Explained : The Complex Intersections of Faith, Politics, and Power and Its Impact

Religion has long exerted significant influence within society; however, its integration into politics and nationalism can transform it into both a source of spiritual authority and a mechanism of power. In ‘The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia’ (HarperCollins), journalist and author Sonia Faleiro critically examines this transformation, highlighting how Buddhism – traditionally regarded as a philosophy of peace – has been reinterpreted, weaponised, and politicised across Asia.

Drawing on her travels through India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand, Faleiro integrates reportage, historical analysis, and biographical narrative. Rather than focusing on Buddhism as a religion, the book investigates how its symbols, narratives, and institutions are being redefined to serve political power.
The book opens with Faleiro’s return to Dharamshala, the Himalayan town that hosts the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetan refugees. This journey is both personal – marking her first visit to India in two decades – and political, as she seeks to understand how the image of Buddhism as a nonviolent tradition has been challenged.
One of the most striking episodes she recounts is her encounter with Lhakpa Tsering, a Tibetan refugee who self-immolated outside a Mumbai hotel during a visit by Chinese Premier Hu Jintao. This act, widely photographed and featured prominently in Indian media, symbolized both the desperation of the Free Tibet movement and the paradox of Buddhist protest – self-sacrifice as a form of nonviolent resistance.

This experience preconditions the book. Faleiro cannot rest on superficial notions; she digs deep into the inconsistencies and questions the reason as to why monks and nuns are the symbol of compassion, as they are often being pulled into national politics and even national violence.

The author situates her narrative within the broader context of political and religious transformation in India. She references the 1991 economic reforms, the ensuing uneven prosperity, and persistent religious divisions. These contemporary tensions are framed against the historical backdrop of the 1947 partition, which displaced millions.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), through its public displays, ideological influences, and involvement in religious riots, exemplifies the connection between Hindu nationalism and the broader theme of religion as political power. Faleiro notes that by 2023, the RSS had amassed millions of members, and the Bharatiya Janata Party, had consolidated its political dominance.

But even amid the rise of Hindu nationalism, Faleiro revisits Buddhism as a potential alternative. She reflects on childhood lessons from the Jataka tales, the significance of Bodh Gaya, and the symbolism of the Dharma wheel on the Indian flag. This serves as a reminder of Buddhism’s complex and contested legacy in India, focusing on the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.

The author describes his privileged childhood and his father’s efforts to shield him from suffering. Finally, Siddhartha gave up his easy life, and his harsh ascetic training, such as long starvation, eventually led to his mind-enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in 528 BCE.

Faleiro elucidates the Buddha’s Middle Way, which advocates moderation and rejects extremism. She also addresses the Four Noble Truths – suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path leading to its end – and introduces the Noble Eightfold Path as the prescribed approach.

Faleiro underscores ahimsa, or nonviolence, as a foundational Buddhist principle. Citing Walpola Rahula, she notes that ahimsa encompasses not only refraining from violence but also actively seeking to prevent it. This principle informed Gandhi’s satyagraha movement and influenced Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. Faleiro examines the influence of Buddhism in the West during the late twentieth century. She cites critics who argue that by the 2000s, American Buddhism had frequently lost its philosophical depth and was commoditized as a consumer product.

Another significant section of the book addresses gender inequality within Buddhist institutions. In Theravada traditions across South and Southeast Asia, women are prohibited from taking full monastic vows. In Sri Lanka, female monastics lack official recognition, are denied voting rights and access to medical services, and are frequently relegated to domestic tasks within temples.

The theme of self-sacrifice recurs throughout the book. Faleiro recounts the story of the Buddha offering himself to a tigress, interpreting it as a parable of nonviolence. She cautions, however, that such narratives can be appropriated to justify violence, highlighting the tension between compassion and exclusion. ok, the scene shifts to Myanmar, where monks like U Wayama and U Tun Kyi show the complex interplay between resistance and complicity.

Faleiro describes secret conversations with dissident monks, their views on propaganda, and the Sangha’s dual role as both a spiritual and political institution. Also discusses the controversial effect of colonial policies where the colonial rulers imported Indian merchants to Burma, gave preference to Tamils in Ceylon, and annexed Muslim territories in Thailand. These actions strengthened the border and were part of the scapegoating of minorities.
Leaders such as Anagarika Dharmapala depicted the Buddha as a warrior, thereby fueling Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism in Sri Lanka. Organisations like Bodu Bala Sena aligned with Hindu nationalists in India and ultranationalist Buddhists in Myanmar, forming a transnational network of religious extremism.

Faleiro observes that violence is frequently justified as self-defence, with propaganda disseminated by both military and civilian actors. She documents instances of monastic involvement in such activities. Upon concluding her exploration of Asia’s religious and political complexities, Faleiro employs a compelling metaphor drawn from a Jataka tale.
For Faleiro, the narrative serves as an autobiography of the monks she encountered – individuals without monasteries, yet willing to sacrifice their lives in opposition to oppression. This raises a central question: can the core values of Buddhism endure when the tradition is instrumentalised for political purposes?

Tailpiece

‘The Robe and the Sword’ distinguishes itself from conventional histories of Buddhism. Its central argument is explicit: when the message of compassion and nonviolence is intertwined with nationalism and power, it risks being distorted to justify exclusion and violence.
The author provides a thoroughly researched and incisive analysis of these dynamics, skillfully integrating personal narratives with historical evidence and amplifying the voices of monks, nuns, refugees, and revolutionaries.
Faleiro does not idealise or dismiss Buddhism. Instead, she explores how compassion and non-violence coexist with their use as tools of exclusion and violence.
Spanning nearly 400 pages, the book offers a deeply personal account that encourages readers to reconsider Buddhism and to move beyond Western wellness frameworks when examining Asian extremism. For policymakers, scholars, and general audiences alike, Faleiro’s analysis demonstrates how religion can function both as a vehicle for liberation and as an instrument of manipulation. The concluding inquiry remains pressing: Is compassion achievable in an era marked by rising nationalism?

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