Bhikkhu Bodhi’s Vesak adress

Jeroen

I was just reading this here, it is very much worthwhile as a summary of the problems facing the world today:

https://www.lionsroar.com/commentary-protecting-human-dignity-from-the-threat-of-moral-nihilism/

Bikkhu Bodhi sees four major factors affecting human dignity and it’s environment, in short
1. The pervasive influence of unbridled capitalism
2. The invasive role of computer technology
3. The rise of right-wing autocracies
4. Warfare as displayed in Ukraine and Gaza

A lot of this isn’t new, but he correctly identifies the way these things undermine human dignity, human rights and overall happiness in a way that was new to me. It’s worth reading the whole article.

person

I want to agree with him, but I can't get fully on board, I like most of it and have nothing to say.

On the one hand I think much of the failings of the world come from a decline of moral fundamentals. On the other I remember the days of a stronger Christian moralism and how that restricted and oppressed many people.

To me, a moral and ethical framework needs to be something that comes from within, not imposed from without. He's a Buddhist teacher so I'm sure he makes efforts in that direction. But what I hear in this article sounds like, take a high moral ideal and voice it loud to the world until others take it up. I guess to my ears that sounds like a kind of puritanism. I don't know I guess I'm intensely practical, tell me what you're going to do, what structures you're going to build to accomplish your aims. Preaching about it until someone else does it for you, kind of rubs me wrong. Jon Kabat Zinn's MBSR has done a tremendous amount of good in the world in that it actually brought tools to people who previously didn't have access to increase the well being of their inner state whereas social media algorithms have been doing lots of damage by feeding us sensationalism and catastrophism in order to keep us engaged. These are the inner forces raising us up or bringing us down, why no mention as a Buddhist trying to build a better world? He's all outward focused, a very western mindset.

From my perspective it feels like its crossing from morality into moralism. There's a certain implicit, rather than explicit, judgementalism in his words. Like what he suggests is the moral way and if you're not doing that you're wrong. He "should's" on people and talks about what we "have" to do.

And then on specifics I think he leaves a lot out. The decline into moral nihilism has a lot to do with the move away from religion in the west starting back in the 60s. Its not the whole story, but it at least contributed and he makes no mention of it. Overall I think he's looking at it from the outside in, rather than the inside out. Meaning a lack of a moral foundation has led to a high level of unregulated, predatory capitalism rather than the other way around, in my opinion. Business used to be much more trusting and honest than it is today. There were other things that I feel there is strong evidence for that reduce morality and social cohesion like over sexualization and loss of family ties that get no mention. #5 of his vision he only talks about the value of higher education and civil duties, nothing about the value of all the work the hoi poloi do in keeping the lights on, the streets paved and the shelves stocked. I don't think he's against it, I think its something that simply doesn't occur to him, he takes it for granted and doesn't really value it.

Lastly, he talks about moral nihilism in the middle east but makes no mention of Hamas or Hezbollah, surely major examples of the problem. Its all so one sidedly myopic.