Buddhism and the challenges of secularisation: Modern Buddhist movements

 

·        The Thai Forest Tradition (Peter Harvey) originated in the 1900s; it attempts to uphold a traditional form of Buddhism, closely related to the dharma and lifestyle the Buddha lived. The tradition began with two Dhammayut monks who wandered the Thai countryside out of their desire to practice monasticism according to the standard of classical Buddhism. In the daily life of monastics, followers reach a true understanding of meditative techniques and how to eradicate defilements (“kilesas”) in order to attain awakening (nirvana). The tradition has an anti-textual stance because Forest teachers prefer to apply Buddhist practices on the go, rather than always comparing. They strictly observe the Vinaya. This differs from the traditional Thai sangha: some focus on chanting and ceremonies; some focus on study and intellectual pursuits; or on practice and healing; the difference depends on how well the Vinaya is upheld.

 

·        The Amaravati Movement was established in the 1980s, inspired by the Thai Forest Tradition. The purpose of the movement is to provide a place of practice for monastics, free from all mental suffering. It provides the opportunity for guests and visitors to develop mindfulness, to explore spiritual teachings, and to contribute to the life of the community. In Britain, the Sangha is located at the Eastern end of the Chiltern Hills in South-East England. The structure of the Sangha is that there are usually between 20-30 monks and nuns in residence. The community also has angarikas, who wear white, observe the 8 precepts, and who have made commitments to train for at least a year. In the daily life of the Sangha, the day begins/ends with silent contemplation together, and there is some time for individual practice. They seek to uphold traditional Buddhist values by its reliance on offerings of food from the laity.

 

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·        Socially Engaged Buddhism is a movement that offers a contemporary re-interpretation of the dharma to reflect societal issues. It focuses on structural shifts in the economic life, I.T. and geopolitics of the early C20th. The movement originates from Classical Buddhism: both the Theravada Pali Canon and the extracanonical material (I.e. Lotus Sutra) contain teachings about social service to others. The sangha is upheld as an example of social action, and a paragon of equality. In Third Century BCE, Emperor Ashoka was converted to Buddhism and used teachings to create a peaceful social policy (e.g. 12^th Edict).

·        The 5 Moral Precepts are re-interpreted. The precept of taking what is not given is interpreted in terms of economic justice for workers and developing countries. The precept of sexual misconduct concerns the global exploitation of women by male hierarchies, as well as the global traffic in pornography. The precept of abstaining from substances that cloud the mind has led Sivaraksa (a famous Socially Engaged Buddhist) to consider the economic addiction of third world farmers to the production of heroin, coco, tobacco, as well as products that cloud the mind, for "in Buddhism, a clear mind is a precious gem" (1993).

·        An example of Socially Engaged Buddhism is Environmentalism (e.g. protecting trees from deforestation): Macy suggests that, due to teachings regarding Samsara as the place where sentient beings are reborn/suffer, Buddhists have an obligation to care for the environment. Another example is the Anti-Vietnam war movement: Thich Nhat Hanh founded peace-oriented educational and religious institutions during the war, led anti-war protests, published books, and lobbied internationally. In 1963, photographs of a burning monk on a Saigon street appeared in media.

·        Social liberation is a movement seeking equal rights and status for a group; liberationists are those who seek liberation through disestablishment of the structures of society (removing things that are unfair). This is an example of Socially Engaged Buddhism because: they fight against exploitation and oppression; they fight for equality of the sexes and nations; the Anti-Vietnam war is an example of how they seem to liberate people from militant force.