Buddhism teaches us about no self, no other. It teaches us that the “I” thing we grasp isn’t real. It opens us to the world of interconnectedness and interrelatedness. That’s all well and good but the thing is, we’re here now.
There’s little point in “I told you capitalism doesn’t work”. This highlights past problems and mistakes. Addressing past issues is a great cause of anger and frustration. It also goes nowhere. For change to occur, it must be addressed presently, with future action. We must learn from our past, but we can’t stay there.
The question I’d like you to answer is:
As a Buddhist, or through a Buddhist lens, what is our response and action to this Crisis? Where do we go from here? How do we use compassion, at this moment to aid all sentient beings?
I’ve looked through recent editions of Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Tricycle, Mountain Record, Shambala Sun, as well as the Blogroll. No one is addressing this issue. The Dalai Lama yesterday spoke of the causes, but offered no advice out of this Crisis. This global crisis is causing a world wide recession. As Buddhists, what is our message? What is our stance?
It may not be as tangible as the Chinese occupation of Tibet, or the arresting and murdering of Monks in Burma, but this is just as real and important. This is in our own backyard. This is in every backyard throughout the world.
We need to respond. How are we to act? How are we to speak? What stories are we telling?
I’m asking your help to define a Buddhist response. Our formulated responses will be circulated to all the above magazines, with full credit. Please leave your reply below.