I was a political junkie in college. You know the guy who would turn every discussion into a 20-minute tirade on globalism and the social contract even though it was 9 am, and people just wanted to drink their coffee in peace?
Yeah, that was me. I prided myself on being able to rattle off the voting records of all the representatives in my district, and I spent a lot of time volunteering on campaigns. I know the political game very well.
That's why I wasn't surprised when I read Buddhist scripture, and noticed that our Buddhist ancestors largely steered clear of politics.
Buddha chose to live as a mendicant monk rather than return home and become an enlightened ruler. Dogen moved his monastery out of Kyoto, and into the mountains to escape political theater. And Nichiren was exiled because he wouldn't endorse the political leaders of his time.
I understand why these men made the choices that they did because I know what it takes to win at politics. You have to create an "us vs. them" mentality in your constituency. You have to occasionally sell out that same constituency in order to remain in power. And you have to do things that make your stomach turn in the hopes that a "greater good" will be served.
Politics is a dirty business, and no one walks away from it clean.
That being said, there is a very big difference between equanimity and apathy. Buddhist scriptures make it clear that we're expected to help our fellow beings even as we work towards our own awakening.
In fact, the Bramajala sutra goes so far as to state, "All men are our fathers and all women are our mothers". What kind of of a person would I be if I used Buddhism as an excuse to let my parents suffer? What kind of man would I be?
In fact, the Bramajala sutra goes so far as to state, "All men are our fathers and all women are our mothers". What kind of of a person would I be if I used Buddhism as an excuse to let my parents suffer? What kind of man would I be?
That's why I put my energy into nonviolent direct action. Essentially, direct action is the use of nonviolent means to work directly towards fixing a problem without engaging with traditional political structures.
For example, Food Not Bombs is a terrific direct action organization that I work with. They gather food and share it with people in their community without requiring income statements or proof of need. It's beautiful in it's simplicity. People are hungry. You feed them. Done, no politicians required.
As a Buddhist teacher, meditation is another form of direct action that I enjoy. Most people don't think of the Dharma as a political statement, but in a society that encourages anger, over-consumption, and hedonism, Buddhism is powerful with it's encouragement to renounce sensual gratification in exchange for spiritual insight.
In this way, our Dharma ancestors were revolutionaries, and we follow in their footsteps each time we sit on the cushion. When we practice meditation, we take direct action against the poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance that threaten to rip our society apart.
By purifying our minds, we purify our actions; which in turn results in us purifying the world.
Finally, lifestyle changes and acts of service are effective ways to engage in direct action and make political statements. For example, I believe that animal agriculture is harmful to the planet, so I refrain from eating or wearing animal products. This is a quiet, self-contained protest that doesn't affect anyone but myself. But it gets my point across by lowering market demand for these items.
On the other hand, I have friends who believe pot holes are a major problem in their city. So, they take up a collection to buy cold patch, and when enough money is gathered they purchase supplies, and fill pot holes themselves instead of waiting on city officials. This act of service provides an immediate respite to drivers who are using the road.
The great thing about lifestyle changes and acts of service is that we're able to use our creativity to solve problems. Also, we're 100% in control of our destiny. We find an issue that's important to us, come up with a solution that will either fix it or makes things better, and then we execute.
Direct action provides a way for Buddhists to engage with the world without becoming ensnared in traditional political structures. We can avoid the name-calling and corruption of the two-party system, and still work to enact positive change in the world. Even better, direct action allows us to see that change happening right before our eyes.
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But weren't ancient politics quite different than today's? Dogen lived under feudalism, the Buddha monarchy. Our representative democracy is a tool for non-violent revolution. It's inherently adversarial as a check, but one does not need to engage it by demonizing one side. It's critical that all citizens are engaged and make informed choices on governance or the system doesn't work for the people as intended. I struggle to see where electoral politics infringes on Buddhist principles. But I like everything you have to say here. cheers.
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