Ecodharma: Chapter Two (p45-50)

[Kokuu]

Is the Eco-Crisis Also a Buddhist Crisis?

Just a short section to read this week, because of the way the chapter is split up (the next two sections will be around ten pages each) but Loy points out some interesting features of contemporary Buddhism in terms of the way that some dharma centres and organisations can attract many members and have a turnover in the millions of pounds or dollars, whereas engaged Buddhism remains relatively small and underfunded. Where engaged Buddhism has developed, this is much more in response to acute human needs (hunger, shelter, poverty) than environmental ones.

Some questions to ponder, but feel free to respond to anything that has got your attention in the early parts of this chapter.

- does it feel easier to respond to problems that are here right now, rather than those which are unfolding over a longer time period and larger geographical time scale? If so, is there a way that we, and Buddhism in general, can think or talk about problems that occur in wider scales of time and space?

- how much do you feel like, although Zen is a Mahayana path, much of your focus is on your own practice and immediate life situation with engaged practice happening when you have sufficient resources left over? (I can honestly say that I try for my practice not to be like this but all too often it is, and supporting others tends to be largely the Treeleaf sangha)

- is there a danger of engaged Buddhism being criticised for taking a political stance and becoming the spiritual wing of left/centre-left politics?

Gassho
Kokuu

[Juki]

I have read the pages, and I'm mulling this over before responding. But, I would like to speak to the potential danger you ask about -- i.e. "engaged Buddhism being criticised for taking a political stance and becoming the spiritual wing of left/centre-left politics?"

My response to this is as follows: is that really a danger? First off, since left and left-center politics attract a much more diverse population than do right wing politics (at least in the States), Buddhism taking a political stance might do wonders for diversity in the Sangha. Second, anything that responds thoughtfully to the abrasive, divisive, sanctimonious rhetoric of the religious right is okay by me.

Gassho
Juki
sat today and lah

[Heiso]

This section raises a few points for me.

Firstly and perhaps a bit cynically, that the success of the mindfulness business and the relative lack of impact of socially engaged Buddhism in the wider Buddhist community possibly demonstrates that many people are in this for the positive impact it has on themselves rather than on the wider world. But maybe it is people responding to problems they think they can control rather than those that seem impossible or overwhelming?

That leads to the point about Buddhist practices, including mindfulness (which is offered at times by my company), being used to reinforce a consumer based status quo which is (or at least was the last time I heard him splutter on the subject), one of Slavoj Zizek's major criticisms of Buddhism so not new but worth considering.

Gassho,

Heiso

StLah

[Juki]

So, moving on to the main issue, which is the failure of ecodharma to make much of a dent in the broader sphere of engaged Buddhism, it seems to me that Loy is telling us that the old saying "Think Globally, Act Locally" won't be enough when it comes to the climate crisis. People are doing prison outreach and feeding the homeless, and that's great. But, we have to prioritize to align our actions with the Bodhisattva vows here and remember that our task is to save ALL sentient beings. Doing things incrementally, helping one person at a time (and, let's face it, often that one person is ourselves) is great. And maybe some people need to keep doing things that way. But we need a shift in focus from others, many others. And that shift in focus needs much more than just a tacit blessing from institutional Buddhism. It needs the full-throated support of the Priests, Monks, Rinpoches, Dharma teachers and Sangha.

[Doshin]

I find myself nodding in agreement as I read Heiso and Juki comments. I avoided Buddhism for decades because I felt it accepted things as they were with no motivation to change, to make the world better. Great teachers then showed me engagement was a important path. Maybe the path. Why do we practice? To save our selves or as the vow I chant most days “To save all sentient beings” I think some of the first but our path is importantly the latter.

Doshin
St

[Tairin]

For those of us with ebook versions does this week’s reading end where “The Challenge” begins?

[Naiko]

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that Buddhist groups engaging the climate crisis receive much less support and interest. That mirrors the larger culture, surely. I do think it is easier to respond to an immediate need, a tangible one. Religions have historically been pretty good at that. To engage on a systems level — has any group, religious or not, successfully done that? I don’t think we consciously or purposefully create systems. We sort of fall into them, one little action after another, and then they become normalized and self sustaining. Can small actions create new systems in enough time? Can we make these issues seem personal and tangible to people?

*is there a danger of engaged Buddhism being criticised for taking a political stance and becoming the spiritual wing of left/centre-left politics?
I would expect so since engaged Buddhism seems to still be controversial within Buddhism. After Trump was elected in the US, I recall editorials in Buddhist publications and statements from high profile teachers discussing, well, you know…There was a surprising amount of vitriol in response. People were deeply offended that these authors assumed all (US) Buddhists were liberal.

I do feel like my own practice has been mostly for myself. I struggle with how to change that, feeling very isolated these past couple of years, working from home and not going out much. I struggle with what I am able to offer the world. I’m not priest or monastic. I don’t have any special knowledge or skills. I mostly give financially to causes, but that is a finite resource.

This is a very thought provoking book.
Gassho,
Naiko
st

[Naiko]

For those of us with ebook versions does this week’s reading end where “The Challenge” begins?

Hi Tairin,
Yes, that’s right.
Gassho
Naiko
SSt

[Tairin]

does it feel easier to respond to problems that are here right now, rather than those which are unfolding over a longer time period and larger geographical time scale?

Definitely. I think the main problem is our ability to conceptualize the problem. I can see, hear, and feel problems that are in my immediate scope. Frankly my ability to conceptualize the environmental collapse is very limited. Firstly I live in an affluent country (Canada) and I am fortunate to live in comfortable conditions. I am at best minimally impacted by climate change (so far) so a lot of my actions are based on trust that those that study such things are reporting the issues accurately.

Having said that I am starting to see some changes… for example my wife and I went camping last summer (tent camping) and it was very notable how few insects we dealt with. At first blush it sounds great to camp without mosquitoes until you realize…. No insects means fewer birds and everything else that relies on that chain.


how much do you feel like, although Zen is a Mahayana path, much of your focus is on your own practice and immediate life situation with engaged practice happening when you have sufficient resources left over? (I can honestly say that I try for my practice not to be like this but all too often it is, and supporting others tends to be largely the Treeleaf sangha)

I’ll answer this question this way…. Thinking about all the issues in the world, and I don’t just mean climate change here, feels overwhelming. I don’t feel drained, per se. I just remind myself that my abilities are limited. I do what I can and hope that enough drops will eventually fill the bucket with water.

is there a danger of engaged Buddhism being criticised for taking a political stance and becoming the spiritual wing of left/centre-left politics?

I suppose but I don’t really see a confluence here. Frankly I don’t think the majority of people give enough thought about Buddhism to even bother placing it in a spectrum

Thank you for continuing to lead this discussion Kokuu and Doshin. I appreciate the questions as they are helping me determine what my views are.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Kaisui]

- does it feel easier to respond to problems that are here right now, rather than those which are unfolding over a longer time period and larger geographical time scale? If so, is there a way that we, and Buddhism in general, can think or talk about problems that occur in wider scales of time and space?

- how much do you feel like, although Zen is a Mahayana path, much of your focus is on your own practice and immediate life situation with engaged practice happening when you have sufficient resources left over?

Both very true for me.

In answering these I was reminded of these passages from Dogen's Genjo Koan (as translated by Rev. Shohaku Okumura - http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachin...an_Okumara.htm).

On extending our practice to a wider scale of time and space, we should do so because we have a need that is great.

When a fish swims, no matter how far it goes, it doesn't reach the end of the water. When a bird flies, no matter how high it flies, it cannot reach the end of the sky. Only, when their need is great, their range is large. When their need is small, their range is small. In this way, each fish and each bird uses the whole space and vigorously acts in every place. However, if a bird departs from the sky, or a fish leaves the water, they immediately die. We should know that, [for a fish] water is life, [for a bird] sky is life. A bird is life; a fish is life. Life is a bird; life is a fish. And we should go beyond this. There is practice/enlightenment-- this is the way of living beings.

And thinking of how I can feel overwhelmed, not ready, like I'm not sure what to do for such a big problem, I am reminded of this next passage.

Therefore, if there are fish who want to swim or birds who want to fly only after they investigate the entire sky or all the water, they will find neither path nor place. When we make this very place our own, our practice becomes manifestation of reality (genjo-koan). When we make this path our own, our activity naturally becomes actualized reality (genjo-koan). This path or this place is neither big nor small, neither self nor others.

Can't wait till I know everything to do something... now is the time to act.

But how to do it and what to do? I reach my hurdle, my discomfort/resistance, inertia, fear of going out of my comfort zone. This reading group and the prompts for this chapter/post especially are helping me to notice that I need to bring much more awareness to my discomfort and resistances, and the need to hold awareness and go beyond discomfort until I take action (as a Bodhisattva, aligned with the precepts). Thank you

Gassho,
Kaisui
sat&lah