An article by Maitrīsara, secretary of the Network of Engaged Buddhists which appears on their website.
Is there such as thing as disengaged Buddhism?
I have one of those 'thought for the day' pads next to my desk called Insight from the Dalai Lama. I find it helps to remind me of the intention behind my daily work as a community worker and trainer in the voluntary sector.
One day recently the entry said:
It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act. There are two aspects to action. One is to overcome the distortions and afflictions of your own mind, that is, in terms of calming and eventually dispelling anger. This is action out of compassion. The other is more social, more public. When something needs to be done in the world to rectify the wrongs, if one is really concerned with benefiting others, one needs to be engaged, involved.
The Dalai Lama
So what has Buddhism got to offer when 'something needs to be done in the world'?
Effectiveness – How many times have decisions that have adversely affected our communities and our planet been based on rage, revenge and the egotistical craving to be noticed and to make a mark on the world? To understand our deeper motivations and to be realistic about the motivations of others, helps us to get to grips with the action which would really make a difference.
Sustainability – Buddhist based mind trainings encourage calm, balance, patience, energy and courage. Above all, the practices help to address greed, hostility and confusion. In an ever more materialistic society, the relevance of simple living and contentment are evident.
The world of activism and action for justice also has something to offer our practice.
An expression of interconnectedness - Buddhists believe that life is a web of interconnections; in Thich Nhat Hahn’s words, we all “inter-are”. This means that every event – near or far, past or present is to do with us. We are connected with it and our response to it can help to heal or perpetuate its dis-ease. Each and every situation – locally and globally is an opportunity for compassion, for generosity, for truth and for equanimity.
The development of compassion – Buddhism is a practice of love and the Mahayana teachings tell the story of the Bodhisattva who suspends her attainment of Enlightenment until she has helped all to find peace. The Karaniya Metta Sutta tell us that we should cultivate loving kindness towards all living beings, just as a mother cares for her only child. How can we best express that care for other humans, our brother and sister species and all life?
Existing justice and helping organisations and movements already have structures, experience and resources to make a difference and Buddhists can take their place within them for maximum effect. The campaign against the DSEi arms fair in 2005 for example, was a protest during which a number of different peace groups took different roles and carried out different actions. Buddhists meditated on the trains full of arms fair delegates thereby demonstrating their objection to the sale of arms. At other times, Buddhists can work together within their Sanghas to take action such as the work of the Karuna Trust which raises money in the UK for social projects in India among the poorest Dalit communities.
Engaged Buddhism is a practice which helps to link the work on your own mind and the more social, public dimension of compassion. As the Dalai Lama suggests, all Buddhism is compassionate action – but engaged Buddhism refers to those aspects of action which are more public, more collective. Kenneth Kraft suggests that:
an exclusively inner transformation, however profound, is not the end of the trail. Greed, anger and delusion .. need to be uprooted in personal lives, but they also have to be dealt with as social and political realities.
Ken Jones refines the term to pinpoint just what we are talking about:
It usually comes down in discussion as to what 'engagement' means. This is why I prefer 'SOCIALLY engaged Buddhism' Otherwise it is claimed that ALL authentic Buddhism must inevitably be 'engaged', and the discussion starts to go round in circles.
Though there is no suggestion that all Buddhists should express both these aspects in their practice, the Buddhist world as a whole needs to and perhaps every Sangha needs to consider doing so in some way.
In the UK, the Network of Engaged Buddhists offers a forum for this work. In the US, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship pioneers this field. An ever increasing range of publications chart the field and a very good recently updated bibliography can be found on the Buddhist Peace Felllowship site - go to resource center, then bibliography.