Anarcho-Buddhism or Buddhist Anarchism?

A friend of mine who teaches foreign language reminded me today of a curious problem in English. We don’t often take the time to understand what our compound words and prefixes do to the meaning of a term. For example, anarcho-communism is often used synonymously with anarchism, libertarian socialism and so on. However, the order […]

Zen and the Anarchism of Blackness

An Interview with Author & Activist William C. Anderson I recently picked up a copy of William C. Anderson’s new book, The Nation on No Map, an excellent and timely discussion on the history, theory, and practice of Black anarchism. I was a fan of his prior work with Zoe Samudzi in the essay The […]

In this Very Life: Dzogchen & Anarchism with Wei Kang

In my study of Buddhist Anarchism, I have met many interesting and thoughtful people who share my interest in an expanded praxis of liberation. Among the most interesting and most thoughtful is the Twitter user @WeiKangWhite. I started following them very early on in my research, and have always been astounded by the depth of […]

Realizing Hakugen’s Buddhist-Anarchist-Communism

Anarchist Communism To begin simply, Petr Kropotkin, one of Ichikawa Hakugen’s main political influences, was among the earliest and clearest proponents of anarchist communism. Kropotkin most succinctly summarized anarchist communism as “the no-government system of socialism”. He went on to explain that “It is a synthesis of the two chief aims pursued by humanity since […]

Rebel Riot: Buddhist anarcho Punks?

Rebel Riot, first of all, is an incredible anarcho-punk band from Myanmar. But not only do they incorporate Buddhist themes into their music and activism, but they do not hesitate to criticize the ways mainstream Buddhist leaders and institutions in the country have supported the oppression of ethnic, religious, sexual, and gender minorities and have […]

Fragments of a Buddhist Anarchism

Ichikawa Hakugen’s critique and reconstructive vision for Buddhism indicates the possibility of a practice, or a program of Buddhist Anarchism, but it raises far more questions than it answers. If, indeed, the root of the problem of Buddhist politics lies in the interpretation of Buddhist ideology rather than its basic philosophical identity, what can be […]

Loving Death

Since the passing of bell hooks, I have been thinking about love. Throughout her work she tirelessly theorized and educated America on the importance of radical love, and warned of the perils of living a loveless life in a loveless society. Her masterpiece on the subject, All About Love, is a philosophical exploration of the […]

Uchiyama Gudo Pamphlet

A friend was kind enough to work the earlier post up as a pamphlet! Feel free to download, print and distribute it.

Hakugen’s Dimensions of Freedom

Hakugen was particularly interested in the contradiction between the forms of freedom espoused by Chinese Zen master Linji (Rinzai), the founder of Hakugen’s sect, and the socialist tradition, as represented by the thought of Karl Marx. It was, in a sense, a koan which he worked with throughout his career. Linji famously exhorted students of […]

Rebirth and Class Struggle

I am an agnostic on the question of rebirth. It is fun to think about, but I don’t see how, from my perspective, I could come to have any certainty about it without putting my faith in the words of others. It does, of course, matter greatly to many Buddhists whether or not there is […]