Socially Engaged Buddhism
A Buddhist Practice for
the West
by Philip Russell Brown
This article presents
the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF),The "Tiep Hien" Buddhist Order
(The Order of Interbeing) andthe work of the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre as
examples of Non-Sectarian,Socially Engaged and Ecologically Responsible
Buddhist Practice. Theauthor believes that these kinds of organisations are
likely to beof interest to those Western Buddhists for whom spiritual
practiceis inseparable from social action on humanitarian and
environmentalissues.
Socially Engaged Buddhism
defined and its Role in the West
The term
"Socially Engaged Buddhism" refers to active involvementby Buddhists
in society and its problems. Participants in this nascentmovement seek to
actualize Buddhism's traditional ideals of wisdomand compassion in today's
world.
Because Buddhism has been seen as passive, otherworldly, or escapist,an
"engaged Buddhism" may initially appear to be a
self-contradiction."Isn't one of the distinguishing features of Buddhism
its focus onthe solitary quest for enlightenment?" (Kraft,1985) The view
takenby many engaged Buddhists is"that no enlightenment can becomplete as
long as others remain trapped in delusion" and that "genuinewisdom is
manifested in compassionate action". (Kraft,1985)
Furthermore, the engaged Buddhists who contributed to the recent work"The
Path of Compassion: Writings on Socially Engaged Buddhism(ed.Eppsteiner,1985),
found that in re-examining Buddhism's 2500-year-oldheritage,"the
principles and even some of the techniques ofan engaged Buddhism have been
latent in the tradition since the timeof its founder. Qualities that were
inhibited in pre-modern Asiansettings, they argue, can be actualized through
Buddhism's exposureto the West, where ethical sensitivity, social activism, and
egalitarianismare emphasized" (Kraft,1985).
According to an American Zen teacher: "A major task for Buddhism inthe
West, it seems to me, is to ally itself with religious and otherconcerned
organizations to forestall the potential catastrophes facingthe human race:
nuclear holocaust, irreversible pollution of the world'senvironment, and the
continuing large-scale destruction of non-renewableresources. We also need to
lend our physical and moral support tothose who are fighting hunger, poverty,
and oppression in the world".(Kapleau,1983,p.26.)
One can get the impression from some Buddhist commentators that totake
immediate social action is rather futile because only massiveand widespread
change in the level of human consciousness will significantlyreduce suffering
in the world. Take for example Ayya Khema's wordson world peace:
"Every thinking person bemoans the fact that there is no peace
betweennations. Everybody would like to see peace on this globe. Obviouslythere
isn't any.In this century there has been a war somewhere practicallyall the
time. Every country has an enormous defence system wherea lot of energy, money
and manpower is used. This defence systemis turned into an attack system the
minute anyone even makes the slightestunfriendly remark or seems to be moving
towards an invasion of airspaceor territorial waters. This is rationalised and
justified with, 'We haveto defend the border of our country in order to protect
the inhabitants'.
Disarmament is a hope and a prayer, but not a reality. And why?
Becausedisarmament has to start in everyone's heart or wholesale
disarmamentwill never happen. The defence and attack which happens on a
largescale happens constantly with us personally. We're constantly defendingour
self image. If somebody should look at us sideways or not appreciateor love us
enough, or even blame us, that defence turns into attack. Therationale is that
we have to defend this person, 'this country' whichis 'me', in order to protect
the inhabitant, 'self.' Because nearlyevery person in the world does that, all
nations act accordingly.There is no hope that this will ever change unless
every singleperson changes. Therefore it is up to each of us to work for
peaceinside ourselves. That can happen if each ego is diminished somewhat,and
ego only diminishes when we see with ruthless honesty what's goingon inside
us." (Khema,1987,pp46-47)
In stark contrast to this, Fred Eppsteiner of the Buddhist Peace Fellowshipmade
the following comments about the Fourth Precept of the sociallyengaged
"Tiep Hien" Buddhist Order:
"The fourth precept goes to the heart of Buddhist compassion and directsa
challenge to all practitioners. Is it enough to practiceformal Dharma in order
that some day in the future we'll be able tohelp all living beings? Or, rather,
can the suffering of thesebeings diminish through our compassionate involvement
in the present? Thisprecept seems to imply that contemplative reflections on
the sufferingof living beings is not enough, and that the lotus can grow only
whenplanted deep in the mud."
Eppsteiner goes on to recall "talking to a Vietnamese monk about
Kuan-Yin,the Bodhisattva of Compassion. He (the monk) remarked that
peoplemistakenly think that the only way to worship her is by putting offeringsin
front of her image and praying. Holding up his own two hands andlooking
directly in my eyes, he said, 'These are the best offeringone can give
Kuan-Yin.'"(Fred Eppsteiner in Thich Nhat Hanh, 1987b,p.6)(Italics mine)
In their book "Seeking the Heart of Wisdom", Joseph Goldstein andJack
Kornfield suggest that both inner practice and social serviceare important
elements of the spiritual path. "Vipassana in the West",they say,
"has started by placing a great emphasis on inner meditationand individual
transformation. Buddhist teachings have another wholedimension to them, a way
of connecting our hearts to the world ofaction.
Their first universal guidelines teach about the moral precepts andthe
cultivation of generosity. These are the foundation for any spirituallife.
Beyond this, Buddhist practice and the whole ancient Asiantradition is built
upon the spirit of service. For some, servicemay seem to be simply an adjunct
or addition to their inner meditation.But service is more than that; it is an
expression of the maturity ofwisdom in spiritual life. Understanding of this
spirit of serviceand interconnectedness grows as our wisdom deepens."( Golstein
& Kornfield,1987,p165 ). It is this spirit of service which the following
BuddhisOrganisations exemplify.
The Tiep Hien Order (The
Order of Interbeing) and its Precepts
The Tiep
Hien Order was founded in Vietnam in 1964 during the war. Itderives from the
Zen School of Lin Chi, and is the 42nd generationof this school. (Thich Nhat
Hanh, 1987a,p85) "The words "Tiep" and"Hien" have
several meanings. "Tiep" means to be "in touch with"
and"to continue". "Hien" means "to realise" and
"to make it here andnow". (Thich Nhat Hnah, 1987b,p11)
The order was founded in the following manner. "In 1964, respondingto the
bourgeoning hatred, intolerance and suffering, a group of Vietnamesebuddhists,
many deeply grounded in Buddhist philosophy and meditation,founded ..(the).. Order
to become an instrument of their vision ofengaged Buddhism. Composed of monks
and nuns, laymen and laywomen,the Order of Interbeing (Tiep Hien) never
comprised great numbers,yet its influence and effects were deeply felt within
their country. Highlymotivated and deeply committed, members of the Order and
their supportersorganized anti-war demonstrations, printed leaflets and books,
ransocial service projects, organized an underground for draft resisters,and
cared for many of the wars suffering innocent victims.
During the war, many members and supporters died, some from
self-immolation,some from cold-blooded murder, and some from the indiscriminate
murderof war. At this time, it is impossible to say whether any remnantof the
Order still exists in Asia, even though several members didemigrate to the
West, and have recently ordained a number of Westernersand Vietnamese refugees.
Yet (the) Fourteen Precepts that they recited weekly, whilewar, political
repression, and immense suffering tore apart theirfamiliar world, are now being
offered to us".(Eppsteiner,1985,pp152-153)
"The fourteen precepts of the Tiep Hien Order are a unique expressionof
traditional Buddhist morality coming to terms with contemporaryissues. These
precepts were not developed by secluded monks attemptingto update the
traditional Buddhist Precepts. Rather, they were forgedin the crucible of war
and devastation that was the daily experiencefor many Southeast Asians during
the past several decades."(Eppsteinerin Thich Nhat Hanh,1987b,p5.) They
are as follows:
The First Precept:
Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology,even
Buddhist ones. All systems of thought are guiding means: theyare not absolute
truth.
The Second Precept:
Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolutetruth. Avoid
being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learnand practice
non-attachment from views in order to be open to receiveothers' viewpoints. Truth
is found in life and not merely in conceptualknowledge. Be ready to learn
throughout your entire life and to observereality in yourself and in the world
at all times.
The Third Precept:
Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever,to adopt your
views, whether by authority, threat, money, propagandaor even education. However,
through compassionate dialogue, helpothers renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
The Fourth Precept:
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 theworld. 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.
The Fifth Precept:
Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take asthe aim of
your life fame, profit,wealth or sensual pleasure. Livesimply and share time,
energy and material resources with those whoare in need.
The Sixth Precept:
Do not maintain anger or hatred. As soon as anger and hatred arise,practice the
meditation on compassion in order to deeply understandthe persons who have
caused anger and hatred. Learn to look at otherbeings with the eyes of
compassion.
The Seventh Precept:
Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Learnto practice
breathing in order to regain composure of the body andmind, to practice
mindfullness and to develop concentration andunderstanding.
The Eighth Precept:
Do not utter words which can create discord and cause the communityto break. Make
every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts,however small.
The Ninth Precept:
Do not say untrue things for the sake of personal interest or to impresspeople.
Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do notspread news that you
do not know to be certain. Do not critize orcondemn things that you are not sure
of. Always speak truthfullyand constructively. Have the courage to speak out
about situationsof injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
The Tenth Precept:
Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, ortransform your
community into a political party. A religious community,however, should take a
clear stand against oppression and injusticeand should strive to change the
situation without engaging in partisanconflicts.
The Eleventh Precept:
Do not live with a vocation which is harmful to humans and nature. Donot invest
in companies that deprive others of their chance to live.Select a vocation
which helps realize your ideal of compassion.The Twelfth Precept:
Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possibleto protect
life and to prevent war.
The Thirteenth Precept:
Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the propertyof others,
but prevent others from enriching themselves from humansuffering or the
suffering of other beings.The Fourteenth Precept:
Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do notlook on your
body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies( sexual, breath, spirit )
for the realization of the Way. Sexualexpression should not happen without love
and commitment. In sexualrelationships, be aware of future suffering that may
be caused. Topreserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and
commitmentsof others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new
livesinto the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringingnew
beings.
The Order is truly non-sectarian. It "does not consider any sutraor any
group of sutras as its basic text. Inspiration is drawn fromthe essence of the
Buddhadharma as found in all sutras. The Orderdoes not recognize any systematic
arrangement of the Buddhist teachingas proposed by various schools of Buddhism.
The Order seeks to realizethe Dharma spirit within primitive Buddhism as well
as the developmentof that spirit throughout the sangha's history and the
teachings inall Buddhist traditions". (Thich Nhat Hanh,1987)
In the Order "there are two communities. The Core Community whichconsists
of men and women who have taken the vow to observe the 14precepts of the Order.
Before being ordained as a brother or sisterof the Order, one should practice
at least one year in this way.
Upon ordination, the person has to organize a community aroundhimself or
herself in order to continue the practice. That communityis called the Extended
Community. This means all those who practiceexactly the same way, but have not
been ordained into the Core Community.The people who are ordained into the Core
Community do not have any specialsign at all. They don't shave their heads,
they do not have a specialrobe. What makes them different is that they observe
a number ofrules, one of them is to practice at least 60 days of retreat,
ofmindfulness, each year, whether consecutively or divided into severalperiods.
If they practice every Sunday, for instance, they will have 52already. The
people in the Extended Community can do that, or more,even if they don't want
to be ordained. In the Core Community peoplecan choose to observe celibacy, or
lead a family life."(Thich NhatHanh, 1987a, pp87-88).
The Zen Buddhist Master, Thich Nhat Hanh, believes that this typeof Buddhist
practice will be acceptable to many Western practitioners. Heand his colleagues
have experimented with it for 20 years and in hisopinion it seems suitable for
modern society.(Thich Nhat Hanh, 1987a,p85.)
The Tiep Hien Order has a small but committed membership in Australia.(See
below for more information)
The Buddhist Peace
Fellowship (BPF)
The
"Statement of Purpose" of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship is asfollows:
"To make clear public witness to the Buddha Way as a wayof peace and
protection for all beings; to raise peace and ecologyconcerns among American
Buddhists and to promote projects throughwhich the Sangha may respond to these
concerns; to encourage the delineationin English of the Buddhist way of
nonviolence, building from the richresources of traditional Buddhist teachings
a foundation for new action;to offer avenues to realize the kinship among
groups and members ofthe American and world Sangha; to serve as liaison to, and
enlistsupport for, existing national and international Buddhist peace
andecology programs; to provide a focus for concerns over the persecutionof
Buddhists, as a particular expression of our intent to protectall beings; and
to bring the Buddhist perspective to contemporarypeace and ecology movements."
The fellowship "was founded in 1978 to bring a Buddhist perspectiveto the
peace movement and the peace movement to the Buddhist community.Buddhists of
many traditions join the Buddhist Peace Fellowship to explorepersonal and group
responses to the political,social,and ecological sufferingin the world. Drawing
on the teachings of nonviolence and compassion,and recognising the essential
unity and interdependence of all beings,BPF members and chapters seek to awaken
peace where there is conflict,bring insight into the institutionalized
ignorance of political systems,and offer help in the Buddhist spirit of harmony
and loving kindnesswhere it is needed."
"As a network of individuals and local chapters, BPF serves to
promotecommunication and cooperation among sanghas in the work of nourishingall
beings and resisting the forces of exploitation and war. TheBuddhist Peace
Fellowship is a member organisation of the Fellowshipof Reconciliation and
participates with other denominational peacefellowships in programs of ecumenical
concern. National staff andlocal chapters respond to regional, national, and
international peaceand social action issues. Operating within the broad
guidelines ofthe BPF Statement of Purpose, chapters retain their autonomy and
functionindependently. New chapters may form wherever BPF members and
friendsare actively supporting each other in practices of engaged Buddhism. Membersand
local chapters have been involved in disarmament, environmemtalactivities, and
human rights, including campaigns opposing politicaloppression of Buddhists in
Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Tibet. Chapterand national activities have
included":
- education and support for personal choices to live simply, conserving energy,
and resist harmful products and policies
- sponsoring teaching retreats and conferences
- letter-writing campaigns for human rights
- participation in vigils and demonstrations
- work with refugees from struggling countries
- support for socially conscious financial investment and consumerism,
- days of mindfulness practice
(The above information has been quoted from the BPF Membership information
Leaflet.)
The Sakyamuni Buddhist
Centre (ACT)
"The
Vietnamese tradition of Mahayana Buddhism to which the Abbotof the Van Hanh
Monastery and director of the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre,Venerable Thich Quang
Ba, belongs is engaged Buddhism. In thistradition, to practice the Buddha's
teaching is not to withdraw fromsociety but to become engaged with it as Dharma
practitioners. Accordingly,the Sakyamuni Buddhist Centre operates a range of
social welfare programs."(Robleski,in Sakyamuni News,Oct,1991) Two
particularly noteworthy programsare the Refugee Assistance Fund and the Vietnam
Sangha Appeal. Theaim of the Refugee Assistance Fund is "to assist one of
those groupsmost in need, those who have found the Government in their
nativecountry so oppressive that they have risked their lives to escape. Theprogram
assists mainly (but not only) Vietnamese refugees, most ofwhom have been in
refugee camps for years."(Robleski,in SakyamuniNews,Oct,1991,p3.)
The Vietnam Sangha Appeal aims to provide financial support for thetraining of
monks and nuns who will be reestablishing Buddhism inVietnam. "Since the
Communist victory in Vietnam Buddhism has sufferedpersecution and oppression,
leaving it in a very weakened state. Althoughconditions are still bad, over the
past few years the Vietnamese Governmenthas found it necessary to develop
contacts with the outside worldand attend to its international image, and so
there has been sometoleration of religious activities. As part of this new
reform policyabout ten Buddhist training institutes have been allowed to
open,for the education of monks and nuns."
"These institutes are under Government control, but still Sutra Vinayaand
other Buddhist subjects can be studied by approximately 1,000students. These
institutes are, however, desperately poor. Theyare in need of even the most
basic requirements - food, clothing andshelter - as well as money for books and
their study materials."
"If Buddhism is to revive in Vietnam it must have the leadership ofa
trained and educated Sangha....In a country as poor as Vietnam alittle hard
currency goes a long way, and even $7.00 a month wouldprovide a scholarship
that could support a student monk or nun."
"Thich Quang Ba hopes to be able to provide these institutes
withmuch-needed financial support. He plans to send money direct to
theindividual institute, and also wants to launch a scheme in which peoplecan
sponsor a single sangha member, providing him or her with a
personalscholarship. These students, the best and brightest, would be
selectedby the head of their school." (Kearney,1992)
Has Buddhism ever been
Socially Disengaged ?
It is
strictly speaking incorrect to see Buddhism as "engaged"
or"disengaged". There is simply Buddhism and it is by its very
nature"engaged". So when we speak of "socially engaged
Buddhism" we arein fact implying that a significant degree of
"engagement" is partof the particular Buddhist practice being
discussed.
In a recent conversation with Venerable Thich Quang Ba, he emphasizedthe
inherently "engaged" nature of Buddhism and the fact that
"engagedBuddhism" is not a recent innovation. Supporting this view he
madethe following observations: Firstly, the place of "interdependence"in
Buddhist philosophy predisposes Buddhism to social engagement.Secondly, in the
Buddha's lifetime, very few Bikkhus asked for orwere granted permission to live
solitary lives of practice. His followerswere deeply engaged in work at the
village level. Thirdly, we areconstantly being engaged by life. It is extremely
difficult to bedisengaged from life and hence it is really how we engage life
asBuddhists which matters. Fourthly, the Golden Ages of Buddhism inIndia, China and Vietnam provide significant
examples of sociallyengaged Buddhism. Thich Quang Ba is pleased that Thich Nhat
Hanh hascoined and popularized the term "socially engaged Buddhism"
in hiswritings. He also agrees that it may provide an emphasis in practicewhich
is appealing to Westerners but counsels them to see it not asa new form of
Buddhism but as Buddhism with a particular emphasis.(Brown,1992)
It is this emphasis which may have particular appeal to Westernpractitioners
who are not so much interested in the traditional lifein and around the Temple
as they are with individual meditation practiceand the humanitarian and
environmental issues of the day.
Let us conclude with the words of the world's most renowned sociallyengaged
Buddhist,Tenzin Gyatso,the XIVth Dalai Lama:
"Each of us has the responsibility for all mankind. It is time forus to
think of other people as true brothers and sisters and to beconcerned with
their welfare, with lessening their suffering. Evenif you cannot sacrifice your
own benefit entirely, you should notforget the concerns of others. We should
think more about the futureand the benefit of all mankind."(Tenzin Gyatso
in Eppsteiner,1985,p8.).
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