Buddhist Anarchism

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Buddhist Anarchism
The Buddha was an Anarchist
Basic Information
Aliases	Anarcho-Buddhism "White Lotus Sect" (白蓮教) (In Imperial China during the Song until Qing Dynasties)
Alignment(s)	LibUnity to  LibLeft   Anarchists   Religious  Left-Wing Anarchists
Ideological Information
Influenced by:	Buddhist Theocracy Libertarian Socialism Religious Anarchism
Notable people	Uchiyama Gudō (1874-1911) Japan Taixu (1890-1947) China Gary Snyder (1930-) USA Ken Knabb (1945-) USA

"The mercy of the West has been social revolution; the mercy of the East has been individual insight into the basic self/void. We need both."

Gary Snyder

Buddhism Anarchism is rooted in three fundamental truths of the universe, the dharma seals,

1. Everything is in a constant state of change, nothing is permanent.
2. That "suffering" exists everywhere in Samsara.
3. That everything is devoid of a "self."

Thus, there can be no "perfect State" in Samsara. Any man-made institution is impermanent as well as imperfect, as people and the world change constantly. Further, no material wealth or political power will grant people permanent happiness—unenlightened satisfaction is an illusion that only perpetuates samsara. Individual liberty, while a worthy goal for anarchists, is nevertheless incomplete, to the extent that it precludes our common humanity, since there is, ultimately, no "self" that is inherently distinct from the rest of the universe.

Beliefs

The Buddhist anarchist argues that both the state and capitalism generate oppression and, therefore, suffering. The former, the state, is an institution that frames the desire for power, and the latter, capitalism, the desire for material wealth. Trying to control other human beings, in the view of Buddhist anarchists, will only cause them to suffer, and ultimately causes suffering for those who try to control. Trying to hold on to and accumulate material wealth, likewise, increases suffering for the capitalist and those they do business with. Buddhism can also be viewed as inherently at odds with capitalism when the need to consume goods on an individual level is considered unnecessary and ultimately destructive.

Compassion, for a Buddhist, springs from a fundamental selflessness. Compassion for humanity as a whole is what inspires the Buddhist towards activism; however, most, if not all, political groups tend to go against the Eightfold Path that steers Buddhist thought and action. Thus, anarchism, lacking a rigid ideological structure and dogmas, is seen as easily applicable for Buddhists.

Personality and Behaviour

Buddhist Anarchism is a pious person as well as a pacifist, often viewing society through the lens of his religion and rejecting war, violence and authoritarianism. He is seen as compassionate towards other ideologies who share things in common with him.

How to Draw

Flag of Buddhist Anarchism

1. Draw a ball,
2. Draw a diagonal Anarchist bi-colour of grey on top and white on bottom,
3. In the gray half draw a white Buddhist Wheel (Wheel of Dharma),
4. Draw a red or white Anarchist A in the center of the wheel,
5. Draw the eyes and you're done!

Color Name		HEX	RGB
	Grey	#323438	50, 52, 56
	White	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255
	Red	#E20202	226, 2, 2

Relationships

Friends

• Anarcho-Pacifism - This I like!
• Religious Anarchism - Basically me, but more variable.
• Taoist Anarchism - A fellow religious anarchist like me, but Taoist.
• Veganarchism - Fellow vegans, we both agree that killing animals brings harm.
• Soulism - My secular and more self-centered (in a good way) friend, that likes non-material pleasures. Some day (when the majority of humans are enlightened) I invite him into the astral realm tea ceremony, but for now, we just focused on ourselves.

Frenemies

• Buddhist Theocracy - I love your dedication to Buddhism but the state goes against the path of self-enlightenment.
• Anarcho-Nihilism - You see that life in Samsara is only suffering, but why you don't see the only way to escape it is spiritual enlightenment and escaping the cycle of reincarnation?

Enemies

• State Atheism - Religion compels us to eliminate the state, so you are not acceptable!
• Maoism - Darn statist purged us in China!
• Constitutional Monarchism

Further Information

Literature

• Buddhist Anarchism by Gary Snyder
• Uchiyama Gudō: Radical Sōtō Zen Priest by Brian A. Victoria

Wikipedia

• Anarchism and Buddhism
• Gary Snyder
• Uchiyama Gudō

Online Communities

• r/RadicalBuddhism

Gallery

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  Credit: TheLegend2T, Source

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  Original image

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  Old Profile Image