Here is an inspiring article recently posted on the website of the Alliance for Bhikkunis, an organization committed to supporting ordained Theravada Buddhist women (bhikkhunis). It features an interview with Venerable Bhikkhuni Thanasanti on the role of Buddhist organizations in addressing climate change. For Amma (or ‘Dear One’ as she chooses to go by) addressing climate change is a natural extension of bringing attention to suffering, seeing suffering’s cause, and finding a path that supports it’s end — all fundamental to the Buddha’s teachings. She notes, “For many people who are very committed contemplative practitioners, there has been an overarching bias that if you practice meditation and have profound insight then there’s no more suffering. This is the prevailing view of a traditional approach whereby engagement can seem to be in conflict with the path of contemplation.” For Amma, this bias has resulted in a lack of response from Buddhist communities within the United States. However, recently we have seen a change. More and more Buddhist practitioners are bringing the power of insight and compassion into dealing with the imminent and global problems at hand. Read the full article.
