Engaged Buddhism: Buddhism in Action
Engaged Buddhism is a branch of Buddhism that actively applies Buddhist principles to address social and environmental issues. Instead of solely focusing on personal spiritual growth, Engaged Buddhists believe in using their understanding of suffering, compassion, and interconnectedness to bring about positive change in the world.
Key Principles of Engaged Buddhism:
- Compassionate Action: Buddhists believe in extending compassion beyond oneself to include all beings. Engaged Buddhists put this belief into action by working to alleviate suffering in society.
- Social Justice: This involves addressing issues like poverty, inequality, racism, and discrimination.
- Environmental Stewardship: Recognizing the interconnectedness of all life, Engaged Buddhists work to protect the environment and promote sustainability.
- Peace and Non-Violence: Based on Buddhist principles of non-violence (ahimsa), Engaged Buddhists advocate for peaceful resolutions to conflict and promote understanding between different groups.
Examples of Engaged Buddhist Activities:
- Social activism: Participating in protests, lobbying for policy changes, and supporting social justice organizations.
- Community service: Volunteering at homeless shelters, food banks, or other community-based initiatives.
- Environmental activism: Organizing clean-up efforts, promoting sustainable living, and advocating for environmental protection.
- Education and awareness: Teaching others about Buddhist principles and their application to social issues.
In essence, Engaged Buddhism is about living one’s Buddhist practice in a way that benefits both oneself and society. It’s a powerful movement that demonstrates the relevance of Buddhism in today’s world.
It is said that the two arms of the Dhamma are compassion and wisdom. Through wisdom we see our connection with all things and with compassion our hearts open. Using mindfulness and in the quiet of formal practice we witness an inner transformation that allows more easily for well intentioned action in the world. This is the grounding for social engagement from a Buddhist perspective.Â
Our attention is called to many difficult outer conditions such as the climate crisis, systemic racism, social and economic inequity, homelessness, immigration and refugee issues, LGBTQ rights, sexism and misogyny, and a growing nuclear weapons buildup.
Responding to these conditions from the ground of practice provides a way to engage with less ego and anger, and more kindness and understanding.
Groups and Dedicated Resources
Please click the links below to learn more about how we are expanding our efforts to engage compassionately and wisely with our communities and how you can get involved. We welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please email our Engaged Buddhism lead to discuss and explore ideas. We look forward to hearing from you.
The Climate Action Group at SIMS was started in May of 2018 by a few sangha members concerned about the climate crisis. We were interested in working within our sangha and from the ground of our Dhamma practice to learn, understand, connect, and, with wise intention and view, take appropriate actions.
We meet monthly, have sponsored several programs at SIMS, and facilitated Tim Geil, one of our guiding teachers, in giving annual climate crisis-related Dhamma talks each April, the month during which Earth Day is celebrated. We have an online bulletin board with our mission, goals, and meeting notes, as well as a variety of resources to deepen understanding of climate change issues and how to take meaningful action.Â
As Dhamma practitioners, we are dedicated to understanding suffering and the end of suffering. The root of suffering is the illusion of a separate, isolated sense of self. Racism is a profound manifestation of the separation between self and other. By creating a separate self, we create an other to defend against and to oppress and control. Healing racism is Dhamma work.Â
We must seek to understand and heal the racism in our own hearts. We must act with wisdom and compassion, confronting and uprooting all aspects of racism. It requires inner transformation and outer action.
There are other social issues, besides the Climate crisis and Racism we face, such as homelessness, immigration/refugee rights, poverty, food scarcity, addiction, LGBTQIA rights, and others.
We are interested in helping to create groups around issues you care deeply about. We invite you to share work you’re already engaged in and/or hear suggestions you may have for new projects or groups.Â
Check out our growing list of opportunities to engage with other sangha members to benefit others.
If you wish to suggest other projects or groups, please contact our Engaged Buddhism lead or fill out this form. We would love to hear from you either way and discuss how SIMS can support these efforts
More Activities/Organizations to Lend a Hand
Since its inception in 1990, Noel House Programs has offered safe, comfortable shelter to a diverse community of homeless women. Over the years, their efforts on behalf of homeless women have grown to include a variety of services, including a Women’s Referral Center, 5 volunteer-run shelters & 2 staffed shelters. Noel House Programs refers anywhere from 150-250 women nightly to these shelters, offers nightly meal service, and case management at the main Noel House shelter in downtown Seattle.
 In total, Noel House Programs assists 92 women with nightly shelter, 20 women with permanent housing, 180 women with nightly emergency shelter referrals, and 60 women with a summer shelter from May – September. They have a new family shelter in Bellevue that has a 50 person capacity.
Please direct questions to Cubba Reese.
Green Buildings Now is a grassroots project in response to the moral imperative that we address the climate crisis in our own backyard. Several faith communities and other concerned citizens have created a fund to help historically marginalized communities benefit from the transition to clean energy, specifically focusing on the future Bethany United Church of Christ (BUCC) Community Resilience Hub on the Beacon Hill campus of BUCC.
The Resilience Hub will offer a safe place for residents during extreme heat, wildfire smoke and other climate-related emergencies. Solar panels and batteries have been installed, and planning is underway to weatherize buildings and replace oil and gas heating systems with fossil-fuel-free heat pumps.
The SIMS Climate Action Group believes this is a worthy project to support and partner with, as it so beautifully combines social/environmental justice with solutions that can be scaled to address the climate crisis. More than 70 percent of Beacon Hill residents identify as Black, Indigenous, multiracial or people of color, according to the Beacon Hill Council, which is working with Bethany UCC and El Centro de la Raza to foster creation of a network of community resilience hubs.
Green Buildings Now invites individuals and organizations to become supporters and partners either by joining in some of the committee work and/or through donations. For more information about the project and how you can get involved, please contact Nora Langan at noralangan@msn.com.
For more information about climate action at Seattle Insight, check out the Climate Action Group page.
Make a Suggestion - Ask Questions!
If you wish to suggest other projects or groups, please contact our Engaged Buddhism lead or fill out this form. We would love to hear from you either way and discuss how SIMS can support these efforts.
