The Place of Meditation in Engaged Buddhism

Abstract

Buddhist meditation, also known as mindfulness and vipassana, has been a hallmark of Buddhist revival in many parts of the world. Engaged Buddhists - those who see their practice as a collective response to the institutional causes of suffering and injustice in society - have generally regarded meditation as a foundation and a resource for their struggle. Recent criticisms of meditation have been raised by engaged Buddhists in Asia and the West, however. The commercialization of mindfulness training, and its application to corporate and military settings, have raised objections from engaged Buddhist leaders and scholars in the West. In India, the popularity of the Vipassana training centers founded by S. N. Goenka and the meditation training offered at the Trailokya Baudda Mahasangha centers, has also raised doubts among activists and secularists. Are meditators more or less effective as social activists in the name of the Buddha’s Dhamma? In this paper we look at this debate among Ambedkar Buddhists over the past twenty-five years, concluding that the matter is significant for the practice of these new Buddhists and for Engaged Buddhism generally - but far from settled.