Beginner’s Mind is a special project collecting insightful essays written by US college students who have attended experiential-learning courses related to Buddhism. Some of the authors identify as Buddhists, for others it is their first encounter with the Buddhadharma. All are sharing reflections and impressions on what they’ve learned, how it has impacted their lives, and how they might continue to engage with the teaching.
Peyton Nakagawara wrote this essay for her Buddhist Modernism course at the University of Southern California. Peyton is a freshman majoring in Human Biology and a member of the women’s soccer team at USC.
No-Self and Social Suffering
I initially selected this course because the description spoke of an application of Buddhism that I had never heard of before. I am no expert in the Buddhist religion, and prior to this class I had a very basic understanding of the religion and the different practices of Buddhists. I was especially curious to see how Buddhist practices could be applied to more modern topics and in modern contexts, since most of what I had previously learned about Buddhism made it feel like a relatively dated religion, quite separate from the “modern” world.
I was particularly interested in how Buddhism could be applied to social activism, especially in Western societies where Buddhism has not had a dominant influence on social movements. Overall, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the practices and teachings that Buddhists use and learn from beyond meditation, and to understand how they could be applied in today’s political climate.
Throughout the many readings and videos that we learned from during the semester, I think that the most interesting were the readings about Buddhist justice and American justice, and about Buddhist economics. The readings about Buddhist justice and American justice better explained how Buddhist nonviolent principles could be applied in the context of protesting in order to bring about social change. I specifically resonated with a quote that stated:
“What good is an enlightened being if they turn their back on the world?”*
This quote brought up an extremely interesting point that helped to demonstrate how studying and practicing to become enlightened can be applied to help the world become a better place. By utilizing the Buddhist teachings and practices, individuals can find relief from the suffering and desires that come with this world, and are able to attain enlightenment. But the teachings don’t stop there; enlightened individuals must continue to spread the knowledge they have gained through enlightenment to help others reach this way of life.
These class readings also highlighted the importance of civil disobedience within the Buddhist context—specifically through the principles of faith and vigor, the absence of greed and anger, and the intention to do no harm. By following these principles, individuals are able to invoke the same changes effected through conventional acts of disobedience, while remaining peaceful and adhering to the Buddhist way of life.
Additionally, in our readings on Buddhist economics, one point that stood out to me explored the reasons why we work and pour ourselves into our labors. From the perspective of Buddhist economics, we work to purify the human character and to develop oneself into a better person, in contrast with the modern economist way of thinking, which views labor as merely a means to generate wealth and capital in order to satisfy desires. I think that this was an incredibly insightful way of thinking about society and labor that I had not considered before.
Because Buddhism does not value material goods or consumption in the same way as conventional society, “success” is not determined by overconsumption or the accumulation of goods. Rather it is determined by overall well-being with the least amount of consumption. By shedding light on this alternative way of thinking and living, we gain a new perspective on what success could look like, and how differently society could be shaped if Buddhist norms and values were applied.
Acknowledging and addressing my internal desires, both material and non-material, has helped me become more aware of how I would like to change the way I view the world and those around me. Specifically, I appreciated the part about success as defined by Buddhist economics, as I feel that this has opened up to me a different approach to success and consumption. By viewing certain aspects of life in a way that values how it can shape me into a better being, rather than help me to accumulate the most capital, I will be able to live a happier life with less desire, and therefore with less suffering. However, because the society in which we live in does place much value and importance on consumption, it is only to be expected that those things are still desired.
So while these desires cannot completely disappear or be rejected, it is important that they not be our main focus, and that we also emphasize personal learning and development in order to bring forth success. This is, ultimately, a principle that I hope to bring into my life so that I am not so caught up with monetary concerns, but instead focus on becoming the best version of myself. Then, maybe, certain aspects of modern “success” will follow along with it.
Ultimately, I think the question I continue to ponder is how to fully immerse oneself in a mindset of non-self—to become free from suffering within a society that looks down on what that lifestyle looks like. Although we might say that we want to rid ourselves of desire and thus suffering, within our Western society, this way of life is perceived in a way that isn’t always positive. So how must we go about this? How does one immerse oneself and reach a point where what the opinions of those around us don’t affect our choices and the way we go about life? How can one reach this point so that they might attain enlightenment and share their knowledge with the rest of society, so that society as a whole can grow and move beyond the social issues we face today?
If I were to describe this Buddhist Modernism course in a single phrase, it would be “an alternative way of viewing the world and our interactions with it.”
* Magazine Articles and Podcast Appearances (Buddhist Justice Reporter)
Related features from BDG
Awake – Returning to the World with Clarity and Compassion
Three Dogs
Heterodoxy, Pluralism, or Buddhist Economics?
