Socially Engaged...

In the United States we have lived in a constant state of war since Korea. The majority of the populous here is unaware of this, due to the fact that these operations take place on foreign soil, but U.S. military operations have never ceased somewhere on this planet in over 55 years. The very fabric of war has been woven into our economy within the blanket of the military industrial complex. War may be good for "progress", if we measure progress by monetary profit, but it is certainly not good for health, building social networks, creating a safe world or any number of other reasons. Violence, by its very nature, is an ugly beast who has long past its usefulness (if ever it were) and should be put out to pasture.

Socially engaged Buddhism, an aspect that has come into play in my lineage from Roshi Bernie Glasman, is a different direction from monastic Buddhism. It is about being involved in a community and make direct efforts to alleviate suffering in the world by working to:

* inspire and empower a new generation of practitioners committed to socially engaged Buddhism and to socially engaged spirituality
* design creative models for this practice
* develop and manage holistic social service projects in disadvantaged areas

I wont get into the vast array of differences between a cloistered monastic life and that of a socially engaged Buddhist. What works for some may not for others.


On Saturday I will be attending a 3-Day training course in "Creative Non-Violence" at the Peace Center in Los Angeles. This event is being hosted by the Veterans for Peace and led by Janet Chisolm from the Kirkridge Retreat Center in Pennsylvania. From their website they describe the course as:

"The innovative design of this national training program provides a holistic and practical foundation in spiritually-grounded active nonviolence. Participants come to recognize their own power for making personal and social changes without violence and improve their skills for respectful engagement with opponents, instead of confrontation that polarizes and demonizes. Unlike trainings that focus only on anti-war protest, Creating a Culture of Peace training is an incubator for participants to raise issues which most concern them --- group controversy and conflict, neighborhood violence, domestic violence, climate change, war and militarism, discrimination, video games, homelessness, peace education, and lack of health care.

The training is highly participatory and does not depend on reading a book or lectures. It draws upon the wisdom, experience and talents of all the participants and on the skills and knowledge of trainers. Mutual learning occurs through storytelling, meditation, small group sharing, brainstorming, role plays, thought-provoking exercises, music and movement. CCP offers training on nonviolence principles, analysis of social change and community-building, skills for peacemaking and resources. Every group chooses and plans concrete projects for change.

CCP emphasizes two forms of active nonviolence: Constructive Nonviolence includes the ways of creating a just and peaceful culture by developing new relationships, new practices, and new institutions. Nonviolent Resistance includes tactics such as boycotts, petitions, and rallies; it is designed to protest, and even to interfere with, injustice and oppression. Both forms are enhanced by increased democratic participation.

I am looking forward to this training, but always a bit apprehensive of how people envision "peaceful" work. I have learned from my teacher the fact that what we call "peace" (or enter any noun) is not always "peace", it is only what we call peace. Some of these "tactics" as they are described, could just as easily be another form of violence. Believing that others must conform to our ideologies, even if presented without physical threats of violence, is still violence. Violence is not just a physical manifestation of force.

As I dive deeper into practice, I will see how I can effectively incorporate these teachings into the "Socially Engaged Buddhism" and way of life that I am creating. I will journal the information presented and how I may be able to incorporate aspects of it into my practice. I would be interested in feedback.

In Gassho,
St.John