tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post859265572873471524..comments2023-09-21T09:49:28.326-07:00Comments on Fierce Dandelions: Hot Topics: Socially Engaged BuddhismNathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13920234350446745482noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-4190911026644925472010-09-18T12:50:40.357-07:002010-09-18T12:50:40.357-07:00In my opinion, those who call for a disengaged, ap...In my opinion, those who call for a disengaged, apolitical Buddhism are ignoring the long history of social and political engagement in Buddhism stretching back to the Buddha himself, and even back to the <i>Jataka</i> tales. <br /><br />Put more bluntly, do those who oppose Buddhist social and political engagement know more about Buddhism than the Buddha; Nagarjuna; the authors of the Pali, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-8335198843128048592010-09-18T08:44:29.664-07:002010-09-18T08:44:29.664-07:00T.Y.
What does "real, effortful practice&qu...T.Y. <br /><br />What does "real, effortful practice" look like? Does it have a fixed form? <br /><br />Ji Hyang, <br /><br />Thank you! Thank you!And yes...<br /><br />NathanNathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920234350446745482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-35952307405246906412010-09-18T08:38:00.038-07:002010-09-18T08:38:00.038-07:00“Our journey begins today,
and every day.
Each s...<i>“Our journey begins today, <br />and every day. <br />Each step is a prayer, <br />each step is a meditation, <br />each step will build a bridge.”</i><br /><br />Once my teacher, Samdeach Maha Ghosananda said, people had told him, "monks belong in the temple." He continued,<br />"We must find the courage to leave out temples <br />and enter the temples of human experience, <brJi Hyanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09836334688328111181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-17818922459524046042010-09-18T01:50:16.709-07:002010-09-18T01:50:16.709-07:00I totally get that people need to eat! I just thin...I totally get that people need to eat! I just think there has to be some realism that suffering is the nature of our existence and that enlightenment (and therefore real, effortful practice) is the only way to social change. Everything else is just power-tripping. IMO :)Yeshehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08577630682656676964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-29803831492187695302010-09-16T08:11:28.185-07:002010-09-16T08:11:28.185-07:00Sharanam: "So too, there may be different tim...Sharanam: "So too, there may be different times in one's life when one way of being in the world is more skillful than the other." This is a very important point. I'm currently in a quiet period in my life, mostly resting, reflecting, meditating. It's what's called for right now. <br /><br />Kyle: "Maybe if this political approach continues, we may fall into the Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920234350446745482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-86372448896568417672010-09-16T05:18:56.946-07:002010-09-16T05:18:56.946-07:00I am kind of polling. I am really curious if ther...I am kind of polling. I am really curious if there are any Buddhist bloggers who are fiscally conservative or do they feel they need to stay closeted or loose their readership?Sabio Lantzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12963476276106907984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-3114704338652210762010-09-16T00:21:56.182-07:002010-09-16T00:21:56.182-07:00As a monastic in the west I see our work as more t...As a monastic in the west I see our work as more than some kind of vehicle for social change, mostly because I don't think anything can change and that most engaged practices are simply power-tripping. Buddhists working in hospices, prisons, aid agencies, soup kitchens etc. are providing some kind of service, but from a serious Buddhist perspective we should always hold the view of these Yeshehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08577630682656676964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-70869304165572826242010-09-15T19:38:42.658-07:002010-09-15T19:38:42.658-07:00Thanks for the post (and the link). Guess I'v...Thanks for the post (and the link). Guess I've said more than my share on it. Only thing left in case I left it out somewhere is that some very valid concerns and viewpoints about this issue are getting mixed up with a lot of personal defensiveness. The latter throws up a lot of smoke that makes it hard to look at what's going on.Algernonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01698040927871199780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-56573507277052313882010-09-15T14:54:10.660-07:002010-09-15T14:54:10.660-07:00Can't say you haven't done your best to sh...Can't say you haven't done your best to show all sides.<br /><br />I tend to lean away from Buddhism as a platform for social change, but while reading this a couple things occurred to me.<br /><br />I still think that while practicing Buddhism makes you a better person each day (as opposed to better than other people) and that this is the first step towards improving the world. I don&#kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04679849282951730576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-25638076019740798122010-09-15T14:53:38.242-07:002010-09-15T14:53:38.242-07:00"The thing I keep going back to is the idea t..."The thing I keep going back to is the idea that for better or worse, one's belief system will influence how one acts within the larger social/political world. An atheist or secular humanist will look at things differently from a devout Christian or Jew. Perhaps, they end up making similar decisions, but the reasoning behind, as well as the path that led up to said decisions will be Kylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14925360776637168540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-741227658356358863.post-17628556070482922882010-09-15T14:50:18.489-07:002010-09-15T14:50:18.489-07:00Nathan, I agree that there is a continuum of engag...Nathan, I agree that there is a continuum of engagement, and there needs to be room for solitary contemplatives as well as for those who are actively working on social justice. So too, there may be different times in one's life when one way of being in the world is more skillful than the other. <br /><br />I think Vimala Thakar is a wonderful model for this. Her words spoken decades ago stillsharanamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13341107786880574944noreply@blogger.com