The above link will take you to the BMA-UK site – where a news article from North Korea has been added on the “Red Metta” Blog. Many fall for the bourgeois propaganda that Socialism “wipes-out” religion – when in fact Socialism creates the conditions for religions to re-assume their true “non-greed” function of ensuring an individual’s emancipation from suffering – at least on the inner plane (Socialism fulfils the functions of freeing humanity from suffering on the outer plane). Religion should be completely non-supportive of capitalism and any form of bourgeois politics – but fully supportive of Socialist ideology. This is because compassion and justice underlies all genuine religions and every form of Marxist-Leninism. This is no friction or unnecessary conflict whatsoever – unless the inverted mind-set of the greedy bourgeoisie is permitted to get in the way.
On a slightly different note, there was an English man who travelled to South Korea and joined a Buddhist monastic order. Indeed, I believe he eventually met the woman who would become his wife – at the time a Buddhist “nun”. Upon returning to the UK he established a Buddhist College in Devon – but as the years went by he started to describe himself as an “atheist” who do not believe in any form of religion or mysticism. He even banned Buddha statues from his meditation rooms – and when my teacher – Richard Hunn – was invited to teach, he also banned all incense. Of course, Buddhism is not a religion with the Buddha being described as “non-theist” (he said gods only seem to exist until believers realise they are non-existent).
Yes – monotheism was unknown in the Buddha’s time – so it is interesting to consider what exactly it was that that this Englishman was reacting to? Did he think Buddhism was a religion – and the Buddha a god? Is this what they were teaching in South Korea? Buddhist monks in North Korea sit and meditate to realise the empty essence of physical matter – and study the ideology of Juche – with no sense of contradiction or confusion. More than this, but the entire Buddhist teachings – around 5000 sutras – are perfectly preserved in North Korea in a manner that any one can access – lay or monastic – Buddhist or non-Buddhist.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 