What Can Buddhists Bring to Political Action?

Last month, I attended an interfaith demonstration against ICE. I found myself asking, “What is it, exactly, that we bring as Buddhists to this gathering of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim people?” and “How do we ground ourselves in Buddhist practice and teachings so that we enter spaces of political action in a way that comes from our deep spiritual aspirations?”


Here’s a short (and incomplete!) list that I made:


1. Upholding the precepts. We want to actualize our vow to refrain from wrongdoing, to do good, and to embrace and sustain all beings.

2. Valuing equanimity. Embracing the paramita of equanimity is about learning to settle our bodies and minds so we act from compassion rather than reactivity.

3. Cultivating nonattachment. We want and need the world to be different, but we also realize that we are not in control of causes and conditions. We can take bold and brave action while letting go of attachment to outcomes.

4. Believing in Buddha nature. We don’t have to create an “us vs. them” world. We understand that everyone wishes to be happy. From this realization, saying “no” is sometimes the most compassionate action we can take, because when someone causes harm, they also hurt themselves.

5. Practicing Right View. We know that all of our views and opinions are incomplete and flawed. We put forward our best ideas for change, but we remain open to new information and other viewpoints.

Listen to Myoshin's Dharma Talk, "Build. Block. Be.", for more!

-Lay Teacher Myoshin Diane Benjamin