Rethinking Karma: The Dharma of Social Justice

by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, David R. Loy

What is a Buddhist response to political oppression and economic exploitation? Does Buddhism encourage passivity and victimization? Can violent perpetrators be brought to justice without anger and retributive punishment? What does Buddhism say -- or imply -- about collective karma and social justice? Rethinking Karma addresses these questions, and many more, through the lens of the Buddhist teachings on karma. Acknowledging that a skewed understanding of karma serves to perpetuate structural and cultural violence, specifically in the Buddhist societies of South and Southeast Asia, the book critically reexamines the teachings on karma as well as important related teachings on equanimity (upekkha), generosity (dana), and "merit" (punna). The eleven authors featured in this volume are thinker-activists who have been deeply involved in issues of social justice at a grassroots level and speak from their own experience in trying to solve them. For them, these issues are seminal ones requiring deeper contemplation and greater sharing, not only within the Buddhist community at large but among all those who seek to bridge the gaps between our idealization of human harmony, our tendencies toward violent confrontation, and the need for greater social justice.

Genres: Buddhism, Nonfiction

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 8, 2010

About the author

Buddhadasa Bhikkhu was a Thai Buddhist monk and an influential ascetic-philosopher of the 20th century. Known as an innovative reinterpreter of Buddhist doctrine and Thai folk beliefs, Buddhadasa fostered a reformation in conventional religious perceptions in Thailand as well as abroad. Buddhadasa developed a personal view that those who have penetrated the essential nature of religions consider 'all religions to be inwardly the same', while those who have the highest understanding of dhamma feel 'there is no religion'.

Reviews

[Jessica Zu · Rating 3 out of 5]

good content bad form

the kindle version is so badly made that its almost unreadable. contentwise, ok, i guess. based on my limited understanding caused by the terrible formatting…