This is the second in an open-ended series of posts exploring some of the principle teachings of Buddhism for insights into how we might conduct our lives more skillfully during these challenging times of the coronavirus pandemic. For an overview of the entire projected series, please see the first entry. The Three Characteristics ("Marks") of … Continue reading Engaged Buddhism in This Time of Pandemic (2)
Author: Tom Cummings
I've been a political liberal for the past fifty years, and a committed secular Buddhist for the last ten. As I move forward with my personal practice of Buddhism, and as I take note of the increasingly tribalistic "us-against-them" tenor of political discourse in countries across the globe (most notably here in my own United States), I appreciate more and more how much these two worthy traditions - liberalism and Buddhism - share in common. My intention in writing this blog is to provide a forum for the exploration of these overlapping values, and how their confluence might relate to current issues affecting American citizens and the global community. Two convictions underlie the posts that will appear here: (1) Buddhism's invitation for us to embrace generosity, compassion, and wisdom offers a clear path for resolving our national and global problems effectively and humanely; and (2) liberalism, by virtue of the high value it places on the social good, is the natural home for a politically engaged and pragmatically meaningful Buddhism.
Engaged Buddhism in This Time of Pandemic (1)
Under normal circumstances, most of the essays I post on this blog focus on some current event or situation in contemporary American politics, which I then attempt to examine through the lens of Buddhist teachings, with the hope that whatever light passes through that lens might usefully illuminate the issue at hand. Of course, we … Continue reading Engaged Buddhism in This Time of Pandemic (1)
Bhikkhu Bodhi on the Coronavirus Outbreak
{Note from the blogger ... For the second time in the past three months, I am pleased to be posting the published remarks of Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, the renowned Buddhist scholar and social activist. The following essay appears in the latest newsletter from his charitable organization, Buddhist Global Relief. It speaks eloquently to how we, as … Continue reading Bhikkhu Bodhi on the Coronavirus Outbreak
Bhikkhu Bodhi on the Climate Change Crisis
"Our House Is On Fire, Yet We Still Play with Toys" by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi {Note from the blogger ... Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, the renowned Buddhist scholar and climate change activist, gave this keynote address at a recent event at the United Nations. The following edited version of his prepared remarks was printed in the latest … Continue reading Bhikkhu Bodhi on the Climate Change Crisis
Review: Ann Gleig’s comprehensive report on the state of Buddhism in today’s United States, “American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity”
An important account of how modernist and post-modernist trends in contemporary culture are transforming the way Western Buddhism is being practiced in America, this book is invaluable reading for anyone concerned with the future of Buddhism, and especially with the future prospects for a socially engaged Buddhism, in this country. Here’s the review I recently … Continue reading Review: Ann Gleig’s comprehensive report on the state of Buddhism in today’s United States, “American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity”
A Few Words about the June Democratic Debates
In my last post, I declared that I would be listening to each of the participants in the first round of the Democratic presidential candidate debates for some hint of generosity, compassion, and wisdom in their remarks. Well, not long into the first evening's debate, I started feeling a little like the hapless hero of … Continue reading A Few Words about the June Democratic Debates
A perspective on the upcoming Democratic candidate debates
Two years ago, on the eve of the 2016 presidential election, I argued in one of my final posts on my old blog that no practicing Buddhist could in good conscience support the candidacy of Donald Trump for the simple reason that his entire public life prior to his entry into politics had been marked … Continue reading A perspective on the upcoming Democratic candidate debates
Skillful Speech and Skillful Action in Uncivil Times
"When they go low, we go high." - Michelle Obama, former First Lady, 2016 "When they go low, we kick them." - Eric Holder, former Attorney General, 2018 During the raucous months leading up to Election Day in 2016, Democrats across the country - establishment and progressives alike - were inspired by Michelle Obama's iconic … Continue reading Skillful Speech and Skillful Action in Uncivil Times
Review: Joseph Goldstein’s most recent book, “Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening”
There's not a single reference to politics - liberal or otherwise - in this scholarly book by the renowned co-founder of Insight Meditation Society, Joseph Goldstein. Nonetheless, this comprehensive treatise on mindfulness, written by such a gifted teacher of meditation and Buddhism, is essential reading for every practitioner, regardless of one's level of political or social engagement. Here's … Continue reading Review: Joseph Goldstein’s most recent book, “Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening”
The Liberal Buddhist 