Explore the intersection of Buddhism and activism, emphasizing compassion in action for the well-being of all sentient beings.
Is there an inner activist waiting to be discovered?
Like all religions, Buddhism has changed over time. One of the most important changes in recent decades has been the evolution of engaged Buddhism, a movement similar to Humanistic Buddhism where it focuses the well-being of others.
Humanistic Buddhism is a practice that incorporates Buddhist principles into daily life, based on Sakyamuni Buddha’s achievement of enlightenment in human form. This approach is centered around six core concepts, which include humanism, altruism, daily spiritual practice, joyfulness, timeliness, and the universality of helping all beings.
The goal of humanistic Buddhism is to reconnect Buddhist teachings with the ordinary aspects of life, rather than solely focusing on achieving liberation from the material world.
By placing a greater emphasis on caring for the world around us, this practice encourages a deeper connection with the present moment and a more compassionate approach to life.
In contrast, Engaged Buddhism emerged in the 20th century as a series of independent movements responding directly to the crises in Asia. One of the most prominent figures representing Engaged Buddhism is Thich Nhat Hanh. During the Vietnam War in the 1950s, Thich Nhat Hanh led anti-war protests, rebuilt villages, resettled refugees, held peace talks internationally, and authored books.
Thich Nhat Hanh recognized the harsh realities of life and the need to take political stances and establish peace for the suffering people in Vietnam. He founded educational and religious organizations that aimed to bring love and peace to the world, train people to provide help and relief to victims of the war, and influence public policies and views. As a result, more Buddhists became involved in social development.
I can’t help but wonder, how does our practices interconnected with social action resound throughout the land we lived? At what ground does the practice become an activist approach?
First Published in Handful of Leaves