"An urgent need within the Buddhism of our time"
One of the most pressing questions that has been asked since the inception of the Sangha is, to what degree should Buddhist monks be involved in the world? The ongoing crisis in Myanmar has made such a query as relevant as ever, and so this was something I asked of Bhikkhu Bodhi in our recent conversation. In the following excerpt, he maps out his understanding as to where the ethical requirements of Buddhist monastics should end, as well as where they begin.
“This becomes a responsibility of monastics in our present age, [and] politics is the platform on which major moral contests are being waged in our time.”
“As far as the idea of monks becoming politically active, I don't think it's proper - thinking of the situation in this country, the United States - for monastics to campaign for candidates, to endorse candidates, to run for political office themselves. But I think, in our current situation, people look to religious leaders, to clergy, in Christianity, they look to priests and ministers, and in Jewish religion, they look to rabbis, to be something of to be a moral voice, to be the channels for expressing a conscientious point of view that accords with and is grounded in the religion that they follow. And it seems to me that this becomes a responsibility of monastics in our present age, [and] politics is the platform on which major moral contests are being waged in our time.
In this country, as well, the question, for example, [of] whether people are going to get health care, whether there'll be a universal system of health care, so that people won't have to be rejected by hospitals and by doctors, because they're not able to cover the health care that they need; whether we're going to take action to address climate change, to prevent the entire devastation of the geophysical system of this planet; whether we're going to put an end to police brutality. So, these are moral issues, very critical moral issues, and I think it becomes part of the responsibility, maybe not of every monastic, certainly not of every monastic, but of certain monastics who are knowledgeable about these issues, who have a deep foundation or grounding in the Dharma, and who are willing to step out into the open and speak, and to advocate what I would call a moral perspective on these political issues.
Not for the purpose of promoting the power of one group as against other groups. But to condemn that which has to be condemned, because it violates basic and fundamental principles of ethics, to condemn and to criticize policies that are inflicting immense harm and suffering on ordinary people, and to stand up for alternative policies, which have the potential to promote the well-being and happiness of people. So, I would say that this is definitely a responsibility of certain leaders within the monastic order. And so when monastics to come forward and speak up and address issues like that, again, not from the standpoint of promoting certain power interests, but for advocating for morally-grounded policies and programs, that, I would say, is an urgent need within the Buddhism of our time.”