Kotei, thank you for your kind words, you, Jishin, Kokuu and all who have contributed here will always be practicing art, both with Anne and myself and without us, because the circle is formed.
I'll try to be brief. There seems to be a lack of definition here between what constitutes 'politics', and how it differs from 'party politics'.
No-one can escape politics as long as they are breathing. Politics govern our every waking - and sleeping - moment. Even to get to this forum - the devices we use, the internet provider, the search engines, the website hosts - all of these things are governed directly or indirectly by political decisions - and in the main part, the huge companies we all think of as homogenous and international, are at heart, American. Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Facebook etc.
For those of us who aren't straight white males, politics govern our basic rights, the amount of jurisdiction we have over our own bodies, how we are allowed to define our sexuality, who we can marry. Some of us have been fighting against those oppressions and for the rights of others since we could do joined up writing, politics before we knew the meaning of the word. Some of us can vote in our countries elections, some of us, including myself, cannot - that's politics.
On this forum we have threads that are engaging with ecology and the destruction of our environment - politics plays, and will continue to play, a major role in how that progresses. We have threads relating to how we engage with racism, and how we engage with those of us who aren't straight white males, even to the extent of revisiting our vows and discussing how we can be more aware and inclusive - thanks to politics.
I fully understand and support that this is not the place for party politics. But here's the rub. If someone came here, last week, today, tomorrow, and said Oh help I don't know who to vote for../ Jeez how could a Buddhist vote for../ I would ask you all to support.../ - yes, I agree, that is at best irrelevant and at worst divisive. Lots of other places to engage with those questions.
But if someone came here and said Oh I feel so anxious and confused about the upcoming elections/ I'm so worried about my kids future I can't practice/ I don't know how to practice amongst all this political turmoil/I'm so freaking angry right about what's going on right now I can't sit/ I don't know how to reconcile my vows with how I'm feeling about the political situation - people that's a whole different ball game. And not to provide space for people to reach out in that way is a failure. It's not fulfilling our vows to be compassionate, it isn't socially engaged Buddhism. But you know what, ok, because as I posted elsewhere, other Sanghas and every Dharma related publication that drops into my email box have had a lot of wonderful advice and support for those in need- and I know there have been people here in need of that.
But please Treeleaf, to deny just one small moment represented by one sweet and harmless photo, one small taste of the momentous events that are taking place right now, to deny that moment in an otherwise totally awful and utterly joyless year, that is more of a statement than the photo itself.( And I apologise wholeheartedly to all of those reading this for whom that photo represented an ocassion that has now made their year joyless.)
And as someone who isn't a straight, white male, I feel sad that even after the work we've done with introducing the women's and differently abled ancestors lineage, and that we are reading and applauding a book dedicated to lost female voices, that there is no place here to just briefly honour the historic, immense and for many, life changing, achievement of one woman yesterday, but perhaps I just did that, ha.
I can't speak for Anne, but I do know we share the same thoughts on much of what I've said, and I would suggest with the greatest respect, that this is a good time for us to step away from curating the Art Circle. As Jundo says, hosts aren't needed - art is like water, it flows through the cracks in everything and will always find a voice.
Gassho
Meitou
sat
Edit: ugh sorry for taking up so much space and time
I'll try to be brief. There seems to be a lack of definition here between what constitutes 'politics', and how it differs from 'party politics'.
No-one can escape politics as long as they are breathing. Politics govern our every waking - and sleeping - moment. Even to get to this forum - the devices we use, the internet provider, the search engines, the website hosts - all of these things are governed directly or indirectly by political decisions - and in the main part, the huge companies we all think of as homogenous and international, are at heart, American. Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Facebook etc.
For those of us who aren't straight white males, politics govern our basic rights, the amount of jurisdiction we have over our own bodies, how we are allowed to define our sexuality, who we can marry. Some of us have been fighting against those oppressions and for the rights of others since we could do joined up writing, politics before we knew the meaning of the word. Some of us can vote in our countries elections, some of us, including myself, cannot - that's politics.
On this forum we have threads that are engaging with ecology and the destruction of our environment - politics plays, and will continue to play, a major role in how that progresses. We have threads relating to how we engage with racism, and how we engage with those of us who aren't straight white males, even to the extent of revisiting our vows and discussing how we can be more aware and inclusive - thanks to politics.
I fully understand and support that this is not the place for party politics. But here's the rub. If someone came here, last week, today, tomorrow, and said Oh help I don't know who to vote for../ Jeez how could a Buddhist vote for../ I would ask you all to support.../ - yes, I agree, that is at best irrelevant and at worst divisive. Lots of other places to engage with those questions.
But if someone came here and said Oh I feel so anxious and confused about the upcoming elections/ I'm so worried about my kids future I can't practice/ I don't know how to practice amongst all this political turmoil/I'm so freaking angry right about what's going on right now I can't sit/ I don't know how to reconcile my vows with how I'm feeling about the political situation - people that's a whole different ball game. And not to provide space for people to reach out in that way is a failure. It's not fulfilling our vows to be compassionate, it isn't socially engaged Buddhism. But you know what, ok, because as I posted elsewhere, other Sanghas and every Dharma related publication that drops into my email box have had a lot of wonderful advice and support for those in need- and I know there have been people here in need of that.
But please Treeleaf, to deny just one small moment represented by one sweet and harmless photo, one small taste of the momentous events that are taking place right now, to deny that moment in an otherwise totally awful and utterly joyless year, that is more of a statement than the photo itself.( And I apologise wholeheartedly to all of those reading this for whom that photo represented an ocassion that has now made their year joyless.)
And as someone who isn't a straight, white male, I feel sad that even after the work we've done with introducing the women's and differently abled ancestors lineage, and that we are reading and applauding a book dedicated to lost female voices, that there is no place here to just briefly honour the historic, immense and for many, life changing, achievement of one woman yesterday, but perhaps I just did that, ha.
I can't speak for Anne, but I do know we share the same thoughts on much of what I've said, and I would suggest with the greatest respect, that this is a good time for us to step away from curating the Art Circle. As Jundo says, hosts aren't needed - art is like water, it flows through the cracks in everything and will always find a voice.
Gassho
Meitou
sat
Edit: ugh sorry for taking up so much space and time
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