Social healing seeks to deal with wounds created by conflict, collective trauma and large-scale oppression. Its domain is centrally within consciousness. Its primary modalities are truth, reconciliation, forgiveness and restorative justice. It requires individuals to assume the responsibility to become healing agents themselves and as such it is experiential rather than ideological. Social healing requires the healing of minds.

The consciousness of a Buddhist should be guided by the principle of Metta (love), Karuna (compassion), Muditha (Joy) and Upekkha (Equanimity), and not cultural practices that are devoid of these. If these principles guide us, the need to heal will not arise as there will not be any wounds to heal. However, in moments of weakness if there are consequential wounds arising from acts based on selfishness, hatred and ignorance, humaneness, compassion, love and understanding  can easily be applied to healing the wounds created.

The late Walpola Rahula Thero in his book “Sathyodaya”, explains how far Buddhists have been misguided to believe in cultural practices that purport to accumulate “pin or merit” to oneself. Many such practices are distant to the real teachings of Buddha and do not advance healing of oneself and others where it is needed.

About the teacher

The Venerable Galkande Dhammananda Thero is a Sri Lankan national and a monk of Theravada Buddhist tradition. He is the Executive Director of the Walpola Rahula Institute for Buddhist Studies, where educational and training programs are offered for religious leaders and lay persons with an aim to support social healing. He is a full-time lecturer attached to the Department of History, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.

After completing his monastic training, Dhammananda Thero joined the University of Kelaniya and received his B.A. Degree in History. After winning the Commonwealth Scholarship in 2003 he completed his Masters and M.Phil degrees at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, where he is now reading for a PhD.

Dhammananda thero is actively engaged in issues related to social justice and harmony that promotes an inclusive plural society. He has been actively using social media to propagate the message of nonviolence during resent inter-religious and inter-ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka.

Some of his videos titled Bahujana Hitaya (for the betterment of all) can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bREFYFJH-Rs

Over the years he has been in dialogue with religious leaders on issues related to social justice and healing and wishes to support others to enter in to similar dialogues. He is inspired by the Buddha’s teaching of ‘Bahujana Hitaya’ (for the betterment of all) calling for one to work beyond religious, ethnic or social labels to actively uplift the society – especially supporting those who are vulnerable, marginalized and discriminated against.