2022 in the Mirror: How Can the Light of the Dharma Illuminate our Path?
Lyudmila Klasanova
29 December 2022
Taking refuge in impermanence in an unstable world
Our world, our communities, and our very survival as a species are being challenged by imminent crises on multiple fronts: environmental collapse, societal and economic inequality, the rise of nationalism and authoritarianism, warfare and conflict, and the ongoing pandemic, to name a few.
BDG’s special issue for 2022: Buddhism in a Divided World is published in collaboration with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists and Jungto Society, who will hold their biennial international conference with the same theme in October this year. Buddhism in a Divided World seeks to examine these issues and the ways in which Buddhists can respond, both internally as a part of their personal practice and externally as socially engaged Buddhists, for the benefit of all sentient beings.
The unequivocal need for a profound transformation of our temporal and spiritual lives—the ways in which we live; how we perceive and interact with the world around us—has never been more urgent. We hope that you will join us in sharing and exploring the solutions and changes that are needed to manifest a more compassionate, caring, and sustainable global civilization that recognizes and respects the innate and fundamental interconnectedness of all life.
This page will be updated regularly throughout 2022.
Taking refuge in impermanence in an unstable world
Inviting each of us to check in with our hearts and ask what we can do in these perilous times
The philosophy of Buddhist economics and the path to a sustainable civilization
The Korean Seon master Ven. Pomnyun Sunim shares his perspective on engaged Buddhist in the recent 20th Biennial Conference of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists
Harsha Navaratne, chair of the executive committee of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, presents a vision for compassionate social change
The International Network of Engaged Buddhists and Jungto Society hold a prayer for a compassionate and united world for all beings at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
An examination of the need for solidarity and compassion on the path to fundamental change
Looking at how Buddhism has treated nationalism, from ancient empires to modern countries and contemporary movements
Applying the Buddhist wisdom of the vastness of time and the importance of refuge to the reality of our current climate crisis
A conversation on the Buddhist view on biodiversity, respect for wildlife, and ecological conservation
A dialogue on renewable energy and sustainable living from the perspective of engaged Buddhism
Relying on the noble truths of socially engaged Buddhism amid this tangled karma
Lighting a beacon of hope to illuminate the darkness of inequality and environmental crises
Can Buddhists and others wake up to the reality of our collective self-destruction before it is too late?
A conversation on Buddhism in contemporary society and the role of engaged Buddhism in the face of human-made global crises.
In a world fraught with division, the immigration crisis allows us to recognize our connections and practice our deepest values
Tracing the maturation of the Dharma in himself and in the West, John Harvey Negru points us into the future with his hopes for the growth of Buddhist chaplaincy
A meditation on the dilemma of engaged Buddhism
Relying on Buddhist wisdom to work through the complex emotions stirred up by the climate crisis and war
A wrathful emanation of Tara, who protects from war and other obstacles with or without form
Exploring the intersection of peace, justice, and loving-kindness
Facing the formidable demons of our time.