I am on sabbatical for the month of August, so this episode is a live talk* I gave at Bright Way Zen, “Talking about Politics as a Buddhist.” This is, of course, a very timely topic with a major election coming up in the U.S. in just over two months. (*Most of my episodes are produced specifically for podcast listeners.)
You can define politics broadly, as “the set of activities associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status.”* In this sense, none of us – regardless of our appetite for engaging in electoral politics or debate – are able to opt out of politics. Even if we remain silent, ignorant, and passive, we are profoundly affected by the decisions other people are making for the groups we are part of. How can we engage in conversations about what we should do as a group, institution, organization, community, state, nation, or species, while remaining centered in our practice and true to our aspirations as Buddhists?
*This definition is widely quoted on the web but I could not find an original source. I honestly don’t think that matters, as the utility of the definition is obvious.
Photo Credit
Image by xiaojian Xu from Pixabay
