Anti-Aids education

In addition to offering mental care to patients, the monks are also engaged in anti-AIDS education and awareness-raising programs in rural areas in Xishuangbanna, where 70 percent of HIV patients became infected through sexual contact.

Since talking about sex is taboo for Buddhist monks, they are only expected to give a general admonition and leave secular employees of the program to discuss preventive measures against HIV/AIDS.

The monks try to convince people to stay away from risky sexual behavior by citing Buddhist disciplines.

"We educate people with two of the five basic disciplines of Buddhism -- not to be lustful and not to drink," Du says.

The work of educating the populace about HIV/AIDS is tireless, according to Ai Hanen, the head of Home of Buddha Glory's operations.

"Many Dai (ethnic minority) people who live in remote villages are so poorly educated that they can read neither Chinese words nor Dai words," Ai said.

Employees of the program are working on a compact disc that will include educational songs and lectures recorded in plain language. They believe the practice will be well-received by the Dai people, who generally have trouble understanding intricate medical terminology.

The role of religion in anti-AIDS efforts can also be seen in northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, which is home to the country's largest Muslim community.

Imams from mosques in Ningxia preach about the dangers of risky behavior, such as contact with commercial sex workers and drug abuse, by defining them as violations of Islamic doctrine. ' "The imams once traveled all the way to our monastery to see what they could learn," Ai said.