Today, a group of Buddhist teachers and practitioners purchased 180 acres of rural Colorado land to start "Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center." The land is a nature preserve that is home to deer, elk, moose, bear, and beaver, and borders Arapahoe National Forest. "It's exciting to me," says director and vice president David Loy. "We now have a center devoted to [...]
Buddhists Must Awaken to the Ecological Crisis
Buddhists, says David Loy, have often been slow to open their eyes to the problem of climate change. He examines key Buddhist teachings to try to understand why. Interest in eco-dharma—the ecological implications of Buddhist teachings—is finally growing after years of apparent indifference and little conversation about it in Buddhist sanghas. The environmental crisis has [...]
You’re invited to sign “A Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change”
In a new post, the One Earth Sangha is inviting visitors to sign a declaration demanding immediate climate action at COP21 (21st Conference of Parties) in Paris at the end of this year. From the post: Together, with over 5000 Buddhist practitioners, and significant leaders such as the Dalai Lama, the Karmarpa, and Thich Nhat Hanh, we are presenting The Time to Act is Now, A [...]
Catching On: Finding peace in prison
Prisoner Timothy Burke on how Buddhist meditation has been helpful in finding peace -- and deepening his understanding of Christianity. This prison in southwest Ohio is of old design, laid out as one long corridor with housing blocks and secondary annexes attached to its sides. The main hallway, like an artery, feeds the branches: the chow hall, library, medical office, [...]
The Suffering System
David Loy looks at how Buddhism can help us to understand and address modern issues such as the war on terrorism, nationalism, and corporate greed. He says many of our social problems can be traced back to a deluded sense of collective self, or group ego, which he calls "wego." To end end suffering, we need to understand and transform the three evils—greed, ill will, and [...]