Rev. Danny Fisher

Over at Shambhala Sun Space, the Buddhoblogosphere’s very own super-hero Rod Meade Sperry has the stories.

I guess I do a lot of activism work–here at the blog and elsewhere. I’ve written before about how I see this work as an imperative of my Buddhist practice, and I like to think of it as explicitly Buddhist in orientation and organization (though it’s probably an open question just how well I do that). One of the most important sources for me as I think about what it is to be a “Buddhist activist” is the great Diana Winston’s “Seven (Beginning) Principles of Buddhist Activism”. In the piece, Winston talks about what exactly it is that “distinguishes Buddhist activism from any other kind of activism.” Among the principles laid out, I think there is a lot of wisdom especially in those on setting motivation, realizing interbeing, and being peace:

Our political actions can be dedicated to the benefit and awakening of all beings. Holding this, the action itself moves beyond mere do-gooding or fighting so-called oppression and into the realm of dharma practice.

…We see alive and present in our own minds the same external structures of greed, hatred, and delusion that we are fighting against. We bow to them. Then we realize there is no “other” to fight against anyway.

[...]

Beyond ideological differences, there is a place we can, as Buddhist activists, stand together: our commitment to be in ourselves that which we are trying to bring about in the world.

It would certainly be unfair and completely inaccurate to characterize all of contemporary American activism as dualistic, mean-spirited, and/or otherwise wrong-headed. At the same time, Buddhist activism offers a distinct, restorative way of engaging with issues of the day that many could learn a lot from. The view and practice of Buddhist activism recognizes our interconnection and imbues dissent with wisdom and compassion. Among many other things, a Buddhist activist recognizes that bile is bile, no matter who is spewing it–liberal, conservative, everyone in between. He or she recognizes that you can’t fight fire with fire; there is a “mindfulness of tactics,” so to speak. A Buddhist activist realizes that if you deplore the rhetoric of one group, you don’t address that problem with what is essentially the same quality of speech–that won’t fix anything. If folk hero Jon Stewart is any indication, this might be something we’re starting to understand better as a culture…

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The marvelous Arun over at Dharma Folk lets us know how we can help the Wat Mongkolratanaram, which has come under fire from a small group of neighbors for their Sunday food service–a 27-year Berkeley, CA, tradition that is very much “part of the cultural fabric of the Bay Area.” (So much so that the UC-Berkeley Senate has passed a resolution in support of the temple.) Visit Dharma Folk for more information and ways to help.

[This post has been updated as 4:20 p.m. EST on 1.15.09.]

Here’s the latest on Burma:

• According to a report from the Associated Press, the junta recently freed six nonviolent, pro-democracy activists from prison, but sentenced another to 104 years in prison. The activist, Bo Min Yu Ko of the All Burma Federation of Students Unions, was not allowed a defense lawyer at his trial.
  
• The Agence France-Presse reports that the Human Rights Watch’s 2008 World Report has harsh words for India and China about “abuses against their own citizens but also for backing military dictatorships [like the one in Burma].”
  
• The Irrawaddy notes that “during her Senate confirmation hearing, the US Secretary of State-designate, Hillary Clinton, made no remarks about her views on Burma, but praised first lady Laura Bush for taking up the cause of the people of Burma.”
  
• The Economist reports on the junta’s long-standing, “vicious” war with the Karen National Union.

Godfrey Reggio’s 1982 masterpiece Koyaanisqatsi has been made available for free online at YouTube by MGM Digital Media. If you’ve never seen it before, you must. It is described as “an apocalyptic vision of the collision of two different worlds — urban life and technology versus the environment,” and is one of relatively few films selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because of its “cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.” Plus, it’s got one of the all-time great film scores by Buddhist Philip Glass! Watch Koyaanisqatsi here or below.