Buddhist Coalition for Democracy Blog
What Are we for?
In turbulent times it’s easier to know what we’re against than what we’re for. The old union anthem “Which Side Are You On?” urges us to stand up against the “other side.” This is the opposite of Zen Master Bankei’s advice to “not side with yourself.” A colleague of...
A Look back at May Day
May Day has come and gone. I couldn’t stay home from work because I’m retired, and I couldn’t stay home from school because I’m not a student, but I abstained from shopping and attended my town’s local May Day Strong demonstration—one of 5,000 across the country. The...
To Sip the sun
When first I drew a borrowed breath of air, And squalling claimed my lease on mortal clay, I knew it not—but Fate had scribbled there A juicy clause to chart my pilgrim way. Not crowns, nor gold, nor love’s entrapping snare, Nor ancient scriptures of elders wise; ’Tis...
Poetry As Medicine for belonging
There was a time when I had all the words, and none of them could say what I was carrying. I could explain where I came from. I could move between languages. I could make sense of my story in ways that sounded clear to others. But there was a feeling that didn’t...
Has Trump Jumped The Shark?
The expression “jumped the shark” derives from a 1977 Happy Days episode in which Fonzie jumped over a shark while water skiing. The expression marks an inflection point when something—be it a TV series or a presidency—has passed its prime and entered a period of...
A Sense of Kinship
When was the last time you heard or used the word kinship? What does it mean to you? The common definition is that kinship refers to people who are kin, whether through blood or marriage. It can also be defined as people who are tied together by social groups. In the...
I Now See Something Different When I Look At A Photo of Trump
In this article, I describe how I came to look at Trump differently. Not that my opposition to him has diminished one bit. But my sense of him as a person has shifted. Something happened to me in the process of putting together a meme about Trump last week. It led to...
I Resolve Not to Kill
Continued wars, mass shootings, and other ghastly events throughout history inspire reflection upon the First Grave Precept (I resolve not to kill, but to cherish all life). This may sound like the easiest of all precepts to follow, but it may be the most difficult,...
The Suffering That Does Not Trend
For months I have been carrying a quiet horror, not only about the Epstein revelations themselves, but about where we were and were not pointing our attention. Then a [February 7, 2026] Instagram post by Harsha Walia, a visionary organizer and author whose work I...
Where Are All the Young Folks?
Why is it mostly boomers who show up at No Kings Day rallies? Where are all the college students? Why, when we old folks were college students, we were out there protesting the Viet Nam War. What is it with kids today? I’m told today’s youth has soured on peaceful...
What Really Counts
No Kings Day 3 has come and gone. An estimated 8,000,000 people participated—we’ll never know the exact number—but the more important question is “what happens next?” I attended a smallish No Kings Day demonstration—one of seven in Westchester County, NY that...
In Shōsan’s Shadow
Rise with fierce resolve.Life’s hardships are temple bells,ringing you awake. A sword left unsheathed,cuts through the illusions deep;truth sharpens the blade. Chop wood, carry water—the mountain bows to effort,not to idle pleas. Fire cannot burn onewho steps forward,...
Awakening Matriarchs
Many forces assure me that I am broken and damaged dumb and stupid, deficient unloveable, insignificant not enough, a second-class human without a mind of my own and too emotional too afraid to do things too unstable to be taken seriously I have been accused of being...
Freedom As A Virtue
Inflation and economic anxiety, political polarization, climate change, and threats to democracy are some of the issues that weigh heavily on the American people. These challenges have led to fierce debates over policies and rights—but despite the hackneyed claim that...
BCD Statement on War With Iran
Once again the United States is at war in the Middle East. This time it is a war initiated by a President who criticized his predecessors for having engaged in “endless” foreign wars and who campaigned on the promise that as President he would keep the United States...