In today’s world where we face images of innocent civilians suffering because of war and famine  and we find our free speech and democracy in peril, we seek refuge in the Three Jewels, the Dharma, the Buddha, and the Sangha. Our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, encouraged us to do more, to be engaged in the world to help bring peace. To that end, the Heart of the Valley Mindfulness Practice Center has developed a list of Activism Resources that can be found here and in one of the tabs at the top of our web page. Thanks to Sami Sadjawari for curating this list and accepting additions and corrections as we work individually and collectively to apply Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings to the problems we face personally and we find facing us in our communities, States, and nation.

In a 2003 interview in Lion’s Roar, Thich Nhat Hanh offered the following response when asked to define “Engaged Buddhism”, a practice that is part of the Plum Village tradition:

Engaged Buddhism is just Buddhism. When bombs begin to fall on people, you cannot stay in the meditation hall all of the time. Meditation is about the awareness of what is going on-not only in your body and in your feelings, but all around you…

Buddhism has to do with your daily life, with your suffering and with the suffering of the people around you. You have to learn how to help a wounded child while still practicing mindful breathing. You should not allow yourself to get lost in action. Action should be meditation at the same time.

When asked why he would say to people who feel that they need to choose between being engaged in social change or working on personal and spiritual growth, Thich Nhat Hanh replied:

I think that view is rather dualistic. The practice should address suffering: the suffering within yourself and the suffering around you. They are linked to each other. When you go to the mountain and practice alone, you don’t have the chance to recognize the anger, jealousy and despair that’s in you. That’s why it’s good that you encounter people—so you know these emotions. So that you can recognize them and try to look into their nature. If you don’t know the roots of these afflictions, you cannot see the path leading to their cessation. That’s why suffering is very important for our practice.