sign in sign up
<<
Home , Secular Buddhism, Sombath Somphone

Contents

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559)

Publisher INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF 3 Editorial Notes ENGAGED BUDDHISTS (INEB) 6 Country Reports Editorial team (advisor) 6 Burma: Anti-Muslim Buddhist Group Moves toward Harsha Kumara Navaratne (advisor) ’s Mainstream, Timothy Mclaughlin and Hnin Somboon Chungprampree (editor) Yadana Zaw Theodore Mayer (assistant) 7 France: Love Letter to President Hollande, Sister Mai Narumon Paiboonsittikun (assistant) Nghiem Napawan Sittisak (assistant) 8 Korea: Seoul Temple Drama Ends in Activist Arrest Cover 9 : Laos Must Come Clean on Sombath, Andrea Painting given by Metta Development Giorgetta Foundation, Burma 10 Siam: Monk protest misguided 11 Siam: Truth Is Best, Mom Oui Tells Regime, Nauvarat Lay-out Suksamran, Surapong Petnamlai 11 Siam: His Holiness in conversation with HM the King Distributed by 13 UN: The Problem with Saving the World,Jason Hickel Suksit Siam 16 USA: Socially Engaged at the United Nations 113-115 Fuangnakorn Rd., Matteo Pistono Bangkok 10200 Tel. (662)2259536-40 18 INEB [email protected] 18 Buddhist Climate Change Statement to World Leaders Baht 100 per issue 20 repreStatement of Faith and Spiritual Leaders Suggested annual subscription US $50 22 The 6th Auspicious Birth Cycle of Most Venerable Bhikkhuni Dhammananda, Payment info: 24 Conference on Social Engagement and Liberation • A cheque payable to “INEB” Personal cheques from the UK, US, 26 INEB Institute and Euro are accepted. • Paypal, please go to the INEB website 26 MA In Socially

Seeds of Peace 28 SEM 666 Charoen-Nakorn Road, 28 Adventure in Empowerment Education: Our Reflec- Klongsan, Bangkok 10600 Siam tions Tel. (662)860-2194 29 Some Inspirations, Peter Swan Fax. (662)860-1277 [email protected] www.inebnetwork.org 32 Sulak Sivaraksa 32 “Uniting Around the Principle of Humanity in the Seeds of Peace is published thrice annually Mekong Region” in January, May and September, in order to 34 Inequality, Violence and Climate Change through a promote the aims and objectives of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists Buddhist Lens (INEB) and its members around the world, and the organizations under SNF including Spirit in Education Movement (SEM) and the School for Wellbeing Studies and Research.

2 Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes 40 Articles The recent period has been a very active one for INEB, and upcoming months will likely be equally so. One notable 40 A New Growth Paradigm ? Ranil Senanay- event over the past few months has been INEB’s partici- ake pation, along with the Inter-religious Climate and Ecology 42 Awakening in the Age of Ecological Crisis, (ICE) network, in the climate change meetings in Paris known as COP21. INEB led a meditation session at one of 46 Sorry, You Can’t Get There From Here: the venues, and joined in talks and activities with other Problems Versus Quandaries, Richard L. Clinton interfaith leaders. INEB’s participation is one indicator of 51 Remembering a Great Scholar, Chris Baker a growing presence of faith-based groups around the world in pressuring for genuine action on climate change. 53 Obituary INEB also played a leading role in organizing 53 Ajarn Ben’s Southeast Asian Analyses Still and hosting a major public speaking event by Sogyal Enlighten, Philip Cunningham on “The Art of Living and Dying” in Bangkok on December 19. In a packed auditorium at Thammasat 55 Letters University, brought an engaging talk to conclusion with a beautiful description of the death of his aunt, who was widely known for her humility and Book Review 56 profound knowledge of the Dhamma. 56 In Search of a Communist We are now energetically completing the organizing Soravis Jayanama for what will be a really excellent biennial conference in from 22 to 28 January 2016, entitled “Converging 60 Recommended Readings Streams: Engaging for Holistic Development – An Interfaith Dialogue for Peace and Sustainability. The INEB Institute team is equally busy preparing for the first term of the English for Engaged Social Service program, to start 22 February. The INEB Institute is also making very good progress in its curriculum proposal with Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts. The collaboration with Arsom Silp will allow us to offer our MA in Socially Engaged Buddhism as a recognized degree-granting program. We hope to begin our inaugural year in August of 2016, in a program that will take a comprehensive look at the work of engaged Buddhists in the modern period. The program will also take students to meet with engaged Buddhists of all major traditions in and , as well as in Nagpur and Bir, .

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 3 9 th March 2016 Puey Ungpakorn’s Birth Century The Quality of Life of a Southeast Asian (From womb to tomb)

While in my mother’s womb, I want her to have good When I leave school I want a job, a meaningful nutrition and access to maternal and child welfare care. one in which I can feel the satisfaction of making a I don’t want to have as many brothers and contribution. sisters as my parents had before me, and I do not want I want to live in a law and order society, without my mother to have a child too soon after me. molestation. I want my country to relate effectively and I don’t care whether my father and mother are equitably to the outside world so that I can have access formally married, but I need them to live together in to the intellectual and technical knowledge of all mankind, reasonable harmony. as well as the capital from overseas. I want good nutrition for my mother and for I would like my country to get a fair price for me in my first two or three years when my capacity for the products that I and my fellow citizens create. future mental and physical development is determined. As a farmer, I would like to have my own plot I want to go to school, together with my sister, of land, with a system which gives me access to credit, and to learn a trade, and to have the schools impart to new agricultural technology and to markets, and a social values to me. If I happen to be suitable for higher fair price for my produce. education, that opportunity should be available. As a worker, I would want to have some share,

4 some sense of participation in the factory in which I work. As a human being, I would like inexpensive newspapers and paperback books, plus access to radio Remembering a and TV (without too much advertising). I want to enjoy good health, and I expect the Government to provide free preventive medical service Great Scholar and cheap and readily available good curative service. I need some leisure time for myself, and to enjoy Book Review of Exploration and my family, and want access to some green parks, to the Irony in Studies arts, and to traditional social or religious festivities. I want clean air to breathe and clean water to of Siam Over 40 years drink. I would like to have the security of co-‐operative mechanisms in which I join to help others do things which they cannot do alone, and they do the same for me. I need the opportunity to participate in the society around me, and to help shape the decisions of the economic and social as well as the political institutions that so affect my life. I want my wife to have equal opportunity with me, and I want both of us to have access to the knowledge and means of family planning. In my old age, it would be nice to have some form of social security to which I have contributed. When I die, if I happen to have some money left, I would wish the Government to take some of it, leaving an adequate amount for my widow. With this money the Government should make it possible for others to enjoy life too. These are what life is all about, and what development should seek to achieve forall. Did you renew your “From Womb to Tomb” have been translated subscription? into 13 languages, which are Karen, Burmese, May we remind our readers to renew your subscription or help others who cannot afford to Khmer(), English, French, Bahasa pay for Seeds of Peace, so that the publication will (), , Korean, Lao, Thai, Tibetan, be available to all who seek something to read Vietnamese. Hopefully, it will continue to beyond what is provided by the mainstream mass be translated into numerous other languages. media. The suggested rate is USD 50.00 per year. If you can provide more support, we would be very grateful for your generosity. Your money Those whom interested for translating, please will go to support INEB activities for grassroots contact : [email protected] people in SE Asia.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 5 Country Reports

Burma :

Ashin Tilawkar Biwonsa (top), Anti-Muslim Buddhist Group 77, Ma Ba Tha’s founder and chairman, talks during a Moves toward Myanmar’s Mainstream meeting at Ma Ba Tha’s head office in Yangon August 26, Timothy Mclaughlin and Hnin Yadana Zaw 2015. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun Yangon (Reuters) : Swathed are reliable for the country,” in crimson robes, 77-year- Ashin Tilawkar Biwonsa old Ashin Tilawkar Biwon- said in an interview. “There sa shuffles through a crowded might be some people, conference room with the especially Muslims, who help of an aide, his supporters are working on weakening standing in respect as he Buddhism, so we need takes a seat at the head of a strong people for our table under a portrait of his .” own image. Ma Ba Tha has shown no It is from here, at an un- signs of contesting elections remarkable roadside monas- itself but says it will tery just outside the city of “remind” the public of can- Yangon, that the abbot is didates who opposed its four propelling the radical Bud- laws. These include Nobel to legislation, helping to and share our visions,” he dhist group he co-founded peace laureate Aung San shape Ma Ba Tha into a slick said. into the mainstream of Suu Kyi and her opposition organization with popular Myanmar’s politics. National League for Democ- support and real political INTERNATIONAL Four bills drafted by his racy (NLD), which is going clout. VISITORS Committee for the Protection head to head with conserv- One such expert is Aye In another sign of its grow- of Race and Religion, better atives and military figures Paing, who spent two dec- ing influence, foreign known as Ma Ba Tha, have in the polls. ades toiling as a lawyer in diplomats regularly visit been passed by parliament Established two years ago, Myanmar’s musty court- the group’s monastery and signed into law. Critics Ma Ba Tha sprang from the rooms before finding a dra- headquarters. say the new laws effectively “969” movement, a loose matic new use for his legal One was U.S. ambassador legalize discrimination collection of monks linked skills. Derek Mitchell, who went against women and the to a wave of violence against Aye Paing and a team of there twice in May to country’s minority Muslims. the country’s Muslim mi- Ma Ba Tha-linked lawyers discuss “the need for in- Along with political clout, nority in 2012 and 2013. drafted the protection of creased interfaith dialogue” Ma Ba Tha is also ratcheting Senior Ma Ba Tha officials race and religion bills, the and “the importance of up its public image ahead of said the had last of which was signed by keeping religion out of poli- elections in November that raised awareness about President Thein Sein ontics”, according to a statement will be the first free vote in threats to Buddhism from a Monday. from the U.S. embassy in Myanmar in the last 25 burgeoning Muslim popula- Lawyers, economists, IT Yangon. years. At time of priutiug tion, but was disorganized experts and other profes- Myanmar’s revered and elections have taken place. and lacked leadership. sionals had made Ma Ba influential monks led many The radical Buddhist group “It was (concerned with) Tha “very efficient, system- pro-democracy protests has regular programming only the symbols of Bud- atic and legal” said Aye during nearly half a century on one of the country’s most dhism,” said Ashin Tilawkar Paing, 52, who wears a black of military rule in the popular satellite TV chan- Biwonsa. “taik pone”, a short collarless Buddhist-majority nation. nels and has launched a Now, a growing number jacket worn over a shirt that But after a quasi-civilian, magazine. of professionals are is common among Myan- reformist government took “There should be law- their expertise on every- mar’s legal professionals. power in 2011, some out- makers in parliament who thing from media relations “We discuss, give advice spoken monks claimed

6 Country Reports

Islam was eclipsing Bud- tional style for which the Ba Tha,” said May Sabi Phyu, control and stop them.” dhism and weakening the group is known. the director of the Gender country. The television deal bol- Equality Network, a women’s Now, Ashin Tilawkar sters an information cam- empowerment group that (Additional reporting by Biwonsa says Ma Ba Tha paign that already includes opposed the bills. Andrew R.C. Marshall in has 250 offices nationwide. a bi-monthly magazine Any plans to sway voters YANGON; Editing by John He couldn’t estimate how with a circulation of 50,000 would be “violating the law,” Chalmers and Raju Go- many supporters it has, but that contains sermons said NLD spokesman Nyan palakrishnan) in June more than 1,500 delivered by Ma Ba Tha Win, adding: “It’s the gov- ...... people attended the group’s monks nationwide. ernment’s responsibility to annual conference in Yangon. RACE AND RELIGION France : Ma Ba Tha recently struck In contrast to long-delayed a deal with Myanmar’s legislation on banking, popular satellite television mining and property, the Love Letter to provider, SkyNet, to broad- Ma Ba Tha-backed “race cast its sermons. and religion” bills moved President Hollande The broadcasts wouldswiftly through parliament. help the public “know the One bill requires some Sister Mai Nghiem truth” about Ma Ba Tha, women to wait at least three said Khine Khine Tun, 25, years between pregnancies. Dear Mr. President, brothers and sisters, the an articulate former teacher Another requires Buddhist This morning four mili- echo of my despair in the and interpreter who heads women to seek official tary planes crossed the sky calls for help of all the men the group’s international permission before marry- over our mountains. They and women who suffer, a relations department. ing a non-Buddhist man. made me think of France. I little bit everywhere, from Through media training This will stop Muslim have been in California for a the loss of their loved courses, she said, she has men “torturing and forcing year, but these past days my ones, from the violence, learnt to speak to visitors (Buddhist women) to heart and thoughts go out the terror and the war. with a smile, confounding change religion,” Ashin unceasingly to my native I know from the depths expectations of the abrasive Tilawkar Biwonsa said. country. of my wounded soul, today and sometimes confronta- Suu Kyi and her NLD My thoughts also go out more than yesterday, that I opposed the laws. But to you, Mr. President, father wish no family to have to A copy of Aung Zay Yathu, government officials and of a country in shock, who shed these bitter tears. a weekly promoting na- politicians rarely criticize must, at this hour, cope with As Pope Francis said in tionalism published by Ma Ma Ba Tha, because they a painful and complex situa- his acclaimed speech to the Ba Tha, is seen at the head either sympathize with the tion under extreme political US Congress, “Let us re- office of the Buddhist group’s views or fear upsetting and media-driven pressure member the Golden Rule: group, in Yangon August its many supporters during which must cause you, no ‘Do unto others as you 26, 2015. REUTERS/Soe an election year. doubt, stress-filled nights would have them do unto Zeya Tun “They are afraid of Ma without rest. y ou .’” Thank you for accepting Mr. President, we learn this difficult task to be in history books that by captain of the ship and to do humiliating the Germans in it with a great sense of re- the Treaty of Versailles of sponsibility and necessity. 1919 we gave a springboard On the night of the 13th to Hitler in his rise to power, of November many of the that the bombardment of members of my French fam- Cambodia in 1973 served as ily died. A part of me died fodder for the recruitment with them. And from the campaign of the Khmer vulnerability of my wound- Rouge, and how the war in ed heart, a voice makes itself Iraq became kindling for heard: the echo of my cries the fire of Islamist fanati- in the sobs of my Syrian cism.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 7 Country Reports

Korea : Seoul Temple Drama Ends in Activist Arrest

Bangkok Post, 11 Dec 2015

Seoul: A fugitive South sanctuary in Catholic Korean labour leader sur- churches. rendered on Thursday to Although there was no In the current world as Gandhi said, not just keep police who had besieged a legal reason preventing crisis it is easy to get caught ourselves from making the major in police entering such venues, up in the urgency (though world blind, but also light a Seoul where he had sought they had traditionally opted very real), the agitation and spark of life, of hope and of sanctuary from arrest for not to do so for fear of trig- the frenzy around us. love in the eyes of its inhab- the past month. gering a public backlash. May we all, while re- itants. After a negotiated settle- The last time police raided sponding to the imperative Mr. President, I am con- ment between police and the Jogye Temple – to bring need to protect the popula- fident that the history books Buddhist leaders, Han out seven labour activists in tion, also take time to re- and the generations to come Sang-Gyun was allowed a 2002 – the move sparked member, to listen and to will remember you as choreographed exit from widespread criticism. learn from history and from someone who knew how to the Jogye Temple complex, In the end, Han emerged the memories of those who bring quiet strength to a surrounded by hundreds of from his hiding place and, witnessed it; nation that so needed it uniformed police. after paying respects at the May we all, in a world amidst chaos, fear and Han, the head of the main temple, was allowed where the past may be anger; as a shrewd captain Korean Confederation of to address his supporters brought back to life in a who knew how to bring his Trade Unions (KCTU), had and the waiting media, very real and poignant way ship into calm waters; as the sought in the temple before surrendering to (as in the recent movie “The wise and courageous com- following a massive anti- police who handcuffed him Son of Saul”), honour mander of the guardians of government demonstration and bundled him into a through our responsible, real peace; as the shepherd on November 14. waiting van. intelligent and awakened who knew how to take care Armed with a warrant “I have been fighting to actions the remembrance of of his sheep beyond the for his arrest on charges of stop laws that would make so many who died and borders of his fields. inciting violence during the it easier to dismiss workers. suffered, and not allow any For we all prefer the protest, police had given him It seems this has made me chance that our children cheerful chirping of black- an ultimatum to surrender. the most wanted fugitive in may have to re-live such birds to the screaming of But a police threat to storm the country,” Han said. trauma; missiles, the free and majes- the temple and remove Han “I will bring my fight to May we all work together, tic flight of the hawk to the by force was postponed af- court and to jail if necessary,” work to build a world where scrambling of jet fighters. ter the leader of the Jogye he said. attentive and compassionate Please know, Mr. Presi- Order – ’s lead- Wearing a headband with listening to the suffering dent, that in these somber ing Buddhist organisation the slogan, “Abolish the endured by both sides pre- hours you do not walk – appealed for more time to temporary workers’ system,” vails over the unnecessary alone on this arduous path. resolve the standoff. Han raised a clenched fist escalation of violence that no The thoughts of support South Korean religious and led his supporters in one wishes for, where the and courage of many go venues had a long history of chanting anti-government desire for deep and genuine with you. providing refuge for politi- slogans before turning him- understanding triumphs With all my gratitude cal activists, most notably self in. over our prejudices, our and confidence, in the 1980s when many The Jogye Order, which fears and our thirst for Your child among others, young pro-democracy has millions of followers, vengeance or power; ...... activists who were on the had been mediating with So that together we may, run from police sought the government ever since

8 Country Reports

claim that authorities were racy demonstrations. For still conducting an investi- many years, the government gation and “trying their denied it had even detained utmost efforts” is belied by the five. However, between the fact the last police report 2003 and 2011, government on the probe was issued on statements evolved from June 8, 2013. denials to ambiguous state- Following an official visit ments and, finally, to timid to Laos in September 2014, admissions. a delegation of members of Two of the former student parliament from the Asso- leaders are believed to be ciation of Southeast Asian imprisoned in solitary Korean Confederation of Mr Han’s union had been Nations (Asean) member confinement while a third Trade Unions President a driving force behind the states declared Lao authori- one died in a Han Sang-gyun, second Nov 14 rally that drew ties had “erected a brick prison in September 2001. right, walks to turn himself around 60,000 people to wall of silence” on the status The fate of the two others in to police at Jogye Temple protest labour reforms and of the investigation. remains unknown. In June in Seoul, South Korea other areas of government As a result, the MPs 2015, in response to recom- Mr Han took refuge in the policy. believed there was no active mendations made during temple. The rally saw numerous investigation and accused the United Nations’ Universal One monk said the violent clashes with police the government of a cover- Periodic Review (UPR) activist had been on hunger who used pepper spray and up for state officials impli- investigating allegations of strike for the past 11 days, water cannon to disperse cated in his abduction. enforced disappearance in taking only a little water protestors. This assessment was the country, Laos dismissed and some salt...... reinforced in January 2015, the allegations as untrue. when the Lao government As Laos prepares to as- insinuated that Sombath’s sume the chair of Asean in Laos : disappearance might have 2016, the issue of Sombath’s been the result of a conflict enforced disappearance with a criminal group. looms over the country. Laos Must Come In June 2015, the gov- Any discussion of Som- ernment claimed the case of bath’s disappearance has Sombath’s disappearance been stifled. Apart from Clean on Sombath was “complex and difficult damaging the country’s rep- Andrea Giorgetta to solve quickly.” However, utation, the failure to make Bangkok Post, 15 Dec 2015 this statement is at odds any progress on the issue of with the findings of a lead- enforced disappearances Today marks the third another vehicle and drove ing international expert on was likely a decisive factor anniversary of the enforced away. The CCTV footage forensic investigations who in Laos’ unsuccessful bid disappearance of prominent clearly shows that Sombath concluded in December for a seat on the UN Human Lao civil society leader was taken away in the pres- 2014 that the case of Som- Rights Council in October Sombath Somphone. ence of police officers. bath’s disappearance re- 2015. Sombath was last seen at After three years, there is mained “eminently solva- In keeping with their a police checkpoint on a busy little evidence that Lao b l e”. long-established policy of street in the Lao capital, authorities have undertaken Lao authorities have non-interference with each Vientiane, on the evening of a serious and competent adopted the same tactics other’s internal affairs, Asean Dec 15, 2012. Sombath’s investigation of Sombath’s with regard to other cases of member states -- with the disappearance was captured disappearance. Instead, there enforced disappearance in notable exception of Singa- on a CCTV camera placed has been near total silence, the country. pore -- have remained com- near the police checkpoint. insinuations, and contradic- One such case involves pletely silent on the issue of CCTV footage showed that tory declarations regarding five student leaders who Sombath’s disappearance. police stopped Sombath’s Sombath’s fate or wherea- were arrested in October This is no longer tolerable. car and, within minutes, bouts. 1999 in Vientiane for plan- While few expect region- individuals forced him into Lao authorities’ recent ning peaceful pro-democ- al governments to openly

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 9 Country Reports

his speech last Wednesday in his role as chief law at the Foreign Correspond- enforcement officer, Gen ents’ Club of Thailand, the Prayut has ordered stronger US ambassador dwelt at measures, and has employed length on the US respect military courts. Many and regard for the monar- arrests have been made chy. First-hand reports said secretly; most court pro- that “Mr Davies stressed the ceedings have been confi- deep respect and admira- dential. tion the US held for the Phra Buddha Issara’s monarchy”. Then he criticised group told bystanders that the lengthy sentences “all Thais are ready to A Thai activist holds placard with portraits of Lao civil soci- recently handed down on defend the monarchy with ety leader Sombath Somphone during a demonstration of the lese majeste convictions. their lives”. Since reverence anniversary of his disappearance (Laos embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 December 2015) Mr Davies was hardly for the monarchy is strong, the first or the most critical which renders any criti- criticise Vientiane over They could use their of the law. The United cisms inconsequential, Mr Sombath’s disappearance, experience to engage the Nations, the European Davies, like many others Asean member states must Lao authorities and lead by Union and NGOs involved within and outside of Thai- be more willing to engage example. The benchmark in investiga- land, wondered logically the Lao government on the for a successful Asean tions have previously harshly why authorities resort to issue of enforced disappear- chairmanship will not be assailed the heavier sentenc- such harsh punishment. ances. determined by the number ing. In several cases in the This is doubly so since Countries such as the of high-level meetings that past two months, lese His Majesty the King has and Indonesia, Laos will be able to organise majeste defendants have said that such punishment which have experienced but by the progress its gov- been convicted of multiple actually ends up hurting hundreds of cases of enforced ernment will make in offences, and have received him and the monarchy. disappearances stemming addressing crucial human longer prison sentences But the issue is broader from traumatic political rights issues, including than murderers. than that. Phra Buddha turmoil, have taken some enforced disappearances. Foreign diplomats and Issara’s demonstration on steps to address the issue...... friends, just like Thais, Friday was clearly illegal. It realise the necessity of a violated the new law on Siam : lese majeste law. The US public assembly and, before ambassador was both that, clearly breached the narrow and clear in his regime’s injunction against Monk protest misguided speech. He said the US political gatherings of more government is “concerned than five people. Editorial, Bangkok Post, 30 Nov 2015 by the lengthy and unprec- It is a good sign -- as the edented prison sentences ambassador remarked -- The firebrand monk Phra largely good-natured, hold- handed down by Thai mili- that the group was not de- Buddha Issara missed the ing signs in English and tary courts against civilians tained for stating its posi- irony of his protest at the Thai. Phra Buddha Issara for violating the lese majeste tion in a peaceful manner. US embassy on Friday. He and friends made the point l a w ”. It would greatly boost led 200 self-described patri- that the monarchy is a Just as Mr Davies did not the country’s image if the ots to oppose comments last special and revered symbol criticise Section 112 of the military leaders reconsid- week by US ambassador of all Thais. They felt the Criminal Code, Phra Buddha ered harsh restriction of Glyn Davies. The ambassa- ambassador’s words were Issara and his small band of free speech. There may well dor had directly criticised inappropriate, undiplomatic nationalists did not address be a need for special laws in heavy sentences given and even meddled with the what the ambassador actu- these special days of reform. recently for those convicted country’s internal affairs. ally said. But at the same time, the of lese majeste. No one, he After making their points Since the military coup military regime needs to said, should be imprisoned forcefully, they dispersed. of May 22, 2014 junta chief hasten reform and help for peaceful speech. As was to be expected in and Prime Minister Prayut reconciliation by listening The monk led the protest such an important and Chan-o-cha has drastically to alternative views rather on Witthayu Road on Friday touchy subject, there appeared increased attention on lese than silencing them. afternoon. The crowd was to be misunderstanding. In majeste violations. Acting ......

10 Country Reports

launching integrated rural tant to Thammasat Univer- development which cov- sity’s rector for alumni af- Truth Is Best, Mom ered development of ca- fairs, said Puey encouraged reers, education and public students to work with peo- health to create a self-reli- ple in remote areas so they Oui Tells Regime ant community, MR Pridi- could experience the prob- Nauvarat Suksamran, Bangkok Post, 21 Dec 2015 yathorn added. lems they faced. Meanwhile, Boonsom Akkarathammakul, assis- ...... His Holiness in conversation with HM the King

Bangkok Post, 21 Dec 2015

Sacked economy czar MR vide a simpler explanation The highlight from a biog- hood on Oct 22, 1956, the Pridiyathorn Devakula to the public to encourage raphy of the late His Holi- Supreme Patriarch (who placed a garland on the them to help address the ness Somdet Phra Nyana- had a monastic rank of Phra statue of Puey Ungpha- country’s problems togeth- samvara the Supreme Sobhaganabhorn at that er,” said MR Pridiyathorn. korn Patriarch is a record of his time) was appointed his He said, however, the conversation with His Maj- guardian and adviser. government was on the Former deputy premier MR esty the King, according to His Majesty the King still right track in boosting in- Pridiyathorn Devakula the cover article of Mati- made regular visits to his vestment by putting funds urged the government Sun- chon Weekly. guardian for talks into the agricultural sector day to reveal the “truth” Two books of the same after he left the monkhood, as it would help alleviate about the country’s eco- title, Bowon Mahaborphit, according to the story. farmers’ distress. He added nomic situation. were published to com- During later periods, His that the government should Speaking at a ceremony memorate the cremation Majesty would invite the also accelerate its work on marking the 100th anniver- economic stimulus pro- ceremony of His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and 15 sary of reformer Puey Ung- jects. last week. other monks to Chitralada phakorn’s birthday in Chai MR Pridiyathorn said The first 368-page book Palace to receive offerings Nat’s Nong Mamong dis- Puey’s measures to help features a detailed biogra- every Monday. trict, MR Pridiyathorn, also tackle economic issues in phy of the late Supreme Pa- He would spend hours known as Mom Oui, said remote areas was a good triarch, including his diary. conversing with His Holi- the government had to tell model as agriculture is the The second volume is a ness during those occa- the truth about Thailand’s backbone of the country’s collection of photos from sions. current financial state to economy. his childhood up to the His Majesty the King help the country get Puey, a former econo- time of his death. also had officials record His through the current eco- mist and member of the “A special section in the Holiness’s preaching, his in- nomic hardship. Seri Thai (Free Thai) move- diary is a record of His Ho- structions to newly or- He added the govern- ment during World War II, ment should not make un- liness’s dharma discussions dained monks and his night was a role model for the realistic promises as it with His Majesty the King. time advice on meditation public as he promoted co- would cause people to lose It takes the form of ques- courses so he could listen to operation between the pub- faith. tions and answers, with His them later. lic and private sectors to “The government hopes Majesty asking His Holi- As for the dharma dis- help enhance the liveli- to impress people. But if it ness about what he was in- cussions, His Holiness hoods of people in rural ar- can’t keep its promises, peo- terested in,” the article said. wrote all of them down by eas. ple will be disappointed. So, When His Majesty the hand. Puey was a pioneer in the government has to pro- King entered the monk- His Majesty once asked

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 11 His Holiness also record- “After that, I try not to ed another discussion on make a stern face even the importance of mental when I feel extremely tired. will. I have to appear joyful,” His His Majesty said he once Majesty said. fell sick during a visit to the Although these conver- South. He could not ask for sations between His Majes- leave so he went ahead as ty the King and His Holi- scheduled. The King said he ness the late Supreme actually felt well after re- Patriarch must have been turning from the visit. He made decades ago, they re- Awarded the top honour one’s eyes. asked if this could be a case main practical, according to of guiding His Majesty in His Majesty said he felt of mental will at work. the article. They should still 1956, an extraordinary man, aged 43, was charged he needed to concentrate His Holiness said fre- serve as guidance to Thais with advising the King on his mind when conducting quent training enhances today. matters from ceremonial royal duties. mental will. procedures and behaviour Apart from spiritual top- What is particularly Prayut frets over to the study of Buddhist ics, His Majesty and His noteworthy is a record on popularity dhamma scriptures. Holiness also talked about how His Majesty the King Prime Minister Gen Prayut whether it is true if one ex- general issues such as books carried himself. His Majesty Chan-ocha’s plan to make periences visions as one on Buddhism. said it’s difficult for him to impromptu visits to the goes into a state of medita- Once, His Majesty said behave appropriately. provinces to follow up on tion. His Holiness said most that most books on Bud- He had to do two things his policies could be an ef- of them are really visions. dhism are too difficult for at once: carry himself with fort to boost his popularity “Most visions are fanta- children. They made chil- dignity while also main- after the Rajabhakti Park sies, constructed by what dren focus too much on taining a level of politeness scandal, according to Siam the mind is clinging on to. memorising historical facts. so as not to appear arro- Rath Weekly. In other words, they are il- His Holiness replied that it’s gant. The PM announced his lusions. They constitutethe Ministry of Education His Majesty said he must inspection tour after the things we have probably that prepared textbooks on carry himself in accordance cabinet meeting on Dec 15, thought about or seen Buddhism. with the democratic creed said the article entitled “Big which made a mark on our His Majesty added that and get along with citizens. Tu on Tour”, referring to minds,” the Supreme Patri- these books taught the four His Holiness replied he had Gen Prayut by his nick- arch said. noble truths to small chil- only heard praise about His name. He added that some vi- dren as if they could be ex- Majesty the King. Government spokesman sions are real, but that is pected to become enlight- His Majesty said he still Sansern Kaewkamnerd said rare. His Majesty also asked ened. How could children had to keep noticing and the PM will kick off his tour about how to concentrate understand them? Instead, made corrections all the with a visit to the restive the mind. dharma books have simpler time. He said he once made Deep South. His Holiness said it is teachings that are more rel- a visit to the Northeast, and “PM Gen Prayut hopes necessary to be in a single evant and practical for felt tired so his face was to use the tour to boost his state of mind. Concentra- young minds such as teach- stern. It was only when the popularity which has suf- tion is necessary for any ing perseverance, His Maj- King returned to his resi- fered from a series of scan- task. In practice, we need esty said. dence that he realised some dals ranging from the Bike concentration (as we go He said the monastry of the people he met might for Mom event to the Ra- about life’s activities) but should produce these teach- have had only one chance to jabhakti Park project, both some people wrongly be- ing materials itself to be dis- see him. It would not be involving people in the mil- lieve concentration can oc- tributed free of charge or nice for them to see his itary,” the article said. cur when one simply closes cheaply to the public. stern face. The PM also instructed

12 every ministry to propose in the case stemming from they have been suppressed After the May 22 coup, he measures that will serve as a the arson attack on Ubon and looked down upon,” reported to the military re- New Year present to the Ratchathani provincial hall the article said. gime and stopped airing the public. in 2010. The case also in- Pichet’s Raise the Flag of programme as ordered by “Do not forget the gov- volved 12 other red shirts War group was known as a the National Council for ernment is destined to face who received a lesser pen- hardcore red shirt group, Peace and Order (NCPO). a difficult battle next year. alty as the Supreme Court bent on confrontation and Since Pichet is more bent “First, it will have to see passed the judgement last combative measures. on leftist and if the new charter draft will week. In front of the media, Pi- regionalism, he is one be accepted by the public. Upon learning the sen- chet presented his group as among few red shirts who Second is the question of a tence, Pichet said he would an independent faction that dared to criticise Thaksin. public referendum,” the ar- not beg for anybody’s mer- does not report to the main- He said although he loved ticle said. cy, according to an article in stream red-shirt United the former PM, he is not his The government has no The Nation Weekly. He also Front of Democracy against slave. choice but to boost its pub- said everybody has his duty Dictatorship (UDD). “If something is good, I lic standing now in prepa- to carry out and he has no After the 2010 dispersal say it is good. If it’s bad, I ration for the tasks to come. complaints about the prison of red shirt protests at will say so. I will rebuke it. PM Gen Prayut planned to term. Ratchaprasong, Pichet ad- Thaksin is no god. Did I say use his visits as a chance to Pichet became well mitted that hundreds of anything wrong?” Pichet publicise what the govern- known after he had a chance members of his group were once said. He also said all ment has done, both in to host a community radio arrested. Others went into red shirt members are not terms of infrastructure pro- show in his hometown of hiding or went astray, the uniform. Many of them jects and measures to tackle Ubon Ratchathani. Like story said. may be good but quite a few economic hardship, the ar- many provincial communi- Pichet continued hosting are lousy. ticle said. ty radio hosts of the time, his radio programme under ...... The premier does not set he admired the Thai Rak the Yingluck government. high hopes — he only wants Thai Party and its leader rural people not to stand up Thaksin Shinawatra. UN : against him even though After the 2006 coup, Pi- they may continue to dis- chet was inspired by a fel- like him. low DJ from Udon Thani, The Problem with The popularity booster is Kwanchai Praipana, to use an uphill task. However, if his radio programme as a the government is success- means to organise support- Saving the World ful in the mission, it will ers. have a smoother run during In 2007, he managed to The UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals its remaining time in pow- raise enough funds to set up aim to save the world without transforming it. er, the story said. two community radio sta- Jason Hickel tions. He also set up a “Raise Pichet accepts life the Flag of War” group The United Nations’ new conceived,” “unfeasibly ex- in prison comprising Thaksin sup- Sustainable Development pensive” at $2–3 trillion per The community radio porters. Goals (SDGs), which are year, and so unlikely to be host and leader of an inde- “What differentiated Pi- about to replace the previous realized that they amount pendent red-shirt faction chet’s group from other Millennium Development to “worse than useless” — “a Pichet Thabutda accepted Thaksin followers is he ap- Goals (MDGs), are getting betrayal of the world’s poor- his sentence of life in prison pealed to regionalism. His a lot of hate these days. est people.” An article in the without complaint. rallying point is that north- The Economist recently Humanosphere reports that Pichet, also known as DJ eastern people make up a called the 169 proposed the SDGs were ridiculed as Toy, was the first defendant majority in the country but targets “sprawling and mis- “No targets left behind”

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 13 Country Reports during a high-profile meet- contradictory, to the point ing of Gates Foundation of being self-defeating. On partners. One development the one hand, the Zero expert I know likens the Draft, released last month, SDGs to “a high school contains some truly excellent wish-list for how to save the demands. The preamble w or l d .” affirms that “planet Earth These critics accuse the and its ecosystems are our SDGs of being vague and home” and underscores the aspirational, and of trying necessity of achieving to cover too much ground; “harmony with nature.” It they prefer the old MDGs, establishes a commitment which were more focused to hold global warming on absolute poverty. below a 2° Celsius increase, Land cleared for palm oil plantations in Tasmania. Defenders of the SDGs, and calls for “sustainable Mattias Klum on the other hand, point patterns of production and out that the goals have consumption.” The goals productivity across the the SDGs’ proposed solution emerged from a genuinely include the restoration of board. In fact, an entire to this problem is superfi- inclusive process that made water-related ecosystems, a goal, Goal 8, is devoted to cial: reduce food waste, room for voices from devel- halt to the loss of biodiversity, growth, specifically export- make resource use more oping countries, unlike the and an end to overfishing, oriented growth, in keeping efficient, and “encourage MDGs, which were handed deforestation, and desertifi- with existing neoliberal companies, especially large down by technocrats from cation. models. and transnational companies, above. The goals are com- All of this reflects an This is the mortal flaw at to adopt sustainable prac- plex because they recognize emerging awareness of the the heart of the SDGs. How tices.” These proposals that poverty is a complex, fact that something about can they be calling for both explicitly avoid the obvious structural problem. our economic system has less and more at the same solution — namely, reduced SDG drafters argue that gone terribly awry – that time? True, Goal 8 is consumption by the world’s eliminating poverty will re- the mandatory pursuit of peppered with progressive- wealthy — and steer clear of quire more than charity — endless industrial growth is sounding qualifications: the actually regulating corporate it will require reducing ine- chewing through our living growth should be inclusive, extraction. quality, combating climate planet, producing poverty should promote full employ- To be fair, the drafters of change, strengthening labor at a rapid rate, and threat- ment and decent work, and the SDGs probably sidestep rights, eliminating Western ening the basis of our exist- we should endeavor to the nub of the matter agricultural subsidies, and ence. decouple growth from because they realize that so on. They’re right. And it Yet despite this growing environmental degradation. capitalism depends on ever- is likely the progressive, realization, the core of the But these qualifications are increasing production and activist tenor of such goals SDG program for develop- vague, and the real message consumption to keep going. that irks agencies like the ment and poverty reduction that shines through is that But that’s precisely what we Economist and the Gates relies precisely on the old GDP growth is all that ulti- need to change, if we are to Foundation. model of industrial growth mately matters. have any chance of a fair, This doesn’t mean that — ever-increasing levels of Right now global pro- sustainable economy. the SDGs aren’t flawed. extraction, production, and duction and consumption The SDGs’ contradictory They are, but not for the consumption. And not just levels are overshooting our relationship to growth reasons that mainstream a little bit of growth: they planet’s capacity by about extends to its approach to critics would have us want at least 7 percent 50 percent each year. This is global poverty. The Zero believe. annual GDP growth in least a monumental crisis, and Draft promotes growth as The real problem is that developed countries and one that proceeds from the the main solution to poverty, the SDGs are profoundly higher levels of economic deep logic of capitalism. Yet but this relationship is

14 Country Reports highly tenuous. Of all the high-income country. crisis has reminded us, the which drain developing income generated by global According to data provided world’s biggest creditors are countries of $1.7 trillion GDP growth between 1999 by the Global Footprint not likely to care much for each year, are politely side- and 2008, the poorest 60 Network, we would need at national sovereignty when stepped. Then there’s debt percent of humanity received least 3.4 Earths to sustain their finances are at stake. service, which drains another only 5 percent of it. Given this level of production and Then there’s the unfair $700 billion per year; instead the existing ratio between consumption — and that’s trade regime of the World of demanding cancellation, GDP growth and the assuming that the already- Trade Organization, and the SDGs call for “debt income growth of the high-income countries slow the bilateral trade deals — financing, debt relief, and poorest, it will take 207 their present rates of growth like the Trans-Pacific Part- debt restructuring, as years to eliminate poverty to zero, which they show no nership, Transatlantic Trade appropriate,” which specifi- with this strategy, and to get sign of doing. and Investment Partnership, cally means that debts will there, we will have to grow Basically, the SDGs want and Trade in Services not be cancelled. the global economy by 175 to reduce inequality by Agreement — that have But at least the SDGs times its present size. ratcheting the poor up, but caused such a furor over the recognize that some of This is terrifying to con- while leaving the wealth past few years. Instead of these issues matter, unlike template. Even if such and power of the global 1 tackling this crucial issue, the MDGs, which ignored immense growth were pos- percent intact. They want the SDGs do the opposite: them altogether. The prob- sible, it would drive climate the best of both worlds. Goal 17.10 calls for more lem is that the SDGs are change to catastrophic levels They fail to accept that mass trade liberalization and toothless, and undermined and, in the process, rapidly impoverishment is the more power for the World by their devotion to growth reverse any gains against product of extreme wealth Trade Organization. along present models. poverty. Surely it makes accumulation and overcon- And instead of demand- How did this happen? more sense to transfer accu- sumption by a few, which ing an end to the financial How did the SDGs, suppos- mulated wealth from elites entails processes of enclo- speculation that has caused edly the blueprint for saving in the developed world to sure, extraction, and exploi- food prices to spike since the world, become so com- the global poor than to tation along the way. You 2007, pushing 150 million promised? Part of it has to crank out more in the hope can’t solve the problem of into hunger, the SDGs ask do with the strong role that some of it might trickle poverty without challenging weakly that we “ensure the granted to corporations in down. the pathologies of accu- proper functioning of food the SDG process, which The SDGs do, however, mulation. commodity markets.” It’s not effectively precludes any call for income growth for The SDGs refuse to clear what this is supposed direct challenge to business the bottom 40 percent of confront this difficult to mean, but it can easily be interests. the population at a rate political fact, and it shows interpreted as yet more The Zero Draft calls for a higher than the overall throughout the Zero Draft, liberalization, which is global partnership between average. This is good inas- which studiously avoids precisely what caused the the UN and the corporate much as it will speed the addressing the deeper food crisis in the first place. sector as a way of securing process of poverty reduc- causes of poverty. For The SDGs are also eerily necessary investment to tion and reduce inequality, example, the structural silent on the need for greater bridge the estimated $2.5 but it doesn’t address the adjustment programs im- regulation of financial trillion annual funding bigger issue of the aggregate posed by the World Bank markets and the imperative shortfall. This call echoes production and consumption and the International Mon- to shrink our too-big-to-fail the Global Redesign Initia- levels that this approach etary Fund, the greatest banks. Goal 17.13 speaks tive proposed at Davos in requires. single cause of poverty vaguely of the need to 2012, which set out an For the sake of argu- since colonialism, are never “enhance global macroeco- agenda for transforming ment, let’s say that poor mentioned in the SDGs. A nomic stability” through the UN into a big public- countries manage to grow vague request to “respect “policy coordination,” with private partnership, with incredibly fast, and quickly each country’s policy space” no specific targets. Tax corporations enjoying formal catch up to the average is made, but as the Greek evasion and tax avoidance, input in global governance

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 15 right alongside states. The life expectancy and meet must be clear that they do need a saner measure of SDGs are the first step along their basic needs as outlined not represent our ambitions. human progress — one that this path; they open the way in the Universal Declaration The SDGs are not just inad- gears us not toward more for corporations to gain a of Human Rights (which equate, they are dangerous; extraction and consumption seat at the table and impact the SDGs claim to uphold), they will lock in the global by the world’s elite, but more policy at the UN. they need closer to $5 per development agenda for the fairness, more equality, more With corporations and day. next fifteen years around a wellbeing, more sharing, to private investors playing The drafters of the SDGs failing economic model the benefit of the vast such a central role in the know this fact. So why stick that requires urgent and majority of humanity. implementation of the with the discredited $1.25 deep structural changes. The SDGs fail us on this. SDGs, one might think that measure? Because it’s the What we need is to tackle They offer to tinker with the the Zero Draft would bind only one that will allow the irrationality of endless global economic system in them to specific commit- them to get anywhere near growth head-on, pointing a well-meaning bid to make ments, and lay out plenty of their goal of eradicating out that capitalist growth — it all seem a bit less violent. accountability mechanisms. poverty by 2030. If we as measured by GDP — is But this is not a time for But this is not the case. In a measure poverty by the not the solution to poverty tinkering. similar vein to the 2000 UN more accurate $5/day line, and ecological crisis, but ...... Global Compact, corporate the total poverty headcount the primary cause. And we participants get the benefit rises to 4.3 billion people, of “blue-washing” without more than 60 percent of USA : having to worry about humanity. being sanctioned for failing Eradicating poverty of to comply with a given set this magnitude would Socially Engaged Buddhism of principles. But at least the require more than just Global Compact has princi- weeding around the edges at the United Nations ples; the SDGs have none; of the problem — it would Matteo Pistono corporations are simply require changing the rules “encouraged” to be nice of the global economy to The outspoken socially en- ernment of Kuwait. (12.6). make it fairer for the world’s gaged Buddhist, Sulak Si- Participants and attend- Nowhere is the compro- majority. The SDGs explicitly varaksa, brought a message ees at the meeting included mised nature of the SDGs refuse this task, and are stressing individual respon- the Foreign Ministers from more evident than in their careful to eschew such deep, sibility, and a harsh critique Switzerland and Kuwait, headline goal: to eradicate structural transformations. of the worldwide capitalist and over thirty different extreme poverty for all The UN is presently roll- system, to the United Na- countries’ envoys, U.N. people everywhere, as ing out the “world’s largest tions on Wednesday during agency heads, and ICRC measured at $1.25/day. It’s advertising campaign” to the annual week of meet- and World Bank represent- high time we got around to whip up public support for ings in New York City. atives. The objective of the eradicating poverty, but a the SDGs, with a star-studded Sulak, along with Ther- high-level gathering was to growing number of scholars cast including Beyoncé and ese Mema Mapenzi from raise awareness of the com- are pointing out that $1.25 One Direction. But so far the Democratic Republic of mon commitment to hu- is actually not adequate for it’s not working very well, Congo and Dr. Rahmawati manity that exists across all human subsistence. for the spirit of the SDGs is Husein from Indonesian, cultures and to reinforce In India, for example, woefully out of step with were invited to speak on the principles of humanity children living just above our emerging collective “Uniting Around the Prin- as the fundamental goal of the $1.25 line still have a 60 consciousness about the ciple of Humanity,” an event humanitarian action. percent chance of being deep evolution required. organized jointly at the The meeting began with malnourished. A number of As the world’s govern- U.N. by the International various government and recent studies suggest that if ments prepare to finalize Committee of the Red U.N. representatives stating people are to achieve normal the SDGs in September, we Cross (ICRC) and the gov- lofty goals and sweeping

16 and I have four children. ples of the world from pur- But in my life I have never suing other aspirations and seen peace. All the while I from thinking about alter- see so many religious peo- native ways to improve or ple and humanitarian inter- maintain their livelihood ventions around me. But and traditions.” where is peace? Where is Despite the odds, Sulak real religion?” stressed that we must not Ms. Mapenzi suggested lose the drive to work on less time and money should one’s spiritual development be spent on organizing at the same time as striving meetings and redirected to to alleviate suffering of oth- action on the ground. “To ers. create laws, regulations, “If we are serious about rules and principles is good. getting rid of greed, anger Sulak Sivaraksa pauses at healthy produces and un- To organize summits, con- and ignorance in ourselves, the knotted pistol sculpture wholesome ideas which ference, and debates is very we must inquire how we ac- entitled “Non-violence” by lead people away form a fine. But what is better is to tively or passively take part Carl Fredrik Reutersward meaningful life of content- tackle the real causes of in perpetuating the three in front of the United Nations. edness and a common hu- these conflicts on thepoisons in society. Once we Photo by Matteo Pistono. manity, and instead towards g rou n d .” see the interconnections, poverty and a sense of sepa- The U.N. meeting this we can work simultaneous- statements about the com- ration.” morning demonstrated the ly on our own spiritual de- mon good. Sulak immedi- After the Kuwait Foreign frustration that is felt by velopment and to dismantle ately tried to steer away Minster and a World Bank those within the U.N. at the the structural violence in from the abstract and to- official spoke about, “the lack of progress in prevent- society.” ward a discussion of per- dignity and worth of the ing suffering in its most vi- “How should this be sonal responsibility, sug- human person” as a central olent manifestations. At the done?” Sulak was asked. gesting that greed, violence, concern for world politics, same time, Sulak, Ms. Map- “We cannot rely only on and ignorance in society is other government officials enzi, and other representa- intellectual input! We inter-related to one’s own spoke of the failure of the tives of civil society articu- should learn how to breath personal suffering. current systems to prevent lated an equally frustrated properly,” Sulak said, in “I believe that personal or stop large scale war and from the grassroots what was likely one of the greed manifests in society violence, as witnessed in level at how the global sys- only times at the U.N. this as the insatiable desire for Syria and the plight of refu- tem is failing. week that meditation in- accumulation—in other gees, and the viciousness of Sulak commented, “I struction was suggested. words, capitalism, consum- the so-called . was born more than 80 “This is how to trans- erism, and natural resourc- Ms. Mapenzi, who works years ago and raised in tra- form yourself from within. es extraction that ignores with war trauma including ditional Siamese culture. I Synchronize your head and the limits of the environ- child rape victims and child have seen in my lifetime your heart holistically. Then ment,” Sulak said. soldiers, commented, “How how capitalism, mass me- you can solve humanitarian “Seeds of hatred within can there be so much suf- dia, and the global market- problems.” us manifest in the world as fering and inhumanity in place have replaced tradi- “Profound,” the U.N. militarism. And my harsh- the world? Only because tional morals and ethics. I Under Secretary replied be- est critique is reserved for there are some people in the disagree that the world to- fore closing the meeting. those who peddle delu- world who become very day is at the highest mark of “Very profound.” sion—advertisers and the rich, who profit from con- human development, be- ...... mainstream media—which flict.” cause this often unspoken promote useless and un- “I am only 33 years old, sentiment prevents the peo-

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 17 GLOBAL BUDDHIST CLIMATE CHANGE COLLECTIVE (GBCCC)

Buddhist Climate Change Statement to World Leaders

October 29th, 2015

We, the undersigned Buddhist interconnected. Understanding this of fossil fuels, unsustainable leaders, come together prior to interconnected causality and the consumption patterns, lack of the 21st Session of the Conference consequences of our actions are awareness, and lack of concern of Parties (COP21) to the UN critical steps in reducing our about the consequences of our Framework Convention on environmental impact. Cultivating actions. Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the insight of interbeing and We strongly support “The Paris, in order to add our voices compassion, we will be able to act Time to Act is Now: A Buddhist to the growing calls for world out of love, not fear, to protect our Declaration on Climate Change,” leaders to cooperate with compas- planet. Buddhist leaders have which is endorsed by a diverse and sion and wisdom and reach an been speaking about this for global representation of Buddhist ambitious and effective climate decades. However, everyday life leaders and Buddhist . We agreement. can easily lead us to forget that also welcome and support the We are at a crucial cross- our lives are inextricably interwo- climate change statements of other roads where our survival and that ven with the natural world religious traditions. These include of other species is at stake as a through every breath we take, the Pope Francis’s encyclical earlier result of our actions. There is still water we drink, and the food we this year, “Laudato Si’: On Care for time to slow the pace of climate eat. Through our lack of insight, Our Common Home,” the “Islamic change and limit its impacts, but we are destroying the very life Declaration on Climate Change”, to do so, the Paris summit will support systems that we and all as well as the upcoming “Hindu need to put us on a path to phase other living beings depend on for Declaration on Climate Change”. out fossil fuels. We must ensure survival. We are united by our concern to the protection of the most We believe it imperative phase out fossil fuels, to reduce vulnerable, through visionary that the global Buddhist commu- our consumption patterns, and and comprehensive mitigation nity recognize both our depend- the ethical imperative to act and adaptation measures. ence on one another as well as on against both the causes and the Our concern is founded the natural world. Together, impacts of climate change, especially on the Buddha’s realization of humanity must act on the root on the world’s poorest. dependent co-arising, which causes of this environmental To this end, we urge world views all things in the universe as crisis, which is driven by our use leaders to generate the political

18 will to close the emissions gap left help us to embark on a much- (UNFCCC). by country climate pledges and needed path of spiritual renewal. 2. To agree to phase out ensure that the global temperature In addition to our spiritual fossil fuels and move towards 100 increase remains below 1.5 degrees progression, in line with UN percent renewables and clean Celsius, relative to pre-industrial recommendations, some of the energy. levels. We also ask for a common most effective actions individuals 3. To create the political commitment to scale up climate can take are to protect our forests, will to close the emissions gap left finance, so as to help developing move toward a plant-based diet, by country climate pledges so as to countries prepare for climate reduce consumption, recycle, ensure that the global temperature change and to help us all transition switch to renewables, fly less, and increase remains below 1.5 degrees to a safe, low carbon future. take public transport. We can all Celsius, relative to pre-industrial The good news is that make a difference. levels. there is a unique opportunity at We call on world leaders 4. To make a common the Paris climate negotiations to to recognize and address our commitment to increase finan- create a turning point. Scientists universal responsibility to protect ceial contsibutions above the assure us that limiting the rise in the web of life for the benefit of US$100 billion agreed in Copen- the global average temperature to all, now and for the future. hagen in 2009, including through less than 1.5 degrees Celsius is For these reasons, we call the Green Climate Fund (GCF), to technologically and economically on all Parties in Paris: help vulnerable developing countries feasible. Phasing out fossil fuels 1. To be guided by the prepare for climate change and and moving toward 100 percent moral dimensions of climate transition towards a low-carbon renewable and clean energy will change as indicated in Article 3 of economy. not only spur a global, low-car- the United Nations Framework The time to act is now. bon transformation, it will also Convention on Climate Change ......

Mahatma Gandhi lecture on Sustainable development

Chulalongkorn University’s Indian Studies presented the 4th “Mahatma Gan- dhi Memorial Lecture on Sustainable Development” at Chaloem Rajakumari 60 Building on Wednesday from 8.30am-4pm, 2 December 2015 Held in collaboration with Suan Nguen Mee Ma, the morning sessino began with the topic of “Gandhian Vision for Democracy and Dialogical Society” delivered by Dr Ramin Jahanbegloo, chair of Noor-Tork in Islam Studies, York University (Toronto) and author of The Gandhian Moment. As a philosopher and an activist, he presented Gandhi as an extraordinarily inventive political theorist who employed ideas from Indiam tradition, as well as from some Western thinkers to challenge the concept of absolute sovereignty, and instead advocated the concept of shared sovereignty. Ramin also argued that Gandhi’s ideas and practices are not only relevan today as they have helped shape many political protests around the world, but also are relied upon by Muslims demanding change. The afternoon session on “The Proximity of Southern Thailand Conflict... Together, We Will Learn and Find the Solution” was on Gandhian principles and practices in learning and finding the altermative to the conflict in the far south of Thailand. The panellists were Prof Chaiwat Satha-Anand from Thammasat University, Assoc Prof Chantana Wangaeo from Chulalongkorn University, Romadon Panchor from Deep South Watch and Usman Waji from The Ummatee Group.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 19 Statement of Faith and Spiritual Leaders

on the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21 in Paris in December 2015

We raise our voices to the right moment to translate of change and renewal: we are governments represented at ecological stewardship into convinced that human life is not COP21 in Paris to utilize the concrete climate action. doomed to self-destruction, but special momentum given on this • Our religious convictions can exist in respect and harmony highly significant occasion: and traditions tell us of the ethical with nature. By forging good COP21 provides a critical op- rule of reciprocity: to treat others relationships with each other and portunity to benefit the whole of as we would like them to treat us. with nature, we enhance our the human community. For the This includes future generations. capacity for peace and transfor- first time in over 20 years of UN It is our duty to leave this earth mation. Avoiding dangerous negotiations, a global and compre- behind to our children and grand- climate change is still possible if hensive agreement on climate children to ensure sustainable we accept the required fundamental justice and climate protection - and acceptable living conditions shift away from a carbon-centered supported from all the nations of in future for all. economy, unsustainable consump- the world - can be reached. Therefore:COP21 is the tion and infinite economic growth We as religious leaders: right moment for showing inter- and if we promote the phasing-out “stand together to express deep generational responsibility. of fossil fuels by the middle of the concern for the consequences of • Our religious convictions, century. climate change on the earth and social codes and customs tell us Therefore:COP21 is the its people, all entrusted, as our about concern for the vulnerable: right time to initiate an unprec- faiths reveal, to our common climate change is leading to edented individual and structural care. Climate change is indeed a unprecedented ecological degra- transformation threat to life. Life is a precious dation, affecting in particular the • Our religious convictions and gift we have received and that we lives and livelihoods of the most traditions point to the relevance of need to care for”1. vulnerable populations. It is an theology for informing new models irrefutable moral duty for all of development with social and Together we confirm: governments to agree on concrete ecological justice. Aware that • Our religious convictions and measurable steps towards governments and political agree- and cosmological narratives tell global climate justice and partner- ments alone are not sufficient for us that this earth and the whole ships for climate resilience. the immense challenges ahead – universe are gifts that we have Therefore:COP21 is the our faith communities can provide received from the spring of life, right time for ensuring climate solid grounding, moral support, from God. It is our obligation to justice. ethical education and value-based respect, protect and sustain these • Our religious convictions sustainable development models gifts by all means. and ancestral sources tell us which are needed for the global Therefore:COP21 is the human life is open to the possibility transformation process. As repre-

20 sentatives of the majority of the capacity to the impact of climate EFFORTS. WE AS FAITH AND global population who live with change (accompanying the exten- SPIRITUAL LEADERS COMMIT TO: religious affiliations and values, sion and intensification of the • Follow the example set by we will not only hold leaders to work of the Warsaw International faith based communities who are account, but will also support Mechanism). joining the global pilgrimage for politicians working towards an • The provision of necessary climate justice2 and those partici- ambitious global climate agreement financial support, technology pating in regular acts of fasting for in Paris and beyond. transfer and capacity building, climate justice.3 Therefore:COP21 is the with a reliable pathway ensuring • Be responsible for the Earth, right moment for real and the mobilization of at least $100 our common home, in our lives as visionary leadership. billion of international climate individuals and in our faith com- finance. This must be provided munities. WE CALL FOR A FAIR, every year to developing countries, • Look at our consumption AMBITIOUS AND BINDING in particular the most vulnerable patterns and move towards sus- GLOBAL DEAL APPLICABLE TO countries like small developing tainable practices and lifestyles, ALL COUNTRIES: island states and least developed assessing the carbon footprints of • A long-term goal to phase countries to support low carbon our organizations and institutions out greenhouse gas emissions and and climate resilient development. as well as means to reduce them, phase in 100% renewable energy explore and implement zero by the middle of the century in WE CALL ON ALL GOVERNMENTS, carbon strategies, and where order to stay below 1.5/2°C of AND IN PARTICULAR THE G20, appropriate, divest from fossil fuels. warming above pre-industrial ALL OECD MEMBERS, HIGH • Assess climate risks affecting levels. INCOME COUNTRIES AND OTHER our communities, prepare for the • The firm commitment of all MAJOR EMITTERS: prevention and reduction of these states to constantly improve their • to commit to nationally risks, encouraging the communi- nationally determined climate binding, ambitious short term ties to set climate resilience targets action, in accordance with the emission reduction targets. by 2025 and take the actions needed Rio principles. • to commit to national climate to adapt to the impact of climate • A rules based system, appli- risk management measures. change. cable to all, ensuring transparency, • to commit to the provision of • Undertake a constant effort to accountability, and a strong review bold support to those countries raise climate awareness within our and scaling up of climate action at and people who have less resources communities, as an expression of least every five years. and capacity, starting with the our care for the Earth, deepening • A climate resilience goal to most vulnerable. our understanding of the inter- ensure adequate support to those connectedness of human beings countries and people being CLIMATE ACTION MUST NOT BE and nature, building capacity, and threatened by climate risks and LIMITED TO GOVERNMENTS advocating for climate justice with losses. This would strengthen ALONE. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY our governments. their resilience and adaptive OF ALL OF US TO SHARE THE ......

1 See Statement from the Interfaith Summit in New York, 21-22 September 2014, by the World Council of Churches Geneva and for Peace, New York: http://interfaithclimate.org/the-statement 2 https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/pilgrims-for-climate-justice-plan-to-impact-cop-21-in- paris?set_language=en 3 http://fastfortheclimate.org/

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 21 To celebrate The 6th Auspicious Birth Cycle of Most Venerable Bhikkhuni Dhammananda,

Abbess of Songdhammakalyani Monastery, Kingdom of Thailand Rajbhat University,Nakhon Pathom, Thailand in collaboration with Network of Asian Bhikkhuni and Buddhasavika Foundation Announces the

1st ASEAN Buddhist Conference (ABC-1) September 22-23, 2016

Buddhism, emanating from the Holy Land of ASEAN has many challenges confronting their Jambudvipa that is India, extended its boundaries to daily activities. several lands and seas in Asia. Its largest population is The First ABC (ASEAN Buddhist however in East Asia wherein the region falling under Conference) aims at addressing these issues which Southeast Asia which has nurtured Buddha-Dharma are very central to Buddhism, its relevance in the since the First Millennium AD. This very location contemporary world scenario while at the same now primarily known as ASEAN is now the most im- time, safeguarding its basics. portant area where Buddhism is the predominant cul- Paper proposals are being invited with tural force. With several countries claiming their serious scholarship from researchers, teachers and land to be the Suvarnabhumi/Suvarnadvipa of an- independent thinkers on a significant topic related cient - classical texts, it is beyond doubt to the ASEAN region and Buddhism. A paper’s ac- that this Bhumi of Golden Land encompassed exactly ceptance would depend on the evaluation by an today’s ASEAN region! expert team. Though we would have a section of Buddhism being the world’s fourth largest papers highlighting the parallel situation of religion with the representing 500 million, Buddhism in non-ASEAN regions, the main focus the Theravada 130 million and about 20 would be on papers related to ASEAN Buddhism. million, the 10 countries of ASEAN hold about 150 The following sub-themes are planned as a million or 30% of the world’s Buddhist population. guide to your planned paper presentation: However, this peace loving group of Buddhists in

22 Buddhism and Women: lot of obstacles. One of the biggest exist without one’s environment. Current Scenario challenges was to overcome one’s Buddhism understands the impor- The future of Buddhism depends a instincts and have a stable and tance of this harmonious, holistic lot on women. A mother’s primary sound mind. This is also a challenge existence and thus holds a compas- role is to nurture the young tod- in today’s chaotic world. Buddhism sionate world view of fellow beings, dlers with the first awareness of seemed to have a foresight and plants and animals. It highlights the Buddha, and thus raising children therefore one of its key aspects ad- inter-dependence of nature and to be rightful Buddhist. In the dresses the very core of suffering- people as synchronous to the rela- Theravadin part of ASEAN, the the distorted mind. Buddhism tionship of a mother to her child. plight of Bhikkhunis is different. hence involves re organisation of Their socio-religious mobility, ac- the psyche, movement from the Buddhist Heritage as ceptance and accommodation in distorted to the clear mind. Papers Reflected in Art Forms in the psyche of the leaders is highlighting Buddhism and its ef- the ASEAN Region a big issue yet to be sorted out. The fects on the human mind are most Across the world, Buddhism has sub-theme would invite papers on welcome. encouraged creative forces as mani- such relevant topics. fested in the variety of art forms ASEAN Society through that we see today. Each creation Educating Ourselves: the Buddhist Lens like , caitya or the anthropo- Challenges in ASEAN Every philosophy or doctrine has morphic forms of Buddha tell of Buddhism its unique ways to look at the inter- rich stories and heritage. Partici- ASEAN Buddhism is suffering from links of the social cobweb. The pants are invited to dig out insights the absence of proper education. Buddhist paradigm highlights a hidden in such art forms in the The goal of education is not only compassionate, order of the world. ASEAN as they require care, scien- imparting human values but also to Under this sub-theme Buddhist tific treatment and understanding of give the understanding of coexistence views of social construction can be the essence of religiosity behind them. with malice towards none. The panel discussed, and also how it projects a The safeguarding of such tangible explores the measures required to role model for a society which may heritage would further solidify the move education in the right direction be applicable to all geographical lo- position of Buddhism not only in not only for the laity but also for cations, countries, etc. the ASEAN region but also for the the ecclesiastical order. globe. Addressing Nature and Mental Reorganisation Environment the Here, it may be noted that through Buddhism Buddhist Way papers on topics beyoud the ASE- Siddhartha’s journey from a prince Individualism literally suggests AN region are also welcome. to “Buddha” was accompanied by a separateness but one cannot truly

Deadlines: Abstract May 15, 2016 Full Paper June 30, 2016 Early Registration Fee for Local scholars Baht 2000( late fee May 15, 2016): Baht 2500 Early Registration Fee for Developing Countries US$ 150 (late fee May 15, 2016): US$ 200 Early Registration Fee for Developed Countries US$ 250 (late fee May 15, 2016): US$ 300 ABC-2016 Secretariat Address of WatSongdhammaKalyani, Email: [email protected]

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 23 Conference on Social Engagement and Liberation Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Conversion to Buddhism 11th - 14th October 2016. Nagaloka, Nagpur, India,

INEB and Nagaloka, in partnership conversion to Buddhism along us hope that the more they look at with Deer Park and the Karuna with 500,000 others, in October him, the more they will begin to Trust, UK, are organising a con- 1956, on the anniversary of King appreciate the significance of his ference to celebrate the 60th ’s conversion. He initiated a conversion to Buddhism and its anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar’s peaceful Dhamma revolution, the social implications. momentous conversion to wheels of which are turning faster The aims of this conference Buddhism. and faster every day. Even though are to bring the significance of Dr. Born a so-called Untouch- he died just a few weeks after his Ambedkar’s conversion to able in 1891, Dr. Ambedkar dedi- conversion in 1956, millions have Buddhism more to the attention cated his life to bringing about a followed him into Buddhism, of the wider Buddhist world, and society in which there was no paving the way for a caste free at the same time provide oppor- scope for discrimination of any true democracy in India. tunities for his Indian followers to kind, a society permeated by the His importance in Indian interact with Buddhists from values of Liberty, Equality and political and social life can be outside India. Fraternity. These values, he said, gauged from the fact that all political he had learnt not from the French parties have co-opted him, and are Revolution but from his Master, investing enormous energy into the Buddha. His life of ceaseless celebrating his 125th birth anniver- struggle culminated in his sary, which also falls in 2016. Let

24 Overall Programme. 11th Ashok Vijaya Dashmi, the anniversary of the conversions 10.30 - 13.00 our annual programme at Nagaloka involving some of our main guests. 19.00 to Diksha Bhumi to pay our respects at the stupa and join all those gathering for the occasion. 12th,13th, 14th Conference: Social Engagement and Liberation: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Conversion to Buddhism 15th INEB Advisory and Executive meeting.

Arrangements will be made to We have accommodation take those who want to go to for about 200 people, maybe even Registration forms will be Chandrapur, where Dr. Ambedkar more. There will be no charge for available within three months. led a conversion ceremony on those from abroad as they will In the meantime please 16th October, 1956. have to pay their fares, but they will contact us at: In this conference we will be welcome to make a donation if be inviting experienced Dhamma they wish to. [email protected] practitioners from traditional Buddhist, Western Buddhist, and ...... Website: www.nagaloka.org Indian Buddhist backgrounds to and www.inebnetwork.org explore three themes central to “Dr. Ambedkar ...... the greatest Dr. Ambedkar’s approach to the non-violent revolutionary of Dhamma: Dhamma as Empower- the (20th) Century.” - Urgyen ment, Breaking Down Barriers Between People, and Dhamma and Governance. There will also ...... be cultural events and visits to social projects.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 25 MA IN SOCIALLY ENGAGED BUDDHISM 15 August 2016 – 10 August 2017 (3 terms) Institute Thailand Taiwan India

CURRICULUM The MA in Socially Engaged Buddhism is a multi-site program in Asia that seeks Core Courses to integrate spiritual and social transfor- All students take 5 core courses to establish a mation, grounded in Buddhist traditions. commonground of knowledge & experience. (21 Students learn from monastics, community credits) activists, meditation teachers, professional academic scholars, group facilitators and Socially Engaged Buddhism - Histories, Practices, each other. They learn through observation, & the Work of Integration (6 credits) reflection, textual study, lectures, interviews, Personal & Interpersonal Disciplines for Healing, group challenges, exposure trips, personal Transformation, & Well-Being (6 credits) Ways of Knowing & Interpreting - Science, Religion, practice, and joint work on social action Philosophy, & Shifting Paradigms (3 credits) projects. The medium of instruction is Global Political Economy & Structural Violence English. (3 credits) Climate, Ecology, & Human Relationships with Nature (3 credits) HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAM Elective Courses Learn from a qualified, international panel of Students choose at least 4 courses amounting to a academics and practitioners. total of at least 10 credits. Elective courses will be Meet and work with spiritual leaders, thinkers, offered in one of two formats: 1) as regular term- organizers, activists, and educators representing length courses, or 2) as focused workshops. Elec- different Buddhist traditions. tives will reflect important thematic areas and the Gain a student-centered, accredited qualifica- special resources and opportunities available at tion with a high academic standard. each of the four sites -Tea Ceremonies & Contem- Study a comprehensive curriculum that captures plation in Taiwan, for example. Students will help to the complexity of contemporary social issues choose the electives to be offered each term. (Each and offers mainstream and alternative approach- course 1-3 credits) es to understanding these. Study at different locations and learn from the Topics in Buddhist History, Philosophy, & Practice history, culture, and people at each location. Environment, Food, Farming, & Well-Being Study with a small, dynamic group of future Technology & Design for Social Change leaders who are equally committed to personal, Histories of Social Movements, Nonviolence, & spiritual, and societal transformation. Peacebuilding

26 Transformation & Peacebuilding through the Arts CAMPUSES Practicum in Advocacy, Organizing, Social Entrepreneurship, & Contemplative Action Sites planned for academic year 2016-2017 reflect Transformative Learning & Teaching the diversity of Buddhist traditions: Understanding & Empowerment - Gender, Race, Ethnicity, & Class. Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts in Bangkok as Language Study well as training institutes, temples, and alternative communities in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Nayok, Students joining our program in August 2016 Chaiyaphum, and elsewhere in Thailand, in late will also have a special opportunity to receive August, September, and December of 2016; January, elective credit in the MA program for successfully February, and May of 2017; and finally in early completing either or both of the following courses: August 2017 for completion of the program. (Theravada Buddhism). Chulalongkorn University Right Livelihood Nagaloka and the Institute in Nagpur Summer School (CURLS 2016) (First two weeks and the Manuski Institute in Pune, India, in of August, 2016) October of 2016 (Ambedkarite Buddhism). Pre-Summer School Field Study Program in The Deer Park Institute in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, Bhutan (Last two weeks of July, 2016) India, in November of 2016 (Vajrayana/ ). For more information on these two Buddhist temples or university campuses in courses, please contact: Hsinchu City, Hualien City, and/or Taipei, Taiwan, https://wellbeingsummer.wordpress. in March and April of 2017 (Mahayana Buddhism). com/ or Kittikhun Pookhongkha at kittikhb@ WHO SHOULD APPLY gmail.com We especially welcome your application if: You are committed to developing a work practice ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS that integrates spiritual and social transformation. You have engaged in social work or volunteer Meditation Retreat: All students complete service. a meditation retreat of at least 7 days duration. In You are resilient, love travelling, and are passionate most cases the entire group will undergo a retreat about intellectual and inner inquiry. together. You enjoy living, working, and learning together Internship or Thesis: During the summer with a small, diverse group of students. semester, students complete an internship or a thesis under the guidance of a faculty advisor. The internships HOW TO APPLY will generally be nine to ten weeks Application deadline is 13 April 2016, in duration. (12 credits) or, passing that, until all places are Summer Seminar: The summer seminar filled. gives students the opportunity to present the work they have completed over the summer. Students Download the application form from www. give a detailed oral presentation and submit a written inebinstitute.org/ma-app2016. report about their internship or thesis. (2 credits) Email softcopies of the completed application CALENDAR to [email protected] with the subject Term 1: 15 August - 21 December, 2016 line ‘MA Application_2016_YOURNAME’. If Term 2: 16 January - 17 May, 2017 unable to submit a softcopy, post a hardcopy of the completed application to the INEB address Term 3: 22 May - 10 August, 2017 (Thesis, listed on the last page of the brochure. Internship, & Seminar)

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 27 SEM

Spirit in Education Movement (SEM) The 22nd SEM’s Annual Public Lecture February 5, 2016, 16.00-19.00 At SNF Office, Klongsan, Bangkok Adventure in Empowerment Education: Our Reflections By Pracha Hutanuwatr and Jane Rasbash

Pracha Hutanuwatr and Jane Rasbash have been participants are now working with numerous on an adventure with empowerment education for aspects of sustainable development, social activism more than 20 years. They co-founded the Grassroots and transition to resilient communities. This talk Leadership Training and Training of Trainers in will focus on how using a participatory approach 1996 and in more recent years supported many hand in hand with cultivating inner wisdom and Ecovillage Design Education and Eco-leadership good friends is the basis for empowerment education. courses in South East Asia, and beyond. Thus relationship is education, self cultivation is This has supported the emergence of a generation education and ultimately speaking about education of leaders with inner and outer resources to face up is self education. to many challenges particularly in Myanmar where

For More information, please contact: [email protected] www.sem-edu.org

28 Some Inspirations Peter Swan General Secretary of Lisu Baptist Convention, Myanmar (1997 GLT, 2004 EVT, 2006 EDE)

I was so encouraged when I studied in the social change movement, I got Kachin-Lisu, Karen and kaya. I also at the Findhorn Community in a chance to practice organic farming served with the Lisu Church commu- Scotland especially by Jane Rasbash with my colleagues near the Lisu nity, organizations, seminaries, and and May East and other friends I met Seminary in Pwin Oo Lin at a NGOs in Myanmar to share my pas- there in 2004. It was a big turning demonstration farm not only for the sion. All these things I did were in- point in my life and gave me inspiration Lisu community but for many others spired by Grassroots Leadership to do social service in Myanmar. The interested in Myanmar. I believe training, Ecovillage Training and Findhorn Community is a real spir- that organic farming is at the heart of Ecovillage Design Education courses. itual community for all faiths to learn transformation. I organised a training how to live together, happily and with my teams called “Sustainable Life Struggles and Challenges meaningfully. I really appreciated Living Training (SLT)” for the grass- Current Issues in Globalisation and was inspired by people I met in roots people in Myanmar. This training Myanmar is entering a period of the Ecovillage community, friends, aimed for all kinds of participants democratic governance. People are youth and kids. So much wisdom of from different faiths, denominations influenced by foreign investment living, simple living, spirituality, and beliefs, ages, class, academic and modern culture. Myanmar is friendship, smiles and songs are still backgrounds, and genders. I got the widening her network with developed alive in my mind and encourage my chance to train Church Pastors, countries in many ways like education, work. Now I am serving as General Buddhist monks and nuns, Buddhist health, culture and politics. Many Secretary at the Lisu Baptist Conven- monastic school teachers, leaders, people are testing new cultural tion and I work with deep passion in farmers, students, NGO staff mem- practices such as new information sharing my life to serve the grassroots bers and individuals. I have been technology, media, politics, laws and community in Myanmar. I have been working with different ethnic minority modernization from the west. Ordinary working with rural communities as a groups in Myanmar such as Shan, people, educated citizens and Chris- volunteer in the social change Pao, Inthar, Lahu, Akhar, Mon, tian ministers are preparing to move movement in Myanmar for more Kachin-Zewar, Kachin-Rawan, to the cities, the of than 18 years. While I was involved Kachin-Jinphaw, Bhama, Chin, America, or other rich countries.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 29 SEM

While the majority are trying to tory worker is more advanced than gave concepts and ideas in a two week appreciate the impacts of moderniza- doing farming work. I practice farming course. Gradually, there were more tion, I have been sharing the real and gardening faithfully to promote demands for the course from commu- impacts, and challenges of globali- farming, especially organic, sustain- nities and local NGOs. The training zation. So I have had many debates able farming. concepts are relevant to the local and misunderstandings from those community. At that time, I did self- who appreciate modernisation. In Economics I also shared about evaluation on my training. Then I re- the trainings I share the idea of locali- Spiritual Economics taught by E.F alized that I needed to practice what I zation which is opposed to globali- Schumacher. When people heard this had been teaching. Finally I decided sation and share how globalization idea, some people didn’t like it to start an organic garden for my fam- cannot give us true happiness and because they like capitalist ideas ily to experience. Every year, many security. which have been influencing their local people, pastors, Buddhist daily life for several decades now. monks and nuns, school teachers and Livelihood “We cannot get infinite friends came to me. I am trying to growth in this finite planet” so we Sustainable agriculture I taught practice on my farm for social trans- must practice and know about sim- many people about GMO seeds and formation, as a sharing and learning plicity and ‘how much is enough’. modern agriculture which is destroying centre for all. When I graduated from When some people heard this our traditional way of farming. This the seminary I planned to get more message, they could not understand modern agriculture uses many degrees. In 1997, my first experience and accept me and this wisdom, chemicals, pesticides and herbi- come from the GLT-Grassroots Lead- because many people are supporting cides. I also talked about how mod- ership Training conducted by SEM- unlimited growth. ern agriculture cannot sustain our Spirit in Education Movement, with economy. When people heard these Pracha Hutanuwatr and other friends Schooling and education I ideas they could not understand me at Wongsanit Ashram in Thailand. I noticed in the local community that because they use mainstream methods got the confidence to live with and mainstream schooling is destroying in their fields and garden. Modern serve the community. At that time, our traditional way of life and that it agriculture opposes the traditional my friends who studied abroad didn’t is promoting urban consumer cul- way of farming. come back when they finished their ture. Some people who do not know studies. They didn’t have the confi- about the true meaning of education Interfaith dialogue or working dence to come back; they were not were angry as they are investing their with other faith Many church leaders ready to come back; they stayed where money and time in school education in Myanmar are debating and they studied abroad. So I realised that only. Now the private modern board- discussing new topics like interfaith is a brain-drain or wasting people ing schools are very famous and lu- dialogue. They are very eager to for the community. So I decided not crative in my community. have interfaith dialogue but they to stay abroad except for learning. have no action plan for working Now I live in the small rural town Being a farmer I used to share together among different faiths. called Pyinn Oo Lwin, Myanmar. about farming and gardening in my When I was doing training with Within 18 years of my experience training courses. I said that being a Buddhist monks and nuns, they were there were no significant changes in farmer is important and meaningful. shocked. They worried about me. the community. But most of my train- Most parents don’t like this idea and Also some of them misunderstood ing participants gained inner confi- most students in Myanmar are the my working with other faiths. dence and vision. My wife, Na Na and children of farmers. They believe children support the family farm con- having a certificate and degree is the Life Changes In 2009, when I fidently. Also local farmers feel confi- only way to get a job and have success. conducted the Sustainable Living dence in their farms. The young peo- Most of them want to get a job in a Training (SLT) at the Lisu Theologi- ple respect their farming parents. I got factory. They think that being a fac- cal Seminary with my team, we just to work with the grassroots people. I

30 Some Inspirations can live with optimistic views in dif- hoped that if I got a good price, I will their confidence in their traditional ferent cultural and religious contexts. save more money for my family. Then knowledge. Many young generations I see the beauty of diversity, so I try to I will have a good life. At one semi- are facing self-rejection and self- change the community through net- nar, there was a guest speaker (per- hatred because they live in a competi- working. When I started gardening, maculturist) who talked about organic tive society. I have been planning to my friends and neighbours didn’t products. He said “The organic veg- increase practicing alternative farming trust it. Most of the farmers in Pyin etables and products have become and create a learning centre for all Oo Lwin have no confidence in not for ordinary people but only for people. At this moment I have good farming without using chemical fer- the rich people. It is not good for so- relationships with my friends, tilisers. So I tried without any chemi- cial transformation”. So I changed my Churches, NGOs, and local develop- cal fertilizer and pesticides in my gar- mind and now sell my product for a ment organisations. den for 6 years now. I took time to fair price for every level of people to In my vision, I want to involve show my confidence by walking a enjoy. the socially deep commitment. At the same time, movement with the people to gain a many friends and visitors came and Vision Now I feel very involved in more peaceful and just society. I want learned from me. When the local the localization movement. Because to encourage young people who love people see my work and commit- of globalization, many, many families living with the grassroots people. ment, they admire and understand are broken. Church attendance is my concerns for the community. decreasing and local livelihoods have ...... When I started gardening, I intended been destroyed by mainstream to sell my products for a good price. I school education. People are losing Letters Dear Mr Sivaraksa, Dear Ajarn Sulak, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and What an honor and privilege to meet with you in Bangkok, and to be inspired that of the International Committee of the by your thought-provoking discussion with the monks from Myanmar! Thank Red Cross (ICRC) for your participation in you so much for sharing your wisdom and for your warm hospitality. the High-Level Panel Debate entitled “Uniting As you pointed out, Socially Engaged Buddhists and Quakers have much in Around the Priciple of Humanity” held at common. We share a belief that our personal spiritual journeys and our out- United Nations Headquarters on 30 September ward social witness are fruits of the same tree. Inner change and outward so- 2015. I have no doubt that our collective cial action go hand in hand. I am inspired by the depth of your insight, your commitment to this principle, as well as the fearless dedication, and the courage and clarity with which you speak truth to success of the event, was reinforced by your power. excellent contribution. We very much appreciate the long partnership between AFSC and the Spirit It was particularly inspiring to hear how in Education Movement and wish you every success in your ongoing efforts. your faith has influenced your commitment I hope that when your work takes you to the United States, we may be able to to others and your own humanitarian host you in Philadelphia. I especially hope you will be able to join us in cel- contributions. It is my hope that we may ebrating our 100th anniversary in 2017. embark on a continuing partnership in reaching those most in need, through our Sincerely, common belief in humanity. Shan Cretin General Secretary Yours sincerelly, American Friends Service Committee Peter Maurer

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 31 Sulak Sivaraksa

“Uniting Around the Principle of Humanity in the Mekong Region”

Buddhism in the Mekong Region Conference – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

o our discussions this week, I bring a other words, capitalism, consumerism and natural Buddhist perspective—specifically, a resource extraction that ignores the limits of the socially engaged perspective. I want environment. to speak directly to how an individual’s * Secondly, I see individuals’ seeds of hatred spiritual practice leads towards manifest in the world as militarism. advancing our common humanity—and how * Thirdly, my harshest critique is reserved for those who peddle delusion—advertisers and the main active participation in society informs one’s stream media—which promote useless and unhealthy personal, inner quest. In other words, each and products and unwholesome ideas which lead people everyone’s personal development is directly away from a meaningful life of contentedness and a linked to our common humanity. common humanity, and instead towards poverty and a When one understands how the personal and sense of separation. societal are inter-related, I believe we become acutely I was born more than 80 years ago and raised aware how the current, mainstream, socio-economic in traditional Siamese culture. I have seen in my lifetime paradigm—that is to say, the effect of globalization, how capitalism, mass media, and the global market capitalism, and trans-national corporations—can be place have replaced traditional morals and ethics. I accurately called “structural violence.” What is structural disagree that the world today is at the highest mark of violence? It is the systematic ways that a society’s human development, because this often unspoken resources are distributed unequally and unfairly, sentiment prevents the peoples of the world from preventing people from meeting their basic needs. We pursing other aspirations and from thinking about see this in every country. alternative ways to improve or maintain their livelihood To understand how structural violence and traditions. perpetuates suffering, I begin with the fundamental If we return to the question of personal spiritual Buddhist teaching that asserts every individual has practice, restructuring political and economic institutions accumulated within them, seeds for greed, hatred, and cannot, in themselves, bring about personal liberation. delusion—what we call, the . These three If we are serious about getting rid of greed, anger and poisons are at the root of our own personal suffering. ignorance in ourselves, we must inquire how we Through the practice of meditation and contemplation, actively or passively take part in perpetuating the three the poisons can be rooted out completely and poisons in society. Once we see the interconnections, transformed into generosity, loving-kindness, and we work simultaneously on our own spiritual development wisdom. While this is the classic Buddhist presentation, at the same time to dismantle structural violence. As I extend this teaching from the individual to the global Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the socio-economic system, which is to say, the three poisons world.” Transformation of ourselves is the starting are the building blocks for structural violence worldwide. place. Peace can prevail in a society only when How is this so? individuals in that society are at peace. When greed, * First, I believe that personal greed manifests hatred and ignorance govern our personal affairs, they in society as the insatiable desire for accumulation, an will also be present in our society’s institutions, ever-expanding “possessiveness” and “growth”—in preventing lasting social change. Real security, therefore,

32 ultimately depends on working on ourselves simulta- traditions, practices and customs. When we come neously with our work in the world. together as a family of the Mekong, in solidarity with right understanding, we can work together towards Mekong positive environmental, social and political change for This brings us to the Mekong region and to our our entire region. These actions will help to foster community of Mekong river countries. The magnificent sustainability, compassion, and peace. Mekong River begins in , homeland of Tibetan The Buddha taught us that we must stabilize and Buddhism, his Holiness the Dalai and our balance our minds enough so that our insight practices Tibetan sisters and brothers. As the river winds its way can be effective and so that we can have enough mental down through Burma, Laos, Siam, Cambodia and suppleness and clarity to see through the illusion of finally Vietnam, it provides livelihoods for millions of our deluded minds and directly perceive the nature of people and sustains the lives of countless sentient samsara. We must also train and balance our minds so beings. Just like a real mother, The Mother Mekong that we can see through the illusion of our separateness River, with the second highest level of biodiversity in and see that we are all interconnected beings on a the world, surpassed only by the Amazon region, is a small, shared planet in a distant corner of the universe. literal life giver and should be thought of and treated The cultivation of calm, clear minds is also critical so with as much respect as we would treat our own mother that we can see through the constant barrage of propa- – an attitude that can be extended to all beings. ganda from the corporate world that so often leads to dhist brothers and sisters, and the numerous distorted views and wrong action. For example, it is all masters their tradition has produced, we are taught too common these days to see insatiable lust for wealth that the union of wisdom and compassion leads to at the expense of the environment and our own well- enlightenment. For those of us living in the community being. To counter these views, we should maintain a of the Mekong region, we must continue to cultivate, longer view of samsara and recognize that when we enough wisdom and compassion so that we can come profit off the backs of other sentient beings, we too will to view every sentient being with enough love and suffer. respect to see each one of them as a member of our For us here today, family members in the Dhamma, own family. The Vajrayana teachings of Tibet remind we have to continue to cultivate the peace of mind and us to always maintain an “unbounded” view of samsara insight to see the forces of greed and narrow-mindedness – that is, to remember that every sentient being has in action and to respond skillfully with awareness, insight had countless past lives, and that each one of us has and compassion. In our current situation, for example, had every kind of relationship with each other in the when our brothers and sisters in a nearby country past. Within those past relationships, each one of us, build a dam, pollute, or otherwise disrupt the Mekong, has, at one time or another been each other’s mother. If countless beings downstream will be affected. These we can maintain of the kindness and beings include more than 20,000 species of plants, compassion of our own mother and remember that thousands of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish – many each being in the world of samsara was once our own of which have yet to be discovered. This issue is too mother, our empathy and understanding of others will important for us Buddhists to remain quiet – solidarity, increase greatly. mutual understanding and action in the face of potentially With regards to the Mekong River region, we must catastrophic decisions are necessary to prevent damage cultivate enough insight to transcend the narrow view to the delicate biological balance of the Mekong River. of each country’s borders and see the interconnectedness The level of solidarity and compassion required for of the entire region. Interconnectedness is one of the a sustainable, peaceful and harmonious Mekong most important teachings within the many Buddhist region for generations to come is a tall but necessary traditions and remains as relevant today as it was during order. And one that can be achieved only when we see the time of the Buddha. Despite minor differences in past the superficial differences and embrace our inter- how the various groups and sects practice and interpret connectedness and fundamental, shared humanity. the teachings of the Buddha, we Buddhists have more in common than we often realize. We can learn from ...... each other while maintaining our own long-standing This talk drafted by Matteo Pistono and Jordan Baskerville

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 33 Sulak Sivaraksa

Inequality, Violence and Climate Change through a Buddhist Lens

Talk given to the International Conference of Youth (COY11), Paris, France. November 27, 2015

I am very honored to be here with you all sible solutions to these problems from the perspec- here in Paris today. That so many young tive of engaged Buddhism. people have gathered here to learn about and discuss so many important issues The Buddha and his Teachings such as climate change gives this trou- I want to begin by talking about some 2500 year-old bled world a measure of needed hope. To our teachings of the Buddha that I think can help add to discussion today, I bring the perspective of a so- our discussion and analysis, and understanding of cially engaged Buddhist. Briefly, socially en- the important global issues being discussed at this gaged Buddhism refers to a type of Buddhism conference. that values and works toward both personal and Let me preface my talk today with a few societal change in order to mitigate the suffering clarifications about the Buddha and Buddhism. First of oneself and others. of all, the Buddha, who is said to have lived in what This talk is divided into three parts: first I is now the area of India and southern was a will say a few things about the Buddha and what he man, not a god – a wealthy, princely man initially – taught. Second, I will address the three gravest chal- but still just an ordinary human like all of us here. In lenges facing us today: climate change, inequality his early life, the Buddha had the privilege of experi- and violence. Finally, I will conclude with some pos- encing most of the physical pleasures of the world:

34 Inequality, Violence and Climate Change through a Buddhist Lens

the most delicious food, wonderful drink, beautiful ing an ethical life, pursuing virtuous work that does women, lavish clothing, a palace and so on. At one no harm, and by cultivating compassion and wis- point in his life he realized that each of these things dom, we can uproot the foundation of suffering. were temporary, fleeting pleasures that did not bring This is one of the great realizations of the Buddha – any lasting satisfaction or happiness. They also did that the roots of our suffering exist in our own minds nothing to erase the reality that one day these and manifest externally through deluded actions of ephemeral luxuries would be gone and that every- body, speech and mind. one near and dear to him would die – and so would So in what ways can the wisdom of the Bud- he. This realization is said to have caused him great dha help us here today? Our world is very different grief – so much grief in fact, that late one night, he than Iron Age India – yet many things – such as the fled his palace and the affluent life he led and went basics of the human condition – remain the same. on a quest to find a solution to the inevitable suffer- Our contemporary world, like the world of the Bud- ing that comes with living a human life. dha, continues to be awash in the three poisons: Over the next few years the Buddha tried greed, hatred and delusion. Despite our remarkable many different methods of overcoming suffering technological achievements, suffering remains. And that were popular at the time, including nearly starv- yet, in the face of our most serious challenges, we ing himself to death as a means to accomplish his possess minds and hearts with remarkable potential task. In his quest for genuine happiness, the Buddha for compassion, awareness, generosity and empathy. tried the extremes of both sensual pleasure and of We must become aware of the potential that exists severe asceticism or deprivation – both of which within ourselves that can be cultivated in ways that failed to bring lasting happiness. After many years of bring peace to our lives and peace to the world. testing various ways to eradicate suffering, through trial and error, the Buddha came to the conclusion Inequality, Violence and Climate Change that this could be accomplished by leading a simple, This brings me to the second part of my talk – what ethical life devoid of extremes. More specifically, he I believe are the three greatest challenges we as a discovered that a life grounded in compassion for all species face today: global climate change, shocking beings coupled with heightened awareness and in- levels of inequality, and violence. All three issues are sight born out of the practice of meditation could interconnected and, according to the teachings of lead to the eradication of suffering. This realization, the Buddha, all three are rooted in individual and is what has come to be known as the Buddha’s en- collective greed, hatred and delusion. lightenment or awakening. Awakening in the Bud- dha’s sense is not a fantasy or unbelievable legend, Inequality but I think is best understood as someone exploring To start off, I would like to address the issue of the and achieving the highest potential of the human staggering levels of growing global inequality. It is mind. true that modern corporate capitalism has brought When we say that the Buddha awakened, many people in certain parts of the world out of what did he awaken from? The Buddha, in his quest poverty and made others rich. Yet, for all of its pur- and subsequent enlightenment achieved remarkable ported benefits, capitalism, in its current form has states of heightened awareness and insight into the led to extreme levels of wealth concentrated in the nature of the mind and of reality itself. He came to hands of a tiny fraction of the global population. see that greed, hatred and delusion, known by Bud- Let’s now examine a few of the obscene statistics dhists as the three poisons, lie at the heart of our about this disturbing problem: According to a re- individual and collective suffering and that by lead- cent study, the richest 85 people in the world have as

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 35 Sulak Sivaraksa much wealth as the bottom 3.5 billion people – er perspective, we can see that it is directly related to about half the global population. And another fact: climate change. Some of the largest corporations in About half of the world’s wealth is owned by 1 per- the world with the richest board members, share- cent of the population. holders and CEOs also happen to be some of the We know that when small groups of people largest contributors to global climate change. These control huge portions of wealth, all kinds of prob- companies make fortunes polluting the planet and lems arise. Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett have selling things such as oil, gas, weaponry, meat and written a remarkable book on this topic that I rec- other animal products. They in turn use their dis- ommend you read called The Spirit Level: Why More proportionate financial influence to change laws so Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. In it the au- that they can make even more money at others ex- thors detail how wealth inequality in a society is pense by working to cut taxes and reduce the amount closely tied to health problems, violence, drug abuse, of public money spent on things such as health care, obesity, and lack of social mobility among other education and social security. things. We also see major damage to the democrat- Violence ic process when a few powerful individuals own This leads us to the next interconnected problem, most of the wealth. The U.S. is a classic example of global violence. Hatred, one of the three poisons I this phenomenon – rich corporations have the abil- referred to earlier, manifests outwardly as milita- ity to hire hundreds of lobbyists that influence law- rism. Many countries profit greatly from the selling makers to pass laws in their favors. The ultra-rich of weapons. War profiteering and the outsourcing of also fund political campaigns with the understand- military duties to private, for-profit contractors at ing that favors will be returned in the form of de- the taxpayer’s expense is routine. Violence has cer- regulation, tax cuts, and the passing of other pro- tainly increased today in part because the main- corporate laws designed to benefit the wealthy few. stream media thrives on the reporting and sensa- From a Buddhist standpoint, obscene levels tionalizing of violence. of inequality such as those that exist today can be Blockbuster movies glorify war and extoll traced back to the deluded, greed-saturated minds the virtues of settling disputes through violent of individuals. When senseless greed remains un- means. Military propaganda grounded in national- checked, no amount of money can satisfy it. Will ist rhetoric is common in many countries and is ultra-wealthy individuals in the top one percent ever used as a means of distracting citizens from trou- be satisfied with a certain amount of money? Not bling realities such as poverty, social ills and corrup- likely. Instead they do what they can to increase tion. their earnings – such as re-write laws in their favor, When the media pushes nationalist narra- break unions, lower wages, cut worker benefits and tives and divides the world into easily digestible, lay-off as many employees as possible. These actions black and white fantasies of good versus evil, hatred – done presumably to make the ultra-rich happier is easily sewn amongst the masses. The connection — eventually lead to suffering. Although the rich is clear, once people are sold on violence and believe may get some temporary satisfaction from such de- it is the way to solve problems, it is easy to start wars luded actions, such superficial happiness does not and sell arms – both huge industries – without much last long. resistance. Seen from a Buddhist perspective, recent Seeing the issue of inequality from a broad- and continuing wars are the result of greed, hatred

36 Inequality, Violence and Climate Change through a Buddhist Lens

and delusion. A dark lust for other country’s natural ing so would mean having to acknowledge the diffi- resources and thirst for power coupled with extreme cult truth that our current way of life on earth is un- delusion about the supposed benefits of these wars sustainable and that we will all eventually have to combine to produce the unbelievable number of vi- significantly simplify our way of living. olent conflicts in the past few decades. Why are so many people still in denial about The Buddha, in one of his oldest teachings the reality of climate change? A large part of the an- remarked that “Hatred is never appeased by hatred swer falls at the feet of the media – those who peddle in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred ap- delusion – advertisers and the main-stream media, peased. This is a law eternal.” Gandhi expressed the which promote useless, wasteful products and un- same idea when he said, “an eye for an eye makes the wholesome ideas. Products and ideas that, in turn, whole world blind.” lead people away from a meaningful life of content- This is not to say we should not defend our- edness and a common humanity, and instead to- selves when necessary, but the Buddha saw that vio- wards feelings of insufficiency and a sense of separa- lence leads to more violence, and violence leads to tion from others and from our natural world. Why suffering – both on the part of the victim and the are the media so culpable for so many negative perpetrator. The spirit of nonviolence (not absolute things in the world? As many of you know, much of ) is a cornerstone of the teachings of the the media exists to make a profit. They are often Buddha. In one sense we can see that global warm- branches of larger corporate conglomerates that ing is violence on a large scale. Violence towards the have one goal in mind: making more money – often planet earth and its inhabitants that will, if left un- at the expense of truth or any larger humanitarian checked, lead to suffering and death on a massive concerns. Take for example any one of Rupert Mur- scale. doch’s ludicrous channels – watching five minutes of would give you the impression that the Global Warming people working to save this planet, the courageous This leads us to the third and potentially most dev- ones like yourselves are the problem. According to astating problem we have ever faced – global warm- the views of Fox, global climate change is a liberal ing. The issue of global warming, like inequality, and hoax. As Noam Chomsky recently reminded us, the violence can again be linked back to the three poi- debate is not about whether or not global warming sons present in our minds: greed, hatred and delu- is a human-caused reality or not. The debate is be- sion. Unsurprisingly, we humans have gotten so tween those climate scientists who see the effects of used to the benefits of fossil fuels that, in spite of the climate change as being simply disastrous and those clear evidence that their overuse is causing disas- that see it as being extraordinarily catastrophic. trous effects, we have made woefully insufficient- ef When watching these channels, people become eas- forts to shift our societies away from carbon-based ily hypnotized by the flashy graphics and the simple systems. Our collective denial, delusion and inac- yet highly deluded worldview these media organiza- tion on this issue is leading us off a cliff, and to avoid tions peddle. One of your tasks as active, educated, falling off that cliff – or at least reducing the size of engaged citizens is to become immune to the con- the cliff – we have to dramatically change the way we stant barrage of propaganda coming from the main- humans interact with and live in the world. stream media, governments and the world of adver- Sadly, there are still large numbers of people tising – a topic I will return to at the conclusion of unwilling to face the reality of climate change. Do- my talk.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 37 Sulak Sivaraksa

We can see the links between global warm- completely and transformed into generosity, loving- ing and the issues of violence and inequality. Global kindness, and wisdom. Our minds and hearts have warming is and will continue to hit the poorest areas remarkable capacity for change, growth and tre- of the earth the hardest as they do not have the re- mendous empathy and compassion for the world, sources and infrastructure to face and deflect the ourselves, and for others. deadly effects of rising sea levels, huge droughts, de- The Euro-American world has demonstrat- sertification and monstrous storms. Such changes in ed remarkable genius and ingenuity studying the the climate will lead to scarcer resources and huge external world - the oceans, the earth’s surface, ani- numbers of climate change refugees searching for mal and plant life and space. Asia, on the other hand livable environments. The many disastrous effects of has contributed significantly to exploring the world hotter global temperatures will, in turn, likely lead of the mind. Contemplative traditions within Bud- to further hatred and violence in the form of wars dhism, Hinduism, Taoism and other paths have for basic resources. spent the past few thousand years devoted to inner In my country Siam, which many of you exploration. These traditions have many detailed know as Thailand, huge swathes of the northeastern written accounts of mental training, remarkable region – the poorest region – have been hit with mental states, and unprecedented accounts of men- sweeping droughts. In addition, our wealthy capital, tal flourishing that have been experienced by con- Bangkok, is not immune to the ravaging effects of templative practitioners – the Buddha being one of climate change. For the past few years, we have had the most famous of these. In Tibet for example, there increasingly serious flooding. Bangkok is located in have been many thousands of individuals who have a low lying river delta, and is only a few miles from taken on a life of inner exploration and have spent the ocean. Credible sources have predicted that in a years, sometimes decades, in retreat devoted to full- few decades we may have to move the entire city to time meditation practice. Many of these extraordi- higher ground as the ocean levels will inundate us nary individuals are not well known in the Western and make life in the area uninhabitable. Since this world, yet they offer spectacular insights into the conference has a focus on climate change, I won’t nature of the human mind and of reality. These in- continue here with the ever-growing list of potential sights are a gift to the world as precious and valuable climate-change related disasters but instead turn to as any findings from external exploration. some possible solutions that the 2500 year-old One of the most well-known examples of teachings of the Buddha can offer to our global dia- these insights come to us from the Buddha who logue. taught that instead of focusing solely on external factors for happiness, we need to cultivate our minds Buddhist Solutions in positive ways – we can and should work to achieve I return to the fundamental Buddhist teaching that exceptional mental well-being, including balance, asserts every individual has within them, seeds for focus and so on – so that we can achieve a measure greed, hatred, and delusion — the three poisons. of happiness within ourselves. The peace and clarity These three poisons are at the root of our own per- that results from a sustained meditation practice, sonal suffering. Yet we also possess, within each of grounded in an ethical way of life, can then be ex- us, the capacity to uproot these poisons. Through tended outward to our work in the world. the practice of meditation and the rest of the Bud- Let me be clear – this is not a call for any of dha’s Eight-fold Path, the poisons can be rooted out you to become Buddhists. What I am recommend-

38 Inequality, Violence and Climate Change through a Buddhist Lens

ing however is the importance of a regular contem- ty. We must also work to reform our institutions so plative practice – that is, taking time each day for that they better serve the public good. We must take some silent reflection. From time to time, discon- responsibility both individually and collectively. The nect from your electronic devices and reconnect , someone I consider a spiritual friend, with your minds and with nature. Every great reli- recently argued that: gious tradition has a connection and history with contemplative practices. If you happen to come “We need a systematic approach to fos- from a religious background, I recommend you look ter humanistic values, of oneness and into the history of people from your traditions that harmony. If we start doing it now, there lived and practiced silent contemplation – take them is hope that this century will be different as a guide. For those atheist, agnostic and otherwise from the previous one. It is in every- secular brothers and sisters here today, I invite you body’s interest. So let us work for peace as well to regularly step back from the hustle and within our families and society, and not bustle of everyday life and seek out silence and soli- expect help from God, Buddha or the tude – to try to understand and cultivate your mind. governments.” Such simple yet profound steps can have hugely powerful impacts on our lives and can affect every For us here today, we have to continue to cul- single thing we do in positive ways – no beliefs or tivate the peace of mind and insight to recognize the religion required. forces of greed and narrow-mindedness and to re- Spending sustained time in nature is a cru- spond skillfully with awareness, insight and compas- cial step towards healing our world and toward heal- sion. The level of solidarity and compassion required ing the imagined divide we have with it. Calming for a sustainable, peaceful and harmonious planet for our distracted minds, we can more easily realize generations to come is a tall but necessary order. One how we are not separate from the natural world, that can be achieved only when we see past superficial from the universe. We could not exist without the differences, gain clarity and peace of mind and em- sun, the planet, the air we breathe, the water we brace the fundamental reality of the interconnected- drink and the food we eat. The world sustains us – ness that is our planet earth. and we are not separate from it. If we destroy the Thank you. world, the ecosystem, the air – we are destroying ourselves. When our minds are clearer, calmer, and more focused, we can more easily see through the bombardment of lies and deceit coming from the media and centers of power, wealth and influence. Powers that are all too often self-serving, deluded, greedy institutions that have no qualms manipulat- ing others in order to continue their search for nev- er-ending power and profit. To become immune to their lies means to sharpen our critical thinking ...... skills, to educate ourselves through alternative chan- This talk drafted by Jordan Baskerville nels, and to constantly question authority and reali-

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 39 Article

A New Growth Paradigm ?

Ranil Senanayake

ny discussion on ‘ Economic Development’ as a global forest stock with the advent of colonization. This national goal, must demonstrate a perspective loss represents a debt to every nation that lost its forests as strongly rooted in modern science. It must take well as a debt to planetary atmospheric equilibrium. This into consideration the reality of the current global debt can be settled by re-establishing the sequestered crises. It must also understand the history of the crises. In stocks of carbon that were lost by reforestation. But once doing so, we might find a way out of the current impasse this debt is settled there will be no more room on this between economic growth and planetary stability planet to plant more trees to sequester the fossil carbon Life on Earth learnt how to maintain gas and that is currently being released so irresponsibly. material flows, optimum for the evolution and sustainability Fossil carbon is the principal driver of climate of biodiversity. Carbon Dioxide, although essential to the change. As a substance that is at least twenty million or process of life, was often introduced into the atmosphere more years older than the timber of the forests that were by volcanic processes at disruptive levels, throughout geologic lost, it represents a material with a far higher carbon cost history. But the gas has not concentrated in the atmosphere, than a forest. It is also a fact that the levels of Carbon because it was sequestered by living things and put away Dioxide, a major atmospheric gas, are increasing in the out of circulation from the biosphere of living carbon, so atmosphere. This increase is linked to the destabilization that the environment was stable for life. This store of carbon of the climate, the burning of the fossil stock of Carbon was fossilized and has been slowly accumulating over being the principal driver of change. It is now very clear the last few hundred million years and has acted as the that the stability of planetary climate cycles are in jeopardy storage of excess carbon. and a very large contributory factor to this crisis is the In our rush to create a petroleum and coal driven profligate activities of modern human society. It is the economy, this very simple and fundamental fact has been same activity that fuels the current vision of ‘Economic ignored. Carbon that cycles through living systems repre- Development’ in Sri Lanka. The entire infrastructural sents a fixed proportion of the planetary carbon, one part investment, be it stadiums, complexes or towers, require solid, like the carbohydrates in trees and one part gas, as enormous amounts of energy for their operation. As our in atmospheric Carbon Dioxide gas. If excess Carbon sustainable energy production is abysmally low, we will Dioxide enters the atmosphere through tectonic process- have to provide fossil energy to maintain this infrastructure, es such as volcanism, photosynthetic activity removes an activity patently destructive to the global climate this excess carbon dioxide from the biosphere and that equilibrium. excess is deposited as fossils to enter the lithosphere (rocks), Another area of concern is the system of agriculture never to interact with the biosphere again. This deposi- that our farmers have been lured into. Through this type tion is translated into vast quantities of fossilized carbon of agriculture they have been made addicts to fossil that has been removed from the biotic/atmospheric cycles. fuel energy. Not only do we lose vast sums of money and Unlike the biotic cycles of Carbon that stay deposited for add to a decline in health, both human and environmental; tens of thousands of years, the fossil pools have deposition we also have this nation adding yet another burden to the lifetimes of tens or hundreds of millions of years. planets climate stability. In short we are ‘bankrupt’ as an There have been fluctuations of Carbon Dioxide independent, agricultural nation, also very cynical if we in the atmosphere in the past but equilibrium was gained ever claim to be ‘green’ on any international stage. and balance was restored. All this was long before humans. In the wider picture, it is common knowledge The first human driven change that affected the that there is a value difference between fossil derived local and regional climates was the massive loss of the Carbon Dioxide and biologically cycling Carbon Dioxide,

40 but this fact has been ignored by scientists who run the carbohydrate production, oxygen generation and water IPCC. Any high school child will know this fact, but it is transformation, i.e. all actions essential for the sustainability ignored by the ‘climate scientists’ who claim to know best. of the life support system of the planet. Whatever their motives, the value differential of these cy- Yet currently, it is only one product of this cles, biotic and fossil, must be recognized. Biotic car- photosynthetic biomass, as sequestered carbon, usually bon operates on time frames of tens or hundreds of thou- represented by wood/timber, that is recognized as having sands of years and fossil carbon in tens or hundreds of commercial value in the carbon market for mitigating millions years. Further, fossil carbon never interacts with climate change. The ephemeral part, the leaves, are generally the living or biotic cycle. Fossil carbon entering the biotic ignored, yet the photosynthetic biomass in terrestrial cycle is the fundamental reason as to why there is an ac- ecosystems are largely composed of leaves; this compo- celerating climate change effect. However, the growing of nent needs a value placed on it for its ‘environmental ser- trees to compensate for fossil carbon and paying the same vices’ price for biotic carbon is unfair and tantamount to ‘car- It is not difficult to place value on photosynthetic bon laundering’. There is no way to equate the carbon from biomass today. Initial computations based on the cur- oil and coal with the carbon from a forest. One has a rent values of the carbon market are currently in excess space in the biotic cycle the other does not. Carbon that of 125 billion dollars. Assuming that the global market cycles through living systems represents a fixed proportion would pay at least a similar amount to maintain our life of the planetary carbon thus there is no space in the support system, the 93.1 billion tons of photosynthetic atmosphere for fossil derived Carbon Dioxide. Carbon currently in stock would be roughly worth about Carbon Dioxide is extracted from the atmosphere 1.35 dollars per kilogram. by plants and converted into a solid form. This process It is this biomass that has to grow in order to has been hailed as a tool by which the problem of increasing sequester the lost biotic Carbon. With such growth we gaseous Carbon can be addressed. ‘Plant trees which soak will see more Oxygen, Carbon sequestering and water up the carbon dioxide’ the reasoning goes ‘and you can cleansing throughout the planet. Much of the biomass to contribute to reducing the atmospheric burden of that be gained is in degraded ecosystems around the planet. gas’. Living woody biomass has been the first and logical These areas are also home to the world’s rural poor, but candidate to be used as a potential tool in sequestering what these degraded ecosystems do have, is great growth atmospheric carbon and has been featured largely in potential for generating photosynthetic biomass. If the ‘Carbon capture’ projects. Although the volume of living restoration of these degraded ecosystems to achieve optimal biomass has now been measured on most global models photosynthetic biomass loads becomes a global goal, the of carbon cycling and this measure is being used in the amazing magic of photosynthesis could indeed help evaluation of carbon stocks, there is an urgent need to change our current dire course, create a new paradigm of address the fundamental differences between the growth and make the planet more livable for our children. components of living biomass, photosynthetic biomass Instead of flogging the dead horse of fossil and respiring biomass. energy based growth as ‘Economic Development’, will we Photosynthetic biomass performs the act of have the commonsense to appreciate the value of primary production, the initial step in the manifestation photosynthetic biomass and become the first country in of life. The biomass so termed has the ability to increase the world to propose setting such a value? The realization in mass through the absorption of solar or other electromag- of this will enrich not only our rural population but rural netic radiation while releasing oxygen and water vapour people the world over ! These ideas are offered free to into the atmosphere. Respiring biomass is that component those bureaucrats who are attending international of living biomass that uses the output of photosynthesis conventions and conferences or to those polticians to make the complicated biological patterns of life; it stating that they will work towards a sustainable future. consumes oxygen to power its functions, and does not have photosynthetic functions itself. This distinction would seem to be fundamentally important when assessing ...... the value of biomass that is being addressed. It is only this photosynthetic biomass which powers carbon sequestration,

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 41 Articles

Awakening in the Age of Ecological Crisis

David Loy

et me begin by emphasizing what most of us entails—that is incompatible with the finite ecosys- already know about climate change. First, it’s tems of the earth. Many things could be said from a the greatest threat to human civilization ever, Buddhist perspective about why this fixation on as far as we can tell. Second, it’s not an growth cannot provide the satisfaction we seek from external threat but something we are doing it, but let’s take a look at one particularly revealing to ourselves. And third, our collective response example: what Mitsubishi is doing with bluefin tuna. remains, if not completely negligible, very far from The Japanese love sashimi, and their favorite variety adequate. is bluefin tuna. Unfortunately, bluefin tuna is also Yet climate breakdown is only part of a one of the world’s most endangered fish. But the much larger eco-crisis. We cannot blame the Mitsubishi conglomerate, one of the world’s largest degradation of nature simply on recent increases of corporate empires, has come up with an ingenious carbon in the atmosphere. If we are to avert climate response: It has cornered close to half the world disaster and our own potential extinction, we must market by buying up as many bluefin tuna as it can address our longstanding degradation of the natural as the worldwide population plummets toward world in all its forms. Humanity has been exploiting extinction. The tuna are imported and frozen at the natural world for most of its existence. Today, -60°C in Mitsubishi’s massive freezers, for they will however, business as usual has become a threat to command astronomical prices if, as forecast, Atlantic our very survival. bluefin tuna soon become commercially extinct as E. O. Wilson, the renowned Harvard tuna fleets try to satisfy an insatiable demand— biologist, predicts that by the end of this century primarily Mitsubishi’s. about half of all the Earth’s plant and animal species From an ecological standpoint, this response will become extinct or so weakened that they will is immoral, obscene. From a narrow economic disappear soon thereafter. Scientists tell us that there standpoint, however, it’s quite logical, even clever, have been at least five other extinction events in the because the fewer bluefin tuna in the ocean, the Earth’s history, but this is the fastest ever, and caused more valuable Mitsubishi’s frozen stock becomes. by the activity of one particular species: us. And it’s the nature of economic competition that The whole eco-crisis attests to the fact that corporations like Mitsubishi are sometimes encouraged we are a globalizing civilization that has lost its way. or “forced” to do things like that: if you don’t do it, The crisis of nature is, at heart, a crisis of civilization. someone else probably will. That’s how the “tragedy Shifting to renewable sources of natural energy will of the commons” plays out on a global scale. not by itself resolve our collective preoccupation The example above is one of many that point with never-ending economic growth—and the often to a fundamental perversity built into economic meaningless production and consumerism it systems motivated by profit, which tend to devalue

42 Awakening in the Age of Ecological Crisis

the natural world into a means, subordinated to the so they tend to be little inclined to—and often goal of expanding the economy in order to maximize incapable of—making the systemic changes necessary. profits. This focus often overshadows our appreciation We can see that institutional change can of the natural world, which means that we end up only come from the grass roots, and signs are growing destroying real wealth—a flourishing biosphere that more and more people are fed up with waiting with healthy forests and topsoil, oceans full of for economic and political elites to take action. As marine life, and so on—in order to increase numbers the author and environmentalist Paul Hawken in the bank accounts. As the enormous gap between points out in his recent book Blessed Unrest, a vast rich and poor continues to widen worldwide, most number of large and small organizations are working of that increase goes into a very small number of for peace, social justice, and sustainability—perhaps accounts. two million, he now estimates. This is something Such perverse logic ensures that sooner or that’s never happened before: it’s as if the organizations later our collective focus on endless growth—on have “sprung up” from the earth as its immune system ever-increasing production and consumption, responding to the cancer that now threatens our which requires ever more exploitation of our natural survival. resources—must inevitably run up against the limits But while the necessary response has begun, of the planet, and it just so happens that’s happening it’s easy to overlook what’s happening, because the now. Today it’s not enough for us to meditate and mainstream media are not interested in publicizing pursue our own personal awakening; we also need or encouraging that transformation. Six megacor- to contemplate what this situation means, and how porations now control 90 percent of the media in the to respond. United States, and they make their profits not from Many Buddhist teachings are relevant here, informing us but from advertising. Their perspective especially their emphasis on interdependence and inevitably tends to normalize consumerism, including nonduality. We consider ourselves and others to be the political system that aids and abets it. Unsurpris- separate entities, pursuing our own well-being at the ingly, they promote “green consumerism” as the cost of theirs in ways that the eco-crisis repudiates. solution to the eco-crisis—personal lifestyle changes As Earth-dwellers, we’re all in this together. When such as buying hybrid or electric cars, installing China burns coal, that pollution doesn’t just stay solar panels, eating locally, and so on. As Bill above Chinese skies, nor does nuclear radioactivity McKibben has pointed out, however, even if many from Fukushima stay only in Japanese coastal of us do everything we can to reduce our individual waters. The same is true generally for humankind carbon footprints, “the trajectory of our climate horror and the rest of the natural world; when the ecosystems stays about the same.” But if the same number of us of the earth become sick, we become sick. In short, work all-out to change the system, he continues, the ecological crisis is also a spiritual crisis: we are “that’s enough.” challenged to realize our interdependence—our Yet there’s more: the ecological crisis, and larger “self”—or else. What the earth seems to be the larger civilizational predicament of which it is a telling us is, “Wake up or get out of the way.” symptom, is just as much a crisis for the Buddhist From this perspective, the problems that tradition, which needs to clarify its essential challenge us today are even more intimidating. Facing message in order to fulfill its liberative potential in seemingly intractable political and economic systems, the modern world. we could easily despair. Where to start? Those who One of the important developments in control our current economy and political systems contemporary Buddhism has been socially engaged also profit the most from them (in the narrow sense), Buddhism, and service—prison dharma, hospice

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 43 Articles work, helping the homeless, and the like—is now both cases, the ultimate goal is individual salvation, widely accepted as an important part of the which involves transcending this lower world by Buddhist path. Buddhists have become much better doing what is necessary to qualify for the higher at pulling drowning people out of the river, but— one, whether that is eternity in heaven with God or and here’s the problem—we’re not any better at attaining . asking why there are so many more drowning One can point to aspects of the Buddhist people, or what’s pushing them into the river tradition that do not support cosmological dualism, upstream. especially the famous statement by Nagarjuna, At the same time as Buddhist organizing for founder of the school, that “there is social and economic justice has floundered, the not the slightest difference between nirvana and mindfulness movement has seen incredible success. samsara.” Yet that claim must be balanced against Mindfulness offers an individualistic practice that (for example) the early Buddhist doctrine that nirvana can fit nicely into a consumer corporate culture involves the end of physical , or the Mahayana focused on efficiency and productivity. Although schools that contrast this world with such practices can be very beneficial, they can also Amitabha’s Pure Land. discourage critical reflection on the institutional Buddhists don’t aim at heaven: we want to causes of collective suffering, or social dukkha. As awaken. But for us, too, salvation is individual: yes, I Bodhi has warned: “Absent a sharp social hope you will become enlightened also, but ulti- critique, Buddhist practices could easily be used to mately my highest well-being—my enlightenment— justify and stabilize the status quo, becoming a is distinct from yours. Or so we have been taught. reinforcement of consumer capitalism.” When it comes to the nature of enlightenment, Recently I read a passage in Everybody’s however, most of us aren’t sure what to believe. Since Story: Wising Up to the Epic of Evolution, by Loyal many modern Western Buddhists reject the idea of Rue, that stopped me in my tracks, because it rebirth, it is not surprising that a this-worldly alternative expresses so well a discomfort with Buddhism (or has become popular in the West, where understanding some types of Buddhism) that has been bothering the Buddhist path as a program of psychological me for some time. Rue writes that religions such as development helps us cope with personal problems, Christianity and Buddhism will keep declining as it especially our “” and afflictive emotions. becomes increasingly clear that they can’t address This has led to innovative types of psychotherapy as the great challenges facing us today. He cites two well the recent success of the mindfulness movement, basic problems: cosmological dualism and individual which represents the culmination of this trend in salvation, both of which “have encouraged an attitude Western Buddhism. Buddhism is providing new of indifference toward the integrity of natural and perspectives on the nature of psychological well- social systems.” being and new practices that help to promote it— Cosmological dualism is obviously an reducing greed, ill will, and delusion here and now, important aspect of Christianity, one that distin- for example, but also sorting out our emotional lives guishes God in his heaven from the world he has (not a big issue in Asian Buddhism) and working created. But Buddhism also dualizes insofar as this through personal traumas. world of samsara is distinguished from nirvana. In This development has been largely beneficial, both traditions, the contrast between the two worlds but it has a shadow. The common presupposition of inevitably involves some devaluation of the lower the more secular Buddhism is that my basic problem one: so we are told that this realm of samsara is a is the way my mind works, and the solution is to place of suffering, craving, and delusion. And in change the way my mind works, so that I can play

44 Awakening in the Age of Ecological Crisis

my various roles (work, family, friends, etc.) better, enough.” Consumerism encourages us to perceive so that I fit into this world better. Most of Asian the problem as a personal lack: I don’t have enough Buddhism is concerned with escaping this world, money, I’m not famous enough, attractive enough. . since samsara can’t be changed, but for much of . . Buddhist practice helps us wake up from this bad contemporary Western Buddhism, the path is all dream. about changing myself, because I’m the problem, A really important social implication of this not the world. deconstruction and reconstruction of the self brings So while traditional Asian Buddhism us back to social engagement, including eco-dharma. emphasizes ending rebirth into this unsatisfactory As we start to wake up and realize that we are not world, much of Western Buddhism, especially Buddhist separate from each other, nor from this wondrous psychotherapy and the mindfulness movement, earth, we also begin to realize that the ways we live emphasizes harmonizing with this world. That together, and the ways we relate to Mother Earth, means neither is much concerned about social need to be reconstructed as well. That means not engagement that works to change our world; both only social engagement as service, but finding ways take the world (including its ecological crisis and to address the problematic economic and political social injustice) for granted, and in that sense accept structures—the institutionalized forms of greed, ill it as it is. will, and delusion—that are deeply implicated in the Both approaches encourage a different way eco-crisis. Within such a notion of liberation, the of reacting to the eco-crisis: ignoring it. When we path of personal transformation and the path of read or think about what is happening, how do we social transformation are not really separate from react? We become anxious, of course, but Buddhists each other. We must reclaim the concept of awakening know how to deal with anxiety: we meditate, and from an exclusively individualistic therapeutic model our unease about what is happening to the earth and focus on how individual liberation also requires goes away—for a while, anyway. Needless to say, that social transformation. Engagement in the world is is not an adequate response. how our personal awakening blossoms. The point here is that Buddhist difficulty It just so happens that the Buddhist tradition with social and ecological engagement can be traced provides a wonderful archetype that can help us to back, in part, to this ambiguity about the nature of do that: the bodhisattva. We overcome deep-rooted awakening. And this ambivalence is a challenge we self-centered habits by working compassionately for can’t keep evading: we really do need to clarify what the healing of our societies and the healing of the the essential message of Buddhism is. Earth. This is what’s required for the Buddhist path There is an alternative way of understanding to become truly liberative in the modern world. If the Buddhist path, one that is not reducible to the we Buddhists can’t do that, or don’t want to do it, either/or of escaping this world or simply harmonizing then Buddhism might not be what our world needs with it. The path of personal transformation is about right now. deconstructing and reconstructing the self, or, more precisely, the relationship between the self and its world. Because my sense of self is an impermanent psychosocial construct, with no reality of its own, it is always insecure, haunted by dukkha as long as I ...... feel separate from the world I inhabit. We usually David Loy is a writer and teacher in the Sanbo tradition. experience this as a sense of lack: something is His newest book is A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, wrong with me, something is missing, “I’m not good Evolution, and Ethics in the Modern World.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 45 Articles

SORRY, YOU CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE: PROBLEMS VERSUS QUANDARIES

Richard L. Clinton

ccording to my dictionary, the origin of the to people that the government we support with our word “quandary” is unknown. That seems taxes is made to prioritize, subsidize, and protect fitting, but I always thought that “quandary” corporations rather than provide for the general shared a root with “quarry”, in which case a welfare, but somehow most of us are just too busy quandary would be a deep pit gouged in the side of a and can’t find the time to give it much thought. conundrum from which massive enigmas are mined That’s another mystery: why the huge gains and jagged predicaments are crushed to produce in the productivity of the American worker over the sundry gravels of paradoxes, perplexities, mysteries, years, what with technological improvements and and dilemmas. Well, it sounds better than “origin such, have never translated into a shorter work day unknown”. and work week the way Keynes predicted would In my day job, I’m a simple, country professor happen in that famous essay he wrote about how of political science with a focus on environmental little his grandchildren would have to work. When politics and international relations. In practice, you think about it, it really is puzzling how hard we though, I suppose you could say my field is quandaries. Americans work, considering that our European I didn’t start out to become a quandary specialist, cousins manage to have such a high quality of life but it seemed like almost any line of inquiry I followed while enjoying a minimum of five weeks of vacation eventually led me to a quandary. After a while, I sort every year, plus some months of paid maternity – of came to think of myself as a quandaryist. and sometimes paternity! – leave. Let me show you what I mean. For starters, Which brings to mind the fact that most take the American political system. We began as a Europeans also have universal health care from the republic, a representative democracy, a government womb to the tomb and free public education all the by the people and for the people. But somewhere way through the university level. Oh, and highly along the line we became an empire with a efficient public transportation systems, too. government by the corporations and for the Well, we have the most powerful military corporations. You’d think people would get upset the world has ever seen, with the most advanced by the way our government has been captured by aircraft, missiles, tanks, and ships. Of course, we corporations – through campaign contributions, spend more on our military than the combined total hoards of lobbyists, and the prospect of cushy jobs of the next fifteen countries with the highest military beyond the revolving door. It ought to be infuriating budgets. In fact, we’re spending more now for defense

46 Sorry, You Can’t Get There From Here: Problems Versus Quandaries

and national security than we did when we were felons – most of whom are black – are not permitted locked in that perpetual arms race that finally to vote even after they’ve paid their debt to society bankrupted the Soviet Union, which, come to think and been released. of it, seems passing strange since the Soviet Union While we’re on the subject of prisons, some ceased to exist more than two decades ago. say that the severe overcrowding that exists in many Actually, in light of all that military spending of them amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment”. and the fact that it’s made us, for the moment, the That’s not really a quandary, though, since it’s being undisputed superpower of the planet, it’s downright solved in many places by just releasing prisoners incomprehensible that, in the first few years of our before their sentence is up. Pretty straightforward. shiny new century, we’ve had the two longest and Cost effective, too, since, if you can believe it, our most expensive wars in our history and with states spend around twice as much every year on countries that are, in one case, poor and underde- each prisoner as they do on each student. veloped, and, in the other, oil-rich but at best That brings us to another of the Big Kahunas moderately developed. Of course, it doesn’t quite of American paradoxes, namely, the deterioration of compute either that the President, the Vice President, public education in a country that identifies itself by the Defense Secretary, and the National Security its technological innovation and entrepreneurial Advisor all repeatedly lied to get us into one of these . Not to mention democracy’s imperative wars and yet have never really been called out for for an educated citizenry. what they did by our much-vaunted free press or Well, it’s not that American parents don’t held to account by our hallowed judicial system. care about their children’s education. It’s just that But, then, none of the big bankers who they care about so many other things, too. First off, wheeled and dealed us into the worst financial making a living when wages haven’t budged for the collapse since 1929 have gone to jail either, so at past thirty years. That has meant that both parents least there’s some consistency in there somewhere. usually have to work outside the home, often at two On the other hand, the Private First Class or more jobs, which cuts in to “quality time” with the and the low-level private contractor who revealed kids. Then there’s the national fixation on professional atrocities being committed by the military and sports, which requires an early start playing baseball, Constitutional breaches by the National Security basketball, and football – who knows whether little Agency have been labelled traitors and criminals Brandon will become a big league star or be drafted and, in the former case, sentenced to a long prison by the NBA or NFL? Or maybe little Caitlin will term. make it to the Olympics in gymnastics or swimming Speaking of prisons, who’d have thought or to the pros in tennis or golf? Those astronomical that the United States, “the land of the free”, would salaries and all those lucrative product endorsement have the highest prison population of any country in contracts are mighty tempting, especially compared the world? It’s also puzzling that in a country where to the pitiful salaries paid for any kind of useful blacks make up around eleven percent of the work. Then there’s the understandable concern that population, forty-five percent of those behind bars the children have an active social life. The trouble are black. Didn’t we win the last battle against there is that the “cool quotient” necessary for that institutionalized racism with the Voting Rights Act depends on being up on all the latest styles, fads, of 1965? The Supreme Court certainly thinks so, slang, celebrities, and electronic gadgetry, which, having recently struck down the key provisions of like, you know, totally takes time, you know. that Act on the grounds they’re no longer needed. Besides, for some time now, education in There are still, however, many states where convicted America hasn’t really been to create better citizens;

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 47 Articles it’s been to get a job in order to become a better vote in Senators and Representatives who will defy consumer. And aspiring consumers don’t only the wealthy corporate dominators and put these consume stuff; they’re avid TV viewers, sports fans, taxes in place. The majority rules! Perhaps I haven’t and celebrity watchers. As dumbed-down adults, made myself clear. The American electorate are the then, they can be easily distracted and entertained same folks we’ve been talking about – the ones by violent, sexy TV soap operas and blockbuster, who’ve been so carefully taught to be good consumers special-effects movies based on comic book characters, instead of good citizens, the ones glued to their adorable animated animals, vampires, zombies, and computer or TV or smart phone screens, the ones magical fantasies. No wonder there’s just not enough working too hard to have time or energy left to time for homework – or to keep up with politics and devote to their kids or to keep up with political issues. major world events. Think about it. If American voters were well informed Well, as our recent history has shown, things and critically thinking, they wouldn’t be so easily can go on like this for quite a while. “Life’s a cabaret, swayed by glitzy, Madison-Avenue-designed old chum” can be pretty nice as long as it’s possible campaign ads. Yet the candidate who spends the to make ends meet and nothing interferes with most on such ads usually wins. Monday night football. But two untoward trends Well, you say, there’s still hope for grassroots have been gradually building over the last several organizing and local efforts to alert the people to decades that will soon bring us to see the folly of our what’s going on and, if necessary, get them out in the corporate-induced preference for consumerism street to demand change. Yes, grassroots movements over citizenship. These two trends are the gaping are surely to be applauded, but there are tens of and ever-growing disparity in incomes and wealth thousands of local grassroots projects already afoot and the emerging consequences of human-caused all across the country, and, while they’re doing many climate change – two, I think you’ll agree, dandy good things, they’re mostly preaching to the choir. quandaries. They’re largely ignored or even looked down on by So why is the ever-widening gap between “ordinary folks”. Nearly every community has a few, the top one percent and everybody else a quandary? sometimes quite a number of, full-fledged citizen Surely, you say, a more progressive income tax, higher activists who have a pretty good idea about what’s inheritance taxes, and measures such as removing going on and are doing their best to counter it, but, the cap on how much income gets taxed for Social in the larger picture, what difference are they Security would quickly put a dent in how making? As Mark Twain is said to have said, “Hell, if concentrated wealth has become. Certainly these voting could change anything, it’d be illegal.” The would help, especially if they were coupled with a same is true of grassroots organizing. When the few other needed policies, such as closing tax Occupy protests looked like they might spread and loopholes and prohibiting the sheltering of assets in begin to get people mobilized, our militarized police Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, or places like that. promptly and rather ruthlessly dispersed them. But there’s the rub! Such legislation has no chance of So where does this leave us vis-à-vis anthro- being passed in our corporate-dominated Congress. pogenic climate change, the other Great Quandary The corporations and the wealthy, after all, are two of our time? sides of the same coin, with the wealthy investing in Same drill. Scientists warn us for decades the corporations, and corporate management an that the problem is growing and that it’s our greenhouse integral part of the wealthy. gas emissions, mostly CO2, that are propelling it. So Not so fast, you say. Aren’t there a whole lot fossil fuel corporations roll out “astro-turf” think more of “us” than there are of “them”? We can just tanks and foundations posing as grassroots

48 Sorry, You Can’t Get There From Here: Problems Versus Quandaries

organizations, with innocuous names like The The Koch brothers’ astro-turf organizations Americans Heartland Institute, Energy in Depth, and Energy for Prosperity and Freedom Works immediately Citizens. These front groups for the fossil fuel and poured millions into the start-up of the Tea Party at related industries go to work lobbying Congress and the crucial moment of its emergence, which contrasts putting out specious reports to confuse the public tellingly with the ephemeral Occupy Movement. about the whole issue. Their well-compensated Let’s face it, pithy slogans like “When Taxes Rise, mouthpieces in Congress, on talk radio, and on that Freedom Dies!” , “Drill, Baby, Drill!”, and “Humans foxy propaganda channel label climate change a First!” hold great appeal for angry, frustrated people “disputed hypothesis”, a “hoax”, and a “war on coal” who haven’t pondered the complexities of fracking, and cry bloody murder about the job losses and the climate change, or the die-off of bees and amphibians. negative impact on GDP growth that sensible policies What we have to wrap our pragmatic, can- like “cap and trade”, a carbon tax, or labeling CO2 a do, optimistic, American minds around is that there pollutant would supposedly cause. Remember, we’re are no feasible solutions to these two quandaries. By still not really out of the Great Recession, six years our actions – or inactivity – we created them, but it down the road from the collapse of the housing is beyond our capacities to resolve them. This is not bubble, so a lot of people are justifiably worried a message most people are willing to hear, much less about getting or keeping a job, which gives these accept. Hence the importance – the urgency, really serious sounding warnings from apparently reputable – of clarifying the fundamental distinction between sources real traction. The result, as with the legislation problems and quandaries: Problems can be solved; needed to fix the concentration of wealth quandary, quandaries must be lived with. is that no effective measures can be enacted. Nearly half a century ago, a group of These two trends – worsening concentration successful entrepreneurs and scientists came of wealth and increasingly disruptive climate change together to try to get a handle on what they called – have built up enormous momentum and, like the “the world problematique”, that is, “poverty in the Juggernauts they are, will respond only very slowly midst of plenty; degradation of the environment; to decisive moves against them, should we ever loss of faith in institutions; uncontrolled urban succeed in implementing any. The damage that spread; insecurity of employment; alienation of concentrated wealth has done to our democracy is youth; rejection of traditional values; and inflation devastating and largely self-perpetuating, but at least and other monetary and economic disruptions.” it’s fairly obvious. Not so the ruinous repercussions (Meadows, et al., The Limits to Growth, 10) Forty- of climate change, except for a couple of news cycles four years later, we are forced to recognize that not a when New Orleans is nearly wiped off the map or single one of the component issues of “the world the subway tunnels of lower Manhattan become problematique” has been solved or even substantially underground rivers. ameliorated. Indeed, all have worsened, despite So what’s it going to take to escape these concerted and costly efforts to deal with them, both quandaries? Well, you’d think that some forty million nationally and internationally. people losing their homes might have aroused them Why have these efforts failed? One reason is to start thinking about what’s gone wrong, but, to that a powerful underlying problem, rapid population the extent it did, much of their frustration and fury growth, has never received nearly the attention it was channeled into the simplistic, anti-government deserves, so we’ve sort of been running in place Tea Party phenomenon, a stellar example of the instead of moving forward. The primary reason, dangerous synergies that exist between massive however, is that we’ve focused our efforts on specific wealth and a, shall we say, underperforming citizenry. parts of “the problematique” and ignored its deeper

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 49 Articles cause. It was so much easier that way. To address superior to the natural world, and that it exists the root cause would involve questioning how we merely to supply our needs and wants – that has view the world, reexamining our most fundamental given rise to “the world problematique”. assumptions, and placing at risk accepted truths -- Along with the Renaissance, Western in short, a paradigm shift. To pull that off requires society saw the emergence of another powerful set profound insight, uncommon courage, and a lucky of ideas and attitudes that we refer to today as juxtaposition of events. capitalism. This economic system focusing on So, then, the root of “the world problema- profit intertwined with the radical individualism of tique” and its accompanying quandaries is nothing the Reformation and coevolved with the Enlighten- less than the fatally flawed dominant paradigm or ment’s emphasis on progress through reason and the world view of modernity. Now, of course, it’s very domination of the natural world for human ends. hard to perceive the flaws in your own dominant What resulted were the unprecedented technological paradigm and even harder to replace it with a new advances that, in turn, have opened the way to ever one, but the sobering truth is that’s the only way left greater assaults on the natural world, both as we open to us. Quandaries can play that kind of trick strip away its resources and as we shunt our wastes on you. The good news is that many original into its air and waters. Until our dominant paradigm thinkers – Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Camus, Aldo shifts to one that properly places us within the web Leopold, William Ophuls, and Herman Daly, just to of life, not apart from it, we will continue this spoliation mention a few who’ve had an impact on me – have of the natural world, inviting its massive retaliation provided us with most of the profound insights we against us. need. The bad news is that the uncommon courage Perhaps the one faint glow on this bleak and the lucky juxtaposition of events have yet to horizon is that what is a quandary within one manifest themselves. paradigm may become a series of difficult but While we’re waiting, it’s important for us to solvable problems within another. Which is why we see how we got saddled with this defective paradigm must never abandon hope. The way I see it, we just in the first place. Our dominant paradigm is the never know enough to give up hope. Things happen. product of what we in the West call The And sometimes things happen in such a way that Enlightenment, the 18th century culmination of they can open utterly new, entirely unforeseen the Renaissance. In broad terms, the Renaissance opportunities. We can only take intelligent advantage was the refocussing of Western society’s central of such opportunities if we are prepared to act, and concern from the City of God to the City of Man, we can only be prepared to act if we allow hope to that is, from the next life to the life at hand. The sustain us as we continue to struggle against the Enlightenment was, in a way, a second wave of the quandaries confronting us. Renaissance that narrowed the focus further from humankind to human reason. Human reason, according to the Enlightenment, would inevitably ...... produce useful knowledge and progress, that is, greater and greater domination of the natural world for human benefit. Which we’ve proceeded to do, especially here in the United States, the paragon of Enlightenment civilization, but, by diffusion, throughout the world. It’s that modern attitude – that we humans are somehow separate from and

50 Obituary Ajarn Ben’s Southeast Asian Analyses Still Enlighten

Philip Cunningham Bangkok Post, 15 Dec 2015

When I studied with Benedict and hold a disparate nation together, Anderson at Cornell University in as he documents in his magisterial 1974, he seemed the quintessential book: Imagined Communities: Reflec- absent-minded professor; at once tions on the Origins and Spread of Na- erudite and bookish, idealistic and tionalism. dreamy-eyed. The fact that he had Ajarn Ben was openly leftist just been kicked out of Indonesia in his political views, but consistently It is also telling that at a time only added to his aura. Giving lec- curious about the way other people when Cornell University offered tures about coups and counter-coups thought and deeply empathetic with courses in “Peace Studies” taught by and revolutionary martyrs, he’d pace underdogs regardless of ideology. Pentagon-inspired number-crunchers the front of the classroom in clunky It came as no surprise that and nuclear war strategists, the stead- boots and mismatched outfits, he should be pleased when the fastly anti-imperialist Ajarn Ben was captivating class attention with his progressive , former alone in offering a course in “Military soft but mellifluous Irish-accented rector of Thammasat University, Dictatorships”. When I asked him voice. came to Ithaca, New York after a why he would want to dwell on some- Ajarn Ben, as he is affec- narrow escape from Thailand in the thing so negative, he answered, “Most tionately known here, was one of aftermath of the Oct 6, 1976 military countries in the world are run by the Cornell’s most accomplished profes- crackdown. What was more telling military, so if you want to understand sors, and he was too self-effacing to about Ajarn Ben’s bandwidth as a the real world you have to understand play the role of academic rock star. scholar, however, was his equally t h a t ”. Still, I think he had a good deal in gracious reception of a Thai govern- To the extent that the utopian common with John Lennon. He was ment spokesman around the same and socialist leanings of his youth did a dreamer with prodigious powers of time. He later told me he felt sorry for not comport with the reality of a imagination. Like Lennon, he was at the tongue-tied spokesman, for it was world where nationalism trumped once outrageous and shy, artistic and a thankless job to defend the indefen- ideology, and where his beloved political. Both were gadflies and sible. Indonesia tore itself apart at the contrarians, successful by conventional In a similar vein, Ajarn Ben seams, he was intellectually coura- social standards, yet quick to attack would rail against the evils of the US geous enough to challenge his own the establishment and advocate for government but would extend received knowledge. poor and dispossessed. courteous welcome to spies and Even as Imagined Commu- While Lennon dreamed of a intelligence analysts. Even in the nities became one of the most-refer- world with no countries in Imagine, heyday of “CIA off-campus!” he was enced books in political science, Ajarn Ben however couldn’t imagine willing to share his insights with all Ajarn Ben wearied of academia, a world without countries. He was takers. At a Southeast Asia Programme suggesting that “real genius resides deeply fascinated by nationalism, dinner party, he introduced me to a elsewhere”. If the repetitive cycles of despite it being corrosive of his own visitor, saying “I’d like you to meet politics and academic fashion bored utopian beliefs. On the positive side, my friend, she works for the CIA. I’m him, he never lost his enthusiasm for nationalism could transcend race, not joking.” art. He tackled the Thai language at

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 51 Obituary age forty and co-authored a book on for their ideas. student in his presence. Thai short stories with his Thai instruc- In more recent years he be- With the rise of divisive tor, Ruchira Mendiones. Not one to came an avid film watcher. He invited colour-coded politics in Thailand, I rest on his laurels, he then tackled me to a screening of Pridi Bano- was not always in agreement with my Spanish in order to read Jose Rizal’s myong’s King of the White Elephant in old professor, and I think for this Noli Me Tangere in the original. Bangkok, and back in Ithaca, he reason we tended to speak more A good-humoured gentleman extolled the quirky, quiet contempo- about China when we met. China and an iconoclastic scholar, Ajarn Ben rary films of Thai director Apichat- vexed him to no end, but Ajarn Ben’s was a maverick and a searcher for pong Weerasethakul. Films can cap- humour was the saving grace of many truth in all kinds of wrapping, shapes ture a child’s wide-eyed wonder at a conversation. and sizes. As his chosen field of political neglected aspects of the everyday On Oct 27, 2015, Ajarn Ben science drifted into an increasingly world, a wide-eyed wonder I think he gave what turned out to be his quantitative, theoretical direction, he shared. valedictory remarks at Cornell Uni- pivoted to language and culture, looking It gave me great pleasure to versity after half a century of enriching for nuggets of truth in small places. He reconnect with my favourite profes- the university community. During a saw the up-turned bowl of a single sor over the years, sometimes in lengthy introduction to the Filipina Buddhist monk refusing alms from the Bangkok, sometimes in Ithaca. When novelist Gina Apostol, he explored military in Myanmar as radical rebuke I was teaching at Chulalongkorn the relationship between art and on a par with socialist rebellion. He University, I was especially proud truth, citing Act of Killing by Joshua was endlessly fascinated with brilliant, when he came to speak to my class. Oppenheimer as an exemplary docu- lonely minds too far ahead of their When I returned to Cornell as a visit- mentary examination of the brutal time for their own good, be it Thailand’s ing fellow, many years later, he invit- political violence in 1965 Indonesia. Jit Phumisak, or the Philippines’ Jose ed me to his home and we socialised The topic was close to Ajarn Rizal. Both men were martyrs, targeted as colleagues, but I always felt a mere Ben’s heart -- his own writing on the topic earned him persona non grata status in Indonesia until the end of the Suharto era. I think the tragicomedy of the deeply atmospheric, sometimes whimsical film, cut close to the professor’s oft-expressed appreciation for humour and irony in a world full of tears. Ajarn Ben died in Indonesia, the country that banished him for 26 years. He was visiting Java on a journey that was eventually to take him to his winter home in Taling Chan, Bangkok. Born in China, raised in Ireland, educated in England and tenured in America, Benedict Ander- son gently bowed out from the world in Indonesia, the very place that sparked a passion for Southeast Asian A Buddhist Ceremony to dedicated for the late Ajaen Benedict studies. Anderson at thongnoppakun, Klongsan, Bangkok on December 23, 2015 ......

52 Letters

Dear Moo, Dear Sulak, Thanks for responding so quickly. It has been far too long since we have been in touch, I would love to meet you in Bangkok between your Sri Lankan but I do keep up with you through the magazine and trips. I will be in Nan from the 4th until the 18th, but I could fly down for through news from Alan and others. I am glad you are a day. Maybe I could also see Ajarn Sulak at that time as well. well and that aging has not stopped you from your I need to check with my friend in Nan (Samruay Phadphon) important activities at home and abroad. Your life who is helping me with a program for six students. I have to be sure he is continues to be a model of engagement and commit- okay if I am not there for a day, but I think it will be fine. I do need to be in ment for future generations. Nan on Jan 9 because Ruay’s daughter is getting married that day. I have Jim and I are also doing well. I continue known her since she was one! with my peacebuilding work as a consultant now, I would like to talk with you about my ideas for a new research having turned the leadership of Karuna Center and project looking more comparatively at Buddhism and the environment. my regular teaching role over to the next generation. Most of the academic work done is somewhat superficial and makes general Like you, we are also still blessed with the physical and arguments about how Buddhism is interpreted and used. I would like to mental capacity to be of service and are grateful for the compare Mahayana in East Asia (probably South Korea, which is quite years of good health and energy. I have worked in Sri active), Vajrayana in the Himalayas (Bhutan would be good, but I also have Lanka and Nepal frequently, but have not been to your connections with Tibetans, both in Kham and in India), with the Theravada area in many years. approaches of Siam and maybe Cambodia. I’m curious about Burma as I am writing to you because I recommended well, but I know the situation there is complicated in a different way. your name to my colleague who is the Secretary General I’m interested in whether, how, and to what degree Buddhism is of Toda Foundation in Japan. Next February they being used to support or encourage environmental actions, and whether are having a conference of Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, any of the Sangha are involved. I would need to compare the environmental and Jewish leaders to speak of the roots of pacifism and economic situations in each place as well, so it’s a huge project. I will and social engagement in their faiths. I thought you need to find collaborators who speak each language as well. would be the best Buddhist to speak on this and they I know you have been working on environmental issues in several have sent you an invitation. I know you have your places, and I would appreciate getting your perspectives on this topic and own strong connections in Japan, and thought that how I might go about it. might add interest for you in being part of this Toda Are there days when you are in Bangkok that would be better for gathering. I will also be present and would very much you to meet? enjoy spending time with you. With deep appreciation for your work and Best, life, and very best personal regards. Pi Sue Sue Darlington Warm regards, Professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies, Paula Green School of Critical Social Inquiry Hampshire College, Founder of Karuna Center for Peacebuilding & 893 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002 413-559-5600 Founder of the CONTACT Programs, http://sites.hampshire.edu/sdarlington/ School for International Training

Dear Sulak Sivaraksa, I was very nice to meet and talk to you at the Conference on Buddhism in the Mekong Region a couple of weeks ago in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I enjoyed learning from your clear and precise statements. Thanks. As a sociologist I appreciate your social approach to Buddhism. I coincide with your thinking Buddhism is eminently social and that as such its action dimension is paramount. A brief note to mention that learning about INEB and its activities is letting me see more clearly the many possibilities for Buddhism as a global force contributing to better future societies. I look forward to learning more about INEB and its activities. I will be happy to collaborate. I look forward to meeting you again in the near future. In the meantime I remain at your disposition if I can be of any help.

Sincerely yours. With Metta. Jose Antonio Rodriguez Diaz, Dr., PhD Professor of Sociology, University of Barcelona, [email protected]

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 53 Book Reviews

In Search of a Communist Bodhisattva

Soravis Jayanama

Book review: David Loy, A New Buddhist Path: En- lightenment Evolution and Ethics in the Modern World (Boston: Wisdom Press, 2015)

Can there be a communist bo- People Do Before Breakfast,” medi- also serve as a ground for social dhisattva? What about a militant tation is on the list. Here “successful emancipation? (in the original sense of the term as people” means the world’s richest For his part, Loy seeks to someone who runs the full-mile), folks, the plutocrats. The article re-invent Buddhism for the 21st revolutionary bodhisattva? If a claims, “Before they head out the century. It must undertake changes bodhisattva isn’t anti-capitalist, can door, many successful people to be able to cope with the multi- s/he authentically be a bodhisattva? devote themselves to a spiritual faceted challenges of the modern Does communism best articulate a practice such as meditation or world. It will be a Buddhism that is bodhisattva’s anti-capitalism? And prayer to center themselves for the concerned equally about personal as what will the communist bodhisattva’s rush of the day.” well as social transformation, which version of Marx’s famous eleventh These are some of the must be seen as the two sides of the thesis on Feuerbach be? Will it be questions that troubled my mind same coin. This is because we are something like this: Buddhists have while reading David Loy’s A New inter-relational beings, which means only practiced meditation so as to Buddhist Path. Loy is neither a that we cannot afford to “be indifferent be fully awake in the capitalist Marxist nor a communist. He’s a to what is happening to others and world; the point however is to force Zen teacher. Above all, he probably the world generally” (7). a disrupting awakening and change doesn’t want to be put into any Put another way, it will be a the world? ideological pigeon-hole. But there Buddhism that fuses the best of the Hasn’t meditation trans- are good reasons for communists, West with the best of the East. Loy formed into a truly ideological and leftists, radical thinkers, and writes, “The highest ideal of the therefore safe practice? Isn’t it a way progressives to appreciate his work. modern Western tradition has been to help one escape back into reality Loy grapples with an old to restructure our societies so they as it is? Isn’t it a practice that is problem that has long bedeviled become more socially just. The most possible and achievable within (secular) radical thinkers and important Buddhist goal is to awaken capitalism? In an online article revolutionaries: the equivocal status and (to use the Zen phrase) realize published by Business Insider of religion in social change. Is religion one’s true nature” (7). entitled “14 Things Successful a barrier to social change? Or can it As such, it will be a Buddhism

54 that doesn’t serve as “the opium of an alternative to capitalism. see communists and unrepentant the people” (as Marx put it of Anyone interested in non- leftists as possible allies. Equally religion), that doesn’t help to stabilize violence must talk about capitalism important, they may even want to or sugarcoat the unjust social order. too—particularly focusing on its be communist. Why? Perhaps because Rather it will help to pave the way “slow” and systemic violence. Todd only communists and leftists still toward an alternative, oppositional, May nicely defines nonviolence “as assert that an alternative to capitalism and possibly better order. As Loy political, economic, or social activity is possible and that it is possible to provokingly asks, “Is Western that challenges or resists a current organize society on the basis of Buddhism being commodified and political, economic or social arrange- equality; that is, a society not co-opted into a self-help stress- ment while respecting the dignity… (completely) dominated by the rich reduction program that adapts to of its participants, adversaries and and powerful. Decades of anti-com- institutionalized dukkha, leaving others.” 1 munist and neoliberal propaganda practitioners atomized and As an atheist with scant may make it difficult to appreciate powerless? Or is modern Buddhism knowledge of Buddhism, I am not this fact, however. opening up new perspectives and in the position to intelligently On the other hand, conserv- possibilities that challenge us to engage with Loy’s reinterpretations atives may talk about change, but transform ourselves and our of Buddhist concepts, teachings, and what they really want is a change of societies, so that they become practices. But as someone who no change—a change in which more socially just and ecologically knows a bit about politics and social inequality and hierarchy is sustainable?” (129-30) Of course, political philosophy, I shall engage maintained, if not reinforced. he points to the necessity of the with his work at the point of inter- Liberals may talk about latter. section between religion and eman- change, but they are really looking Loy’s modern Buddhism cipatory politics. for minor tinkering in the capitalist fully recognizes the “need to Indeed, Loy shows that system, not systemic change. As Bill understand and address [the] religion need not be the “opium of Livant once observed, “A liberal sees social causes” of suffering. Reading the people.” Leftists who haven’t a beggar on the street and says the between the lines, central to the become political turncoats or system is not working. A Marxist social causes of suffering is capitalism. melancholics must never forget sees a beggar on the street and says Back in the 1930s Max this valuable insight. At the very it is.”2 Horkheimer declared, “If you don’t least because Marx, Engels, and Capitalists talk about change want to talk about capitalism, then Lenin, to name a few, had long ago all the time in order to hide the fact you should keep silent about recognized religion’s ambivalent that capitalism is the only game in Fascism.” Today, if Buddhists don’t status, an argument to which we town. They may even speak of revo- want to talk about the social causes return below. Thus leftists must not lution, but it is really reduced to a of suffering—and especially if they write off religious-based groups new way of vacuuming the room or don’t want to talk about capitalism— and movements as possible allies in washing the car. Nicole Aschoff then they should keep silent about the struggle against alienation, observes how the most vociferous ending suffering nonviolently. (Loy capital’s domination and climate critics of capitalism today aren’t doesn’t call a spade a spade, how- change. This can be part of our workers and precariats but the ever: he calls capitalism, “the eco- common struggle. super-rich like Bill Gates and nomic challenge.”) In this sense, Conversely, Buddhists who Warren Buffet. However, they aren’t Buddhists should also talk about want to engender authentic social demanding an end to capitalism but communism, since it is originally transformation must also learn to simply “a different kind of capitalism.”3

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 55 Book Reviews

Fascist-populists talk of against the post-political present at age because rebellion is an act that is correcting the mess in society, but it the so-called end of History? “lonely, frightening and hard. The is often explained away as resulting “[A] politics based on crowd condemns you. The state from a ‘foreign agent’ (the immi- love” (131) may send off a feel-good brands you a traitor. You struggle grant, the homosexual, the ethnic vibe, but isn’t it really meaningless? with your own fears and doubts. The minority, etc.) who corrupted Why? For the basic reason that, as words you speak are often not society rather than a flaw inherent the philosopher Alain Badiou puts understood. And you are never to the system. it, “there are people in politics one certain if your words and actions, in NGOs also want to change doesn’t love…That’s undeniable, the end, will make any difference.”7 the world but many—if not most— nobody can expect us to love them.”5 Isn’t there a risk of turning of them have steered clear from The people whom one doesn’t and ethics into something ‘infinitely class struggle or antagonizing cannot be expected to love in poli- demanding’? For instance, won’t it capital. For instance, they are anti- tics are the real enemy. Badiou give rise to a malicious ‘master’ or poverty instead of anti-wealth, defines an enemy as “an individual superego that declares you to be demand superficial gender equality you won’t tolerate taking decisions on forever guilty, that makes demands instead of fighting against the anything that impacts on yourself.”6 that cannot be possibly met and enclosure of the commons, etc. As Real politics always identifies the taunts or demeans you for being Arundhati Roy asserts, many real enemy. (However, identification unable to achieve them? Might one NGOs are “turning potential revo- of the real enemy is not the same as get off on always feeling guilty or lutionaries into salaried activists, a license to kill him or her.) Thus impotent? funding artists, intellectuals, and the injunction to love one’s enemy *** filmmakers, gently luring them not only doesn’t make sense but is It is still unclear what kind of from radical confrontation….”4 also un-political. Perhaps one is politics Loy’s modern Buddhism American neoconservatives able to love an enemy because s/he will translate into. Will it be up for and liberal imperialists also speak isn’t the real enemy, because one grasp? of world transformation if only to has failed to identify the real enemy. Nevertheless, his work is an mean the entrenchment of US Can there be emancipatory important reminder that in terms of global dominance. And so on. dualisms or binaries? Instead of social emancipation, Buddhism or *** simply combatting dualism, don’t religion may serve as a platform, There are several specific points we also need to assert emancipatory and not a barrier. As mentioned that I disagree with Loy, but I will ones? For instance, ultimately must above, great revolutionaries and not dwell at great length on them. we distinguish between real and radical thinkers in the past as well as Let me just point out a few. fake changes, real and fake actions, the present have pointed to religion’s Before fusing the best of real and false choices? And why not ambivalent status. Perhaps a few the West with that of Buddhism, between real and fake enemies? If snapshots will suffice. the lost cause of emancipation must we don’t draw the line, will there Engels attended church first be defended. We are truly in ever be a turning point? and noticed that the priest’s sermon dark times for emancipatory Wasn’t creating a new kind contained radical messages against thoughts—where alternatives to of human (i.e., personal transfor- the ruling class, especially if read capitalism are condemned as mation) already a fundamental part between the lines. This led him to irresponsible, unnecessary and im- of every secular revolution? Also, study the involvement of the radical possible. How will Buddhism revolutionaries always had to ‘steel’ preacher and theologian Thomas defend this lost cause, struggle themselves or develop moral cour- Munzer in the outbreak of the

56 Book Reviews

“peasant war” in Germany in the Notice that Marx appreciated deal with his carbuncles, liver 16th century. religion as the expression of as well problems, toothaches, eye pain, ear While in London, Lenin as protest against real suffering. It aches, bronchial coughs, and so and his wife regularly attended can also serve as the heart and soul on….”9 In sum, although not a panacea, church, especially the ‘socialist’ of our heartless and soulless world. opium may be something that is ones frequented by workers. He So far, so good. What of “the opium useful for the people. enjoyed the worker-led discussions of the people”? Likewise, Lenin had called in church. I find Roland Boer’s close religion “a sort of spiritual booze.” More importantly perhaps analysis of the central term “opium” Again, Boer nicely explains the is Marx’s own phrase “the opium of convincing. He writes that it has “a implication of the term “spiritual the people.” It’s a popular phrase profound multivalence in Marx’s booze”: “Relief for the weary, succor but most people may not know its usage. For opium was both a cheap to the oppressed, inescapable social actual context—e.g., what comes curse of the poor and a vital medicine, mediator, it is also a source of addic- before and after this phrase. If we a source of addiction and of inspi- tion, dulling of the senses, and situate the phrase in its context, we ration for poets, writers, and artists, dissipater of strength and resolve.”10 may be better able to grasp Marx’s the basis of colonial exploitation Or more recently Slavoj view on religion. (The same goes (in the British empire) and of the Žižek claims that “A truly logical for the famous slogan by Mao: economic conditions that allowed materialism accepts the basic insight “Political power grows out of the Marx and Engels to continue their of religion, its premise that our barrel of a gun.”) work relatively unmolested; in commonsense reality is not the true So what did Marx say? short, it ranged all the way from one; what it rejects is the conclusion “Religious suffering is, at blessed medicine to recreational that, therefore, there must be another, one and the same time, the expres- curse.”8 ‘higher,’ suprasensible reality.”11 sion of real suffering and a protest Boer continues, “That In sum, there’s nothing against real suffering. Religion is Marx himself was a regular user of fundamentally wrong with religion the sigh of the oppressed creature, opium increases the complexity of being “the opium of the people.” Put the heart of the heartless world, and the term in this text. Along with differently, ‘Religion or emancipation? the soul of soulless conditions. It is ‘medicines,’ such as arsenic and Yes please!’ the opium of the people.” creosote, Marx imbibed opium to

1Todd May, Nonviolent Resistance: A Philosophical Introduction (Cambridge, UK, and Malden, USA: Polity Press, 2015), p. 59. 2Quoted in Bertell Ollman, How to Take an Exam…and Remake the World (Montreal, New York and London: Black Rose Books, 2001), p. 95. 3Nicole Aschoff, The New Prophets of Capital (London and New York: Verso, 2015), p. 9. 4Arundhati Roy, Capitalism: A Ghost Story (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2014), p. 34. 5Alain Badiou and Nicolas Truong, In Praise of Love, trans. Peter Bush (London: Serpent’s Tail, 2012), p. 57. 6Ibid., p. 58. 7Chris Hedges, Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt (New York: Nation Books, 2015), p. 215. 8Roland Boer, Lenin, Religion, and Theology (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), p. 14. 9Ibid. 10Ibid., p. 17. 11Slavoj Žižek and John Milbank, The Monstrosity of Christ: Paradox or Dialectic?, ed. Creston Davis (Cambridge, MA, and London, England: The MIT Press, 2009), p. 240.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 57 Recommended Readings

Worship Nature Livelihood Sovereignty and Village Wellbeing Naturing Nature Mindful Markets An Approach to Biological Human Ecology Ethnobotany Research An Approach to Producer-Consumer Partnerships Theory Biological Human Ecology Theory towards a New Economy

Publisher: Knowledge Publishing House Publisher: Knowledge Publishing House Publisher: Garden of Fruition Author: Tran Thi Lanh Author: Tran Thi Lanh Editor: Wallapa van Willenswaard

Provisional Findings of 2015 GNH Ganghi Marg Engaged Buddhism, Social Change amd Survey Vol. 37 No. 2 July-September 2015 World Peace

Publisher: Center for Bhutan Studies & Publisher: Ghandhi Peace Foundation, Publisher: Buddhism Today Publications, GNH Research New Delhi Vietnam Buddhist University Researchers: Ura, Sabina Alkire, Author: Thich Nhat Tu Tshoki Zangmo & Karma Wangdi

Buddhism in the Mekong Region Nonkilling Spiritual Traditions Studies in Thai and Southeast Asia Histories

Publisher: Buddhism Today Publications, Publisher: Center for Global Nonkilling Publisher: The Foundation for the Promotion of Vietnam Buddhist University Edited by: Joam Evans Pim and Pradeep Social Science and Humanities Textbooks Project Edited by: Thich Nhat Tu Dakhal Author: Charnvit Kasetsiri

58 Liem Sioe Liong’s Salim Group The Business Pillar of Suharto’s Indonesia

Publisher: Institute of Southeast Asia Studies, Authors: Richard Borsuk and Nancy Chng

The Buddha Smiles Humor in the Pali Canon

Author: (Geoffrey DeGraff)

Suksit Siam

117-119 Fuang Nakorn Road, Bangkok 10200 Tel: 02-225-9536-8, Fax: 02-222-5188 email : [email protected] www.kledthaishopping.com

Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Sunday. English books on Engaged Buddhism are available.

Vol.32 No.1 January-April 2016 (2559) 59