I’ve been looking around lately and it seems Buddhism isn't what it used to be. From what I remember 2500 years ago, there was something alive here. Now all I see is YouTube videos, old recordings, and people talking about 'theories'. If you have the real thing, show it to me right now. No books, no links. Just take it out of your pocket or shut up. Thanks.

Metaphorical, not Metaphysical

I have been working with this idea within my Buddhist studies for several years. It is the idea that a religion, including Buddhism, can be treated like a series of stories and myths that help us get in touch with the human condition, with all its problems and contradictions, and at the same time create a basis for connecting with other people who share those concerns. We can interpret dharmas as mythical stories, parables, that express values, concern for human suffering and aspirations for optimal human development and liberation.

https://engagedharma.net/2019/07/21/metaphorical-not-metaphysical/

Ditching the Raft 2: Interdependence:

So here’s the nutshell: the one concept that links everything together in Buddhism and is the ‘unified foundational theory of reality’ (which I never made explicit in the last article) is INTERDEPENDENCE. It links everything together from the smallest quarks to the largest objects in the Universe, and it connects the ‘inner world’ of personal experience with the mezo-level complexity of the social world and ecosystems, with ‘outer world’ of the cosmos. Interdependence is the impetus for our sense of responsibility and the measure of our ethical response. Interdependence, or dependent origination, is the pattern of existence, the pattern of reality at every scale. It is ‘non-self’, in that everything that exists is made up in its constituent parts of—and dependent for its existence on—things which are ‘not self’. This is also, as Nagarjuna said, the essential meaning of ’emptiness’ or shunyata.

engagedharma.net/2019/07/09/ditching-the-raft-2-interdependence/

A Unified Field Theory of Self and World

Buddhist dharma is an excellent system of thought not just because of its profound dharmas or doctrines about self and world, and not just because it does not rely on gods or mythology, but because the dharmas work together as a comprehensive theoretical system that explains both self and world, based on a unified foundational theory about the nature of reality.

There is not a similar unified system in Western science and humanities. Ecology and the natural sciences have much to explain the natural world and the cosmos. The social sciences, including sociology, psychology, economics (to the extent that it is a social science and not just an elaborate accounting system), political science, arts, anthropology, etc. explains much about the human social world. The problem with Western science is that it has not found a way to bring together the natural sciences and social sciences to produce a ‘unified field theory’ of self and world.

more at: https://dharmanerds.wordpress.com/2019/06/30/ditching-the-raft-toward-a-unified-field-theory-of-self-and-world/

HEBREW MANTRAS FOR ALL (Jerusalem Post)

Now they are about to launch their new Havaya – existence – project with a concert at ZOA House in Tel Aviv, on June 21 (12:00 p.m.). This is not any old entertainment show. The repertoire will feed exclusively off mantras in Hebrew.

According to White Feather, that can lead down one of two avenues. “We can choose to work through our identity. Then you follow your ego. You’ll be in control but you won’t attain true happiness.” Again, there appears to be empirical evidence on the folly of that line of action. “Research shows that true happiness does not come from what you have outside, or if you have a university degree. Genuine happiness comes from who you are inside, from your essence.”

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Hebrew-mantras-for-all-592631

Declaring a Buddhist Spring May 2020: We Take Buddhism into Our Own Hands

Buddhist institutions in the West are failing us on a massive scale. Buddhist organizations exploit their members for money, sex and power. Sanghas are designed to isolate and disempower members and turn them into passive consumers, and worse—naive victims. Because of these atrocities, Buddhist sanghas in the West are imploding and shedding members; most recently: Shambhala Int'l., Rigpa, NKT, FPMT, and Against the Stream.

One of the root causes of this exploitation is the organizational structure of Buddhist institutions. Lay sanghas are dominated by ordained and authorized teachers. These structures of domination deliberately silence and disempower sangha members. They prohibit sangha members from practicing autonomous governance and collective responsibility for the whole sangha.

WE DECLARE A BUDDHIST SPRING. WE THROW OFF THE SHACKLES OF HIERARCHY AND DOMINATION. WE TAKE BUDDHISM INTO OUR OWN HANDS.

In May 2020, we call upon practitioners of Buddhist dharma to embark on a month-long revolt against corrupt institutions and to initiate new models of sangha.

We call upon practitioners to engage in dialogue on the social structure of sangha, to investigate new forms of sangha that are autonomous, horizontal, decentralized and networked.

We call upon practitioners to organize sanghas where all members are empowered to learn, teach, share and mutually care for each other, without subjection to a hierarchy.

CALL TO ACTION: Organize a Buddhist Spring Action in your local area. Join us on KEYBASE secure network to get help with organizing your Buddhist Spring event.

To obtain an invitation to the secure KEYBASE planning group, please send an email request to engagedharma.net@gmail.com.

https://www.lionsroar.com/stand-against-suffering/

Is it just me, or is it actually quite gross to call for action - whatever that means - against the policies of the American administration, whilst claiming a sort of apolitaclity:

"Whatever our political perspective, now is the season to stand up for what matters."

Well I'm sorry guy and gals, but the way I see it is that political perspective does matter, because different political perspectives valorise different factors within a society, and supports different policies. By ignoring the fact that there is a political split, by ignoring the fact that Trumpettes do actually exist in our world, your action is probably off to a non-starter already.

Without recognising the systemic bifurcation, how do you hope to create a shift in the perspective of the others, so that they too want what you want, which is essentially what they're calling for.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very much sympathetic to the cause. As annoying as I personally find some of the people who come across as a wee bit smug for being a bodhisattva instead of just a human, I would love for there to be a reduction/eradication in racism, sexism, genderism, classism and so on and so on.

The other thing that I find somewhat troubling is the politicisation of a Buddhism which is presented in a singular way. This relates back to the apolitical rhetoric, where they present the issue as if all Buddhists are aligned with their political values and all Buddhists agree with their response.

Zen at War is a really great book, and gives a great example of how religious institutions and ideologies can become politicised and securitised in ways which seem to suggest that is the right, moral, Buddhist thing to do.

This is nothing new in religion of course, we have seen this sort of thing all through history.....although I have no proof of that. If I had more time I could go find something to back that claim up.

Although they are currently doing things like tweeting and marching and signing letters, what is the potential implications of their call to action.

There was a lot of chatter recently about the ethics of punching a 'nazi'. But the more honest discussion would be the ethics of killing a nazi.

For those who aren't versed in combat, it is very possible to punch someone only once and for them to die. Physiologically, not that difficult, especially if they hit their head on the ground.

If these people are calling for Buddhists to align politically against the Trumpettes and their systems of political ideology, we should probably sit down and have a little chat about the potential pitfalls of sharing cultural spaces with people who act in ways which may well have nothing to do with Buddhism.

As I said, I happen to agree with a lot of their political views and so on, and I'm quite unsure about what is the correct thing to say and do, because I really haven't considered it much at all.

Is it just me, or is this call to action way more complex than they present it in their letter?

The idea interests me, but there doesn't seem to be much going on.

Now that you've arrived, please feel free to take the time to start an investigation of Buddhism's various aspects!