#engagedbuddhism

It is very important to maintain compassion in your heart and not to allow anger and frustration to take over. On that foundation you will find things to do to help the cause of peace… Allow the light and the compassion in your heart to go out to many people around you. In the Bible it says , "If you have the light, display it in a place where many people can see it." That light is the light of understanding and compassion. Live your daily life in such a way that understanding and compassion can be shared with as many people around you as possible. Cultivating peace is not a matter of days; it should be cultivated generation after generation. Your children and your grandchildren will be your continuation as practitioners of peace. The question is not how much you can do; the question is whether you are doing your best. If you are doing your best then you are in the Pure Land of the Buddha, in the Kingdom of God. You don't have to worry anymore.

It lays out concepts and ideas that are central to Pure Land Buddhism but missing from the dominant North American Buddhist conversation (especially in engaged Buddhist circles), ones which offer new ways of thinking and organizing around shared problems.

The book’s central focus is an exploration of how the life and teachings of Shinran, the founder of Jodo Shinshu (aka Shin) Buddhism, can provide guidance in facing the social and environmental challenges of our times. It examines how Shinran’s unique Buddhist philosophy centres marginalized and oppressed experiences, with particular relevance to the LGBTQ+ community, refugees, racialized persons, and other groups.

Living Nembutsu also provides examples of Jodo Shinshu Buddhists in action, working to combat climate change, religious intolerance in prisons, racism, and other challenges.

You can spend your whole life listening to internal and external messages without ever hearing the voice of your deepest desire… If you have the space and silence to listen deeply to yourself, you may find within you a strong desire to help other people, to bring love and compassion to others, to create positive transformation in the world.

If you see the suffering in the world but you haven't changed your way of living yet, it means the awakening isn't strong enough. You haven't really woken up. In Zen, sometimes a teacher will shout, or hit you, so you can wake up - they’ll do whatever it takes. The Zen master's shout is like a crash of spring thunder. It wakes you up and, with the rains that follow, grasses and flowers will bloom.

We need a real awakening, a real enlightenment. New laws and policies are not enough. We need to change our way of thinking and seeing things. This is possible; the truth is that we have not really tried to do it yet. Each one of us has to do it for ourselves. No one else can do it for you. If you are an activist and you're eager to do something, you should begin with yourself and your own mind.

It's my conviction that we cannot change the world if we're not able to change our way of thinking, our consciousness. Collective change in our way of thinking and seeing things is crucial. Without it, we cannot expect the world to change.

Collective awakening is made of individual awakening. You have to wake yourself up first, and then those around you have a chance. When we ourselves suffer less we can be more helpful and we can help others to change themselves too. Peace, awakening, and enlightenment always begin with you. You are the one you need to count on.