Culturally Engaged Buddhism

[Kaspalita]

Below is the video of the discussion we had last night - around "Culturally Engaged Buddhism" a term coined by Dharmavidya that seemed to resonate deep within the hearts of the community here:


Cultural Engagement as opposed to Social Engagement.

These are just some of my thoughts about what this might mean, please feel free to question, disagree and propose other things ;)

Cultural engagement is not utilitarian. It is not about achieving targets. It is not simply about doing social work within the context of our societies - it is about a broader engagement that seeks to question the unseen assumptions in society, that questions the social context in which we engage - not merely asking, what can we do in this culture, but how can we transform this culture in to something alive, something loving.

Buddhist social engagement is often about people doing good, because that's what good people do, Buddhist cultural engagement asks - what's Buddhist about this? What is truly good?

The arts, literature, the social engagement that does happen, all of these are manifestations of a deeper culture, Culturally Engaged Buddhism asks, by engaging in all these areas, how can be transform that deep culture, or perhaps even just invites us to explore that deep culture, it opens the door to another level of engagement.

Culturally Engaged Buddhism. A step beyond social engagement.

[Katrien Sercu]

It's so nice to sit here with 5 of you in front on screen, talking, moving, laughing as if i sat there too! I stopped to listen, but continue to look (very joyfull!), an alive presence here in my livingroom. Hello!
What you starts here Dharmavidya passionates me very deep. To receive the right words to express this is difficult, but i try, with daily actions as example to really feel the difference. I can do the dishes by duty or by longing that all is cleaned, without warmth in the contact between my hands and the cup. I use my muscles to get the right result: efficient, purposeful, with little mutual connection with what is happening. I do the dishes good! I can do the same dishes in attention and connection, with warmth, love and interest, enjoying the movements of my embedded body, feeling the warm water in joy to get the dishes pure for next use for visit that can come. The same basic attitude in bigger: walking, driving, talking, dancing, writing, feeling, thinking, all in life...what makes the difference between efficient/good or loving, embodied, connecting, alive? A subtle difference. Connection - in love, light and joy - seems to me the core: embeddied in a whole of the body, the situation, the act, the attitude, always receiving while acting, breathing in at one level while breathing out at the other level. Connection, with love and light as coordinating and integrating qualities instead of isolation by physical and emotional boundaries. This shines in to our presence, deeds, words, mind, openness to others. What shines is the love that we receive into our body and bones, what awakens us to live and act in to culture.
Oh goodness, after writing i always doubt in a critical mind: what is new in what i wrote now? I explored...and i only know that change begin with little steps and grow bigger and bigger.

[richard meyers]

I really enjoyed the discussion. Itwas about something I hadn't actually considered before. Thinking about it now i can see how 'socially engaged buddhism' can seem to be addressing merely the ills of our world. Whereas this new approach potentially takes us to where we are personally, to a deeper level withinin ourselves.

I found the discussion regarding art especially interesting. I once read a definition by Otto Rank of the artist as one one who ' wants to leave behind a gift'. From the perspective of Buddhism, the emphasis upon 'not self', 'emptyness', 'non attachment' etc. can give an impression of something almost nihilistic, which I think was touched upon in the discussion. For me a vital componant of a healthy spirituality has to include the birthing of what moves us on a deep level. It allows for openness and honesty about who we are, in relationship with others and the world in which we live. Art allows us the opportunity to bequeath something inately of ourselves to the future and this is a gift to ourselves and our children.

Culturally engagement draws forth creativity in the face of lifes struggle, honouring individuality and vision, it is inspirational rather than utilitarian. This is not to undervalue the obviously good work done by many thousands of people working from the social engagement paradigm. The word 'culture' of course, means a number of things, including the one into which we are born. So historical, social and personal difficulty, are all there under that umbrella, therefore it is(I think) a more helpfull term.

[Katrien Sercu]

I keep on living with this discussion in mind and heart, because culture influences us all, while social engagement - as you said Richard - is 'more addressed to the ills of our world'.
What touches me is that in general -in our culture- the word 'love' is accepted, while 10 years ago it was not. Then it was something softy, alternative or privileged for partnership and family. Now, everywhere we can read and hear about the importance of love in development, education, in care, in friendship, in gardening, in therapy, between colleagues in factories or even banks, in all: all parts of our culture. It touches the basic need and longing of men; it evokes a deeper level in contact and responsability; it can be the bridge between the individual and the whole, although this whole is still divided in a lot of parts..that fight against eachother, by the power of misuse and profit. No place for love in this habit of profit-tendency....not a door to change in culture.
By the new tendency in culture to see love as an important source in life, the possibility grows to express more explicite the reality of love in all we meet and encounter in private and professional life: seeds that can grow out of our control...embedded in trust in Amida, connecting all parts end cultures.
If every one does this in his life, then we live a culturally engaged buddhism, in little, but strong and firm. Love can become essential in all.

[Mat Osmond]

I really enjoyed the discussion, thankyou. Like Katrien I also valued the sense of remote-closeness in listening to and watching all five of you converse together.
It feels like a really valuable distinction, which raises many important questions. I agreed about the limitations of the term 'socially engaged', but also welcomed the idea that cultural engagement very much honours social engagement - it just takes it to a more plural, complex level. I thought Caroline's reflections on the culture we see growing around Buddhism in the west were very true. Also I was left with a sense of the aliveness and dynamism in those traditions that have been deeply woven into our local culture, grown up within it, transforming it, and being likewise renewed by that transformation. (I am thnking of Quakerism here, but only as one example of what seems a natural process.)
I look forward to learning more. I thought Susthama's thoughts about Spanish Baroque painting were fascinating. Maybe one thread of this cultural engagement might lie in looking at art together, and sharing thus?

[Robert McCarthy]

Another culture which is known for leaving nothing of a material nature behind is that of the people who lived in australia before white settlement and are now known to have developed their culture for some 50,000 years. A people still who have no interest in materialism, in disturbing the land, but turn to it in the dreamtime.
When we look at the perception of buddhism in the west, we can also look from the two sides, western buddhist and others. Buddhism gets easily placed with other new age pursuits, with a bit more history, a bit more credibility, a bit more difficulty. My ideas on perceptions of western buddhists are more drawn from the new buddhism which i am currently having another look at, rather than my experience. It seems practice is often a self- centred quietism, or practices are used to further aspects of culture that are not so wholesome- not particularly something attractive to those whose hearts have softened to the pain in the world and are looking for a path that is appropriate.
What i so noticed in your talks was the idea of perhaps a channeling of artistic energy. A cultural buddhism that is seen to be embedded within the stream of artistic inspiration and the steam of a path with heart may be the vehicle for a cultural wheel turning.

[Leo Kouwenhoven]

Yes!!! Makes me happeeeeee! CULTURALLY ENGAGED BUDDHISM.
Of course it is not very much Amida-style to write this in capitals, but it is just my outcry of joy to find suddenly a door opened. It could be Amida-style, I suppose, to find the undertaking a humble one. In the sense that it is considered a compassionate contribution. I think that one, in order to be a little channel through which the Dharma can flow, can perhaps make a little difference in culture nearby, which is European culture.
Years ago I adopted a very succinct expression of three basic values that from the dawn of European culture until now supported this culture:
living in truth
creating beauty
doing justice
This seems me to be fully compatible with the eight fold path. But particularly the creating of beauty, or the aesthetic contemplation, seeing the sublime at last is the core of which I became to consider a unique trait of Amida Shu.
The change of name inspires me to write more, but this is it for the moment.

Love you all,

Namo Amida Bu,

Leo