And now for the bad news…. which cannot be ignored but must be acknowledged, not just mentally but also emotionally, if global healing is to occur. The change in the world will only be facilitated by a change in our hearts, the most potent alchemical vessels of all.
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In this vlog, I try to dispel the misconception that Buddhism is negative or pessimistic because of its emphasis on “suffering,” which is the usual, somewhat misleading translation of “dukkha.”
Alas, my introductory video (below) didn’t provide much about the book’s content. So here’s the video trailer for some explanation:
Formulated by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Tiep Hien Order, these precepts are a unique expression of traditional Buddhist morality coming to terms with contemporary issues.
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1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. All systems of thought are guiding means: they are not absolute truth.
2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice non-attachment from views in order to be open to receive others’ viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering by all means, including personal contact and visits, images, sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life fame, profit, wealth or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy and material resources with those who are in need.
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. As soon as anger and hatred arise, practice the meditation on compassion in order to deeply understand the persons who have caused anger and hatred. Learn to look at other beings with the eyes of compassion.
7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Learn to practice breathing in order to regain composure of the body and mind, to practice mindfullness and to develop concentration and understanding.
8. Do not utter words which can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
9. Do not say untrue things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things that you are not sure of. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
10. Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.
11. Do not live with a vocation which is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation which helps realize your ideal of compassion.
12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and to prevent war.
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from enriching themselves from human suffering or the suffering of other beings.
14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. Sexual expression should not happen without love and commitment. In sexual relationships, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.
Compassion and Skillful Action
The idea behind formal meditation is that it can lead to insight into the mechanisms
that produce suffering, which can in turn lead to wisdom and increased compassion for
ourselves and others. With true compassion – not to be confused with pity, or with charity
bound up with a desire for self-recognition – we can act in a more effective and engaged
way in the world.
There exists a form of Buddhist meditation aimed specifically at generating
compassion. It uses as its starting point the belief that all beings with awareness share, and
are motivated by, the same fundamental desire for happiness. The practice uses “resolves”
or sincere wishes for the health, well-being, peace and happiness of any being or person
brought to mind, whether our self, friends, or enemies. The guiding principle is that all
beings deserve our compassion, even if they behave in ways we find objectionable.
A crucial point to make here (indeed a main point of this article) is that cultivating
peace within ourselves and compassion for our enemies does not mean that we should
simply learn to accept injustice, greed, poverty, hatred, war and the other ills of the human
race. Everywhere we look, we encounter individuals, organizations, institutions, ideas and
attitudes that clearly cause a great deal of suffering, and we all share a moral responsibility
to oppose them. At the same time, we must also strive to avoid causing further suffering
and division in our attempts to bring about positive change. Especially in the realm of
politics, it’s easy forget that we’re all part of an interconnected whole and to let our anger
and indignation propel us into an “us vs. them” or “good vs. evil” mentality. It’s a tricky
business that requires an openness of mind and heart.
The Buddhist term “skillful action” refers to behavior that leads to a decrease in
suffering. The concept is simple enough, but its application is incredibly complicated, given
that we can never fully know the ultimate ramifications of each of our actions. Furthermore,
our minds are usually too filled with doubts, plans, advertising slogans and other white
noise to think or perceive with much clarity. Memories of the past and worries about the
future often prevent us from experiencing the present directly enough to make truly wise
choices, despite whatever intention we might have to “do the right thing”. It becomes even
more difficult for us to act skillfully when we’re feeling physically or emotionally
compromised. At those times, we’re largely confined to REacting to the world in habitual
and often destructive ways. A clear and balanced mind empowers us to act with calmness
and creativity, even in the face of stress, while a compassionate heart naturally gives rise to
altruistic behavior.
Think Universally, Act Personally
Both religion and psychology support the aphorism that peace begins within. Even
cold logic suggests that establishing peace within one’s own life and mind brings about
more peace in the world. Most importantly, the arena of the mind is the one most
immediately accessible to us, as well as the one over which we have the most control. By
tending the garden of the mind and weeding out selfishness, each one of us has the power
to create positive change on the most fundamental, psychological level.
As global citizens, however, we also share responsibility to help create a better,
more just and equitable world. Although the world “out there” may never conform
completely to our expectations, we do have the power to affect small but important changes,
whether on an interpersonal level, through activism or social service, or as part of a larger
movement.
Buddhist Causes
Given the omnipresence of suffering, there are countless ways of putting
compassion into action. Though there are no particular causes with which Buddhism
exclusively engages, its emphasis on peace and nonviolence has led to a widespread
involvement in the anti-war movement, with anti-nuclear and disarmament issues, and
opposition to the death penalty. Another natural extension of Buddhist ethics is into the area
of environmentalism, with many Buddhists adopting a low-impact, vegetarian lifestyle for
political reasons as well as ethical ones.
A final political issue of note is the Free Tibet movement, which works for the
preservation of Tibetan culture and human rights and advocates autonomy for Tibet, a
Buddhist country which has been under Chinese occupation since 1950. Despite ongoing
reports of torture, religious persecution and other human right abuses against Tibetans in
China, Tibet’s leader-in-exile, the 14th Dalai Lama, has maintained a lifelong commitment
to nonviolence, for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
Bringing It All Back Home
Buddhism is certainly not the only religion or ideology that espouses peace, though
it does offer some practical and powerful tools for its cultivation. Indeed, in order to better
the world, one need not rely on religion, which, it can be argued, has caused more division
and destruction than it has helped to alleviate. All that’s required is a good heart, a point
more eloquently made by the Dalai Lama during his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech:
“The problems we face today…are human-created problems which can be resolved
through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and
sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we
share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and
compassion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can
develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.”
After recently reading a collection of essays about Engaged Buddhism (entitled “Not Turning Away”), I was inspired to dig up my own introductory article on the subject, first published in 2004.
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The term “engaged Buddhism” was first used in the early 1960s by a Vietnamese
monk named Thich Nhat Hanh. Faced with the dilemma of whether to continue to practice
in monastic isolation or to actively confront the suffering wrought by the escalating war,
Hanh and his fellow practitioners decided they must do both. This decision led to the
formation of Tiep Hein (Order of Interbeing). Because of his peaceful political
activities, Hahn was exiled from Vietnam, and has since written over 75 books, been
nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize (by MLK, no less), and has helped forge a global
movement aimed at fostering peace on both a personal and societal level.
While Thich Nhat Hahn is regarded as a founder of the engaged Buddhism
movement, his ideas and ideals are not entirely new. His commitment to nonviolent direct
action is inspired by Mohatma Ghandi, while his ethics are rooted in a religious and
philosophical tradition born in India over 2500 years ago.
Buddhism and Action
A widely-held misconception about Buddhism is that it is inherently passive,
escapist, or nihilistic. This description, however, applies more to Hinduism as practiced at
the time of the historical Buddha, Siddartha Gautama, who rejected such otherworldly
asceticism. After nearly starving to death, the Buddha abandoned the path of self-mortification in
order to help alleviate the suffering of others through his teachings, which outlined the
Middle Way between renunciation of the world and attachment to its elusive treasures and
pleasures.
Another common impression is that the Buddha – with all his talk about suffering –
espoused a cynical, “life sucks” kind of philosophy. This is based partly on a
misunderstanding and mistranslation of the Pali word dukkha, which the Buddha used to
describe all forms of suffering, from physical agony to the kind of subtle anxiety we might
experience even when we feel good, yet are worried that it might not last. Furthermore, the
perception of Buddhism as a bummer philosophy overlooks two of its most important and
positive concepts: that suffering has a cause, and that it can be overcome. Implicit in these
basic tenets is the idea that responsibility lies squarely with the individual, rather than on
some external authority. If we want ourselves and others to suffer less, it’s not enough to
possess good intentions, pray for deliverance, or adopt a particular set of beliefs; we have
to take action.
The Role of Meditation
For most Buddhists, taking action usually means engaging in a formal practice
geared toward freeing the mind from its attachments. This usually involves some form of
meditation.
Of the many types of meditation, the one familiar to most Americans is “sitting”
meditation, in which the practitioner adopts a comfortable but attentive posture for a given
length of time, commonly between 30 and 60 minutes, maybe longer. To a non-practitioner,
this type of meditation certainly appears passive and perhaps escapist. After all, there’s a
person sitting with their eyes closed, not talking or moving a muscle. What’s so active or
“engaged” about that?
Seated meditation emphasizes the importance of both concentration and observation.
Concentration is usually honed by focusing exclusively on one particular thing such as the
breath. This exercise usually leads to a calmness from which the meditator can more clearly
and objectively observe the workings of the mind and body. In general, there is no special
or altered state to strive for; the main point is to devote “bare attention” to everything that
occurs, whether pleasurable or painful, which is quite the opposite of escapism. In an
important sense, the meditator is actively engaged with the present moment, without the
usual distractions offered by cell phones, television, the Internet, drugs and alcohol, etc.
Of course, meditation is just a technique, not the goal itself. The experience and
insight gained on the meditation cushion is meant to carry over to “real life” and all of its
inevitable trials, tribulations and triumphs. While many people do choose to practice or live
in an isolated setting, most of us lead rather hectic, complicated, and stressful lives.
(to be continued)
Global warming is real, and is being driven primarily by human activity.
If you agree with this statement, then you’re in the good company of pretty much every scientist, and national academy of science, of every nation on Earth. In other words, you’re a rational, responsible human being. As such, you will likely be as disturbed as I was by watching this video clip, in which Fox figurehead Glenn Beck conducts an in-depth love-in with two other conservative Christian climate change denial specialists. The first gray-haired white dude is Calvin Beisner, founder of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, and even further to Beck’s right is David Barton, founder of WallBuilders (what is it with these guys and walls?).
If you disagree with my leading sentence, then I’m afraid to say that you have been effectively duped by professional hucksters likes Beisner, Barton and Beck, and the well-oiled disinformation campaign they represent. You have been deceived into thinking that either climate change is not happening (which seems to be Beisner’s position), or that it is not being caused by humans (the slightly-less-irrational role, clumsily played by Barton). These guys are performing the good cop/bad cop routine in order to trick the viewer into thinking that there is still some doubt about the reality of climate change and its primary causes. Well, there isn’t.
So why would someone want to deceive people into thinking that climate change is still open to scientific debate? To answer that question, we need only play the “follow the money” game. In this case, doing so leads to the oh-so-shocking discovery that Beisner’s Cornwall Alliance is a front group for the oil industry. Their target seems to be the Christian right, which is already mistrustful of science and highly averse to looking at the darkening shadow of what’s commonly called “progress.” In support of his anthropocentric (and bio-illogical) claim that the “bottom line measure” of the state of the environment is human health and longevity, Beisner relies on the Old Testament idea that nature exists to serve Man, instead of the other way around. To frighten Beck’s viewers, he equates environmentalism with pagan pantheism and calls the movement “the Green Dragon” (which must be resisted, ideally through the purchase of a $72 book-and-DVD package), while Beck accuses progressives of worshiping the ancient Babylonian god, Baal. In other words, environmentalism is evil.
As for why Exxon et al might want to strike fear into the hearts of Evangelicals and pump doubt into the noosphere, well, it doesn’t take a climatologist to know which way the wind blows. As long as Joe America remains uncertain and/or confused about the driving forces behind global warming, he can continue guiltlessly driving his SUV all over kingdom come, thus driving oil profits further into the black. Beisner, by making the painfully untrue claim that economic growth leads to cleaner and more beautiful “natural environments,” would like Joe to believe that conspicuous consumption is not only a patriotic duty but a religious calling.
The scariest part of all this is that the fat cats behind the smoke and mirrors, many of them highly educated, likely know the truth about anthropogenic climate change. Which can only mean that they are deliberately lying, and paying others to lie, about one of the most critical issues that humanity, and the Earth community at large, has ever faced. It seems that they are willing to compromise the lives of their grandchildren, and even jeopardize life on Earth, for political and economic gain. By all accounts, the Green Dragon of greed and selfishness is alive and well.
But instead of ending on a sour note and a whiff of sulfur, I direct you to this video from the fine folks at “Funny or Die” (oh, the irony), in which Jack Black plays a right-wing misinformant.
I remember that Tuesday quite well, not only because it changed the course of history, but because it altered my own trajectory in a very literal way. En route from Chicago to Hartford to visit a recently-relocated, soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend, I landed in Detroit for my connecting flight, only to be notified that the second leg of my journey had been violently amputated by terrorists. The word fell repeatedly from the lips of the news anchors on the TV monitors around which many a confused traveler had gathered, staring in dumb disbelief as the planes slammed into the towers, again and again. Everyone else was talking nervously on their cell phones, trying to arrange a way to get back home, or else forge ahead, overland, to their original destination.
In any case, there would be no returning to business as usual. As the twin towers and Pentagon walls crumbled, so too did America’s illusions of safety, security, and separateness. These were the first major attacks on US continental soil, and they introduced an unfamiliar sense of vulnerability and uncertainty to the relatively insulated American psyche. Suddenly the world seemed larger and more mysterious, populated perhaps by shadowy and sinister enemies but also filled with the prayers, support, and shared anguish of millions of allies across the globe. Beneath the grief, or perhaps because of its uniting influence, there arose a brief, hopeful sense of national and international kinship in the days after the tragedy.
Due in part to the overbearing response of the Bush administration, who immediately began speaking in stark absolutes of good vs. evil, the national mood quickly changed into one of fear and indignation. America’s pride had been damaged, and the country needed to reassert its global superiority in a dramatic display of aggression. It would not rely on international courts of law, nor would it politely petition the world community for assistance. Instead its president would demand allegiance to the “war on terror” by threatening, “You’re either with us or against us.” Least of all would America seek to understand the root causes of terrorism or address the complaints of the perpetrators, which were clearly outlined in a number of videotapes that surfaced after 9-11. All of these responses would have required a kind of humility and introspection with which America, the world’s strongest ego structure, is largely unfamiliar.
Colors and Shadows
Indeed the earth-shaking events of nine years ago can best be understood by thinking of the US in terms of its unique psychological makeup, and by distilling the tri-colored essence of the American mindset. Some might point to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as the three beacons that have guided our nation from its inception, and these unalienable rights would hardly be a bad place to start (or end, for that matter). But one the big lessons of 9-11 is that bright lights cast dark shadows – shadows that need be confronted if true healing is to take place.
If we muster the courage to peer behind the veil of Life, we see its grim counterpart in the deadliest arsenal of all time, fed by a national military budget nearly as large as that of all other countries combined. Of course, US weaponry is used less for “defense” than for offensively procuring the so-called resources needed to support the American way of life, which is centered largely around consumption. This conspicuous activity has become virtually synonymous with the Pursuit of Happiness, however noble the intention of Thomas Jefferson in using this enigmatic phrase. Its object remains elusive, as indicated by America’s record rates of violent crime and incarceration, rampant use and abuse of prescription drugs and painkillers, widespread heart disease and other stress-related illnesses, epidemic obesity… As for Liberty, there is a sad irony in the fact that, partly because of their material pursuits, millions of Americans are so figuratively burdened with debt that literal imprisonment looms as a possibility.
This is to say nothing so far of the rest of the Earth community, both human and non-human, that is aversely affected by America’s complexes. With this double entendre I refer not only to the military and industry, but to the media, which empower the other two through advertising and various forms of propaganda. Considering, as an example, defense contractor GE’s ownership of NBC, CNBC, msnbc.com, Telemundo, and Bravo, we can safely speak of the military-industrial-media complex. While each of these on its own is unrivaled in terms of power and influence, together they have enabled the US to become the most dominant, defining force in human, if not geologic, history. One would be hard pressed to find a place on Earth not affected by at least one branch of this mighty American triumvirate.
The Three Poisons
Such sociopolitical analysis, heavy-handed if accurate, can only take us so far. To discern the deeper dimensions of the American psyche and its wounds, we must look through a more powerful, psychospiritual lens at the three main driving forces of the American enterprise. By doing so, we discover what the Buddha called the “three poisons” of greed, hatred, and delusion. Alternatively translated as desire, aversion, and ignorance, these poisons are said to be the root causes of suffering. Although interrelated, primary emphasis is placed on delusion, which gives rise to selfish desire and aversion. In the American model, desire manifests as consumerism and unbridled capitalism, hatred finds expression in militarism and violence, and delusion is represented by the omnipresent media.
In light of all this, it seems hardly coincidental that the attacks of September 2001 were directed at the World Trade Center (symbol of greed) and the Pentagon (symbol of hatred), and that shortly thereafter, deadly anthrax spores were sent to various East Coast media outlets (symbols of delusion). This is certainly not to suggest that such horrific violence could ever be justified, but to bring to conscious awareness what many of us knew intuitively from that first gut-wrenching moment: that the attacks were far less random than would ever be admitted by our leaders, whose primary job, it seems, is to keep the poisons pumping.
Cynical? Perhaps, but surely one of the main lessons driven home by 9-11 is that our government cannot be trusted to keep us informed and protected. The benevolent father figure is dead, a fact that even the most jingoistic American has grasped. Mistakenly, however, forlorn conservatives look backward and cling ever more tightly to our forefathers as paragons of Christian virtue (slave-owning aside) while retreating further into patriotism (“the last refuge of the scoundrel,” as Samuel Johnson called it), instead of finally accepting and fully embracing global citizenship. This is our current calling, and if 9-11 sparked even the briefest and dimmest recognition of humanity’s interdependence, then the escalating ecological crisis may well bring to light an awareness of the shared fate of all forms of life. As we have seen, unspeakable tragedy has an undeniable power to unite.
In this variation on a traditional Tibetan Bhavachakra (Wheel of Life), representations of the three poisons appear in the innermost circle. The entire wheel of cyclic existence is being held by Uncle Samsara. Image by author.
