retrofuturist wrote: ↑Fri Jun 12, 2020 9:41 pm
Perhaps you could share something "political" SDC, and "trace" it back to the suttas according to the new requirement, to demonstrate the process?
If I were to have participated further in the thread is question....
I spent a bit of time the last few days looking over some suttas with King Pasenadi. I opted for the affairs of a King over regular citizens, as the decisions of a King would have the most widespread effect on the lives of the people - just as today's laws and institutions would do the same. I believe it would show a case where the Buddha had the opportunity to affect those decisions, i.e. if the Buddha were going to engage in the equivalent modern activism, that would have been his best chance.
I was unable to find one instance where the Buddha neglected to prioritize the Path over whatever worldly affair toward which the kings were involved. In the very least, the Buddha would instruct the King to be virtuous and diligent, and almost never take a moral stand on a specific issue. The instructions were always general, rooted in virtue, duty or the Dhamma itself. This is true throughout the all the linked discourses with the Kosalan King.
As I suggested in our recent Monastic Activism thread, if a member of the monastic community wanted to address a current social issue, I think it would make sense to do the same. As lay people, I imagine we can only follow suit and immediately engage in the same prioritization, and quite like the Buddha in the following sutta, we should do so without wasting time trying to justify it. The nature of existence is itself is more than enough justification for why liberation should take that priority:
SN 3.25 wrote:At Sāvatthī.
King Pasenadi of Kosala sat to one side, and the Buddha said to him, “So, great king, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”
“Sir, there are anointed aristocratic kings who are infatuated with authority, and obsessed with greed for sensual pleasures. They have attained stability in the country, occupying a vast conquered territory. Today I have been busy fulfilling the duties of such kings.”
“What do you think, great king? Suppose a trustworthy and reliable man were to come from the east. He’d approach you and say: ‘Please sir, you should know this. I come from the east. There I saw a huge mountain that reached the clouds. And it was coming this way, crushing all creatures. So then, great king, do what you must!’
Then a second trustworthy and reliable man were to come from the west … a third from the north … and a fourth from the south. He’d approach you and say: ‘Please sir, you should know this. I come from the south. There I saw a huge mountain that reached the clouds. And it was coming this way, crushing all creatures. So then, great king, do what you must!’
Should such a dire threat arise—a terrible loss of human life, when human birth is so rare—what would you do?”
“Sir, what could I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?”
“I tell you, great king, I announce to you: old age and death are advancing upon you. Since old age and death are advancing upon you, what would you do?”
“Sir, what can I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?
Sir, there are anointed aristocratic kings who are infatuated with authority, and obsessed with greed for sensual pleasures. They have attained stability in the country, occupying a vast conquered territory. Such kings engage in battles of elephants, cavalry, chariots, or infantry. But there is no place, no scope for such battles when old age and death are advancing.
In this royal court there are ministers of wise counsel who are capable of dividing an approaching enemy by wise counsel. But there is no place, no scope for such diplomatic battles when old age and death are advancing.
In this royal court there is abundant gold coin and bullion stored in dungeons and towers. Using this wealth we can pay off an approaching enemy. But there is no place, no scope for such monetary battles when old age and death are advancing.
When old age and death are advancing, what can I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?”
“That’s so true, great king! That’s so true! When old age and death are advancing, what can you do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?”
That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
“Suppose there were vast mountains
of solid rock touching the sky
drawing in from all sides
and crushing the four quarters.
So too old age and death
advance upon all living creatures—
aristocrats, brahmins, merchants,
workers, outcastes, and scavengers.
They spare nothing.
They crush all beneath them.
There’s nowhere for elephants to take a stand,
nor chariots nor infantry.
They can’t be defeated
by diplomatic battles or by wealth.
That’s why an astute person,
seeing what’s good for themselves,
being wise, would place faith
in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha.
Whoever lives by the teaching
in body, speech, and mind,
is praised in this life
and departs to rejoice in heaven.
“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3