[Engaged] Negativity against engaged Buddhism?

[Shonin Risa Bear]

Shitou Xiqian had a very low carbon footprint.

gassho
doyu sat today

[Daitetsu]

Assuming of course climate change is occurring due to humans

It is not an assumption, it is a fact.

A quote by the Union of Concerned Scientists:

The scientific consensus is clear. Building on two previous studies, a landmark 2013 peer-reviewed study evaluated 10,306 scientists to confirm that over 97 percent climate scientists agree, and over 97 percent of scientific articles find that global warming is real and largely caused by humans.
A more recent peer-reviewed paper examined existing studies on consensus in climate research, and concluded that the 97 percent estimate is robust.
This level of consensus is equivalent to the level of agreement among scientists that smoking causes cancer – a statement that very few people, if any, contest today.

(Source: Scientists Agree: Global Warming is Happening and Humans are the Primary Cause)


That some people doubt that humans are responsible is a result of the campaigns launched by oil companies that I mentioned in my above post.

The five biggest oil and gas companies, and their industry groups, have spent at least €251m (£217m) lobbying the European Union over climate policies since 2010, research has revealed.
[ ... ]
The report says the lobbying has succeeded in watering down EU climate legislation. Lobbying, it says, peaks at times when legislation is being drawn up. The oil and gas companies, and their industry groups had high spending in 2014 during the discussions over the EU’s 2030 climate targets, when they spent €34.3m on lobbying the EU institutions.

The report says the climate targets were weakened as a result; they included no binding energy savings target and included a “woefully inadequate” renewable energy target.

Source: Fossil fuel big five 'spent €251m lobbying EU' since 2010


Another quote from UCS:

The George W. Bush administration consistently sought to undermine the public’s understanding of the view held by the vast majority of climate scientists that human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases are making a discernible contribution to global warming.

More about that here: Climate Change Research Distorted and Suppressed


Gassho,

Daitetsu

#sat2day

[Risho]

Assuming of course climate change is occurring due to humans

Gassho

Rish
-stlah

[Daitetsu]

Ok anyway - so also climate change and CO2 emission. So George Bush or Trump whomever gets blamed, and it may be justifiable. But here's the thing. The US gets a lot of heat for shit that it's not fully responsible for. Now this is my opinion - and I'm open to correction - so I'm not here waving a placard angrily. just hear me out.

So the reason the US doesn't want to impose more regulation is that even if we do, it incurs significant financial cost, which reduces our ability to compete in the marketplace - where we are significantly hindered already because of our cost to deliver goods and services vs China; further, the main reason is that if countries like China don't do anything or adhere to regulations, we are basically taking ourselves out of being a viable competitor on the world market when they need to do something. Change on our side would be minimal. China needs to step up their game. They literally have the vast majority of humans on the planet. We can be an example, but China doesn't care about that. They do their own thing; they care about their people's interest, just as we do.

I took the freedom to put an important part of this in bold characters.
You wrote the impact would be minimal, but the truth is that the US ranks number 2 worldwide when it comes to absolute CO2 emissions - even before India that has lots of more people. To think the more people the more CO2 emissions is wrong.
If you take a look at the CO2 emission per capita you see why: The per capita CO2 emissions of the US is about 2.5 higher than that of China. US number 3, China number 12.
It has also something to do with the degree of industrialization and lifestyle.

These numbers are from 2016:

[table]
 [tr]
[th]Rank[/th]         [th]Country[/th]	[th]Total emissions from fuel combustion[/th]	[th]Per capita emissions from fuel combustion[/th][/tr]

[tr][td]1[/td]	[td]China[/td]	                     [td]9056.8MT[/td]                          [td]6.4T[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2[/td]	[td]United States[/td]	     [td]4833.1MT[/td]	                      [td]15.0T[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]3[/td]	[td]India[/td]	                      [td]2076.8MT[/td]                     	[td]1.6T[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]4[/td]	[td]Russian Federation[/td]      [td]1438.6MT[/td]	                [td]9.9T[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]5[/td]	[td]Japan[/td]	                     [td]1147.1MT[/td]	                       [td] 9.0T[/td][/tr][/table]

(Source: https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/eac...-co2-emissions)

A friend of mine recently said: "The US and China are by far the worst polluters, let them begin taking measures." (FYI: I live in Germany, number 6 on the list, really bad considering how small our country is)
So the US says "let China take steps first", China says "let the US begin", and all the others say "let the biggest players begin".
If everyone thinks that way, nothing will happen though.

Another argument one hears a lot recently is what you also wrote above: "ability to compete in the marketplace"
However, if we carry on with doing business as usual there won't be a marketplace in the long run. It won't make much sense any more if the planet is not habitable for human life anymore.
We cannot eat or breathe money.

Our governments behave like someone who is in a burning house but refuses to use the fire extinguisher because he/she does not want to ruin his/her flatscreen TV with all the water.

The source of this thinking is that a lot of people simply don't know the numbers. They think "It's not that bad as they say in the media."
No, it is not that bad - it's worse.
Over decades the oil industry has spent hundreds of millions of Dollars every year (!) for campaigns that give the public a false image. Watering down facts and numbers. Just to make profit.
Governments don't do enough, because they just think about re-election and don't want to make unpopular decisions.



=====================


I don't think everyone needs to be an "Engaged Buddhist" (after all just another category that separates), and I would not call myself an Engaged Buddhist, since I don't like to put labels on things/people.
However, it is absolutely compatible on an individual basis to incorporate in one's practice. To use it even as a foundation for one's practice.
With our way of life humanity has violated the First Precept to the highest possible extent. In order to avoid doing harm we must treat our world better. There is no Earth 2.0 within our reach.

I try to do my best to have a small CO2 footprint - not because I am Buddhist, but because I see it as my moral obligation as a human being.


Buddhist practice, however, can give us the strength, means and foundation to act.

Gassho,

Daitetsu

#sat2day

[Risho]

Sekishi droppin' the knowledge all over the place!!!! It's funny how right (well right imho ) this idea of storehouse consciousness is; it's a very astute observation by a culture in a pre-scientific era - now I'm assuming this came out of Yogacara or some school of thought prior to the scientific method. I would think storehouse consciousness would now be neural pathways, and the neural pathways can be reinforced by how we choose to let our reactions cause chain reactions in our thought; just like you are saying Sekishi. Edit and clarification because I may not know what I'm talking about here : I'm not a doctor, I just play one on the internet. lol

For example - something happens that's difficult, and we give up. Or we make promises to ourselves and we quit. Or politics come up, we get angry and shutdown. Or something difficult happens and our thoughts of shame and not being good enough start kicking off. These are all lies! Big, huge lies! Dr. Amen calls these Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANT's). These habits and pathways are our karma and can be changed - but we have to observe them and consciously decide not to allow these thoughts to overtake our consciousness - sowing new seeds (or constructing new pathways) is difficult but worth it. There is also a huge nutritional and physical aspect to all of this; it truly is all interconnected as the heart sutra says which, if you think about it, is pretty amazing that people came to these conclusions via practice.

Good stuff - thank you Sekishi!

Gassho

Rish
-stlah

PS - I'm sorry I keep responding to these; I tell myself not to respond, you don't need the last word all the time, but this discussion is just very compelling and my storehouse consciousness won't let me stop. hahahahah Seriously, thank you everyone for this discussion; it has transformed from my gripe to me learning quite a bit.

[Meitou]

There was a quote I wanted to use in my previous post that I couldn’t find. Finally found it...

It is from Ben Connelly (who gave a talk here at Treeleaf a few years back):

“If we cultivate beneficial mind-states, principally through being mindfully aware of them as they arise but also by thinking and talking about them, encouraging each other to cultivate them, we can transform the storehouse. Consciousness tends to create the same kinds of things it’s seen before. Seeds of peace grow peace, which plants seeds of peace.”

I see gentle speech not as piety or fake nicey-nice. I see it as one part mind training and one part acknowledgment of deep interconnectedness.

Again, just my $0.02. I’ll be quiet now.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Some years ago, with another Sangha, I took part in a course on Non Violent Communication which showed participants how important both thoughtful speech and active listening are. What you are saying here directly relates to that Sekishi. Thanks.
Gassho
Meitou
Sattoday

[Onka]

Gassho
Anna
stlah

Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk

[Sekishi]

There was a quote I wanted to use in my previous post that I couldn’t find. Finally found it...

It is from Ben Connelly (who gave a talk here at Treeleaf a few years back):

“If we cultivate beneficial mind-states, principally through being mindfully aware of them as they arise but also by thinking and talking about them, encouraging each other to cultivate them, we can transform the storehouse. Consciousness tends to create the same kinds of things it’s seen before. Seeds of peace grow peace, which plants seeds of peace.”

I see gentle speech not as piety or fake nicey-nice. I see it as one part mind training and one part acknowledgment of deep interconnectedness.

Again, just my $0.02. I’ll be quiet now.

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sat


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Sekishi]

I think when I communicate I assume a lot but, as Kokuu pointed out, there is freedom of speech but we must be responsible; sometimes I assume responsibility but words can easily be weaponized; I know I have to be more conscious of that. Catching up on Realizing Genjokoan, chapter 2 talks just about that: taking personal responsibility as individuals that also impact tge community; I fall into the extreme of both sides just like he mentions! hahaha

(I'm quoting Risho here, but this is more of a general observation on the topic.)

Our words, thoughts, and actions create future karmic conditions.

There are some different "views" on the specifics (particularly when it comes to rebirth and the like), but one widely accepted Buddhist understanding of karma (including in Zen) is that consciousness is seen as having eight aspects: the six senses (the usual five plus "thought"), the manas (the sense of "I am" or "the observer"), and "alaya" - the storehouse or "seed" consciousness. It is this storehouse / alaya that we work with during Ango with Thich Nhat Han's "Nurturing Seeds" practice. The basic idea is that our thoughts, speech, and actions take root as "seeds" which later bear "fruit" when activated by circumstances. By nurturing "positive" seeds (e.g. based on compassion, non-self, right view, etc.) right now, in this moment, they may bear "positive" fruit in the future.

I have spent a lifetime watering the seeds of self-blame, self-recrimination, and self-loathing. I can be sitting peacefully in the tub and remember "the cat needs an insulin injection". The thought is neutral (and with a positive intention -- care for the cat's diabetes), but thanks to all of the watering of negative seeds, by the time it arrives as a complete mental formation it is shaped more like "Hey useless moron, you forgot to medicate the cat." If I'm really determined, I can then spend a good 90 seconds spinning that out into a story about how utterly useless and lazy I am. This all waters the seeds of self-blame, self-recrimination, and self-loathing. Repeat this basic process 10,000 times over a lifetime and it is easy to see how we can unthinkingly go straight to familiar mental patterns when conditions arise.

I believe the same process occurs in more subtle ways. Most of us use language throughout our waking days, watering seeds that divide the world into "self" and "other", "good" and "evil", "beautiful" and "ugly" until we bare the fruit of believing that those things really truly ultimately exist.

Maybe that all sounds technical and woo (sorry), but in simpler terms: through repetition - thought, word, and act become habit. If we repeat kindness and compassion in our thoughts, words, and acts; these are a gift to our future selves (and all beings we encounter). When we encounter a difficult person or situation, we will be in the habit of kindness and compassion. So our practice is to make a habit of kindness and compassion in thoughts, words, and acts.

So kind speech is a sort of mind training and a gift to the world and our future self.

Just my $0.02.

Gassho,
Sekishi

[Meitou]

I would like to ask some caution on some words in this thread that might be taken as a criticism of Islam as a violent religion. I do not think that any religion ... including Buddhism ... escapes from having violence and extremist groups.

Kindly watch our language too. Like graffitti, empty lots filled with trash and broken windows, harsh speech with even a few "sh*ts" and "cr*ps" just brings down the peace and welcoming atmosphere of this place, like actual cr*p on the floor. I personally curse like a sailor when the time is right (I stubbed my toe yesterday, and I love the Koan that Buddha is an old shit stick), but there is a place and time for all things.

I will also insist, no matter our individual personal views (I certainly have my own personal views on all these matters, yes I do), that "good Buddhists" can still disagree on issues such as climate change, whether the government should be involved in providing health care, same-sex marriage, God, vegetarianism, Brexit, how to handle immigration, globalization and weak labor/environmental laws in places like China and the like, and still be "good Buddhists" if they sincerely believe that they are acting to benefit our fellow Sentient Beings, while seeking to be free of anger, violence and division. I feel that one can be a "liberal, or conservative or moderate or Marxist, or feminist, or socialist or anarchist" Buddhist, but one does not have to be a "liberal, or conservative or moderate or Marxist, or feminist, or socialist or anarchist" Buddhist, and we have to be a bit careful about imposing our personal political views on others in this Sangha ... where we basically come together to drop all separation and views before heading back out the door into samsara. I am glad that everyone seems to be discussing these issues in a civil tone without anger ... and I think that says a lot about our community.

Just as a side note, I would not allow any hate speech in this Sangha, except maybe once ... and then only to swiftly correct it (then offer Metta for the speaker's suffering). Fortunately, that rarely comes up around here. What is "hate speech"? Not so clear, but I know it when I hear it. For sure, certain critical comments about other religious groups, races, sexual identities and preferences would quickly be over the line. I once shut down some of our younger members calling things "retarded" or "Gay" around here because I work with some kids who actually are the former and know many good people who identify as the latter, and I think sometimes certain seemingly innocuous terms can be hurtful.

Although I do keep a less than iron hand on the wheel around here, please humor me and honor the above. Thank you.

Gassho, J

STLah

PS - Some very good ideas above for future reading in the "no words" book club.

Thank you Jundo.
Gassho
Meitou
Sattoday lah

[Risho]

points taken

I think when I communicate I assume a lot but, as Kokuu pointed out, there is freedom of speech but we must be responsible; sometimes I assume responsibility but words can easily be weaponized; I know I have to be more conscious of that. Catching up on Realizing Genjokoan, chapter 2 talks just about that: taking personal responsibility as individuals that also impact tge community; I fall into the extreme of both sides just like he mentions! hahaha

I wonder if that’s what Dogen means with “ In seeing color and hearing sound with body and mind, although we perceive them intimately, [the perception] is not like reflections in a mirror or the moon in water. When one side is illuminated, the other is dark.”

gassho

rish
-stlah

[Jundo]

I would like to ask some caution on some words in this thread that might be taken as a criticism of Islam as a violent religion. I do not think that any religion ... including Buddhism ... escapes from having violence and extremist groups.

Kindly watch our language too. Like graffitti, empty lots filled with trash and broken windows, harsh speech with even a few "sh*ts" and "cr*ps" just brings down the peace and welcoming atmosphere of this place, like actual cr*p on the floor. I personally curse like a sailor when the time is right (I stubbed my toe yesterday, and I love the Koan that Buddha is an old shit stick), but there is a place and time for all things.

I will also insist, no matter our individual personal views (I certainly have my own personal views on all these matters, yes I do), that "good Buddhists" can still disagree on issues such as climate change, whether the government should be involved in providing health care, same-sex marriage, God, vegetarianism, Brexit, how to handle immigration, globalization and weak labor/environmental laws in places like China and the like, and still be "good Buddhists" if they sincerely believe that they are acting to benefit our fellow Sentient Beings, while seeking to be free of anger, violence and division. I feel that one can be a "liberal, or conservative or moderate or Marxist, or feminist, or socialist or anarchist" Buddhist, but one does not have to be a "liberal, or conservative or moderate or Marxist, or feminist, or socialist or anarchist" Buddhist, and we have to be a bit careful about imposing our personal political views on others in this Sangha ... where we basically come together to drop all separation and views before heading back out the door into samsara. I am glad that everyone seems to be discussing these issues in a civil tone without anger ... and I think that says a lot about our community.

Just as a side note, I would not allow any hate speech in this Sangha, except maybe once ... and then only to swiftly correct it (then offer Metta for the speaker's suffering). Fortunately, that rarely comes up around here. What is "hate speech"? Not so clear, but I know it when I hear it. For sure, certain critical comments about other religious groups, races, sexual identities and preferences would quickly be over the line. I once shut down some of our younger members calling things "retarded" or "Gay" around here because I work with some kids who actually are the former and know many good people who identify as the latter, and I think sometimes certain seemingly innocuous terms can be hurtful.

Although I do keep a less than iron hand on the wheel around here, please humor me and honor the above. Thank you.

Gassho, J

STLah

PS - Some very good ideas above for future reading in the "no words" book club.

[Kyōsen]

Thank you for your kindness Isshin and Doshin

Although those experiences were unpleasant, they have been tremendous opportunities for me to learn and grow. I don't exactly regret they happened.

Gassho
Sen
Sat|LAH

[Doshin]

Sen, sorry for what you deal with.

Doshin
St

[Ishin]

A small detail that is sometimes forgotten about history is that the Nazis also rounded up queer individuals and put them away into labor camps and had them executed. I am very worried about the rise of right-wing extremism in my city (and my country) for reasons that are very close to home. I have faced some pretty ugly displays of homophobia: being spit on, chased in the street, beaten (my ugliest scar from this has faded quite a bit which I like to think is symbolic of how my mind has changed over time) and robbed, etc., so the concern of those who are targets of these kinds of extremist groups is one I share as I am a target of these extremist groups.

Even so, I have compassion for the people who would like to seriously harm my husband, myself, and our closest friends just for existing. I still think that if they were happy and wise they would not even think to harm people like us.

Gassho
Sen
Sat|LAH

Sadly these attitudes still persist. I lost a client recently because I did not agree with her ideas about homosexuality. I will sit for all those persecuted for intrinsically being them.

Gassho
Sat/lah