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Buddhism & Politics

Why go there, right? Buddhism & Politics.


As long as I’ve been a Buddhist practitioner, most of the western Sangha has told me that Buddhism & Politics don’t mix. At all.

“As long as the Vajjians hold regular and frequent assemblies, meet in harmony, conduct their affairs in harmony, and disperse in harmony, they may be expected to prosper and not decline… As long as they do not revoke the ancient traditions, they may be expected to prosper and not decline.” — Mahāparinibbāna Sutta

And yet…as a Buddhologist, a scholar who specializes in Buddhism and its history, I was shown something different. That in every moment of its history, Buddhism had a very close relationship with politics, with power and with rulers.

“Thus, by giving land to the landless, capital to those who needed it, and sustenance to those who labored, the king alleviated poverty and created conditions in which crime and unrest decreased without harsh punishments. In doing so, prosperity increased for all.” — Kutadanta Sutta

I suspect that the myth that Buddhism and Politics don’t mix comes from ignoring two key aspects of Buddhist thought: first, the history of Buddhist expansion, which includes alliances, disputes and outright wars, both in the past and in the present.

“The righteous king who reveres this sublime teaching Rescues beings from suffering and creates the conditions for peace; Through virtue and generosity, they dispel the world’s misfortunes, And their domain flourishes like a lotus in clear water.”— Suvarṇaprabhāsottama Sūtra

Second, it comes from ignoring interdependence. How can something be wholly apart from the conditions that it arises?

“The Bodhisattva-King, seeing the sufferings of the people, Embraces them with great compassion and skillful means.By removing injustice, supporting the needy, and promoting virtue, He leads both himself and his subjects toward enlightenment.” — Ārya Rājanivādanāma Mahāyāna Sūtra

And then, last week, His Holiness the Dalai Lama suddenly weighed in on immigration in Europe. This is not something unexpected; the office of the Dalai Lama has always been politically active. This idea of separation of church and state is a Christian idea that came from Europe’s enlightenment. It’s not a Buddhist idea.


You can say, of course: but I’m a Western Buddhist. For me, this separation makes sense. And that’s wonderful, but are you thinking how to reconcile a system of thought that does not rely on separateness, but interdependence into your life?


To help with this, we’ve set up a talk this Saturday.

It’s going to be on Zoom, so you can access it from anywhere.


It’s open for all. We’ll talk, discuss, and think about the relationship between Buddhism and politics.


You can sign up for the talk here.


See you there!





 
 
 

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Burn, Mara Burn

Yes, the time has come again.

The time when we gather to roast Mara and practice to liberate Samsara.

We liked the Portland experience so much last year that this year it's the official Mara Roast Location!

We'll be there from September 29 through October 4, doing teachings, yogas and sorceries together!

Ok, so where in Portland, OR?

Guru Prajwal's temple, near Hawthorne and Chavez.

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1405 SE 40th Avenue Portland OR 97214-4406

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What is going to be taught?

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Ok, there is a cost, right? And what does it cover?

Yes, sadly there is a cost.

It takes money and effort to travel, translate and host, so we need to ask for your collaboration. This will cover the cost of the teachings; they're five days full of teachings you will literally not find anywhere else. 

You have to provide your food and lodgins; we will give the teachings, plus all the files and documents you need to practice.

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As an aside, we will define one session to be streamed, but most of it won't. This is an encounter; we want to meet and practice together. There's plenty of teachings every month online, but this is different.

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The cost is going to be on a sliding window; why? Because there's a limit to the space that we have and we need to set everything up beforehand. 

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For March, the Early Bird ticket is $650 for everything.

April to July, the ticket is $750.

August and September is going to be $900. So get in early!

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You can get your ticket right here.

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Oh, I want to participate, but I can't afford it.

We understand. We also wanted to practice and it took time and effort. 

There's a scholarship option.

This covers two things:

1-The lodging: There's a chance to crash in the temple. The space is limited and you should bring a sleeping bag, but it's doable.

2-The teachings: There's limited teaching space, but if you want to come, we'll try to make you room.

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The only thing we need to emphasize is that everything is limited. We will need to make a decision, and it will be nothing personal if we cannot grant you either or both of them. But we need to make sure that the event is viable. Please do not sign up via paypal if you selected a scholarship option until we get back to you. 

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The scholarship form is here:

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Mara Roast 2025 - Scholarship form

This is the form to participate of the Mara Roast via Scholarship. Please do not sign up on the Paypal link if you request scholarship until you hear from us; there's a limited space to participate and to teach, so we will have to make a divination on how many scholarship spaces there are.

Scholarship Requested

Last year, there were some cool guides and playlists...

We got you:

See you there!

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