Politics and Non-Attachment, an Integral View

Buddhism advocates non-attachment as the path to liberation from the cycle of endless rebirths. Many of us work at this goal in our daily lives through mindfulness practice and other methods to reduce the clinging of the ego. When we work on personal issues, such as anger, resentment, greed, and so on, these practices are useful, and it's easy to see the advantage of giving up our attachments.

But what about politics? I maintain a political blog, Raven's View, through which I am very involved in specific political issues, such as removing Bush and his henchmen from office, and protecting our civil rights from the Bush administration's efforts to curtail them. I am also anti-war, in favor of equal rights for gays and lesbians, opposed to wingnut Christian efforts to impose their religion on the rest of us, and I have strong views on a variety of other subjects.

Do I have to give up my attachment to these issues to attain a greater degree of personal freedom? Will my political involvement limit my growth as a Buddhist?

Maybe. But I am willing to take that risk. As a follower of the Shambhala path, I have taken a bodhisattva vow to dedicate my life to the liberation of all sentient beings. To me, there is more to that vow than merely working on my own life to attain Buddha nature, no matter how much doing so might indirectly aid other beings. I firmly believe that part of that vow entails working to make the world a better place for all people, and that by doing so, it becomes easier and more likely that other people can attain liberation.

Oppressive governments, wars around the world, political greed, hatred among peoples of differing faiths -- all of these things limit the chances for anyone to become liberated. Fighting against these injustices is a way to create more positive karma in the world. It may slow my own progress toward liberation, but it seems that working toward becoming a bodhisattva should include the exterior world as well as the interior, the collective world as well as the individual, in a truly integral approach to Buddhism.

What we need is a fully integral Buddhist practice.