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Dispassion
Rob_V
North Carolina Explorer
in Philosophy
How does one reconcile the tenet of dispassion or 'non-reaction' with 'engaged Buddhism'?
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It's a good question. Off the top of my head I might say maybe it has something to do with a lack of attachment to outcomes rather than a lack of compassion?
I found this article which talks more about detachment, but seems relevant.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/harris/bl141.html
And this comment thread is good.
https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/25991/dhamma-makes-one-dispassionate-then-how-can-one-be-compassionate
By doing something as if it is nothing.
https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/lam-rim/vipashyana/commentary-on-the-heart-sutra-dr-berzin/form-is-emptiness-emptiness-is-form
What’s “engaged Buddhism”? Sounds like one of those made up modern expressions
I think it means 'Humanistic Buddhism'well an offshoot of it ...Thích Nhất Hạnh introduced 'Engaged Buddhism'
Engaged Buddhism and renunciative Buddhism are the polar opposites of each other.
While each of these practices have some pros & conns of their own, the Buddhas path towards suffering's cessation actually lies somewhere midpoint between these two.
I liken being dispassionate to the cool level-headedness, demonstrated by a Medical team attending a bad accident. They appraise the situation, and deal with the emergency in a professional, level-headed, sensible cooperative way. They do everything they can to save lives, make people comfortable, and treat them successfully, with extraordinary calm and intelligence. They adhere to procedure and you know you're in safe hands when you're being attended to by them.
But they care. They care deeply about the people they tend. They like to know results, and they seek updates, because they want to know the person has survived and healed.
That, to me, is being dispassionate, while engaging.
It may not be 'with Buddhism' but they're as humane people as you could ever wish to encounter.
Bless 'em.
It always seemed to me that the Buddha was quite renunciative... he established the monkhood and the rules, and encouraged those who were serious in seeking for enlightenment to be initiated as monks. Although he did also say that many lay followers were quite accomplished in the dhamma.
I like @federica 's example of dispassionate while compassionate.
An issue I've had with engaged Buddhism is mostly around the 2nd noble truth. The source of our suffering is internal. There was a scene in BBC's recent Dracula (okay I watch too much TV) where he woke up in the modern world after like 200 years. His first experience of the modern world he found himself in a low end home and he was so amazed, he thought the owner was maybe one of the wealthiest people around. Saying something like he's known kings that if they could acquire this sort of room they would never leave for their whole life. Point being that the modern developed world has solved so many of the sources of external suffering and yet so many well off people are as miserable as ever.
On the other hand, compassionate people want to be of help and service to others. Being in a position to effectively help people with their internal suffering takes many years of training and practice. Engaged Buddhism offers a way for everyday Buddhists to try to make a difference in people's lives right now.
A little something from Bikkhu Bodhi posted in that comment thread I linked.
Will us enraged buddhists have a placement?
Dispassion is my passion. In other words we can be 'in the whirled but not off the world'. The ways are many but the path is trod ...
... and now back to the OP (Original Poster) ... welcome to NewBuddhist ...