneself, while the Great Vehicle pursues benefiting others; the Great Vehicle holds that benefiting others is benefiting oneself, because there is no duality between self and others. This core idea is in the same lineage as the Confucian ideal of "family, nation, and all under heaven" in our traditional culture, so there is a reason why the Great Vehicle Buddhism eventually merged with Confucianism and Daoism here in our land.

The Small Vehicle, on the other hand, is more akin to Western individualism. Individualism versus collectivism has always been a focal point of contention between Eastern and Western civilizations. Yet facts speak louder than words: collectivism may be a memory of choices that made tremendous contributions when different peoples faced great crises of survival. It is always controversial in times of peace and prosperity, but this year, in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, we delivered the finest answer sheet in the human world. All of this has already proven that, at the very least, it is not as wretched as the West's smearing would suggest.