If the state of things sociopolitical has you downhearted, says Jan Willis, action is the only way to bring back hope. Here's her advice for making the most of your bravery, your voice, and your vote. Being pacifist is not the same as being passive, and being inspired by Buddhist wisdom does not mean that we close our minds and eyes to the rapid changes occurring around us [...]
How Not to Freak Out
You're not alone if you despair about the present and fear for the future. If you find all the bad news overwhelming, Buddhist teacher Judy Lief has some meditations to help you relieve your socio-political pain. It’s not as if times of fear and despair are anything new. People have fought wars, struggled to survive, faced injustice, experienced loss, dealt with violence [...]
The Promise of Buddhist Economics
UC Berkeley economist Clair Brown argues for an economic system based on altruism, sustainability, and a meaningful life. Because even economics is about more than money. The starting point of your new book, Buddhist Economics, is that the goal of any economic system is to create human happiness. How does the free market system define happiness and how is the definition in [...]
Who Was B. R. Ambedkar?
A profile of B. R. Ambedkar, a vital figure in Indian history and an activist for the Dalit ("untouchables") class. B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) was a statesman, social reformer, and independence leader who led a Buddhist revival in India known as the Dalit Buddhist movement. He inspired millions of Indians to convert to Buddhism to escape the oppression of the Hindu caste [...]
Stand Against Suffering: A Call to Action by Buddhist Teachers
Thirteen prominent teachers explain why Buddhists need to be be politically engaged at this crucial time in the country’s history, in this statement published in Lion’s Roar magazine and co-signed by more than 140 Buddhist leaders. As long as a society protects the vulnerable among them, they can be expected to prosper and not decline. —The Buddha, in the Mahaparinirvana [...]
Love Everyone: A Guide for Spiritual Activists
Real political change must be spiritual. Real spiritual practice has to be political. Buddhist teachers Sharon Salzberg and Rev. angel Kyodo williams on how we can bring the two worlds together to build a more just and compassionate society. Sharon Salzberg: I’d like to start with a meditation. Settle your attention and energy into your body and feel your breath. Find the [...]
Buddhism’s Call to Action
Jack Kornfield on the importance of contributing to activism with Buddhist practice and wisdom. Science and technology alone cannot stop continuing warfare, racism, and environmental destruction. The illusion of separation that fuels global consumerism and greed, fear, and ignorance needs to be transformed by the realization of interdependence, by the illumination of [...]
How “Buddhist Economics” Can Make Us Happier
Clair Brown argues for an economy that brings out the best in people, not the most self-centered and shortsighted. Economics affects how we live and how happy we are. Yet most people ignore economics, even though it has a powerful impact on our lives and our future. Take our two biggest worldwide challenges: global warming and income inequality. United Nations climate [...]
The Path of Solidarity
Doshin Nathan Woods considers what it means to stand arm in arm as part of our Buddhist practice. From the Spring 2017 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly. There is a meme I often see these days, at times attributed to Suzuki Roshi or to Aitken Roshi, that runs something like this: “Renunciation is not getting rid of the things of the world but accepting [...]
I’m Buddhist and going to DC’s People’s Climate March. See you there?
In early March in New York City, we reached temperatures of 60 and 67 degrees. The average high for March is 48 degrees. That is the historical average; temperatures of the last three years have beaten all precedents. While I’m the first to admit that I abhor cold weather, what I ultimately want, and need, is a world that is stable, sustainable, and provides a stable home to [...]
