Zen Marxism

[JohnC]

Zen Marxism

Dr. Paul Shackley

Zen and Marxism are ways to emancipation, each addressing a different kind of obstacle to it. Thus, according to Buddhist teaching, "suffering", ranging from acute distress to general dissatisfaction, is caused by mental grasping which can be ended by Buddhist morality and meditation. Thus also, according to Marxist theory, social ills, ranging from extreme poverty and violence to general injustice and alienation, are caused by economic exploitation which can be ended by socialist revolution. If, as I believe, both diagnoses are valid, so that unfreedom is both psychological and economic, inner and outer, then meditation is individually advisable and the building of the revolutionary party is politically urgent. Thus, it makes sense to practise both simultaneously. In fact, there is no practical contradiction between regular zazen, "just sitting with no deliberate thought", and regular political activity...

The whole article is here.

 

[rhys gethin]

Zen Marxism

Dr. Paul Shackley

Zen and Marxism are ways to emancipation, each addressing a different kind of obstacle to it. Thus, according to Buddhist teaching, "suffering", ranging from acute distress to general dissatisfaction, is caused by mental grasping which can be ended by Buddhist morality and meditation. Thus also, according to Marxist theory, social ills, ranging from extreme poverty and violence to general injustice and alienation, are caused by economic exploitation which can be ended by socialist revolution. If, as I believe, both diagnoses are valid, so that unfreedom is both psychological and economic, inner and outer, then meditation is individually advisable and the building of the revolutionary party is politically urgent. Thus, it makes sense to practise both simultaneously. In fact, there is no practical contradiction between regular zazen, "just sitting with no deliberate thought", and regular political activity...

The whole article is here.

I've been thinking this for some years. Thanks for pointing to the article: I shall meditate on it, as they say!

 

[JHE]

Zen Marxism

Imagine one class clashing?


Ingenious oddballs have tried to reconcile the most unlikely combinations of ideologies.

(I notice this particular would-be synthesiser is a Cliffite, though he's probably left the organised Cliffites. The latter, nowadays, much prefer Islam to Buddhism.)

 

[rhys gethin]

Imagine one class clashing?


Ingenious oddballs have tried to reconcile the most unlikely combinations of ideologies.

(I notice this particular would-be synthesiser is a Cliffite, though he's probably left the organised Cliffites. The latter, nowadays, much prefer Islam to Buddhism.)

Well, it seems to me that ideology and illusion are as close as makes no odds. 'One class clashing' is very good, very Zen. Neither Buddhism nor Marxism is compatible with an (implied) hatred of Tony Cliff, who was a really good bloke. And what have you gor against Islam, then, JHE?