Khemasuri:
BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
Building an Ethical Underworld: Lessons from the Mafia
Buddhafield Dharma Series I: Festival Talks 2009-10 These booklets have come out of the Dharma teaching on the Buddhafield Festival , and the wider Buddhafield project. Originally posted as audio talks on FreeBuddhistAudio (www.freebuddhistaudio.com/browse?p=Buddhafield), they’ve now been edited and published on-line to reach a wider audience. You’ll find the rest of the series online at issuu.com/buddhafield . Buddhafield itself is at www.buddhafield.com or on Facebook - and in a field in the West of England! Thanks to Akasati for most of the work in preparing and editing them for publication. Her essay introducing the series is available at issuu.com/buddhafield/docs/akasati-ecology_buddhism_and_buddhafield
December 2010
The photograph on the front comes from the 2002 Buddhafield Festival
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
Khemasuri: Building an Ethical Underworld: Lessons from the Mafia
Abstract of themes
The truth of change and the Buddha’s teaching, pratitya samutpada. Scientific understanding, Cartesian thinking and systems thinking. Systems theory and change. Communities and change. What the Mafia can teach us Building an ethical underworld Actions have consequences
‘When the forms of an old culture are dying, the new culture is created by a few people who are not afraid to be insecure’ Rudolf Bahro. German philosopher.
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The process of change is mysterious. Why did the Berlin Wall come down so apparently suddenly in 1989? What factors finally brought the end of apartheid in South Africa after decades of struggle? Why did the banking system suddenly collapse after decades of apparently working well? What made the difference? In this chapter I want to explore how we effect change in the world, as individuals and through our communities. The question of how to make the transition to a more sustainable, more ethical society is an increasingly urgent one which demands as much clarity and creativity as we can possibly bring. I want to look at the potential inherent in the spiritual community to support the positive change that is increasingly necessary for our survival. As human beings we often resist change. Sometimes we don’t want it at all, we want to remains safe with what we know, what is familiar. Sometimes we want it quickly, we want it now. If we wish to contribute to positive change in the world, it is helpful to have a broad perspective and a longer view. To help us do this we can draw on different sources of understanding and inspiration available to us, from the teaching of the Buddha 2,500 years ago to modern scientific theory. KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
Deep seated change, personally and collectively, is the purpose of Buddhist practice. The timelessly relevant teachings of the Buddha are now available to us in the West, bringing much needed insights into how to live more skillfully in relation to one another and as part of the interconnected web of life. So I want to look at the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, both in traditional and contemporary terms. I want to look at the conditions needed for change and how they can be supported through a spiritual life. What did the Buddha have to say about change? The fundamental experience of the Buddha upon his Enlightenment was what he later referred to as, ‘pratitya samutpada’, variously defined as ‘conditioned co-production’, ‘conditioned arising’ or ‘dependent arising’. This spiritual insight had nothing to do with any kind of conceptual construction. It was a particular way of experiencing the world, which in the Buddha’s time was simply known as ‘the way things are’. As Sangharakshita (the founder of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, the FWBO) says,
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‘…we must clearly understand that this insight is a purely spiritual attainment, and has nothing to do with any kind of conceptual construction’ (Survey of Buddhism p109) The Buddha later went on to teach various formulations of this insight in terms comprehensible to the intellect, as conceptual constructions, such the Nidana Chain , most famously depicted in the Tibetan Wheel of life, and the Four Noble Truths. These formulas were embedded in the understandings of an Indian culture of over two thousand years ago. The Four Noble Truths, for example were based on a well-known contemporary method of diagnosing and treating ill health by looking at the problem (suffering), the cause of the problem (the cause of suffering), the possibility of a cure (the cessation of suffering)and the prescribed course of treatment (the Eight Fold Path). It can be argued that the doctrine of pratitya samutpada is not just one Buddhist doctrine amongst others, but is the Buddhist doctrine; it is what makes Buddhism, ‘Buddhism’. It cuts across all Buddhist schools, the present Dali Lama calls it ‘The Buddha’s slogan’. It is not dependant on man, it is not human being based; it is more like a natural law operative on all levels of existence, from physical matter KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
to culture and consciousness. The most famous expression of pratitya samutpada is;When this is, that becomes; from the arising of this, that arises. This not being, that becomes not; from the ceasing of this, that ceases. (Majjhima-Nikaya 11.32). Although this looks like a simple sentence, it is difficult to comprehend in all its richness and implications. Ananda, who was the Buddha’s attendant for much of his life, says to the Buddha; ‘It is wonderful Lord, it is marvelous how profound this pratitya samutpada is, how deep it appears. And yet it appears to me as clear as clear’ The Buddha responds; ‘Do not say this Ananda, do not say this! This pratitya samutpada is profound and appears profound. It is though not understanding, not penetrating that this generation has become like a tangled ball of string.…… (Samyutta-nikaya 11 92) So Ananda’s understanding can be seen as merely conceptual, he does not see it in the full sense of enlightenment, does not penetrate the reality of it. It is important to remember that BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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understanding pratitya samutpada conceptually is not the same as knowing it though direct experience. As Sangharakshita comments ‘…..pratitya samutpada is essentially the general principle of conditioned-ness rather than any specific sequence of conditions…..’ (Survey of Buddhism p127) The Buddha’s teaching of pratitya samutpada also points the way to the possibility of something quite new arising, qualities that have not existed before can emerge under certain conditions. In modern scientific terms these are known as emergent properties, and are quite new. When the conditions are appropriate they simply appear; for something to exist in the present it is not necessary for it to have existed in the past. Perhaps this becomes clearer when we look at faith. In Buddhism, faith, Shraddha, has a particular meaning, it does not mean ‘blind faith’ there is no need to accept any teaching, just because the Buddha taught it! In fact the Buddha suggested that his disciples test his words as they would test gold in a fire, i.e. test the teachings
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through the ‘fire’ of your own experience. The experience of Shraddha, when it happens, will be the beginning of the reorientation of your whole life, a change of direction. Sangharakshita says, ‘Perhaps the best definition of faith is that it is the response of what is ultimate in us to what is ultimate in the universe’ (Sangharakshita. What is the Dharma p110) Most of the time when we experience suffering we also experience craving. We want something to take away, or cover up, the unpleasant experience. Sometimes it is craving for a situation to continue; sometimes it is craving for a situation to come to an end. But when the conditions are appropriate, from the experience of suffering we will experience faith rather than craving, faith in the doctrine, faith in the Buddha and his teaching. This is something completely new, an emergent property, and is the true beginning of the spiritual life. It can be seen as a paradigm shift, a change of perspective that offers new horizons, new possibilities within ourselves.
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Change in the world today. The conditions prevailing in our globalised, 21st Century Society are very different to those in the Buddha’s day. It was a different time and a very different culture. It can be difficult for us to relate to the traditional doctrinal explanations of pratitya samutpada, we may need to find ways of understanding this in more contemporary terms. Buddhism, in its 2,500 year history, has spread very widely. It has done so in a spirit of adaptation and assimilation. Sangharakshita, when talking about the rapid expansion of Buddhism though different races and cultures says, ‘the Dharma, while remaining essentially changeless, was capable of assuming a thousand forms, because it is in principle simply the means to enlightenment.’ (Sangharakshita. ‘The Survey of Buddhism’ p81) The Buddha, in discussion with his Aunt, Mahapajapati, defined his teaching in positive terms as “…whatever is conducive to dispassion, not to passion detachment, not to attachment, leads to a decrease in worldly gains, frugality, contentment, energy, delight in the good, and solitude. This is the
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
norm; this is the discipline; this is the Master’s message.” (Vinaya 11. 10 Anguttara-nikaya 8. 53). The Buddha was asking us to decide what is helpful to us as practicing Buddhists in the light of our own experience. The Buddha was helping us to identify the conditions that lead to enlightenment. In this spirit, we can also gain understanding from contemporary sources, such as the scientific community and ecology movement. Perhaps one of the most useful models to have emerged in recent decades is that of general systems theory. Systems theory, ‘systems thinking’ can deepen our understanding of how we set up conditions for change and the implications for how we need to act. It is a world-view with a much greater overlap with traditional Buddhist teachings than previous mainstream scientific models. General systems theory is a conceptual construction of our time, and our culture, which has grown out of scientific understanding. I believe it can help bring us closer to understanding conditionality, the essence of the Buddha’s teaching. Two ways of looking at the world.
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The Buddha taught that our thoughts, speech and actions are underpinned by our views about the world. He encouraged exploration of these underlying views. With this in mind I want to begin by looking at the difference between causality and conditionality; two paradigms, two views of the world. These have very different implications in terms of the way we view the world and how we act within it. Causality was expounded by Descartes, Newton and others, and it is often known as ‘Cartesian thinking’. This approach moved from a holistic understanding of the world to a mechanistic one, in which there is relationship between cause and effect. So, A causes B, if you chop down a tree and process it and you get paper at the other end. Cartesian thinking sees the world as being machine-like; there is a direct relationship between input and outcome. This model led to a view that we could control the world ‘from the outside’; that we were in charge and that we were separate from the world. As superior beings, we could dominate the world through our intellect. The world was there for Man to have dominion over. It is important to understand causality as it is the dominant world view of the
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
westernised world, a world view we ascribe to without being aware of it. Systems theory looks at the interplay of conditions which make up the world we live in. So in a straightforward materialistic sense, you can chop down a tree and process it to make newspaper. But chopping down the tree also destroys the habitats of living beings; it uses chemicals that have an effect on the environment; it uses water, which decreases the flow in the river, which means plants are affected, produces waste products – and so on. This complexity of conditions can be seen not only in the material world but also in culture, society and in our consciousness. It means that we cannot see ourselves as isolated or separate from the world around us. Systems theory has a very particular way of looking at the world, based on the concepts of non-linear dynamics. Very simply systems theory says that there are many causes and many effects in any given situation. This complex interplay of conditions can look chaotic and confused but in fact have patterns of interaction. It talks about systems that are not closed to the outside world and are characterized by continual flow and change. These systems can be described as ‘living’ systems and are dynamic yet in balance. All BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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‘living’ systems are wholes in themselves, and they all fit into larger systems. For instance, I am composed of atoms, which make up molecules, which make up my cells, which make up my organs. The organs of my body make up ‘me’, I am part of a system known as my family, and my family is part of a society. All ‘living’ systems are systems within themselves, which are connected to other systems, and cannot be understood in isolation. ‘Living’ systems have selfgenerated goals; my body has a self generated goal to maintain a constant body temperature of approximately 98.6F despite the temperature of the environment. All systems have ‘feedback mechanisms’ which act to increase or decrease a deviation from the goal at the centre of that system. So, in a hot environment, my body sends a signal to my brain via my spinal cord to say the body is overheating; the brain then sends a signal back down the spinal cord and tells the body to cool itself by perspiration. In cold weather, the body senses the lower temperature and our brain tells our bodies to shiver to warm ourselves up. These are both known as self-stabilising feedback systems, which decrease the goal deviation in my thermoregulation system, keeping the system stable. There is also self-changing feedback, if my body overheats due to infection and cannot cool down I may end up with a fever. The
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thermoregulation system breaks down and produces change, illness. There are times when the self changing feedback causes a system to collapse, as when a fever cannot be overcome and the person dies. Self changing feedback is at all levels change-producing and exists at a point of instability within a system. On a personal level is how we learn, in terms of species it can be seen to trigger evolution. Systems can have what are known as ‘emergent properties’, which are dependent on the conditions and the relationships between them. For instance, the wetness of water cannot be predicted by the qualities of oxygen and hydrogen. When oxygen and hydrogen come together, the water they produce is something completely different. So, these emergent properties can be reliable and at the same time unpredictable. Systems are not reducible to their parts. Although things do not happen in isolation and without pattern, we cannot always predict what will happen, life is unpredictable! The difference between a Cartesian and systems thinking as a way of seeing the world and interacting with it, has repercussions for how we act. The two models lead us to very different perspectives. We see our place in the world differently, we behave differently and BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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ď ’ we evaluate the effects of our actions differently, using these two different paradigms. For all his teaching life the Buddha was trying to enable us to understand and put in place the conditions which would lead to enlightenment, to liberation. Our actions, our bodily actions, speech and thoughts all have repercussions. Pratitya Samutpada means that we never act in isolation, and that we contribute to the state of the world continuously if not consciously. In systems terms we constantly contribute to either change or resistance to change. So let us look now at the implication of these views for how we act in the world. Cartesian thinking; cause and effect Cartesian thinking continues, largely, to be the dominant cultural understanding in our world today: that we do something because we desire a particular outcome and we expect the outcome to be the one that we desire. We are goal-orientated. We think that if we know enough, we can dominate our environment; and that we are in charge. We would consider that the ends of our actions justify the means. We tend to be always looking into the future, at which time
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
we expect to have what we want. Often we would regard ourselves as acting in opposition to others who may take what we want from us. We act competitively, in a win-lose game: ‘I win; you lose’, or ‘you win; I lose’. It is an isolating way of looking at things. We see ourselves as individualistic and as acting on our own. Because we see ourselves as being on our own and in competition with others, we can become polarized, dividing ourselves from others and the world around us. This often leads to judgment and blame of others and their actions. If we do not get what we want, we experience disappointment and disempowerment. We may see ourselves as not good enough and have low self-esteem. This is important, because it is the dominant culture that we have in the world at the moment. It is the way that a lot of people see themselves and the way that they interact with each other and society. Systems thinking; an interplay of conditions. The systems approach says something very different, and talks about a process which involves synergy. Synergy says that the effect BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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of the whole system is greater than the effects of the individual parts. A living system is not a ‘you win-I lose’, or a ‘I win-you lose’ situation, but we both win or both lose situation. The way things are and the way things change is collective and co-operative. We are all responsible for how the world is. The world that we live in is one that we envisage in our minds, as the Buddha said, ‘Our life is shaped by our mind: we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of the cart follow the oxen that draw it. Our life is shaped by our mind: we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves’ (Dhammapada 1, 1-2 Trans Eknath Easwaran) Our actions arise from how we see the world. Through our actions, we bring things into being. But we have to act in this paradigm without understanding what the full outcome of our actions will be. We act in the knowledge that we cannot but have an effect, in everything that we do. All our actions have consequences, but we do not always know what the outcomes of those actions will be. Not only is the world complex, but it is also unpredictable. We never,
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ever, act in isolation. Regarding ourselves as isolated individuals is not real, or practical. All systems can grow and adapt, evolve and learn. Change is constant. Whatever we do, we are contributing to either change or . Through this approach, we would understand that the means are just as important as the ends. The means are the ends, in fact. how we do something is as important as what we do. Our actions, which include our thoughts, our speech, our written words and our bodily actions, all have an effect. Because of the change-producing feedback mechanisms within a system, actions may be very small but may actually have huge effects. A chance remark could have a huge effect. I have a friend who says, ‘Small acts of kindness save lives’, and she is right, this does happen. Systems thinking, setting up the conditions for change. I now want to say something about what systems theory has to say about social change. In systems theory, the emergence of social change is seen as the emergence of novelty within a system, which needs certain conditions. The instigator of the change has to be an BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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ď ’ open system. It has to be a system which is functioning well and is connected to other systems. It has to be a living network, which in terms of systems theory means that it exchanges information openly, meaning that it exchanges energy freely with other levels of systems: family, neighborhood, nation, or community. Because change is an emergent phenomenon, it takes place at a point of instability. So change is always there when there is instability in the system and the process of change is dependent on unstable conditions. I want to give an idea of how we could perceive change within this kind of system. This could be at an individual level, so change within me could be produced by this kind of situation. Or it could be at a community level, or within a country, or globally. This shift starts with an event-triggering process, which could be anything from a chance remark to a cataclysmic event. The event needs to be perceived as meaningful. It is not something we can ignore or adjust to. It is a shock. Perhaps, as an individual, we hear something that is a shock. We cannot accept it with our normal
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ď ’ understanding. The individual, or the community, chooses to be disturbed by this event, and not to ignore it. Information is then circulated about this disturbance, as to the meaning and value of it. The individual and the community cannot absorb the event or the disturbance and this important point, the instability in a system begins. Instability can lead to all sorts of different things, including chaos, confusion, uncertainty and doubt. This can be very uncomfortable. I am sure we all know what this is like, when we cannot accept or come to terms with something. It is uncomfortable. It does not make sense. There are likely to be strong emotions. There may be feelings of fear; loss of control and self-doubt. We probably experience this instability as painful. But out of this instability and discomfort there comes a change in the system. There can be either breakdown in the system or a breakthrough in the system. If there is a breakthrough, it leads to new levels of creativity, novelty and change. The problem, whatever the event-triggering process and the discomfort brought about by it, is not solved at its own level. A new order emerges that cannot be
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predicted by the previous conditions. These are the ‘emergent properties’ referred to earlier. Looking at the world through the lens of systems theory means that, if we want to produce change, it is best not to conform. So it is important to think ‘outside the box’, to challenge assumptions. Communities and change I now want to look at change within a community; a collection of individuals. By community, I mean all sorts of different levels. It is not just the people we live with, but the people we gather together with in different ways, including family, for shared interests, work and so on. I belong to a lot of different communities, as everybody does. For myself, I am part of a family, I am part of the Western Buddhist Order, within which I have particular friends, and I am part of the Network of Engaged Buddhists and the Buddhists community in Sheffield. We are all part of a number of different communities through family, friends, work, interests, locality and so on. In systems terms, living communities are defined as self-generating in thought and meaning. They have the following properties. Firstly they have a common context of meaning and a free flow of
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ď ’ information, through open communication. They hold shared knowledge and rules of conduct, with internally generated goals as to what behavior is acceptable or unacceptable. They exhibit a collective identity and a sense of belonging for the members of that community and they have recognizable bonds. What can the Mafia teach us? These conditions are true in many institutions, organisations and communities, from the criminal underworld to the Sangha. I now want to look at how these conditions are conducive to change, to start with looking at about what the Mafia can teach us about community and change. In The Hidden Connections, Fritjof Capra talks about the criminal underworld being more successful in promoting itself than multinational corporations, in the conditions of globalization that we have today. Capra argues that they are uniquely successful organisations and he identifies some reasons for this. (He talks about the criminal underworld; I am talking about the Mafia, for convenience).
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The Mafia do not originate in the traditional institutions of civil society. They are ‘outside the box’ and are not bound by convention or traditional values and behavior. They are from the outset an unconventional and non-conforming system within a larger system. Because the Mafia community is not bound by society’s dominant values, it can challenge dominant values and provide triggers for change. The Mafia have flourished in what might be called ‘transitional economies’ The USA, Russia and Eastern European countries, Mexico, Albania, at times of economic instability, where as a driving force of profit maximization they have very successful. There are a coalition of grass-roots Mafia communities, so they are living systems which are connected to other communities in different ways. They are open systems. The Mafia’s communities are bound by a common context and understanding, which relates to the meaning and stability of the organisation. In 2007 ‘the Mafia 10 commandments’ were discovered, The list of rules emerged from documents seized after the arrest of Salvatore Lo Piccolo a top Godfather in Sicily. Under the secret Cosa Nostra code of conduct, the so-called “men of honour” must avoid bars, other gangsters’ wives and girlfriends and be on time!
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
The Mafia use global communication effectively to support their activities, so they have a free-flow of communication and information, which is important in a living system. They employ a direct, frank and emotionally charged discourse. There is a strong sense of belonging and an acknowledgement of the discomfort of change. They do not pretend that things are easy. They engage people on an emotional level. They have an ability to use symbols and cultural codes effectively. If ‘The Godfather’ is anything to go by, ‘the family’ is an important symbol. There are cultural codes, such as the vendetta, which their members can relate to. So they have strong internal meanings within the system, with clear and recognizable bonds. They value tacit and explicit learning of the culture and skills of that network. They bring people on, teaching them the skills that they need to become part of the Mafia. They share their knowledge freely within the group. At the height of the Mafia’s power in the USA they controlled unions, corrupted public officials, infiltrated legitimate businesses, and controlled sectors of show business as well as their own
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lucrative criminal businesses. Wherever there was money to be made, there was the Mafia. Building an ‘ethical underworld’ So, although I think we can learn from the success of the criminal underworld in the way that they organize themselves, I am not suggesting that we adopt their values! I would like to see the Sangha (the Buddhist community) promoting a kind of ‘ethical underworld’ rather than a criminal underworld! We too, need to promote our own values and principles. I would like to see the Buddhist community promoting change in the wider world. I am particularly inspired in this by the image of the spiritual community as being ‘like an earthworm, undermining the existing order and shifting the governing values of the world.’ (Sangharakshita ‘Evolution or Extinction: A Buddhist View of Current World Problems’ 1971.) Perhaps a little gentle subversion is necessary! Acting ethically is no longer an option, but is a necessity for our global survival. We need to become an ethical underworld. We need to act on different levels
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to promote a more ethical, sustainable way of living. What we can do, as individual Buddhists. On an individual level we need to self-develop, underpinning how we are in the world with our ethical practice and the clarity of mind that comes from meditation practice. Developing awareness is crucial. Without awareness we can’t see what is happening around us, we are blind to both our situation and our choices. Living without awareness is like being in a constant fog, where we cannot see what is happening or which way to travel. ‘Mindfulness’ meditation practice is an obvious help here. And I believe that the practice of the Metta Bhavana meditation, the development of loving kindness, is very important for becoming more aware of our responses towards ourselves and others. I think of it as a revolutionary activity. It changes one’s relationship with oneself, with other individuals and with society. To act from loving kindness is to dramatically change the whole basis of our interaction with the world. It is important that we act ethically as individuals, because all our actions have consequences, even though we may not know what BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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ď ’ they are. We need to act as skillfully and as consciously as we are able, act in the knowledge that we are not isolated or separate from the world around us. The consequences of our actions are borne by others and by the planet as a whole, as well as ourselves. We do not know what effect our action will have, but we can be sure that they will have an effect. By meditating and acting ethically we also work against craving, which is a central shift both in effective Dharma practice and in transforming our negative impact on the world on a material level. We can develop lifestyles that encourage low consumption, economic sharing and right livelihood. We learn to be more contented with what we have. We can live and act in the present moment without an attachment to specific outcomes. We live so much more freely in the world, when we act from what is most important to us. Ethical acts are self-validating. They are worth doing in themselves. They do not need to have an outcome that we know about. We can consider withdrawing support from groups and organisations that do not support spiritual values and principles. In
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the 80’s I was the chair of the local Branch of the Labour Party. I was already meditating and was beginning to have understanding of my mental states. In a meeting at District level I suddenly realised that although we appeared to be ‘on the same side’ there was a lot of anger and animosity in the room, people were shouting and being unpleasant. I suddenly realised that I did not want to be a part of something that increased ill will and anger in the world, so I quit and I looked for other ways of promoting change. We can take risks. We do not know what is going to happen, but we can still do something. This can be in very small ways. It might be simply mending one’s clothes rather than throwing them away and buying new ones, which is what the prevailing consumer culture encourages us to do. We can be bold; we can speak out; we can put another point of view. An example from the office where I work comes to mind. Somebody used to come into my office first thing in the morning and switch all the lights on. I would come in a bit later and switch them off (except for the ones that people needed). One of my colleagues found this annoying and challenged me in front of the whole office, asking me why I was doing this. My answer was that I BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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just hated to think that we would need to build another nuclear power station because we kept the lights on in the office. Somebody else responded ‘ you didn’t think you’d get that as an answer, did you?’ And from then onwards the light were put on very selectively! Sometimes it is a matter of just saying what we feel is important, because that way of thinking may not have occurred to somebody else. One can exemplify a different attitude. I am not talking about just being awkward, rude or unpleasant. If I do challenge somebody’s ways of going about things, I always try and do it from a position of taking responsibility for myself. I say, ‘this is the way I look at it’, rather than ‘you’re doing that wrong’. All I can say is what would I do in the situation and leave them to their own response. So it is not about telling anybody what to do or preaching. It is a matter of being completely responsible for me and what I think is important. What we can do as communities. There are also plenty of things we can do as communities. We can be an active part of a ‘Sangha’ a Buddhist spiritual community. The
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ď ’ Sangha is a network of supportive friendships based on following the Buddhist path. We can join the Sangha on all kinds of levels, for example the level of friendship, just in conversation and communication with another person. We can affirm and practice our shared values in relation to the people we live with and other immediate contacts, as well as more broadly within the Buddhist community. In this way we support the shared values of the Sangha, within a world and a culture which has, for the most part, quite different values. I also belong to various communities of people who, in different ways, encourage others to engage with current issues in the wider world. It is important to me to be able to work alongside other people in promoting change. Communities do not always work through personal contact. We can belong to strong communities where we keep in contact with people we rarely see. At some time in the future, sooner or later, we may work together, or produce something together. Sometimes, especially in this age of global communications, we experience a level of community even with people we might never see.
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ď‚‚
ď ’ We also need to hold an awareness that change is not comfortable. We know it is not comfortable on an individual level, but confusion exists when there is change in our society too. Confusion, doubt and insecurity are part of the process of change. To belong to a community which understands that is fantastic. To have people around us who understand what we are doing and will support and encourage us through difficult times, is truly something precious. This experience can give us an understanding of why the Sangha is traditionally one of the three most precious things in the world, the three jewels, at the heart of Buddhist practice. It is important to understand that if we experience strong emotions, for example if we are upset by some of the things we see happening in the world, it is because we are experiencing our actual connection to what is happening outside us. We are not ill, our response is not a problem, It is not because there is something wrong with us. It is a communication between us and the outside world, based on our feelings and emotions. We need support to be able to let our feelings in freely, because it is so easy to deny our deeper, less comfortable, responses. Our society as a whole is adept at repressing this kind of discomfort, and this kind of discomfort is
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
important as it can effect change. We live in disturbing and difficult times, unstable times, and it is this quality of instability which is the forerunner of change. As Rudolf Bahro, the German philosopher said, ‘When the forms of an old culture are dying, the new culture is created by a few people who are not afraid to be insecure’ The spiritual community, too, is not bound by conventional values and principles. This is a real strength. We can be subversive in the nicest possible way! Some time ago I was part of a group from the Network of Engaged Buddhists that joined the Faslane peace camp for a weekend. Most people were blockading the Naval base (which houses nuclear weapons). We decided we did not want to do that. Instead, we sang, danced, meditated and did rituals. We chatted with the police and gave them cups of tea. We had with us someone who was very experienced in civil disobedience and was part of the Ploughshares movement. (An international peace organisation, based on the biblical reference ‘turning swords into ploughshare’) At the end of the weekend he said that he had been on the blockade at Faslane many times, over many years, but he had never been on a weekend quite like that. He was moved that we had BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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engaged people’s hearts rather than confront them in a polarising way. As an international activist and he is now taking a bit of that other way of doing things with him across the world. It is also good to share our experience and knowledge, not to hang onto it. We can share our abilities and skills within our spiritual community. This is the free flow of information and energy that I was referring to, which makes a community alive, connected and effective. So, we can teach others what we know and we can learn from people who know more than we do. An open system that is functioning well welcomes diversity. Backed by common values, diversity strengthens the Sangha through learning, bringing opportunities for it to evolve. Diversity is changeenhancing and needs to be welcomed. So we can use the networks that we have to communicate our values, principles and ideas as a spiritual community. We can use our centers and our retreats to teach meditation and ethics to others. We can encourage others to self-develop. This is all important work. The use of symbol and myth is also important, promoting an internal culture that will strengthen the Sangha. The Buddhist
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
tradition is rich in symbols, some of which are already entering and influencing Western culture. The form of the Buddha sitting in meditation, serene and concentrated is a strong and universal symbol, and I cannot remember ever seeing a Buddha rupa (statue) treated badly! Promoting vision is important. We can communicate another vision of the world. Some of the ways that we act as a Buddhist community do undermine cultural values held by our society. It is important for us to recognise this, and that is strength of our practice, for we can think ‘outside the box’ of our consumerist culture. We can join other communities that promote ethical and sustainable living. Peace groups, environmental groups and the various networks monitoring the excesses of global capitalism are all good outfits. But we need to take our Buddhist values and principles with us and not leave them at home. Systems thinking makes it clear that we are not on our own, we are all interconnected. So it is important to ‘network’ make connections and friendships with people of common interest. Actions and their consequences. So, help build the Sangha. Step out into the world. Interact with the BUDDHAFIELD DHARMA SERIES I: FESTIVAL TALKS 2009-10
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world. Promote the Buddhist vision and values. Challenge cultural norms. We need to do this in the knowledge that we may never see the results; we may never know what the results are. But know that we are doing this because it is important; because it comes from our hearts and it needs to be done. We need to accept that we are in this for the long haul. In this way we can be part of what is being called by some people an ‘infinite game’, a game that has no end, a game that is played for its own value, it own intrinsic worth. ‘There are at least two kinds of games. One could be called finite, the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play’ (Finite and infinite games. James P Carse) The effect of acting in this way can be profound. It increases our personal congruency, self-esteem and feelings of being worthwhile in the world. All of this releases energy. We have a greater sense of empowerment when we act in this way. So we might as well act with as much integrity, as decisively and with as much kindness, generosity and clarity, as we can manage – and then just let go of outcome. Act according to our ideals and principles; be prepared to
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA
be subversive; trust the process; take risks; just do it! And do it with others. Personally I am confident that I can do something now, with my available resources. I can make decisions now about how I live. I do not have to wait. Those decisions I make now, feed into my relationships with other people. My friends, family and colleagues know what decisions I make and why I make them. That is why I decided to write this, because this is important to me. I attempt to do what I can in a wider sphere, but I am only one of many other people. I am not a big player. We do what we can, with as much determination and clarity as we can manage. That is all we can do. Every moment, we can make ethical choices. May these words be for the benefit of all beings.
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Appendix Biography Khemasuri is a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order. She has a big perspective on life and the relevance of the Buddha’s teaching in the 21st century. She has a particular interest in challenging the assumptions of our industrial growth society through the teachings of traditional Buddhism. She has had a ‘lay’ interest in science since her childhood. Khemasuri ‘grew up’ as an activist in the Trade Union Movement, CND and the Labour party. She started meditating in the early 80’s while her children were small, living in rural Wales growing vegetables and keeping chickens. Her commitment to Buddhism deepened over the years while she worked as a social worker to help support her family. Khemasuri now lives in Sheffield, and is an active member of the Sheffield and Buddhafield Sanghas.
KHEMASURI - BUILDING AN ETHICAL UNDERWORLD: LESSONS FROM THE MAFIA