Comments on: The Buddha and social change http://www.mindfulpurpose.com/social-change/buddha-and-social-change Make a difference! Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:11:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: sunada http://www.mindfulpurpose.com/social-change/buddha-and-social-change/comment-page-1#comment-712 sunada Sun, 09 May 2010 20:37:00 +0000 http://www.mindfulpurpose.com/?p=462#comment-712 Hi Louche, I do agree with you the power isn't in itself a bad thing. I see it as a tool, and it's how you use it that makes it good or evil. I was recently re-watching the movie Gandhi, and it has really impressed me how shrewd Gandhi was in his use of power. He used it in a non-violent way, with a peaceful intent, but he definitely used it. I don't know how accurate the movie is as a biography, but I'm sensing this aspect of it is accurate. Hi Louche,
I do agree with you the power isn’t in itself a bad thing. I see it as a tool, and it’s how you use it that makes it good or evil. I was recently re-watching the movie Gandhi, and it has really impressed me how shrewd Gandhi was in his use of power. He used it in a non-violent way, with a peaceful intent, but he definitely used it. I don’t know how accurate the movie is as a biography, but I’m sensing this aspect of it is accurate.

]]> By: Louche http://www.mindfulpurpose.com/social-change/buddha-and-social-change/comment-page-1#comment-711 Louche Sun, 09 May 2010 02:58:23 +0000 http://www.mindfulpurpose.com/?p=462#comment-711 I met a Buddhist once who was averse to the word "power." But this doesn't make sense. Politics is about power. A democracy means people rule, or power to the people. Everything is politics. I wish people everywhere would study politics instead of just sitting there and passively receiving messages from mass media, their equally ignorant friends, etc. If the people are not educated in politics, there is no people power - the media, the politicians, the greedy, the wealthy, the privileged, etc. will answer for the rest of us. These days Americans believe that politics = politicians = evil. This resembles willful ignorance - clearly, if politics are evil, then working toward democracy is evil, yet no one openly believes democracy is evil. How much suffering could be lessened if everyone would study politics with an open mind? The answer would be mind-blowing, but without education you will never know it. If people would replace the 10 cheesy romance novels they read per year with 10 non-fiction books about politics, the world would be a better place. I met a Buddhist once who was averse to the word “power.” But this doesn’t make sense. Politics is about power. A democracy means people rule, or power to the people. Everything is politics. I wish people everywhere would study politics instead of just sitting there and passively receiving messages from mass media, their equally ignorant friends, etc. If the people are not educated in politics, there is no people power – the media, the politicians, the greedy, the wealthy, the privileged, etc. will answer for the rest of us. These days Americans believe that politics = politicians = evil. This resembles willful ignorance – clearly, if politics are evil, then working toward democracy is evil, yet no one openly believes democracy is evil.

How much suffering could be lessened if everyone would study politics with an open mind? The answer would be mind-blowing, but without education you will never know it. If people would replace the 10 cheesy romance novels they read per year with 10 non-fiction books about politics, the world would be a better place.

]]> By: Mariano M. Jauco http://www.mindfulpurpose.com/social-change/buddha-and-social-change/comment-page-1#comment-25 Mariano M. Jauco Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:02:06 +0000 http://www.mindfulpurpose.com/?p=462#comment-25 Great post. I especially liked your question, which stated "How can you arrive at contentment or happiness, and also, thereby, create conditions for happiness of other people around you?” A very good question in deed and not easy to answer. Great post. I especially liked your question, which stated “How can you arrive at contentment or happiness, and also, thereby, create conditions for happiness of other people around you?” A very good question in deed and not easy to answer.

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