Politics, Power, and Peace: A Buddhist Guide to Surviving the Elections and Creating Positive Change
with Ven. Thubten Chodron
The current political landscape has left many of us with anxiety, despair, anger, and division. Many of us have struggled to remain calm and compassionate, especially while reading the news, thinking about the elections, or speaking with people holding different views. Some of us have harbored anger at certain political leaders or have had falling-outs with friends and family. Perhaps we have developed a sense of hopelessness and cynicism regarding governance and the future of our world.
We have also been facing challenging questions. Is it possible to take an ethical stand on issues and disagree with people while remaining harmonious and open-hearted? Is anger ever justified for countering injustice? Are Buddhism and politics even compatible? If so, what can we do to promote positive and meaningful change?
Venerable Thubten Chodron, a widely beloved author and teacher of Buddhist wisdom for daily life, will help us navigate these challenging issues and questions. She will share insights on how we can maintain a positive mind amid the political division and anger around us, and how from that place we can help create positive change in our world.
We are deeply honored and grateful to host Venerable Chodron, who has carved out time in her busy schedule to help address an issue weighing on many of our minds. This teaching is relevant for Buddhist practitioners and for anyone wishing to gain a more peaceful mind and contribute to the flourishing of society.
Recording
About the Teacher
Venerable Thubten Chodron is an author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, one of the first Tibetan Buddhist training monasteries for Western nuns and monks in the US. She graduated from UCLA, and did graduate work in education at USC. Ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 1977, she has studied extensively with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsenshab Serkong Rinpoche, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. She received full ordination as a bhikshuni in 1986.
Venerable Chodron teaches worldwide and is known for her warm, practical, and humorous explanations of how to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life. She is also involved in prison outreach and interfaith dialogue. She has published many books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and is currently assisting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the writing and publication of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, a multi-volume series of teachings on the Buddhist path. Visit thubtenchodron.org for a media library of her teachings, and sravasti.org to learn more about Sravasti Abbey.
