My name is Amaro Bhikkhu, I am a Buddhist, I am concerned about justice peace and the integrity of creation because all of these are seriously at risk in these current times.
In Buddhism our vision of justice comprises nonviolence, truthfulness, a respect for the lives and property of others, and an appreciation of the laws of cause and effect. All of these qualities are benefited by the presence of mindfulness, a caring attunement to the time, the place and the situation.
Peace is understood to come from not just laws and social standards, but also from the attitudes and composure of people’s minds.
One of our Buddhist Scriptures is called the Dhammapada and it says;
‘Let the discerning person guard the mind.
A guarded mind brings happiness.
Neither mother, father, nor any other relative can do one greater good
than one's own well-directed mind.’ (Dhp 36 & 43)
From the Buddhist perspective Nature is considered to be of one fabric, an infinite interrelated variety of living and elemental factors, all of which interact and depend upon each other. If one part is poisoned or damaged it intrinsically affects all the others; if one part is enriched or enhanced it will affect all the other parts too.
Irrespective of the way that each faith describes its concerns and values, I think that we can agree that we all share this life together just as we all share this earth, this universe. Accordingly, the more that each of our faiths can strengthen its commitment to supporting the quality of justice (fairness not only in human society but also including the integrity of all creation), the more we can devote ourselves to peaceful resolution of our differences as well as finding peace within ourselves, the more that we can all genuinely respect the life and well-being of the entire ecosphere, then our faiths can be said to be working together in a blessed and effective way for the benefit of all beings.
More articles by Ajahn Amaro
Mindfulness and Buddhism in the West
Ajahn Amaro
A talk given at The Humanities Center, Ho Center for Buddhist Studies, Stanford University, California, on November 7th, 2018 When we consider Buddhism and Mindfulness – what are the prospects? What are the challenges? What can we look forward to?... Citește mai mult
Znalezienie doskonałej równowagi
Ajahn Amaro
LEGENDA: – Arhat, Arahat, Arahant – „ten, który zniszczył wrogów (skazy)”, godny, jeden ze stopni świętości (Ariya) na ścieżce do wyzwolenia, – Bodhisatta (zapis palijski), Bodhisattwa (skr.) – istota dążąca do Przebudzenia – sutty (zapis palijski), sutry (zapis sanskrycki) –... Citește mai mult
Reflections on mettā
Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Sucitto, Ajahn Amaro, Ajahn Jayasaro
The Practice of Mettā by Luang Por Sumedho There is a great lack of mettā in the world today because we have overdeveloped our critical faculties: we constantly analyze and criticize. We dwell on what is wrong with ourselves,... Citește mai mult
A Listening Heart
Ajahn Amaro
During this period of the coronavirus pandemic, and the worldwide lockdown of millions of people, great acts of self-sacrifice are being carried out all around us. Nurses and doctors, carers of many kinds and support staff, have literally died for... Citește mai mult
Heavenly Messages
Ajahn Amaro
These are frightening times. The uncertainty and stress in the air on account of the coronavirus pandemic is palpable and, at least for our human family, life as we know it has been radically disrupted. Furthermore, the menace of that... Citește mai mult
A Currency of Well-being
Ajahn Amaro
The need to have a corrective to the broad assumptions (usually unexamined) of how an economy works has become a real issue for us.’ Martin Palmer, 1-2-18 This article was written at the request of Martin Palmer, an... Citește mai mult