Buddhism and Scouting

BUDDHISM AND SCOUTING:

Many suffer from the misconception that scouting, as an activity, is exclusive to Christians. Nothing can be further from the truth. Buddhist youth have participated in scouting, actively, for the past 80 years, making their presence known in every aspect of Scouting.

The religious emblems that a young Buddhist scout can receive at the end of certain levels of his study are as follows:

Metta Emblem: Metta signifies love, kindness and goodwill, one of basic principles of any religion, or rather, any well-meaning human being. For any Cub Scout, these qualities are surely prerequisites, as he approached manhood.

Sangha Emblem: Sangha or brotherhood, aims to inculcate a sense of belonging into young Cubs. They are taught to relate to everyday life, via the tenets of Buddhism. It helps the Scout achieve the pledges made in the Scout Oath and Law.

The World Buddhist Scout Brotherhood aims to achieve these goals and imbibe the spirit of Buddhism among young buys in a more organised manner in the 21st century. It received consultative status from the World Scout Committee in 2009.

The official objectives of WBSB are:

• To develop and promote the spirit of brotherhood among Scouts of the Buddhist faith.
• To develop an education curriculum that should enhance the spirituality and moral strength of Cubs in accordance with the Boy Scout movement via the tenets of the Buddhist faith.
• To promote relations between Scouts and non-Scout Buddhists.
• To introduce Scouting in such states or areas where Buddhism is practised.
• To co-ordinate the activities of WBSB with non-Scout Organizations having similar aims and objectives.
• To motivate co-operation among Scout members.
• To motivate and promote Scouting among Buddhist boys and girls around the world.
• To promote interaction with the Scouts of other faiths.