Buddhism and Politics

This is a talk about Buddhism and politics, given by Ajahn Brahm after returning from a conference for the Australian Sanga Association. He talks about the perception that Buddhism is seen as non-challenging and irrelevant to politics, but believes that Buddhism has a lot to contribute to society and make a difference in political processes. However, he does not support monks getting directly involved in politics, but rather encourage responsibility and compassion from a distance. He also discusses the importance of sincerity and ethics in politics. Buddhism has a strong ethical code that emphasizes compassion and inner peace. The focus on compassion leads to strong friendships among Buddhist communities, and this compassion can also be applied to politics. Buddhist ethics are resilient and can last longer in the political world compared to other systems. Buddhism teaches to bend the faith to fit the truth, not the other way around, and this process-driven approach is beneficial in politics. Buddhist communities have a democratic structure, which some argue has influenced modern democracy. Buddhism has a long history of democratic values, stemming from the ancient tradition of democratic decision-making in monasteries. The process of democracy, patience, and reflection are important in Buddhism and can be used to defuse anger and create harmony. — This dhamma talk was originally recorded in 11th July 2008. It has now been remastered and published by the Everyday Dhamma Network, and will be of interest to his many fans. These talks by Ajahn Brahm have been recorded and made available for free distribution by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia under the Creative Commons licence. You can support the Buddhist Society of Western Australia by pledging your support via their Ko-fi page.