Free Nichiren Buddhism
As DearDenver blogs about the DNC, I just want to jump in and say that there's no candidate who necessarily or specifically endorses or represents "the Buddhist view." Rather, the Buddhist view is as multifarious and multifaceted as Buddhists themselves.
Please vote in the poll after the jump and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. Consider this an open thread.
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16 comments
All -I can't remember when I had the opportunity to vote for soemone I actually WANTED for president. My votes are all cast in order to keep the worst candidates (in my view of course) OUT of the office.Then there is the spoiler question; if you like a 3rd party candidate, and that candidate takes enough votes to put the BGP you like less in office, have you helped or hurt your cause in the long term?All in all, I think our system as currently constituted will weed out anyone with true leadership potential well before we get to this stage of the proceedings, and generally well before even considering candidacy at all.Just my cynical opinion. YMMV.
First you said "which candidate do you support," then "which candidate is most Buddhist." So I voted for McCain but I have no idea how to determine who is the "most Buddhist." Is that the candidate that is the most compassionate? Well we can argue all day long about which ideology is more compassionate.
and discuss Politics elsewhere. I have plenty of other places to go to discuss politics. But, since you posed the question, maybe if a candidate were actually a Buddhist, he or she might be the "more Buddhist" candidate, but even then his or her Buddhist practice might not have any bearing on his or her political stance.As far as I know, there are only 2 Buddhists in Congress: Hank Johnson, the SGI member elected a few years ago in Georgia, and a congresswoman in Hawaii.I support Obama, but I've been a progressive for 30 years longer than I've been a Buddhist.
...than most Buddhists. His calm, thoughtful demeanor. His charisma. His compassionate, inclusive policies. All the Buddhists I know are head over heels for him.As an engaged Buddhist, I don't see politics and faith as two different things. Yesterday deardenver was ragging on people whose politics are informed by religious conviction. I don't like Christian theocracy supplanting the Constitution either, but the way to stop that is to broaden the variety of faiths that inspire political work. I want to see meditation adopted in prisons and in schools. I want Buddhist ideas about the nature of life and death to be part of the political dialogue.There's a debate about when life begins -- at the moment of conception, or at birth? This is an issue that some voters will be voting on in November. The Buddhist view is that life never "begins" and never "ends" -- myoho -- it's a mystery to be pondered and meditated upon. It's not something to be voted and decided by majority opinion.I would like to see more Buddhist philosophy enter political debates such as this.
I am liberal/progressive but i know lots of chanters who are conservatives. I could make a case for John McCain being the "most Buddhist." He was a dedicated warrior, and Nichiren wrote some of his most encouraging letters to dedicated warriors. McCain grew up in a military family, so he is no stranger to discipline and honor. In Vietnam he put his life on the line in service of his country. Dedication and perseverance (during his imprisonment) are characteristics of a good Buddhist, no?McCain supposedly has a hot temper, but wasn't that also a trait of Shijo Kingo's?You could say McCain has demonstrated qualities that a in keeping with Buddhist ideals.
Hello,I don't watch tv and get my news from other sources, so I may be not exactly behind the ball on politics (but, also, I am of the opinion that everything has to do with Buddhism/Life). Doesn't Sen. McCain believe that war is a viable method to use, even preferred sometimes, a useful tool in the future of the planet? Didn't Nichiren assert that war was an ultimate indication of the breakdown of Buddhist principles and one of the most central concerns driving his incredible determination? I don't intend to spark a specifically political discussion with this post, outside the relationship politics have to Nichiren Buddhism.Just some thoughts,Armchair
there, mroaks. I'm sorry but such a vapid approach to Buddhism doesn't work for me. What would you have a murderer do? Ponder and meditate upon his crime?
Murder and other crimes have legal consequences as well as karmic consequences. I don't see how mroaks is arguing against that. Even if one escapes legal consequences, karmic consequences can never be escaped. Please elaborate on why you think that's vapid.Here in Colorado, some people go beyond claiming that life begins at conception. They argue that even birth control (prevention of conception) is equivalent to murder.Preventing pregnancy, or terminating pregnancy at one week is just not the same as terminating pregnancy in the third trimester or gunning someone down in a robbery, or gunning someone down on the battlefield in war, or driving drunk and killing someone. Buddhism takes into account a huge number of variables -- intent, circumstances, karma -- but the individual must nonetheless bear the consequences of his or her actions. I don't see how that's vapid.
...solving the mysteries of birth and death at the ballot box. McCain says life starts at conception. That settles it!
Well, not too testy. This is a complex, timely topic. I too would like to see more Buddhists weigh in. Did you see this? Nancy Pelosi is in hot water with the Catholic Church because she said the church does not know for a fact that life begins at conception:
This issue isn't going away any time soon.Hola,Mroaks, you say that because Sen. McCain says that life begins at conception, to you, that makes it so with no further discussion? How interesting!! You must have *such a high opinion of him!! I respect that.I do have a question for you, though, since this man was tortured for years in Viet Nam and has publicly acknowledged that it did no good whatsoever in getting him to give out information, and made him suffer terribly, how do you feel that he now advocates torture as a viable information gathering tool? All research has indicated that torture not only psychologically damages the victim, without providing usuable information, but also deeply harms the psychology of the torturer.I would submit that the issue of torture is germane to our collective concerns as Buddhists, is it not? And I don't mean to be prickly or offensive. I just would like your considered take on this subject, should you have the time and inclination to address it.With respect,Armchair
In another lifetime, I was a guest of Jimmy Carter for his acceptance speech at Madison Square Garden (l976). Yesterday I blogged from an activist forum at the DNC. I am dumbstruck by the loss of innocence. My own and theirs.The Barrack thing strikes me as cultish, remniscent of my own experience with Buddhism. Even though I temporarily reacted to the emotionalism of Michelle's speech, upon reflection it seemed calculated.While John McCain used to appear more authentic, I cannot bear to watch him today. Cynthia McKinney may be a nut, nevermind her deliberate extremism. A collegue told me when she worked for Ralph Nader he was 24/7 stoned, before we knew what 24/7 meant. It is hard to decide if absolute power corrupts, or power corrupts absolutely.
(That's a joke) As a society we have to decide how we are going to address life-and-death issues such as abortion, capital punishment, and how best to defend our country. I don't see how saying life doesn't begin or end contributes to the discussion. In fact to me it seems to be saying we can end a life anytime we want because it doesn't really end.If we don't decide by voting or some other mundane means, how are we going to decide? Is Ikeda, or the Dalai Lama, or the Pope going to decide for us?"Terminating pregnancy at one week is just not the same as terminating pregnancy in the third trimester..." Why isn't it? I don't understand what this sliding scale is based on.
I picked Obama because he is the candidate I am going to vote for. But none of them are more or less "Buddhist" for the simple reason that not one of them practices Buddhism, to my knowledge. How can you be described as any degree of "Buddhist" if you don't practice?It may be possible to argue over whose known policies and opinions are more SIMILAR to those "a Buddhist" might espouse. But first you have to decide who "a Buddhist" is. The ONLY attribute you can accurately apply to more than one Buddhist is the fact that they practice some form of Buddhism. Once a definition of "Buddhist" is agreed upon, you next get to argue about who is practicing "true" Buddhism. When that is settled, the next fight will be over who is practicing "true" Buddhism "correctly"! After that, who has the "true mentor." Then who practices "enough." Followed by who practices with the right thoughts in mind (or should it be no thoughts?). And on and on...Kosen Rufu should be an interesting time. Politics will probably look a lot like "herding Buddhist cats."
Hey, I suggest that one of you start a new diary if/when you want to continue the abortion debate. Maybe you can spell out your views in a more comprehensive way and invite others to comment as well. Thx.