[Buddha-l] Dissent or Service?

[jkirk]

Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 9:56 AM
Subject: [Buddha-l] Dissent or Service?


I think that at this point in time, American sanghas are too fragile for 
public dissent. So perhaps the question is: what qualities need to be 
cultivated by American sanghas, so that they can publically engage in 
dissent?

The Quakers have established ways to not be torn apart by thier internal 
differences, and ways for the public to understand the moral foundation that 
thier protest emerges from. I do not think Buddhism is established enough in 
the US for that. Perhaps dialog btwn the Quakers, Mennonites, UUs and 
Buddhists could help share these important protections.

However, here in Santa Fe New Mexico, sanghas are engaged with service 
through hospice projects, soup kitchens, prison outreach, etc. It is 
intimate and immediate service. Does anyone have ideas on how to make big, 
distant problems like the Iraq invasion and ideas like peace, more 
immediate? How can non-violent dissent "bring the war home?"

Metta, Jon Weaver
===================

Some sanghas, like those in Santa Fe and other affluent parts of the 
country, may have access to or own film projectors or DVD projecting 
equipment that could "bring the war home" via recent films shot in or about 
the Iraq war.  I recommend two recent films, one which I've seen:

1) _Iraq in Fragments_ by director James Longley. See its website at 
http://www.iraqinfragments.com/  This film is a powerful contribution on 
what Iraqis have experienced as a result of our war and about resistance to 
it of the Shi'a majority, as seen among Muqtada al Sadr's followers.

2) _My Country, My Country_, by director Linda Poitras. This film should be 
seen to gain a sense  of what ordinary Iraqis have been subjected to since 
April 2003, even though the date of filming is now receding quickly into the 
past, and
the situation has only gotten worse. It will also be shown on PBS' POV on 25 
October: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/mycountry/preview.html
As such, perhaps sanghas could get together in someone's house and view this 
broadcast, then discuss it in terms of Buddhist themes like compassion and 
ahimsa, and what might Buddhists do to stop this war.

I intend to suggest this action to one sangha in Boise, ID --the Interbeing 
group--whose leader I happen to know; the others are small Zen or Tibetan 
sanghas, about whom I know next to nothing so far as opposition to our 
politics and our war goes.

Best, Joanna Kirkpatrick