Contesting Buddhist Narratives 51 actors run and their need to challenge exclusionary narratives in sometimes indirect ways, or through internal monastic dialogue. In addition to supporting monks and other religious and lay leaders in speaking out against divisive speech that incites hatred and violence, it is vital to help them do so in such a way that directly incorVague pronouncements in favor of porates and acknowledges ‘peace’ will be insufficient to address the complex dynamics described in this paper. Vague the rhetoric of nationalist movements pronouncements in favor of “peace” will be insufficient to address the ways in which the rhetoric of U Wirathu and others taps into deeply held anxieties about the fate of Buddhism, anxieties that are pronounced in this period of political transition. As illustrated above, there are rich resources within the Theravada Buddhist tradition that can be drawn upon to inculcate attitudes and policies supporting religious pluralism. Buddhists in Myanmar can engender a rich and potentially transformative conversation by appealing to notions of right speech, to the virtues of loving kindness and compassion, to the need to test claims about reality and be open to others, and to understand the ways in which change and impermanence drives anxiety and suffering. While it will be important to construct and support alternative Buddhist narratives regarding conflict, other religions, and the protection of Buddhism, it will be equally necessary for continued political, legal, and economic reforms to address the underlying socioeconomic insecurities that motivate the current conflicts and that will continue to inhibit national reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in Myanmar. Without attention to this entire range of contributing conditions, interreligious conflict could be the downfall of Myanmar’s once-promising transition to democracy.