On February 14 2017, Against the Stream published their Statement of Commitment to take a public stand against the abusive policies of the Trump Regime, and a pledge to take action to protect vulnerable communities. Bhikkhu Bodhi just published his “Let’s Stand Up Together” which admonishes Buddhist sanghas to go beyond comforting themselves with quiet… Read More Act Now: Empowering Sanghas to Act on Behalf of Human Rights

Originally published in Lion’s Roar and Buddhadharma Spring 2017 I recently came across a news report stating that 2,500 religious leaders had signed a petition urging Congress to reject Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees as “a cabinet of bigotry.” I looked over the list of signatories, designated by religion, and saw only one who identified as… Read More Let’s Stand Up Together – Bhikkhu Bodhi

This talk by Guhyapati is a brilliant analysis of the current ecological, economic and political state of the world, what social movements have to offer towards social and political transformations, and the role of the Dharma in those transformations. I am with Guhyapati all the way up to the very end where he discusses a response from a Buddhadharma perspective. He takes… Read More Ecodharma: Unleashing a Post-Capitalist Imagination

[Editor: I’m offering James Baldwin’s  1968 interview on racism in America because he warned us then that if we did not confront racism—that is, white supremacy—and deal with it thoroughly, we would be exactly where we are right now, facing the most vicious regime of white supremacy in a century.] James Baldwin: How to Cool It Read… Read More James Baldwin: It’s Not For Us to Cool It

Gyosen Asakura, a Japanese DJ artist-turned-Buddhist priest, created a 23-minute techno-light and sound memorial. The Show-On-G Memorial Service on the TECHNO was peformed in Japan, at Fukui City’s Shō-onji temple, on 2016/10/25.  I mark this as the birth of Buddhist Futurism. Original story curtesy of Open Culture [Note: the video is a live video recording of… Read More The Birth of Buddhist Futurism

Whew! Podcast #2 is up and ready to go! My good friend Tanya McGinnity at Full Contact Enlightenment and the Dharmage Podcast decided to interview me! So I said sure, as long as I can use the recording on my podcast. She gladly obliged, so here it is. Facing the Alt-Reality of Trump, and what… Read More Engage Podcast Episode 2: Facing the Alt-Reality of Trump

For nine years Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society has used the Buddha’s teachings to uncover greed, hatred and delusion wherever it is found and to cultivate the wisdom and compassion necessary to alleviate suffering. We are dedicated to maintaining an ethical framework for all of our actions and to live in a way that… Read More Against the Stream: Resisting the Regime