Venerable Nyar Na: The Monk in Sky Blue Robe & His Censored Buddhist Anarchism in Burma

Hein Htet Kyaw has been doing some much needed research and translation into contemporary Buddhist Anarchism in Myanmar. Ven. Nyar Na is an inspiring figure. The privileges many Western Buddhists take for granted (free-thought, atheism, scientific materialism, anti-clericalism, anti-authoritarianism, etc), the Ven. Nyar Na has been harshly persecuted by the Sangha for advocating. I would […]

Empty Notes: a BAD Perspective

Originally posted on The inner Moon:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1JMOIsnv7g4GZ4dHjAlKUX?si=63db22339ffa40c7 Here is the fourth episode of my Empty Notes podcast, which always seems to be changing its central purpose. In this case, I decided to go on a bit of a rant about the philosophical perspective I’ve been slowly distilling, a kind of ‘Three Teachings’ syncretism for a…

Quotations fromm Lin Qiuwu

These quotations come from the article Buddhism and Marxism in Taiwan: Lin Qiuwu’s Religious Socialism and Its Legacy in Modern Times By Charles B. Jones, published in the Journal of Global Buddhism 1 (2000): 82-111. Lin Qiuwu’s ideas on the synthesis of revolutionary socialist and Buddhist ideology display a clear coherence which goes beyond mere […]

McMindfulness: When Capitalism Goes Buddhist

I found this video to be an excellent introduction to modern capitalism commodification of Buddhism. It doesn’t shy away from (and in fact encourages) a deep dive into the history and philosophy without shying away from any of the unpleasant aspects. As this critique of Buddhist capitalism becomes more accepted, we need to begin thinking […]

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 […]