Dharma And Politics by Jack Kornfield

DHARMA AND POLITICS by Jack Kornfield Many Buddhist practitioners have questioned what to do in these turbulent times. More than anything, I believe the world is in needof a spiritual perspective. The Dharma, the teachings of generosity,virtue, loving-kindness and wisdom are non-partisan. The benefits ofdharma teachings can be used by Republicans and Democrats, by Green party and Libertarians, by Iraqis and Israelis. The Dharma welcomeseveryone and encourages all to awaken together. But how, as dharma practitioners, do we find our own place in acomplex political world, and find a way towards peace? Our first task is to make our own heart a zone of peace. Instead of becomingentangled in an embattled bitterness, or cynicism that existsexternally, we need to begin to heal those qualities withinourselves. We have to face our own suffering, our own fear, and transform them into compassion. Only then can we become ready tooffer genuine help to the outside world. Albert Camus writes, "Weall carry within us our places of exile, our crimes, our ravages.Our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to transform them in ourselves." A dharma practitioner who wants to act in the sphere of politicsmust quiet their mind and open their heart. Meditate, turn off thenews, turn on Mozart, walk through the trees or the mountains and begin to make yourself peaceful. Make yourself a zone of peace, andallow the sensitivity and compassion that grows from ourinterconnection to extend to all beings. If we're not peaceful howcan we create harmony in the world? If our own minds are not peaceful, how can we expect peace to come through the actions thatwe take? We can either react to terrorism and insecurity with fear, andcreate a frightened, barricaded society -- a fortress America - or we can use the teachings of Dharma to respond calmly, with bothprudent action and a fearless steady heart. Thich Nhat Hanh tellsus, "When the crowded refugee boats met with storms or pirates, ifevery one panicked, all would be lost. But if even one person stayed calm, it was enough. It showed the way for everyone to survive." Through practice, we can learn to make our own hearts a place ofpeace and integrity. With a quiet mind and an open heart we cansense the reality of interdependence. Inner and outer are not separate. We are all in the same boat. Buddhist teachings havealways taught that life cannot be divided into compartments. Ourrelationships with others, right speech, right action, rightlivelihood are part of the eight-fold path. They are factors of enlightenment. Our relations, and society as a whole, are anexpression of the enlightened heart. Thus we can understand Gandhi'schallenge, "Those who say spirituality has nothing to do withpolitics, they do not know what spirituality really means." When we understand this, our next task is to see for ourselves whatis needed to bring to benefit to the world. How does peace comeabout? What are the conditions for peace? The Buddha taught thatpeace is possible both individually and collectively but that it depends on skillful causes and conditions. Inner peace grows frommindfulness, compassion, and respect. Outwardly, it requires thesame conditions. When asked about the creation of a wise society,the Buddha counseled visiting ministers that when a society comes together to make decisions in harmony, when it honors its eldersand the wise ways they have established, when it cares for its mostvulnerable members -- women and children, when it respects theenvironment and listens to its citizens and its neighbors, it can be expected to prosper and not decline. For the Buddha, a wise societyit not based on greed, on hatred or delusion, but on generosity,respect, mindfulness and compassion. In this political climate we are bombarded with propaganda from every political point of view that dulls the senses and overpowersour inner value system. Whatever our political perspective, we willencounter troubling images and feel anger, frustration, even outrageand impatience. If we stop and breath and meditate we will feel underneath these reactions our fear, and under this ourconnectedness and caring. If our actions come from this deep senseof caring they will bring greater benefit and greater peace. From aquiet heart, we have the ability to look and see how our society treats its most vulnerable members. How does it treat the poor, theelderly, and children? Is it acting in ways that foster greed, hate,fear and ignorance? What can we do nationally and internationally tosupport generosity and respect, to minimize violence and to end racism and exploitation? What rings true for each of us as followersthe Dharma? We need to take an honest look and see what we are doingas a society. America has sometimes confused power with greatness. But genuine greatness is not a matter of mere power; it is a matter ofintegrity. When we envision a society of compassion and justice, andas a nation we are called upon to do this, our actions can stem fromrespect for all beings, and peace is the result. Once we have looked clearly, we can set a long-term intention, anddedicate ourselves to a vision of a wise and compassionate society.This is a Bodhisattva's act. Like setting the compass of the heart,this intention expresses our deepest values. If we set a long-term intention, it remains empowering no matter who wins a particularelection, or what governments rise and fall. It becomes our way ofpractice. Thomas Merton taught, "Do not worry about immediateresults. More and more you must concentrate on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself." With a dedicated intentionwe are willing to face the sufferings of the world and not shy away,to follow what we know is true, however long it takes. This is apowerful act of the heart, to stay true to our values, and live bythem. A beautiful example of a long-term intention was presented by A.T.Ariyaratane, a Buddhist elder, who is considered to be the Gandhi of Sri Lanka. Over the last 17 years, there has been a terriblecivil war in Sri Lanka. The Norwegians brokered peace last year, andonce the peace treaty was in effect, Ariyaratane called thefollowers of his Sarvodaya movement together. Sarvodaya, combines Buddhist principles of right livelihood, right action, rightunderstanding, and compassion and has organized citizens in one-third of the nation's villages to dig wells, build schools, tomeditate, and collaborate as a form of spiritual practice. Over 650,000 people came to the gathering to hear how he envisioned thefuture of Sri Lanka. At this gathering he proposed a 500-year peaceplan, saying, "The Buddha teaches we must understand causes andconditions. It's taken us 500 years to create the suffering that we are in now." Ari described the effects of 400 years of colonialism,of 500 years of struggle between Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, andof several centuries of economic disparity. He went on, "it willtake us 500 years to change these conditions." Ariyatane thenoffered solutions, proposing a plan to heal the country. The plan begins with initial years of cease-fire and first years ofrebuilding roads and schools. Then it goes on for ten, twenty-five, fifty years with specific programs to learn each other'slanguages and cultures, to right economic injustice, and to bringthe islanders back together as a whole. And every hundred yearsthere will be a council of elders to take stock on how the plan is going. This is a sacred intention, the long-term vision of anelder. In the same way, if we envision the fulfillment of wisdom andcompassion in the United States, it becomes clear that the richestnation on the earth must provide healthcare for its children; that the most productive nation on earth must find ways to combine tradewith justice; that a creative society must find ways to grow and toprotect the environment and sustainable development for generationsahead. A nation founded on democracy must fulfill it at home and then offer the same spirit of international cooperation and respectglobally. We are all in this together. Seeing clearly, we need to act. To empower our vision, we need tostart now, and be willing to plant seeds, for however long it takes, to benefit our society and ourselves. At Spirit Rock MeditationCenter, Sylvia Boorstein has taught a class called InformedCitizenship as Spiritual Practice, which encourages people to askthemselves: What can I do as a wisdom holder, as a Bodhisattva, a member of this society to best contribute to the world in thesetimes? It might be registering people to vote, or workingpolitically, or making our vision heard in organizations of power orin the government, speaking up or writing. It might include working with children, or helping to create a business climate ofresponsibility and integrity, or working internationally, ortending to poverty, racism and injustice locally. Each person has tofind specific steps to offer their vision and energy to society, and to empower those around them. If we don't do this, change won'thappen. The vision will not be fulfilled. The Buddha's teachings of compassion and wisdom are empowering; theyencourage us to act. Do not doubt that your good actions will bear fruit, and that change for the better can be born from your life.Gandhi reminds us: "I claim to be no more than an average personwith less than average ability. I have not the shadow of a doubtthat any man or woman can achieve what I have if he or she would simply make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith." ~~~ Jack Kornfield ~~~