17th Karmapa: Engaged Buddhism as a Humanist Spirituality
I would like to respond to the thoughtful critiques that people have posted of a recent post, “Buddhism as a Practice, Not a Religion.” I appreciate the critiques because it makes me rethink and clarify my position.
In response, I would like to present the ideas of Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa, from his book The Heart is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out (2014, Shambhala Publications). This beautiful book is a primer of engaged Buddhism, covering a wide range of social justice issues in the global context, and elucidating a Buddhist response. He proposes the practice of Buddhism as a humanist spirituality:
In this book, I have been outlining what could be called a kind of humanist spirituality. Of course, I am drawing on what I have learned from Buddhist teachings. Yet everything I have been saying is a logical consequence of the interdependence that binds…
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