A tale of Buddha, and modern Buddhism: The Robe and The Sword

Buddhism is generally associated with peace, calm, and most importantly, self-reflection. But what happens when religion, like many others, becomes a political tool? What happens when monks in robes pick up swords and guns? Though it may sound fictional, Sonia Faleiro has recorded exactly this extremism in the context of modern Asia. Published by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins in 2026, The Robe and The Sword is a detailed journal entry of data appropriately written by a journalist who travelled to all the regions she has mentioned in the book.

The book is divided into three parts including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand, with an introduction of India. There is a list of political characters from all four regions, leaders who are extremists, politically cruel, and ideologically radical in their actions. The book, in a way, critiques Buddhism as a philosophy or religion. It predominantly talks about how organised religion, be it any religion, if given absolute power, will corrupt the minds of its believers. The god worshippers become the gods themselves, then, and inevitably want to control those who are poorer and weaker.

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The introduction very aptly points out how first Hinduism, and later Western capitalist philosophy, appropriated Buddhism, reducing it to statues of Gautam Buddha in crystal shops, and yoga for the rich.

Faleiro talks of the violence Tamils faced (face) in Sri Lanka in the hands of Buddhists and their Bodhi Bala Sena, inspired by the nationalistic half-pant men in India with batons and principles inspired by 20th-century European fascist organisations. The same slogans of “Sri Lanka for the Sinhalese”, “Buddhism is in danger” are spoken in the country before committing mass murder, displacement, and genocide. The Sri Lankan story talks of the leaders like Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara and his spiteful tongue. “By 2023, Sri Lanka had no shortage of controversial clergy, but Gnanasara stood apart. His exploits were legendary: arrests for drunk driving and hit-and-runs, an appetite for luxury cars and coteries of bodyguards.” Buddhism is a cornerstone in Sri Lanka; it is not just a faith but an identity for the citizens, often making the religious minorities, like Tamil Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, second-class citizens. Such leaders took this dependency and have gotten away with such delinquencies time and again. Sri Lankan demography is complex, and like all colonised nations, it is filled with violence. Thus, archaic belief systems are still in practice even after the colonists have left the country.

The story of Myanmar (Burma) is even more violent, dire, and filled with military control. February 2013 saw one of the most harrowing genocides by Buddhist monks, followers, and leaders. Ashin Wirathu, leader of the 969-movement opposing the Muslim population, was a champion in inciting violence against the Rohingya Muslim population of Myanmar. After his visit, the riots started. Faleiro writes, “The bloodlust claimed at least 20 children…Another monk held a blade to the throat of an Associated Press photographer, demanding his camera’s memory card. Witnesses saw monks force Muslims to kneel on the ground and worship them.”

Giving the author the benefit of the doubt, there is an overall overlook of the effects of colonialism and neo-colonialism in all these countries. Thailand is the last part of the book with its Disneyland monks, flashy cars, and religion being mostly a consumerist utopia for the average capitalist. The author is successful in creating a very clear scenario of modern religion through the lens of Buddhism, shattering the ‘Zen’ surrounding the religion, how Western philosophy mystifies it, and so many of the South Asian discourses.

Spotlight:

The Robe and The Sword

By Sonia Faleiro

Published Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2026

Price: Rs 599/-