A Buddhist Approach to our Global Crisis: Four Noble Truths as a Guide
Focus on the different areas in which the four noble truths are concrete steps toward well-being may be approached and eventually realized.
Prof. Dr. Ruben L.F. Habito
As we survey our contemporary global scenario, we note stark symptoms of a dysfunctional, conflictual (and often violent), deteriorating situation. Some of these include an ever-increasing gap between the rich and powerful few, and the disenfranchised, dehumanized multitudes spread over in various parts of the world; increasing animosity and fragmentation among peoples based on many-leveled factors, erupting in organized armed violence in many places; and a rapidly escalating deterioration of our ecological well-being. The Buddhist Teaching on the Four Ennobling Truths offers us an effective way of approaching these symptoms toward healing, leading us to inquire into their causes, project a scenario of global well-being whereby these causes have been or are in the process of being eradicated, and prescribe concrete steps toward arriving at this state of global well-being. This presentation will go through these four steps, and will focus on the different areas in which such concrete steps toward well-being may be approached and eventually realized.
*Some publications related to Myanmar Project(all in PDF)
- Healing Breath: Zen For Christians and Buddhists in a Wounded World (Wisdom, 2006)
- “Four Ennobling Truths of our Global Society,” Bridges, A Multidisciplinary Journal, Vol. 13, 2006, Special Edition: The Value of Buddhism for Contemporary Western Society, pp. 267-286.
- “The Inner Pursuit of Happiness,” in S. Kaza, ed., Hooked!—Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire, and the Urge to Consume (Wisdom, 2005)
* Reference items by other authors for distribution to students:
- David Loy, “Three Poisons, Institutionalized” (pdf)
- David Loy, “Awakening in the Age of Climate Change’ (Tricycle, Spring 2015) (pdf)
- David Loy, “Healing Ecology: What can Buddhism Contribute to our Understanding of the Ecological Crisis?” (Tricycle, Winter 2012) (pdf)
- Film: “Crossroads: Labor Pains of a New Worldview” 64 minutes, accessible via this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n1p9P5ee3c&list=PLMTk07rWd6iq0b6HcbFPDdpcDjSV742rW&index=4
