Reply #54: I read the collected works of Marx at the undergraduate level and I was

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the only graduate student at Princeton Theological Seminary to take a graduate course on Marx and theology and the only one to take an independent study on Buddhism (under Dr. Donald Swearer).

I worked for the UN and negotiated with People's Republic of Vietnam and spent considerable time there.

While in Thailand I converted to Therevada Buddhism.


Monks should not get involved in politics although in rare instances they may have to make a stance against oppression but this is consistent with Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada . But Marx's historical premises are even more at odds with basic Buddhist cosmology.

Marx based his understanding of the evolution of economic epochs on Hegel's historical dialectic. Buddha's teaching of anicca (impermanence) is completely at odds with the idea of a point to historical development, Buddha taught that all human activity is cyclical in nature and not building to a significantly different historical age.

Of course it is possible to be a Buddhist lay person and endorse different political beliefs including Marxism but you would have to do so on the sole basis of Dukkha (suffering). In other words you could accept the policies of Marxism as reducing suffering but still not embrace the philosophical foundations that Marx put forth.

There is a fundamental conflict between Marx and Buddha in that Marx was a materialist and Buddha obviously was not as attachment to the material world is perceived by Buddha as being the central impediment to achieving enlightenment.

The duty of a monk however is to serve as a beacon of light Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada (pathway to freedom from suffering) and proceed through the four stages of enlightenment, none of which are tied to politics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_enlightenment

In order to spare you from further embarassing yourself on this point let me cite one of the US most widely known Buddhist Scholars, Dr. Paul Harrison:


http://buddhism.about.com/b/2008/04/09/buddhism-and-politics.htm

“Direct involvement in political activity, strictly speaking, is not sanctioned” by the Buddha's teaching, he said. Traditionally, the role of Buddhist monastics and clergy was limited to advising rulers on the proper application of Buddhist teachings to government, Harrison continued.


Again strictly speaking Monks should not be involved in politics but there will arrive certain extra ordinary events like the Burmese suppression of freedom, including religious freedom, that have forced monks to take public acts of defiance, but these acts should not be considered political acts in themselves but extensions of their monkhood as they are acting to reduce suffering of the people and increase the freedom of people to follow the Eightfold Path.

Ironically the Buddhist teacher I respect the most Bhikkhu Buddhadasa was at one time accused of being a communist as were many of his followers. His teachings had a great impact on many social movements and he saw religion as being largely a unifying social force. He did not however participate in politics as such and as an observant ascetic monk living in a forest monestary he was a non materialist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhadasa



(Oh on capitalism - after I left the UN I founded a furniture company that grew to 450 employees and was the largest producer of its kind to IKEA).