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Last week, an old friend in Australia confided in me that he was no longer a formal Christian, and had been exploring his longtime interest in Buddhism. Yet something was holding him back from formally converting, that is, taking refuge. That got me thinking about what it really meant to be “Buddhist,” especially in an age where deeper reflection amidst unending information, communication, and reaction is more important than ever.
I was recently at the fourth “Samvad” conclave, which ran from 14–16 February in Bangkok and Krabi, Thailand. This is the most recent iteration of the Vivekananda International Foundation’s (VIF) and International Buddhist Confederation’s (IBC) interface for Hindus and Buddhists, as well as Indian Buddhists and international groups (the latter form the majority of attendees at the conclave). Among these organization heads and representatives were delegates from INEB, with whom I had the pleasure of catching up with at length. INEB has long been engaged with developing an expression of engaged Buddhism that works in Asian societies and cultures, first in Thailand and then beyond.
Perhaps my friend needs a Buddhism that inspires the uplifting of all beings, one that might be associated with movements such as INEB? In his most recent column, Anam Thubten Rinpoche reflects on exactly how one can be a bodhisattva, the embodied role model that embraces the calling of helping others.
The reunion of so many Buddhist friends (I have grown to expect touching base with many of them every few years) stimulated long discussions and deliberations about what it meant to be mindful and mentally tranquil in a rapidly evolving and moving world. Things are chaotic out there. In high-tech industries that already dominate our world, AI is already posing big ethical questions that our recent Buddhistdoor View explored.
Artificial intelligence is here to stay: that is why we see institutions like Bhutan’s Central Monastic Body partnering up with Kyoto University to deploy increasingly sophisticated Buddhist AI. I think any expression of Buddhism, if it is to remain relevant and remotely of interest to potential new converts, must have some kind of answer to the big questions that shape our daily lives, and will only grow more ubiquitous in the lives of the younger generations.
After Thailand, I visited London for a long-awaited conference from 21–22 February that capped off a seminal exhibit at the British Library. Both the exhibit, “A Silk Road Oasis,” and the symposium, explored Dunhuang through an ethically complex but important inheritance. Cave 17, or the aptly named Library Cave, had within it priceless manuscripts and textual treasures that were dispersed around the world. Many of these manuscripts ended up at the British Library and formed the backbone of its scholarly resources and influence. But now, the British Library and its resident International Dunhuang Programme regularly collaborate and connect with researchers around the world, including perhaps the most important institution of all, the Dunhuang Academy in China.
This philosophy of the IDP—the sharing of Mogao Cave 17’s riches and legacy to the world—represents a form of engagement that embraces a complex legacy while acknowledging that the British Library was always, and remains, only a steward: an honor that should be shared in a truly global manner. A similar story can be found with a beautiful sculpture of a Buddhist nun that came from the ancient region of Gandhara but is now in Italy. I like to call it, “the bhikkhuni of Milan.”
Perhaps the questions surrounding what it means to be a Buddhist were most eloquently explored by two journalists (who were hosted by our friends at Tricycle) in an online discussion about Buddhism and journalism. It was both surprising yet compelling to discover how veteran reporters Daisy Hernández and Shane Dixon Kavanaugh apply their Dharma beliefs in their personal and professional lives, with (ethical) journalism and Buddhism sharing striking affinities around mindfulness, stillness amidst chaos, and empathy.
I hope my friend’s journey, as that of a seeker, will be one of inspiration and self-discovery. Before we commit to a religious tradition or a spiritual path, I still think we need to work out for ourselves what it even means to begin walking that path. I believe the intersections of Buddhist art, journalism, and engaged Buddhism can help to point to some intensely personal answers.
Raymond Lam
