Lwer Wah

Instructor Bandara
Religion 2020-001
12/19/2015
Modern Buddhism: Socially Engaged Buddhism
Today, there are roughly 500 million people practicing Buddhism in the world today, but what is
Buddhism? Buddhism is an ancient religion, also described by some as a philosophy. Buddhism
is known all over the world, but most probably are unaware that modern Buddhism has a few
distinct differences than the traditional form of Buddhism, having modified and reinterpreted
several aspects of traditional Buddhist thought.
Buddhism as a religion originated in Asia thousands of years ago. There are many forms of
Buddhism around the world, but all forms are generally based off the teachings and beliefs of
Gautama Buddha. Gautama Buddha lived roughly over 2500 years ago in Eastern India and was
said to be an enlightened individual. His teachings revolved around a lifestyle that aimed to end
the suffering people endured by removing harmful cravings and ignorance. These two concepts
are still core beliefs in mainstream Buddhism today.
Over time, mainstream Buddhism has incorporated a variety of distinctive traits that differ from
traditional Buddhism. Today, some refer to modern Buddhism as Socially Engaged Buddhism.
This interpretation of Buddhism focuses on finding ways to use Buddhist teachings and insights
gained from meditation to problems in the world. These problems could be almost anything,
ranging from Economic to social issues. The ways Buddhist monks could go about solving these

problems also has a wide variety of manifestations. Buddhist Monks could found charities that
provide for the needy, or open up free clinics to provide medical care for the sick, or even
influence the masses to call for peace during times of war and strife.
The term Socially Engaged Buddhism gained popularity after a Zen Buddhist teacher in Vietnam
named Thch Nht Hnh was inspired by the Buddhist reforms in China and later in Taiwan. This
form of Buddhism was practiced in several regions throughout Asia for a variety of reasons, but
was generally related to times of strife where involvement with the community and society were
needed to hopefully end suffering. There are five individual Buddhist leaders who are excellent
examples of this modern Socially Engaged Buddhism, B.R. Ambedkar, Cheng Yen, Thch Nht
Hnh, A.T. Ariyaratne, and Sulak Sivaraksa.
Originally a Hindu Leader, specifically for the caste of untouchables in India, B. R. Ambedkar
would eventually explore numerous faiths due to no longer being able to tolerate the injustices
the Hindu caste system created and was convinced that reforming the system could not solve the
problem1. Eventually, B. R. Ambedkar would convert to Buddhism, interpreting the teachings of
the Buddha as having the exact purpose of abolishing the same type of suffering the untouchable
caste had been subjugated to. B. R. Ambedkar noted that Buddhist teachings were not concerned
with gods, souls, or the afterlife but simply life here on this earth. However, B. R. Ambedkar did
not incorporate a number of central beleifs into his Buddhist philosophy. He left behind the Four
Noble Truths, karma, rebirth, and the monastic life. As a former Untouchable, B. R. Ambedkars
reasoning for not incorporating these beliefs makes sense. In regards to the Four Noble Truths,
he interpreted them as accounting for only the individual themselves as the cause of suffering,

1 Mitchell, Donald W., Jacoby, Sarah H. Buddhism Introducing the Buddhist

Experience. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014 Pg. 173

not accounting for the actions of those around you. He was afraid that Karma would only
augment any self-blame an untouchable would have instead of placing the blame on a corrupt
caste system. As for the monasitac life, this aspect would be virtually useless to the millions of
impoverished Indians. Regardleess, before he died, Ambedkar had given an opportunity to
millions of untouchables to practice a new form of Indian Buddhism and leave behind the abuses
they faced in the caste system. His converts opened several organizations that focus on changing
the social structure of India through Buddhist teachings.
In Taiwan, one of the main figures of the Buddhist reform was a woman named Cheng Yen.
Cheng Yen became a Buddhist nun at the age of 23 and dedicated her life to helping the less
fortunate and living a simple life herself2. She interpreted the Buddhist teachings as instructions
to go out into the world and act. During this time, Venerable Cheng Yen was assured that the
main reason why there is an immense amount of suffering in the world is because the people of
the world had not awakened to an innate and universal love. She started teaching others this
outlook of the world and promoted acting out of such a universal love so that the world would
become a land of harmony. Venerable Cheng Yen would later establish numerous charities and
free clinics to carry out her beliefs of acting out of a universal love for the betterment of the
world. Her largest organization, the Tzu Chi Foundation, now has over four million members
worldwide and have traveled throughout the globe. The Tzu Chi has eight missions that align
with Cheng Yens beliefs. First, charity work is carried out in where members of the organization
provide food, medical care, spiritual support, and other necessities to those in need. Second, a
network of hospitals and clinics where staff are trained to treat patients as their own family.
Third, a system of education from kindergarten to graduate school. Fourth, publishing and form
2 Mitchell, Donald W., Jacoby, Sarah H. Buddhism Introducing the Buddhist
Experience. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014 Pg. 261

of media that bring their values to more and more people. Fifth, registering bone marrow
donnors, to which is now the worlds third largest. Sixth, a network of International Relief work,
aiding nations all over the world. Seventh, members are to protect the environment. Lastly,
Eighth, members are to volunteer within the community.
Thch Nht Hnh in Vietnam, being inspired by the stories he heard about what was happening in
Taiwan and China, became a lead figure for similar Buddhist practices in Vietnam. He practiced
and taught others a lifestyle of working for peace, healing, and reconciliation. During his
lifetime, Thch Nht Hnh would found several organizations for Socially Engaged Buddhism3.
He founded the School of Youth for Social Service which would later result in being one of the
major outlets for Buddhist social and political engagement during the Vietnam War. Along the
founding of the School of Youth for Social Service, Thch Nht Hnh would also found a new
form of Zen Buddhism referred to as the Order of Interbeing. The Order of Interbeing also
became a good source of Buddhist social and political engagement. During the Vietnam War
itself, Thch Nht Hnh and his fellow Socially Engaged Buddhists called for negotiations to be
the way the war ended instead of ending it with bloodshed, which was widely embraced by the
southern Vietnamese. This desire for an end to bloodshed was not wished for only with the
Vietnamese people in mind. The Buddhist monks also considered the American soldiers as
victims of war. The Buddhist monks performed many good deeds throughout the Vietnam War
due to their Socially Engaged Buddhist philosophies. The Buddhist monks evacuated villagers in
danger of becoming unintended casualties of attacks from both sides, created areas of peace
outside of the villages, worked to reconstruct war-torn villages, cared for orphans and also
provided medical assistance for any and all that crossed their paths. However, most of these
3 Mitchell, Donald W., Jacoby, Sarah H. Buddhism Introducing the Buddhist
Experience. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014 Pg. 104

actions are overshadowed today by the few Buddhist monks who chose self-immolation, lighting
ones self on fire, in order to convince the ones responsible of the widespread suffering to stop
what they were doing. These acts were few and were not a part of Buddhist teachings nor were
they sanctioned by any Buddhist movement.
In Sri Lanka, A.T. Ariyaratne founded the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement to counter the
Westernization of Sri Lanka4. The westernization of Sri Lanka worried many Buddhists as
capitalist economics being introduced into the structure of the country had the effect of making
an individual more focused on their own material wealth and less on the wellbeing of those
around them. The Sarvodaya Shramadana movement aimed to create a society where poverty
and affluence were nonexistent, through sharing both time and labor for the betterment of
society. Those who practice this lifestyle share all that they have with those in need, which can
be organized on a larger scale to enact both social and economic change. Ariyaratne guided this
work by interpreting the Four Divine Abodes as loving kindness applies to everyone, leading to
compassion for those in need. Joy later comes from seeing aid being given, and equanimity helps
those continue aiding others unaffected by praise, blame, gain, or loss.
In Thailand, a Buddhist monk by the name of Sulak Sivaraksa was concerned with the effect
powerful forces both within and outside of Thailand would have on Thai communities and the
environmental life of Thailand. His concerns are well justified, as many of these forces have
created economies that force people out of villages to work in slum conditions within the cities
and have deforested much of Thailands natural beauty and have had a negative effect on those
trying to live in the countryside. The situation has degraded to such a horrendous state that many

4 Mitchell, Donald W., Jacoby, Sarah H. Buddhism Introducing the Buddhist

Experience. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014 Pg. 99

families have to sell their daughters to the prostitution industry, Thailand having one of the
biggest in the world. Hoping to build a healthy community with, Sulak Sivaraksa founded a
number of organizations that attempt to address the problems facing Thai society. One
organization founded tries to link Thai people to one another in order to provide for specific
economic need all while saving resources, protecting the Thai environment, and teaching cultural
values. Sulak Sivaraksa reinterprets Buddhist principles with a modern perspective in order to
guide the efforts of the organizations that he has founded5. Such as interpreting the first precept
in the Five Precepts as more than just not to take a life. To Sulak Sivaraksa this means not to
restrain people from decent livings, depleting soil, contaminating water sources, polluting the air,
participate in deforestation practices, or waste while people are perishing from starvation. Sulak
Sivaraksa believed that the entire essence of Buddhism revolved around selflessness with
exploitation being impossible.
In conclusion, Buddhism is an ancient way of life practiced by hundreds of millions of people
today, but modern Buddhism is different than traditional Buddhism. Referred to as Socially
Engaged Buddhism, this form of Buddhist philosophy attempts to address and solve virtually any
issues within the world through engaging with society while practicing and teaching Buddhist
teachings. Many social reform and humanitarian movements throughout Asia have these modern
Buddhist leaders at the center of their being. B.R. Abdekar founded a new wave of Indian
Buddhism that focused on elevating the quality of life for those stuck in the Untouchable cate of
Indias caste system. Cheng Yen dedicated her life to helping the poor and less fortunate in
Taiwan which later inspired Thch Nht Hnh to attempt to find a peaceful end to the Vietnam
War for both parties while aiding the Vietnamese citizens caught in the conflict. In Sri Lanka,
5 Mitchell, Donald W., Jacoby, Sarah H. Buddhism Introducing the Buddhist
Experience. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014 Pg. 101

A.T. Ariyaratne founded humanitarian organizations to counter the Westernization of the country
and to attempt to rekindle compassion for others. Lastly, Sulak Sivaraksa founded a number of
organizations to counter the side effects of all the economic interest regarding Thailand. These
five individuals all show how Socially Engaged Buddhism has modified traditional Buddhist
practice in order to address the social sufferings in their nations and have help elevate millions of
lives.

Bibliography

Mitchell, Donald W., Jacoby, Sarah H. Buddhism Introducing the Buddhist Experience. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2014