KONSEP DAN PRAKTIK MODERASI BERAGAMA UMAT BUDDHA DI INDONESIA

Abstract

The term Religious Moderation in Indonesia since 2019 has become a jargon among religious people and the government. Through the Ministry of Religion, the Government designs a program of religious moderation as an answer to the challenges of extreme, radical, liberal and fanatical views as well as the strengthening of identity politics which can complicate relations between religious communities and trigger disintegration in a pluralistic society. As part of the Indonesian nation, Buddhists have practiced tolerance and moderation in religion, which is the essence of Buddhist teachings. This shows that the concept and practice of moderation of Buddhists is in accordance with the moderation program of the ministry of religion. This study aims to find out how the concept and practice of religious moderation of Buddhists in Indonesia. This research is a descriptive qualitative research with literature study. This research reveals that religious moderation is the core implied in Buddhism, namely Meta. Meta is a Buddhist life teaching that has values of love, peace, openness, and equality. In practice, Buddhists in Indonesia have carried out moderation practices such as moderation counseling in Banjarnegara District, multicultural moderation at Borobudur Temple, and the use of public space as a moderation model for Buddhists by celebrating Vesak and the Pokjaluh tradition. The research concludes that the concept and practice of moderation in Buddhism has existed for a long time.