A Buddhist’s Take on the Global Financial Crisis: Enlightened Altruism

It seems ironic to come across Gordon Mijuk’s piece in the Dow Jones Newswires on Matthieu Ricard’s Buddhist take on the global financial crisis.

Mijuk writes:

Shrouded in his red Buddhist robe, Matthieu Ricard was hard to miss amid the sea of black and gray business suits that crowded the halls at the World Economic Forum.

His take on the global financial crisis and the fast economic downturn, however, folded almost neatly into the grim view that was shared by many business leaders during the panel discussions in Davos.

Also, his solution sounded somewhat familiar.

"This crisis shows that a system based on egoistic interest is dysfunctional," Ricard said. "It has created the lose-lose situation in which we find ourselves now."

Ricard, who was born in 1946 in Paris to French philosopher Jean-Francois Revel, turned to Buddhism some 40 years ago after completing his doctoral thesis in molecular genetics.

While he regularly seeks solitude and seclusion in the Himalayas, Ricard has a hands-on approach to life.

Besides being the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, Ricard is a renowned photographer who also has written several best-selling books about Buddhism and science. He is heading a nonprofit organization in Nepal that is providing medical care and education to children.

"One way out of this crisis is to follow what I would call an enlightened altruism," Ricard said. "This crisis has shown that we don't work in isolation but that there is an interdependence. So what we need to do is to work together and consolidate the interest of the economy, human beings and the environment. This could be a win-win situation."

Or, in other words: Yes, we can.

Sexual Responsibility and Patriarchal Structures

My Unitarian-Universalist fellowship’s book group is currently reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s For a Possible Future, first published in 1993 by the Unified Buddhist Church. Considering that a major theme in my posts at Katalusis since its inception in August 2007 has been women’s rights, I was deeply moved by the modern day relevance of Buddhism’s Third Mindfulness Training, which addresses sexual responsibility, followed by Sulak Sivaraksa’s comment on patriarchal structures.

The Third Mindfulness Training:

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow to cultivate responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct.

Sivaraksa wrote:

‘“We have to look at the structures of male dominance and the exploitation of women worldwide. The structures of patriarchal greed, hatred, and delusion are interrelated with the violence in the world. Modern militarism is also closely associated with patriarchy. Buddhist practice points toward the development of full and balanced human beings, free from the socially-learned “masculine” and “feminine” patterns of thought, speech, and behavior, in touch with both aspects of themselves.”’

For a Possible Future presents each of the five mindfulness trainings followed by Thich Nhat Hanh’s commentary.

“This Homeland Is As Beautiful As The Homeland Of Our Childhood”

Photo by Virginia Bergman

It’s been my pleasure in recent weeks to hear from several friends and acquaintances who have found the ancient Buddhist prayer in the upper right hand corner of Katalusis to be helpful in getting through these difficult times.

I’ve included this revised version of the “loving kindness” prayer in my morning ritual of journaling, reading spiritual writings, and several minutes of meditation for some time now.

The roots of my faith are in Christianity, but as I’ve matured I’ve gladly extended branches to many other traditions. It’s my belief that if we are ever to know world peace, we must learn to transcend religious differences. My faith continues to be deepened and enriched by the insights of others from around the globe.

For spiritual nourishment, I’m currently re-reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Miracle of Mindfulness. This morning between recording my dreams from the night in my daily journal and a short period of meditation, I read TNH’s instructions for practicing a full day of mindfulness at least once a week.

I love the notion of doing simple household tasks “slowly and evenly without reluctance,” becoming one with our work while dusting the book shelves, freshening a bouquet of flowers, or preparing a meal.

Being mindful, I’ve learned, means being fully awake and alive in the present moment instead of chronically brooding over the past or fretting about the future.

The eternal now is a good place to be.

Here’s a poem from today’s reading in The Miracle of Mindfulness:

Be a bud sitting quietly in the hedge
Be a smile, one part of wondrous existence
Stand here. There is no need to depart.
This homeland is as beautiful as the homeland of our childhood
Do not harm it, please, and continue to sing…

(Butterfly Over the Field of Golden Mustard Flowers)

Peace be with all who come here.

Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s: Honoring Light in a Dark Season

Photo credits: Ceile Hartleib

In the midst of decorating my home for Christmas this weekend, I easily empathized with those described in Jan Hoffman’s NY Times article, The Holidays Downsized: No Job and Fewer Gifts. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my family and friends have not been untouched by the global financial crisis.

Several among my acquaintances have lost their jobs in recent months, even before the nation’s leaders acknowledged we’d slipped into a recession. Others have had their hours cut or pensions reduced due to the plummeting stock market.

Hoffman’s article in the Times begins:

“SUSAN McCABE liked to go all out for Christmas. Presents for friends and 17 relatives: high-end cameras for adults, Nintendo Wii for the children. On Christmas Eve, she proudly treated the immediate family to dinner at romantic white tablecloth restaurants in Manhattan. Sticker shock? Ms. McCabe, who sold eco-friendly technology, wouldn’t blink twice.

“But in September, the start-up company she worked for went belly up. “A restaurant dinner? All those presents?

‘“Out of the question,” said Ms. McCabe, who is scrambling to make the rent on her Manhattan apartment. “And that really bothers me.”’

As dire as the above sounds, Hoffman interweaves an uplifting spiritual motif throughout the stories she tells of how people like the McCabes are coping with adversity this holiday season. The spiritual shines through in a family’s decision to return to the customs of a previous generation or simply refocusing on the deeper meaning of symbols related to Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or the celebration of New Year’s, all of which, as Hoffman points out, “honor light in a dark season.”

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m finding my own spiritual nourishment lately through a revised early morning routine at my kitchen table that includes journaling, reading a chapter or two of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Going Home: Jesus and Buddha Are Brothers, and meditating for a few minutes.

Thich Nhat Hanh is A Vietnamese Buddhist who practices meditation in Plum Village, a retreat center in southwestern France. Here’s an excerpt from today’s reading:

“This evening, December twenty-fourth, we shall practice sitting meditation together. The sitting today is very special because after fifteen minutes we will begin to hear the sound of the church bells in northern Russia. We will sit very silently and we will listen to the bells of an Orthodox Church in northern Russia for about twenty minutes. We shall be sitting together silently, solidly like a mountain and free like the air. We will allow the sound of the church bell to touch the seeds of solidity and joy within us. If you do well, the seeds of joy, of love, and peace will begin to bloom like flowers in the fields of your hearts. You may have a chance to discover the true nature of the bell."

Thich Nhat Hanh continues:

“The sound of the bell in the Buddhist temple, the sound of the bell in an Orthodox Church, in a Catholic Church, and in a Protestant Church, their nature is the same.”

Peace be with you this evening, my friends, wherever you are and whatever your circumstances.

_____________________

P.S.

If you'd like to share how you and your family are coping with adversity this holiday season, please leave a comment below.

Reading Thich Nhat Hanh During a Summer Power Outage

Yesterday morning, I awoke early to enjoy as usual that first cup of rich coffee while the rest of my neighborhood sleeps. I live on the fourth floor of a large apartment building. Lately, I’ve had to run the air conditioner during the day and several fans at night to keep my home comfortably cool. This Fourth of July weekend was no different, and I’d grown accustomed to the hum of fans and other electrical appliances when I sat down at my computer to read the comics and scan the day’s online news coverage.

Suddenly, my computer sighed and briefly revived before shutting down completely; fans slowed to a stop; and an eerie silence confirmed the power had gone off in my building.

I felt dismay at first, realizing the elevators were now inoperative and even if I walked down four flights of stairs, I might not be able to gain entry to the indoor parking garage, find my car in the dark, and exit through the remote-controlled door.

In the meantime, dawn had come, and I knew we were in for another hot day. There’s nothing like a power outage to remind one of how dependent we are on electricity. I walked around aimlessly at first trying to decide what to do next.

I picked up a book by Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh that I’ve been reading off and on lately while taking an occasional break at the indoor park and coffee shop adjoining my local branch library. Going Home, Jesus and Buddha as Brothers is the fourth or fifth book I’ve read by TNH over the past year or so, and I’ve continued to be astonished by his wisdom. In the light from the window, I read:

“Mindfulness has been described as the heart of Buddhist meditation. Mindfulness is to be there, alive in the present moment, body and mind united. It is the capacity of being there in order to live deeply every moment of your daily life. You are mindful when you walk, when you drink your tea, while sitting with your friends, your brother, and your teacher. You notice that the moments when you are with him or her are precious moments. You are aware that drinking tea with the Sangha is a wonderful thing. All these things are manifestations of the presence of mindfulness. Mindfulness is to become completely alive and live deeply each moment of your daily life. Mindfulness helps you to touch the wonders of life for self-nourishment and healing It also helps you to embrace and transform your afflictions into joy and freedom.”

I was still reading and reflecting on the words of Thich Nhat Hanh a couple of hours later when the power came back on, and the hum of appliances broke the silence. I felt a twinge of regret as I put my book aside and resumed my daily routine.

The Loving Kindness Prayer

Since I’ve been preoccupied with other matters today, I decided to check in with Katalusis readers by posting this revised version of an ancient Buddhist prayer on behalf of myself, my family and friends, members of my church, my seminary community, my online community, and all suffering people throughout the world.

May we release all burdens from the past that no longer serve us;

May we release all needless worry, fear, and anxiety;

May we be filled with loving kindness;

May we be protected from all internal and external harm;

May we be as healthy and whole as possible;

May we be centered, peaceful, and at ease;

May we enjoy both spiritual and material well being;

May we be happy.

Myanmar: “Loving Kindness Will Win Every Time”

In Rudyard Kipling's day, Myanmar, formerly Burma, was a colony of the British Empire. Mention of Burmese cities in recent news broadcasts of the pro-democracy uprising there reminded me of Kipling’s poem, Mandalay, once required reading in high school English classes; re-reading those lines today, the vulgar chauvinism is jarring, shocking:

By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea,
There's a Burma girl a-settin', and I know she thinks o' me;
For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say:
"Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!"

Then in the next stanza:

An' I seed her first a-smokin' of a whackin' white cheroot,
An' a-wastin' Christian kisses on an 'eathen idol's foot:
Bloomin' idol made o'mud –
Wot they called the Great Gawd Budd –

Kipling (1865-1936) didn’t live to see it happen, but Burma gained its independence from the British Empire in 1948. The Burmese people have since struggled to establish a democratic government and in fact, the National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in 1990. However, the junta refused to hand over power, and they placed the NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi, under house arrest where she is said to remain.

In the current pro-democracy uprising in Myanmar tens of thousands of Buddhist monks, later joined by nuns, were involved prior to the brutal military crackdown. Protestors reportedly carried signs reading, “loving kindness will win every time.”

Anyone who has been even briefly exposed to mindfulness meditation is likely familiar with the ancient Buddhist prayer of loving-kindness. As beginners, we are first invited to repeat the prayer many times to build up loving-kindness within ourselves. Later on, we substitute the names of loved ones, practicing until we gain the strength to include our enemies. Eventually, we extend our goodwill to people throughout the world.

But for now let’s focus our attention on Myanmar where the AP reports the junta’s brutal crackdown continues; many monks have been imprisoned, and the people are losing hope:

According to the AP, “As governments heap criticism on the junta, Myanmar and foreign activists continue to call for concrete, urgent action.

"The world cannot fail the people of Burma again," said the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, an exile group based in Washington. "Selfless sacrifices deserve more than words and lip-service. They want effective intervention before it is too late."

Here’s the good news: on this day, October 2, 2007, at the request of 53 nations, the UN Human Rights Council is holding an urgent, all-day meeting on the situation in Burma.

From around the world, may the rest of us pause for a few minutes and in solidarity with the suffering people of Myanmar and their brave Buddhist clergy, repeat the loving-kindness prayer on their behalf:

May the people of Myanmar be filled with loving kindness;

May the people of Myanmar be safe and protected from all internal and external harm;
May the people of Myanmar be as healthy and whole as possible;
May the people of Myanmar experience ease and well-being.

The Sacred Act of Breathing In and Breathing Out

We define and sustain ourselves in community. And whether introverts or extroverts, we’re most likely to experience growth in the midst of our relationships with others.

I participate in community in several areas of my life including my neighborhood, my Unitarian-Universalist fellowship, the seminary I once attended, old friends, my political party, and sometimes even out here on the World Wide Web.

But whatever the community, the stimulus toward growth can sometimes touch tender spots in the depths of our souls. I noticed a little sensitivity in my own soul last Sunday morning as I listened to our speaker talk about forgiveness.

Both the presentation and follow-up discussion were far ranging, from the need for forgiveness between tribal entities and nations at war to the road to recovery for innocent victims of domestic abuse. We agreed that when the victim’s emotional or physical health is at risk, forgiveness does not necessitate reconciliation.

It seemed to me later on that we’d spoken mainly from the perspective of those needing to forgive, rather than from those in need of forgiveness. And as I recall, the difficulty of a child forgiving a parent was mentioned more often than any other relationship.

As one who has lived out the dual roles of parent and child, I’ve experienced from both directions the necessity to forgive and the longing for forgiveness with its heavy burden of unresolved grief.

Mending relationships is a particular gift of Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh, whose writing is accessible and useful to most readers, regardless of their backgrounds. As mentioned by our speaker last Sunday, Hanh’s book titled Anger teaches the path to forgiveness and “being peace” under the most difficult circumstances.

It seems obvious that we should avoid confrontation when anger is rising within us, but not so obvious are the careful instructions Hanh provides for using mindfulness energy to first privately quench the flames of outrage before attempting to communicate with a loved one.

Hanh tells the story of a young man named David whose behavior has alienated everyone in his life, including family and friends. Now David is entirely alone. He begins communicating with the mythical Angelina who is both beautiful and loving, but eventually, she, too, abandons him. Finally, the young man looks deeply within himself where he finds insight and compassion as he recognizes the damage he has caused to the people around him.

Mindfulness meditation can allow us to examine how we’ve treated the Angelinas in our own lives, whether a friend, parent, child, other relative, or anyone else, to discover why things are deteriorating, Hanh explains. He goes on to say that meditation can tell us exactly what to do and what not to do to relieve mutual suffering and restore harmony.

Wherever we happen to be in one or more troubled relationships, there may still be hope. Hanh advises us to continue meditating, even when communication has been cut off for years, listening deeply to ourselves and taking responsibility for our own actions. He also suggests that we focus the healing power of mindfulness energy on the injured child we carry within each of our own hearts.

So it was last Sunday morning that I took away from our gathering a whisper of hope and a renewed commitment to continue the sacred act of mindfully breathing in and breathing out, while putting one foot ahead of the other on the path to forgiveness and long-awaited reconciliation.