Compassion and Kalyana-mittata: The Engaged Buddhism of Sulak Sivaraksa

By Craig Lewis | | Buddhistdoor Global

In the world of engaged Buddhism, the prominent activist and vocal social critic Sulak Sivaraksa needs little introduction. Renowned as one of Asia’s leading intellectual voices, the co-founder of the Thailand-based International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) has risen to global prominence through his focused, persistent, and insightful vision of a socially engaged Buddhism that presents the means to radically transform human society into the basis for a more equitable, compassionate world. Since the founding of INEB in 1989, Sulak has been at the forefront of the global engaged Buddhism movement, driven by a spiritual commitment to manifest a social development model rooted in democracy, justice, and cultural integrity. He has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1993 and 1994, and in 1995 became a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (dubbed the Alternative Nobel Prize). Sulak’s concern for human rights and his frequent and forthright criticism of corruption and social inequality mean he has become a familiar fixture in media headlines in his native Thailand, where he has experienced repeated run-ins with the authorities that have at various times resulted in his harassment, imprisonment, and overseas exile.* As an engaged Buddhist, Sulak has established a string of social welfare and development groups founded in a rejection of consumption-based economics and with a profound emphasis on the spiritual and religious aspects of human existence. These organizations have been credited with being the catalyst for Thailand’s indigenous NGO movement. The indefatigable octogenarian has authored numerous articles, essays, and books, among them: Loyalty Demands Dissent: Autobiography of an Engaged Buddhist (1998), Global Healing: Essays and Interviews on Structural Violence, Social Development and Spiritual Transformation (1999), Conflict, Culture, Change: Engaged Buddhism in a Globalizing World (2005), The Wisdom of Sustainability: Buddhist Economics for the 21st Century (2009), and Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society (1992), which includes a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a preface by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Buddhistdoor Global sat down with Sulak during INEB’s recent 18th General Conference in Taiwan to talk about his perspective on engaged Buddhism in the 21st century, and his hopes and aspirations for the future. Buddhistdoor Global: It seems that almost everyone in the Buddhist world now has heard of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB). Could you tell us a little about the movement’s early days?

Sulak Sivaraksa: We started as a very small network. In those days we didn’t have much money so at the beginning our meetings—every year, every two years—were always in my country, Siam [Thailand]. In those days the Burmese [members] couldn’t even travel abroad so we had to meet them on the border [between Myanmar and Thailand]. Laos and Cambodia had also become communist, so we had to get people on the fringes to come to our country.

Fortunately, we had support from the Japanese, but the Japanese who supported us tended to be quite radical and they wanted engaged Buddhism to be more radical. Some of the Japanese priests were marxists, so there was a little bit of tension. I used to tell them that radicalism is okay, but it must be nonviolent. The man who helped me found INEB—I don’t want to mention his name—later broke with me and resigned. So I was more or less running INEB until 10 years ago, when I felt that, as I’d reached the age of 75, I should step down and allow Harsha Navaratne** to succeed me, and he’s since become very active. Our executive secretary Somboon Chungprampree has also been extremely active—before him it was very difficult to find and keep an executive secretary, so now I think we’re much more stable. BDG: What are the most significant changes you’ve seen as INEB has grown and evolved? SS: In the last 10 years we’ve expanded worldwide; we even have people from Africa and Latin America joining us. In 2016, We founded the INEB Institute to provide a good grounding for education, and I’m happy to say that this new institute now has people coming from England, from Brazil, and elsewhere. One of INEB’s strong points is that we’re not hierarchical; we have no power and we have no money. I’m very proud that we’ve become a network of good friends—kalyana-mittata [Pali. spiritual friendship]. It’s a wonderful friendship and we learn from each other. As you know, Buddhism is divided into many schools—the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions—all of which have their strengths. At INEB, I think we bring them all together, and I’m very proud that we are learning from each other. In particular, we Theravada Buddhists must learn more from the bhikkhuni, the women. Female monasticism is very, very important.