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Buddhism and The Coming Revolution

A short and insightful look at Buddhism's role in the sixties' context. I think it provides considerable food for thought 44 years later. The last paragraph is certainly of its time, but who's to say a little idealism isn't nice to read once in a while? This essay can be found in "Earth House Hold"; very much worth getting hold of.

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John Barrett
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571 views2 pages

Buddhism and The Coming Revolution

A short and insightful look at Buddhism's role in the sixties' context. I think it provides considerable food for thought 44 years later. The last paragraph is certainly of its time, but who's to say a little idealism isn't nice to read once in a while? This essay can be found in "Earth House Hold"; very much worth getting hold of.

Uploaded by

John Barrett
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BuddhismandtheComingRevolution

GarySnyder(1969) Buddhismholdsthattheuniverseandallcreaturesinitareintrinsicallyinastateof completewisdom,love,andcompassion;actinginnaturalresponseandmutual interdependence.Thepersonalrealizationofthisfromthebeginningstatecannotbe hadforandbyone"self"becauseitisnotfullyrealizedunlessonehasgiventheselfup, andaway. IntheBuddhistview,whatobstructstheeffortlessmanifestationofthisstateis ignorance,whichprojectsintofearandneedlesscraving.Historically,Buddhist philosophershavefailedtoanalyzeoutthedegreetowhichignoranceandsuffering arecausedbysocialfactors,consideringfearanddesiretobegivenfactsofthehuman condition.ConsequentlythemajorconcernofBuddhistphilosophyisepistemologyand psychology"withnoattentionpaidtohistoricalorsociologicalproblems.Although MahayanaBuddhismhasagrandvisionofuniversalsalvation,theACTUAL achievementofBuddhismhasbeenthedevelopmentofpracticalsystemsofmeditation towardtheendofliberatingafewdedicatedindividualsfrompsychologicalhangups andculturalconditionings. Noonetodaycanaffordtobeinnocent,orindulgehimselfinignoranceofthenatureof contemporarygovernments,politics,andsocialorders.Thenationalpoliticsofthe modernworldmaintaintheirexistencebydeliberatelyfosteredcravingandfear: monstrousprotectionrackets.Thefreeworldhasbecomeeconomicallydependenton afantasticsystemofstimulationofgreedwhichcannotbefulfilled,sexualdesires whichcannotbesatiated,andhatredwhichhasnooutletexceptagainstoneself,the personsoneissupposedtolove,ortherevolutionaryaspirationsofpitifulpoverty strickenmarginalsocietieslikeCubaorVietnam.Theconditionsofthecoldwarhave turnedallmodernsocietiescommunistsincludedintoviciousdistortersofmanstrue potential.Theycreatepopulationsofpretahungryghostswithgiantappetitesand throatsnobiggerthanneedles.Thesoil,theforests,andallanimallifearebeing consumedbythesecancerouscollectivities,theairandwateroftheplanetisbeing fouledbythem. Thereisnothinginhumannatureortherequirementsofhumansocialorganization whichintrinsicallyrequiresthataculturebecontradictory,repressiveandproductive ofviolentandfrustratedpersonalities.Recentfindingsinanthropologyand psychologymakethismoreandmoreevident.Onecanproveitforhimselfbytakinga goodlookathisownnaturethroughmeditation.Onceapersonhasthismuchfaith andinsight,hemustbeledtoadeepconcernwiththeneedforradicalsocialchange throughavarietyofhopefullynonviolentmeans. ThejoyousandvoluntarypovertyofBuddhismbecomesapositiveforce.The traditionalharmlessnessandrefusaltotakelifeinanyformhasnationshaking

implications.Thepracticeofmeditation,forwhichoneneedsonlytheground beneathone'sfeet"wipesoutmountainsofjunkbeingpumpedintothemindbythe massmediaanduniversities.Thebeliefinasereneandgenerousfulfillmentofnatural lovingdesiresdestroysideologieswhichblind,maim,andrepressandpointstheway toakindofcommunitywhichwouldamaze"moralists"andeliminatearmiesofmen whoarefightersbecausetheycannotbelovers. Avatamsaka(Kegon)Buddhistphilosophyseestheworldasavastinterrelated networkinwhichallobjectsandcreaturesarenecessaryandilluminated.Fromone standpoint,governments,wars,orallthatweconsiderevilareuncompromisingly containedinthistotalisticrealm.Thehawk,theswoop,andthehareareone.Fromthe "human"standpointwecannotliveinthosetermsunlessallbeingsseewiththesame enlightenedeye.TheBodhisattvalivesbythesufferer'sstandard,andhemustbe effectiveinaidingthosewhosuffer. ThemercyoftheWesthasbeensocialrevolution;themercyoftheEasthasbeen individualinsightintothebasicself/void.Weneedboth.Theyarebothcontainedin thetraditionalthreeaspectsoftheDharma:wisdom(prajna),meditation(dhyana), andmorality(sila).Wisdomisintuitiveknowledgeofthemindofloveandcharitythat liesbeneathone'segodrivenanxietiesandaggressions.Meditationisgoingintothe mindtoseethisforyourselfoverandoveragain,untilitbecomesthemindyoulive in.Moralityisbringingitbackoutinthewayyoulive,throughpersonalexampleand responsibleaction,ultimatelytowardthetruecommunity(sangha)of"allbeings." Thislastaspectmeans,forme,supportinganyculturalandeconomjcrevolutionthat movesclearlytowardafree,international,classlessworld.Itmeansusingsuchmeans ascivildisobedience,outspokencriticism,protest,pacifism,voluntarypoverty,and evengentleviolenceifitcomestoamatterofrestrainingsomeimpetuousredneck.It meansaffirmingthewidestpossiblespectrumofnonharmfulindividualbehavior defendingtherightofindividualstosmokehemp,eatpeyote,bepolygamous, polyandrous,orhomosexual.Worldsofbehaviorandcustomlongbannedbythe JudaeoCapitalistChristian,MarxistWest.Itmeansrespectingintelligenceand learning,butnotasgreedormeanstopersonalpower.Workingonone'sown responsibility,butwillingtoworkwithagroup."Formingthenewsocietywithinthe shelloftheold"theIWWsloganoffiftyyearsago. Thetraditionalculturesareinanycase,doomedandratherthanclingtotheir good aspects hopelessly it should be remembered that whatever is or was in any other culture. can be reconstructured from the unconscious, through meditation. In fact, it is my own view that the coming revolution will close the circle and link us in many ways with the most creative aspects of our archaic past. If we are lucky we may eventually arrive at a totally integrated world culture with matrilineal descent, free-form marriage, natural-credit communist economy, less industry, far less population and lots more national parks.

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