Can Buddhism Survive and Thrive in a Consumerist, Materialist World?

OVERVIEW
Look at state of modern world What does Buddhism offer? What did the Buddha see? How to communicate this vision/perspective in modern world? Opportunities of modern world Need for living portals/exemplars

CAN BUDDHISM SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN A CONSUMERIST & MATERIALIST WORLD?

DOES IT MATTER?

DOES IT MATTER?

YES!

RESOURCE LIMITATIONS

DIS-EASE
In 2002: 154 million depression (4TH most leading contributor to burden of disease worldwide. Predicted to be second most by 2020) 25 million schizophrenia 91 million alcohol abuse 15 million drug abuse

DIS-EASE
Deep down all human beings want the same thing:
Freedom from suffering To be happy, content, fulfilled

Consumerism has the illusion of providing happiness but never quite does it shop some more! Going global very problematic.

WHAT DOES BUDDHISM HAVE TO OFFER?

WHAT DOES BUDDHISM HAVE TO OFFER?

Vision and guidance on how to live in harmony with THE WAY THINGS ARE Turn to root of dis-ease = the MIND Buddha discovered this through direct experience 2500 years ago Invented meditation as we know it

WHAT DOES BUDDHISM HAVE TO OFFER?

Gradually turned inwards, transformed his mind, aligned himself with truth and then taught it tirelessly Untamed free spirit who roamed the plains Pragmatic, empirical

WHAT DID THE BUDDHA SEE?

WHAT DID THE BUDDHA SEE?

Central = Impermanence & its implications: Actions have consequences can guide the direction of change in beneficial or harmful direction through our actions rooted in mind To do this need to be AWARE = MINDFUL. Central to Buddhism Need to be KIND, EMOTIONALLY ENGAGED, WARM in our practice.

WHAT DID THE BUDDHA SEE?

Continually co-creating experience of world through how we are if bring awareness and kindness will have huge effect on our impact on the world. Interconnectedness Everything matters! Every action body, speech and mind has an effect so choose wisely how you live

PRIMARY ROLE OF MIND

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with an impure mind,

PRIMARY ROLE OF MIND

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with a pure mind, joy follows him as his own shadow. 2

PRIMARY ROLE OF MIND

The thought manifests as the word; The word manifests as the deed; The deed develops into habit; And habit hardens into character; So watch the thought and its ways with care, And let it spring from love Born out of concern for all beings As the shadow follows the body, As we think, so we become 2

WHAT DID THE BUDDHA SEE?

Also Opening to more fluid, open way of being Impermanence resolves into flow, process, spaciousness, vastness, luminous mind, the open dimension of being WONDER ILLUMINED IMAGINATION Direct experience lit by a light beyond egotism

WHAT DID THE BUDDHA SEE?

Using impermanence to allow growth to blossom letting the light shine through Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds. Shine Images of Buddha convey something of that
Still Calm Mysterious Unshakeable

When you attain Enlightenmentyou no longer have a will that is separate from that of others. Its as though you utterly identify with others, and with what they are doing.You dont experience another person as a sort of brick wall you are coming up against, and you no longer experience yourself as a separate and conflicting solid force. You experience others in a completely different way: they become diaphanous or transparent, because your will is not coming into collision with theirs. This completely different, more relaxed, lighter, freer attitude taken to the nth degree, is something of the nature of Enlightenment. The world is the same but you see it differently.
Sangharakshita Know Your Mind pg 53

HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN MODERN WORLD?

HOW TO GET FROM CONSUMERISM TO FREEDOM?

HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN MODERN WORLD?

CHALLENGE!
Anyone can wake up , yet how to make this known? Cast very wide net share Dharma in whatever way we can SKILFUL MEANS 84,000 gateways to the Dharma Buddha always taught appropriately

BUDDHA S TEACHING OF TRUTH COMMUNICATED WITHIN POLES OF

Change world to fit Buddhism

Change Buddhism to fit world

MIDDLE WAY
BOTH APPROACHES Maintain right view Buddha taught in uncompromising way but continually adapt it to modern world. Buddhism poor at adapting to modern world compared with other main religions Has impact on a smaller proportion of world than any time in last 1000 years Urgent to find ways to make it relevant

MIDDLE WAY
HOW? Be clear what Buddhism is Radical Different to status quo Offers real alternative Keep teachings pure Guardians of tradition And yet

MIDDLE WAY
HOW?
Creative Adaptive (Innovate or die) Work with prevailing cultural conditions directly Go out into world in a range of different ways Engage arts and culture to communicate higher values Be fearless Be bold

MIDDLE WAY
WHAT? Socially engaged Buddhism

eg social change in India freeing people from oppression of caste Environmentally aware Buddhism deep ecology Buddhist hospices, health centres etc Get away from being solely based in Buddhist Centres

Mindfulness-based approaches in health care (eg Breathworks)

Pain and illness Mental health Recovery etc

MIDDLE WAY
WHAT? Right Livelihood in world in line with
Ethics of non-harm Generosity - Genuinely contribute to world Creativity fulfilling for those involved Community sharing common higher values Spiritual practice
Arena to practice Dharma, mindfulness, emotional positivity, inspiration, insight into nature of things

THREATS
Too conservative Rigidity Ossification (losing moisture of creativity) Disconnected from people who need Dharma in prevailing cultural contexts Aversive to life/dry idealism Arrogance dogmatism

THREATS
Water down Dharma to mere humanism Just another psychological technique to feel better Manipulate life to get on own terms rather than see through fundamental delusion of clinging to illusion of permanence in self/other/world. Lose radical vision Forget to look up

MIDDLE WAY
CONSTANT VIGILANCE REQUIRED Continual awareness and calibration Mindfulness Total commitment to making changes to self and world using example of Buddha as guide; truth and teachings as compass and map (Dharma); and supportive friends and inspirers around you (Sangha)

OPPORTUNITIES IN MODERN WORLD

OPPORTUNITIES IN MODERN WORLD

Psychology and awareness of power of the mind (established 1879 as separate science) Scientific culture provides a way in for teaching Dharma aligned with Buddhism in that we are used to analytical approaches to experience. Getting some proof that meditation changes the brain can capitalise on this Huge growth in neuroscience last 10 years

OPPORTUNITIES IN MODERN WORLD

Social freedom eg new for women Peaceful democracies allow religious freedom Living through a revolution First decade of 21 century massively influential decade in human history Media www Dharma available very easily at click of button

NEED FOR LIVING PORTALS

NEED FOR PORTALS

Living examples of followers of Buddhist path most powerful social tool for transformation

Kindness Mindfulness Tread lightly Go against materialism and consumerism LIVE SIMPLY

Much more widely established in west now that 30 years ago. Then few teachers, now many Different personalities and temperaments

NEED FOR PORTALS

I am a Buddhist because of the people I met, not primarily because of the teachings. People who are extraordinarily ordinary in a range of life-styles

SUMMARY
The world is in a state
Consumerist/materialist economic model will not lead to happiness and fulfilment Limited resources/ecological unsustainability Dis-ease

Buddhism offers radical alternative

Look into MIND as source of dis-ease and become AWAKE and free Cultivate values of awareness and kindness Open up to wonder

SUMMARY
How to communicate in modern world?
Middle way between conservatism and liberalism Maintain core values and vision in uncompromising way and yet Be creative, adaptive, responsive

We can use aspects modern world to advantage

Media and www Awareness of working with mind in modern psychology etc

SUMMARY
We need portals
Living examples of the effects of practising according to Buddha s teachings. Individuals who can rise to challenge of facing their own mind/heart tremendously difficult thing. Very inspiring when come into contact with that.

SUMMARY
Buddhism CAN survive and thrive to the extent that it is LIVED AND COMMUNICATED in an accessible, inspiring and appealing way. It WILL survive and thrive to the extent that this is done.

SUMMARY
A hunk in trunks may well give you temporary satisfaction. But will it last? You will get old, he will get old Stuck in a cycle of desire and loss = dis-ease. Buddha s example and teaching is a more reliable refuge!