A message from the Buddha channeled by Srijana. To change your world, the Master says, is one of the most challenging paths you can choose. His words of advice can inspire all of us to do our own inner work, because it is through our everyday activities and thoughts that we succeed in the path to freedom.
To change the world the Buddha says you must first Know yourself and your purpose in life, Observe the struggles of the physical plane, Practice Loving Kindness, Take practical, skillful action without anger or sense of opposition, Be detached and patient, Use courageous confrontation, Be an example, and Inspire others. Let’s hear it from him:
“Beat anger by loving kindness,
Beat wrongdoing by goodness,
Beat selfishness by generosity,
Beat a liar by speaking the truth.”
Words of the Buddha from the Pali Canon,
Khuddaka Nikaya, Dhammapada # 223
“Caution: This is the Most Challenging Path
Reaching out into the world, sometimes called “Buddhism in Action”, is one of the very most challenging paths in which to devote yourself. I know you see many things in the world you would like to change. However, I suggest caution for several reasons. One is that reaching into the world will challenge your Buddhist practice so deeply that it is almost impossible to avoid getting sucked into conflict. Because of this, I consider Buddhism in Action to be one of the most advanced areas of the practice, appropriate only for those who are firmly and indelibly rooted and supported in their Buddhist skills. The second reason for caution is that present conflicts in the world are very old, with a complex history. In a sense, they have a life of their own, with threads that connect them. Centuries-old karmic patterns link people and situations which are most likely beyond anyone’s capacity to change or even understand. If it is your true and highest destiny to be one of those world-changing Buddhists, then please be assured that you are a very special breed. However, since I know you want to change the world, I will give you nine points to consider about applying Buddhism in Action in your life.
1. First you must know—Who are you? What is your highest purpose?
On the Buddhist path, your goal is ultimate freedom and Nirvana. This is an accelerated path that is very demanding and profound. It requires all of your energy. In a sense, to even consider extending yourself into the world is a contradiction. You have chosen a path to leave the physical world, yet you want to make it perfect for others? How is this possible? These stumbling blocks are the reasons why Buddhism has not yet been widely used to relieve social suffering or confront oppression.
Some Buddhist lineages have a concept of the Boddhisattva, a person who attains awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings, or who has attained Buddhahood but stays in the earthly realm to assist others in moving beyond suffering. When skillfully applied, Buddhism in Action can help you deepen your practice, refine your understanding of effective means, and test your capacity for detachment. It is an opportunity for serious practitioners to carry the wisdom of the Dharma and your insights from meditation, into real-world situations. You can bring compassion, a peaceful heart, and practical solutions to issues in the world. But doing this by yourself is very difficult. To remember who you are, and what is your highest purpose will be easier if your Buddhism in Action project also includes your group of dedicated practitioners.
2. Observe the struggles.
Buddhists have an unusual capacity for empathy and compassion. It is important to be personally aware of the suffering of others in order to take on this responsibility. Learn to listen carefully, to see from every point of view. Most social struggles are fueled by ignorance, greed, hatred, fear, and illusion. As a Buddhist, you must move beyond these distortions. Otherwise, you will create lasting trauma for those involved, and you will ultimately fail.
Yes, struggles are fueled by greed and all the lower habits however, more often it is simply due to a form of ignorance arising from a naïve relationship to the realities and consequences of our actions. Struggles come from a lack of awareness about these interrelationships and the potential results of your actions. Hence, compassion for all participants is necessary. With mindfulness, we must look closely at uncomfortable social issues. This is difficult for all, especially those in privileged positions. The powerful are often more trapped than the oppressed. Both oppressed and oppressor have difficulty practicing mindfulness. Only after skilled and detached observing will the possibility of action present itself to you. Using your mindfulness practice, you have an opportunity to learn what to do and what not to do.
3. Practice and teach the Loving Kindness Meditation.
The loving kindness meditation is a powerful tool to help people at all levels maintain an open mind and avoid slipping into polarized emotional patterns.
Start the meditation by cultivating kindness toward yourself; then give kindness to those whom you love; then to people that you do not necessarily know; and finally, to your enemies, the most challenging group to embrace with compassion.
- Take practical, skillful action without any anger or sense of opposition.
Skillful action means you speak mindfully and kindly, fostering friendship and avoiding animosity. It means you practice kindness in all your actions. You practice diligent integrity, supporting people and organizations that clearly demonstrate a wish to create a better world for all.
Practical, efficient action also applies to times when it is better to do nothing. To wait. You should act only when you see a good possibility of success. The secret to success is to find the appropriate action at the optimum time, like a perfect key that fits the lock of a particular situation to unravel disharmony and bring a positive resolution.
A consummate sense of timing is essential. You must act only when appropriate for you and the situation. You must know how to do nothing, how to be patient, how to ride the wave, and how to be ready to act when it is time, and then act swiftly. This means that you observe and know when a situation has reached critical mass before acting. Be aware that the pendulum or movement in a cycle can swing radically in either direction, allowing an awake strategist to seize the moment. As usual, your primary effort is to maintain your own clarity and your root grounding in the Dharma.
With proper timing, it is possible to build a grassroots effort without polarizing people. You can bring people together, avoiding the centuries old game of divide-and-conquer. If you are able to effect change, it will be through compassionate dialogue, with respect for all people and all points of view, and by allowing free will.
Practical, peaceful solutions are always present. For example, you could divest yourself of organizations that demonstrate a lack of integrity. Or you could request the withdrawal of subsidies from undeserving organizations. You could suggest halting dangerous methods of extracting resources from the earth, or applying toxic substances, as this causes stress in the natural world. Buddhists protect all living beings. However, we do not participate in polarized ideologies or divisive arguments. Proactively, you could encourage investment in harmonious energy methods. You could ask for a plan for a particular group, or for the earth. You can always be hopeful, using prayer and visualization.
5. To assist mankind requires detachment.
Being a Bodhisattva in service to mankind means reaching out from a state of detached wisdom. That’s easy to say, but what does detachment mean? Buddhist detachment means your mind is free, unencumbered by emotion, and open to discover, yet at the same time you are deeply immersed and committed to all of life. Only then can your actions bring fruit. The challenges that you encounter while reaching into the world can deepen your inner practice. Intelligent, skillful actions come from your higher insight, not from your assumptions. Use your detached mental clarity to speak the truth. Demonstrate your objectivity to point out fallacies, partial truths, and limited superficial thinking. Do not be drawn into choosing sides when both sides may be in error. Buddhism is essentially an apolitical practice. Therefore, you should focus on the core issues of the moment, not on the parties, the divisions, or the ideology.
6. Never lower your expectations. Be patient.
Keep your standards high. Remember your highest desire for happiness and freedom, bringing the smaller desires into harmony with it by following the Four Noble Truths. If removal of suffering is your goal, make it long-lasting by releasing the deepest core tensions in a situation and bringing enlightened harmony to each individual involved. Do not sacrifice the integrity of your own practice for the sake of someone else’s perceived benefit, no matter how great it may seem. Focus on the highest good for all.
Be patient and realistic in your expectations. Do not expect too much too fast. Complex societal issues have deep and ancient roots beyond most people’s ability to comprehend, let alone to untangle. Ask for guidance and listen. This is not about you or your desires. Remember that spiritual transformation happens at its own pace, one person at a time. Fostering individual awakening in the ranks can eventually bring about a change in a group, and in all of mankind.
- Use courageous confrontation, crazy wisdom.
Be fearless to speak the truth no matter what the odds or temptations. Speak the truth humbly. Be open to facing conflict at the proper time and place. Remember that freedom will never be voluntarily given by an oppressor. In most cases, it must be demanded by the oppressed. Even a well-timed confrontation will feel too slow for those oppressed; yet, it will feel too sudden and poorly timed to the oppressor.
There is a karmic element to every oppression on both sides. Yes, it is a positive goal to ensure all beings an opportunity to improve their social status and their karma. The oppressed deserve support. It is difficult enough for them to work through their own internal challenges, without adding insult to injury by being constantly pushed down by their environment.
Be courageous and creative in your tactics. Learn from the Buddhist “crazy wisdom” tradition. Unconventional, outrageous, and unpredictable behavior can spark insight. “Holy madmen” are spiritual adepts known for their enlightened perspective and uninhibited wisdom. They see the rest of the world as utterly mad and inebriated with bewildering thoughts and emotions. Holy madmen are, however, hardly mad. At the core of their maverick expression is superior spiritual awareness with the realization of the impermanence of all things. Having transcended societal norms, these highly awakened individuals make strategic use of their madness in joyful actions and teachings. Take inspiration from historical movers and changers such as Padmasambhava, Drukpa Kunley, and the Zen poet Han-shan.
- Be an Example.
Perhaps the most powerful thing you can offer Buddhism in Action is to be a good example. Be a guide toward mindfulness, a freethinker. Be unbound by ideology, dogma, and even Buddhist concepts. Teach the Dharma. You are not tied by prejudice, ignorance, or any organizational affiliation. Set an example by living simply and sharing resources mindfully, keeping only those few possessions that bring harmony and benefit to all.
Go ahead, live your radically different path while you share it with others. Allow them to see it and be inspired. Be a symbol of clarity and equanimity. People will appreciate your path of possibility, awakening, compassionate service, and discernment. You can reassure others of the value of their lives, letting them know they are far more than a consumer or slave. The new path for the earth is to teach the interdependency of all things and to respect natural harmony.
Set an example by practicing daily prayer for change and visualizing positive resolution. Demonstrate your effort to be free of false or polarizing concepts. Show respect for your body, and the bodies of others, to promote health, happiness, and loving relationships. Be an example of humility, fully aware that your understanding is limited. When you do not know something, just say so.
- Inspire others.
If you do nothing else, inspire others to be their best. Focus your mind on what is wonderful and refreshing in each situation. Use every opportunity, every possible moment, to plant seeds of joy, peace, and understanding in yourself and others.
The essence of peaceful, permanent change is Love. Out of love comes your willingness to act selflessly to search for strategies and techniques; this will occur to you naturally in a higher state of mind. Help others see that peaceful action born of an awareness of suffering, nurtured by love, can lead to win-win solutions for all of humanity.
Know that reaching out into the world with Buddhism in Action will challenge every bone in your body. So please proceed with caution. And in your path, I wish you well.”