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Buddhists, like many people in the United
States, are concerned about urgent social issues of the day:
war in Iraq, terrorism, lower-paying jobs, an increasing class
divide, deteriorating schools, and vanishing civil liberties.
We have come to Boston and New York to participate in the
national political process, and to bear witness at the Democratic
and Republican conventions.
The Buddha's simple message is, "I
teach about suffering and the end of suffering." In the
21st century this means that our spiritual practice requires
us to engage in the politics of our
time. But we offer something different: a radical practice
of mindfulness that informs our
views and actions. Therefore we sit in meditation near each
convention.
- We meditate because we know that violence only begets
violence:
History teaches again and again that violence is the
fruit of violence. Racism,
poverty, and all kinds of oppression wound as deeply as
guns and bombs. In the
words of a song, "When will we ever learn?"
- We meditate because waging war in the name of religion
makes no sense:
Religion represents the spiritual yearning we all share
as humans. We see it as a
force that unites us, not as one that cuts us off from one
another.
- We meditate because the enduring foundation of world
peace is inner peace: The way we make peace in our own
minds, use the gifts of our bodies, and touch
our innate compassion is exactly how the inner world flowers
into the wide field
of society.
We hold these truths to be self-evident.
Yet they are hard truths to live up to. Consider the
well-being of the generations to come: What will their future
be if we fail to take care of the present? Faced with such
challenges, one naturally sits down.
In meditation we calm our minds, settle our
bodies, and shed our selfish preoccupations. We take a step
into the unknown and look around. Then we are able to engage
the world with new energy to speak and act for the benefit
of everyone. We invite convention delegates, friends from
every spiritual tradition, activists, and even skeptics to
join us in meditation and the ceaseless work of peace.
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