David R. Loy is especially interested in the conversation between Buddhism and modernity. His books include A New Buddhist Path, Ecodharma: Buddhist teachings for the Ecological Crisis, Nonduality, Lack and Transcendance, A Buddhist History of the West, The Great Awakening, Money Sex War Karma and The World Is Made of Stories. A Zen practitioner for many years, he is qualified as a teacher in the Sanbo Zen tradition.
Thanissara with David Loy, Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni and Ayya Santacitta Bhikkhuni.
Unfortunately, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi was ill on the day of our call and was not able to join us. We wish him a speedy and thorough recovery. In this call, Ayya Santussika Bhikkhuni mentioned two resources: the international, interfaith effort Our Voices as well as the “Pledge to Mobilize” at the Climate Mobilization. She also invited those interested in taking action together as Buddhists on the national or local/regional level to email her at santussika at gmail.com.
Finally, Dave Damm-Luhr mentioned the upcoming film from the same group that brought us “The Overview Effect.” This new film, “Planetary” (see the trailer here) maybe well-timed for action around the March deadline for targets into the UN climate talks that Lou mentioned.
There are precise and profound parallels between what Buddhism says about our usual individual predicament and our collective ecological predicament today.
There are precise and profound parallels between what Buddhism says about our individual predicament and our collective predicament today in relationship to the rest of the biosphere.
One Earth Sangha is oriented toward Buddhist and mindfulness practitioners seeking dharma, practices and community around care for the Earth. See their website here: One Earth Sangha
Today the three 'roots of evil' have become institutionalized: our economic system is institutionalized greed, our militarism and racism is institutionalized ill will, and the media institutionalized delusion.
Because we don't understand the source of our sense of lack, we tend to think that what we lack is something ourside ourselves, such as money, fame, or the partner who will complete us.
In contemporaty terms, the self is dukkha (suffering) is because it is a psycho-social construct that can never feel secure. It is haunted by a sense of lack that we usually misunderstand.
Opening Talk for a retreat that explores the relationship between personal and social transformation. There are profound parallels between our individual predicament and our collective situation, and this retreat explores their nonduality. If the self is an insecure construct haunted by a sense of lack, we gain insight into our preoccupation with attachments such as money, fame, power and romance, and how the 'three poisons' (greed, ill will and delusion) have become institutionalised.
Today the three poisons (greed, ill will, delusion) also function collectively: our economic system institutionalizes greed, our militarism is institutionalized ill will, and the media institutionalizes delusion.
