Engaged Buddhism Can Be a World Affecting Force

News outlets around the world are reporting that nearly a thousand Buddhist monks in Myanmar (previously Burma) marched through the city of Yangon in protest. This act of Engaged Buddhism was applauded by the people of the country and prompted thousands to form a human shield to protect the monks. The saffron robed monks gathered at Shwedagon pagoda before the march that took them to the Sule Pagoda and the U.S. Embassy.

Some monks carried their black alms (begging) bowls upside down in a symbol of protest. The Myanmar words for protest is derived from the words for that gesture. Alms offered by individuals in the military and their families are being refused. This is done as a religious boycott against the actions of the regime in Myanmar.

Jailing of monks, beatings and injustices carried out by the military regime culminated in the Buddhist monks joining the citizens.

Engaged Buddhism is Buddhists and non-Buddhists, monks and laymen actively and nonviolently performing acts of civil disobedience to improve the plight of man and the planet. The term originated with Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Master and pioneer of the movement. He teaches that Buddhists should not stand apart from the problems of the world, but instead should apply the Teachings of the Dharma and meditation to help solve them. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama said, "Each of us has the responsibility for all of mankind."

Tzu Chi, started in 1966 by Taiwanese Master Cheng Yen, is a global organization that provides medical assistance to anyone regardless of ability to pay. Members are also active in other non-profits devoted to environmental concerns, bone marrow donations, and more.

A Thai Buddhist monk, Phrakhru Pitak Nanthakhun formally sanctified a community forest in 1991. The ordination of the trees, important to many villages, protected them from the ravages of lumber companies.

Thich Nhat Hanh first put Engaged Buddhism to the test in Vietnam during the war. He formed the School of Youth for Social Services and sent out young Buddhists to help refugees, to rebuild destroyed villages, and protest to end the war. For his efforts he was exiled from the country. In 1967, Martin Luther King nominated Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Now Engaged Buddhism is strong in the West and around the world. It is a force against wars, social injustice, poverty and environmental issues. Buddhism is no more an insular teaching where devotees are interested only in the search for enlightenment.