Engaged Buddhism and Politics

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary goal of the Interdependence Party, as described in the text?

To promote loving-kindness among individuals

To dominate worldwide politics

To engage in political debates

To eradicate all forms of suffering (correct)

According to Max Weber, Buddhism is predominantly a political religion.

False

Who argued that Buddhism needs to be actively involved in politics to combat social issues?

Bhikkhu Bodhi

According to Max Weber, Buddhism is an ethic with absolute indifference to the question of whether there are __________.

gods Signup and view all the answers

Match the following characteristics with Buddhism's portrayal in the text:

Unpolitical and anti-political religion = Max Weber's characterization Engaged in commerce, industry, and politics historically = Buddhist monks in Asia Calling for Buddhist involvement in politics = Bhikkhu Bodhi Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, which is true about the involvement of Buddhism in politics?

Buddhism and politics have been intertwined throughout history Signup and view all the answers

Buddhism has authority over political institutions.

True Signup and view all the answers

What was the term used to describe the interaction of the state and Buddhist governance in 'state-protection Buddhism'?

mutual respect and protection Signup and view all the answers

One example of a political protest method in Buddhism is the ______________ of the alms bowl.

turning-over Signup and view all the answers

What are the consequences of the lack of respect for parents and ascetics according to the text?

Decrease in lifespan of the population Signup and view all the answers

In the described nightmare world, people behave like animals and the lifespan of the population reaches 80,000 years.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe a period of seven days during which people mistake each other for wild beasts and kill each other?

sword-interval Signup and view all the answers

The lifespan reaches _______ years and people live in a beautiful land.

80,000 Signup and view all the answers

Match the following political ideas with their descriptions:

Generosity = 1 Morality = 2 Gentleness = 5 Non-violence = 8 Forbearance = 9 Signup and view all the answers

According to Buddhadāsa, what is one of the tensions in the study of Buddhism and politics?

The idea that religion and politics are separate Signup and view all the answers

What term did Buddhadāsa use to describe his political system based on Buddhist ideas?

Dictatorial Dhammic Socialism Signup and view all the answers

According to Buddhadāsa, socialism has a clearer sense of morality than democracy.

True Signup and view all the answers

In Buddhadāsa's political system, the Buddhist monarch is a morally stable and developed individual, acting as a role model for _ individuals in society.

morally developed Signup and view all the answers

Is Buddhism apolitical?

Sometimes Signup and view all the answers

Is Buddhism aligned to a particular political position?

It depends Signup and view all the answers

Which forms of governance does Buddhism most easily support?

It promotes an awareness of multiple forms of prejudice and values like egalitarianism and anti-racism. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Interdependence Party and Engaged Buddhism

The Interdependence Party is a fictional Buddhist political organization that proposes to serve the worldwide community, promoting harmony, and limiting suffering.
The party's goals include treating all individuals with compassion, promoting loving-kindness, eradicating greed, hatred, and delusion, and abolishing animal slaughter.

The Relationship between Buddhism and Politics

The term "politics" is derived from "polis" meaning "city-state" and refers to the competition over resources, decision-making, and the exercise of power.
Buddhism has often been misunderstood as being apolitical or other-worldly, but engaged Buddhists argue that this is a misconception.
Buddhism has always been involved in politics and has shaped society in various ways.

Max Weber and the Portrayal of Buddhism

Max Weber, a 19th-century German sociologist, characterized Buddhism as an "unpolitical" and "anti-political" status religion, which has been influential in shaping the Western understanding of Buddhism.
Weber's portrayal of Buddhism as ascetic, intellectual, and concerned with salvation has been pervasive and enduring.

The History of Buddhism and Politics

Despite the common portrayal of Buddhism as non-political, Buddhist monks and institutions have been involved in politics throughout history.
Examples include Emperor Aśoka, Nichiren, and the Dalai Lama, who have all had a strong institutional involvement with politics.
Buddhist monks have often been involved in commerce, employed workers, and kept slaves, and have been intimately involved in imperial politics.

Bhikkhu Bodhi and the Involvement of Buddhism in Politics

Bhikkhu Bodhi, a renowned American scholar-monk, argues that Buddhism should be involved in politics to address issues such as racism, oppression, and environmental degradation.
Bodhi suggests that Buddhism has been overly focused on personal transformation and needs to engage with the world to address suffering caused by social and economic factors.

The Interaction between Buddhism and Political Institutions

There are four ways in which Buddhism interacts with political institutions:
1. Buddhism has authority over political institutions, with Buddhist laws overriding secular laws.
2. Buddhism shares power with political institutions, with mutual respect and protection.
3. Persecution of Buddhism, with opposition and conflict with political authority.
4. Buddhism withdraws from politics.

Examples of Buddhism and Politics

In the 1960s, King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia attempted to formulate a form of Buddhist socialism.
U Nu, the leader of Burma, described the goal of socialism as "returning to this original pure state, prior to the appearance of the defilement of craving and the corruption of man."
Bhutan's concept of Gross National Happiness is an example of the state and Buddhism working together to provide conditions conducive to the cultivation of happiness.### Persecution of Buddhism
The state can persecute Buddhism, threatening its existence, as seen in China's Cultural Revolution and Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.
Reasons for persecution include economic (seeing Buddhism as a financial strain) or xenophobic (viewing Buddhism's Indian roots as unpatriotic) motivations.

Buddhist Rebellions

Monastic rebellions against political rule have occurred, such as the Saffron Revolution in Myanmar, where Buddhist monks attempted to overthrow the military government.
Anti-colonial Buddhist movements have also emerged, sometimes taking the form of millenarianism or messianic movements, centered around figures like the future Buddha Maitreya.

Extreme Forms of Protest

Tibetans have engaged in self-immolation to protest Chinese occupation, with 155 recorded cases since 2009.
This form of protest has a long history in East Asian Buddhist traditions.

Withdrawal from Politics

In some Southeast Asian countries, Buddhist monks are deliberately disenfranchised, contradicting the principle of universal suffrage.
This withdrawal from politics is seen as preserving the monks' sanctity, as politics is viewed as corrupting.