[Buddha-l] Buddhism and Politics

[StormyTet at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/27/2005 11:35:43 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
Richard.P.Hayes at comcast.net writes:

The  argument of the latitudinarians has always been that human beings
are  imperfect, and God forgives them. The argument of the authoritarians
has  always been that God condemns sinners, so they should be killed
before  their influence contaminates the rest of society. This helps
explain why so  many people who shriek about the importance of culture of
life endorse the  death penalty for every crime more serious than licking
a  stamp.



Hi All, 
 
(Note to Richard Hayes) I am still mulling our earlier correspondence. I  
think I am more of a householder than a monk and that studying languages for  
twelve years would not be the right livelihood for me, and the kick I would get  
out of being able to interpret texts on my own may be more than would be good  
for my ego. 
 
On politics and Buddhism: 
I have a friend named Bo Lozof. He was a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba. His  
letters to prisoners in the back of his book "We are all doing Time" are what I  
would consider beautiful examples of the middle path in dealing with people 
at  all levels of awareness. The Dalai Lama, incidentally wrote the forward to 
the  book. To me, Bo's work, epitomizes the best of eastern thought. He 
actively  seeks to help the most reviled and hated in our society. Men who have done 
 horrible things. At the same time, he reminds his "brothers" (those 
prisoners  who are dealing with anger, hatred, addictions) that they have a choice and 
that  they need to take responsibility for themselves.
 
Other things about The Human Kindness Foundation (Bo's organization). They  
send out all their books for free to prisoners and if you are on the 'outside'  
and you say you can't afford the ten bucks, they will send it to a 'free 
person'  for free as well.  
 
Bo sent me a rock one time that is engraved with, "You can do hard."   A 
little koan I have worked with for many years. 
 
Finally, one more note on politics and Buddhism or Eastern philosophy -- Bo  
once got a letter from a 'do-gooder' -- a social worker of sorts who had  
invested a lot of time in helping men while they were in prison and when they  got 
out. The guy was BURNT OUT.  He was discouraged because the recidivism  rate 
was so high and he felt that all the energy he had put into his work was  for 
naught. 
 
Bo's response, in short, was that he was taking it personally -- an ego  trip 
deal. He suggested to the man that the prisoner went back to prison because  
that is where he could learn best -- where he needed to be. To me, this is  
balance -- a balance that will keep socially conscious and concerned people sane 
 and continuing to work for progressive change even as we don't see the 
fruits of  our labor.
 
_http://www.humankindness.org/_ (http://www.humankindness.org/) 
 
His work is known as "the prison ashram project."
 
Stormy
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