Personally, I don’t see this as a left/right issue, and I’m sorry that so many people have fallen for that erroneous and shamlessly manipulative line of thinking hook, line and sinker.
Please keep Buddhism out of politics! Buddha-dharma should not be used to support either leftist or rightist issues no matter how much we think they would bolster a cause.
I know health care is an important issue but we should be mindful of the costs and how reform would be implemented, not just quickly accept what is proferred by whatever administration.
OK, so we take Buddhism out of politics (not that you see a lot of Buddhism in politics in the U.S.), and we take Buddhism out of social issues like health care because they’re connected to politics, and of course steer far away from politicians and government office holders, and we can stay locked up in our dharma center pure as the driven snow but of little practical use. Or we can clomp out into the real world and advocate for causes we think are beneficial, even if we get muddied up a bit in the process. Lotuses grow in the mud.
And, may I say, Amen Brother Danny! Health care reform now!
I realize I’m in the minority, but not every Buddhist follows the leftist agenda without question.
Just sayin’.
Personally, I don’t see this as a left/right issue, and I’m sorry that so many people have fallen for that erroneous and shamlessly manipulative line of thinking hook, line and sinker.
Please keep Buddhism out of politics! Buddha-dharma should not be used to support either leftist or rightist issues no matter how much we think they would bolster a cause.
I know health care is an important issue but we should be mindful of the costs and how reform would be implemented, not just quickly accept what is proferred by whatever administration.
Respectfully, Yuinen, there is no Buddha-dharma in this post, rather just a video posted by a man who is Buddhist.
Much love and respect to all three of you.
OK, so we take Buddhism out of politics (not that you see a lot of Buddhism in politics in the U.S.), and we take Buddhism out of social issues like health care because they’re connected to politics, and of course steer far away from politicians and government office holders, and we can stay locked up in our dharma center pure as the driven snow but of little practical use. Or we can clomp out into the real world and advocate for causes we think are beneficial, even if we get muddied up a bit in the process. Lotuses grow in the mud.
And, may I say, Amen Brother Danny! Health care reform now!
But when Christians do the same you would be crying that they were establishing theocracy in the US :\
just don’t demonize your fellow Buddhists who don’t follow your same political ideologies, whatever they may be