Marxism and Buddhism: A dialogue for social work

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Dalai Lama’s claim to be a Marxist deserves consideration, if not scrutiny, through a review of core Buddhist tenets and basic Marxist concepts. To that end, this paper seeks to achieve three aims: first, to confirm if one can reasonably agree that the Dalai Lama is a Marxist; second, to explore whether a vision of social justice can emerge from a dialog between Marxist politics and Buddhist spirituality; and third, to discuss some implications for social work practice toward social change.