Expert: Buddhis8 - BuddhismIS.com - 3/8/2009

Question
I was wondering what type of policy issues and oportunities for political action buddhists have. Any collaboration or coalition building with other community resources. Do Buddhists have strategies or tactic they like to use to make any type of political stand in their communties? That is for things they believe in. Thank you so much for your help and information!

Answer
I can't speak for any other Buddhists,in my community there are Buddhists but if they do act they act individually.

Personally, I as a Buddhist involve myself organizationally with local issues. Larger issues seems to attract much in the way of ego and such thought driven ideologies, to the exclusion of perhaps compassionate action as prime motivator, regardless of the concreteness of the ideology. Seeming to attrract those inclined for reasons of me rather than us, which functionally presents obstacles.
So I have worked locally, to represent my local community in small areas. More selfless people to interact with by my experience.

So individually that is what I do, local as opposed to national. Though I will probably not engage much in the future unless conditions necessitate that. Coincidentally I hope to be elected out of my particular minor office tonight.

Hence devoting more time to meditations and such, which I expect will eventually prove more productive. http://www.knowbuddhism.info

As a karmic effect of sorts.....any war or some postively heinous action of governments must particularly be worked against to my opinion, the form probably doesn't matter as much as the working against, as to personal potential effect of such. So finding the most heinous action of the governments where you live and then working against that, would by my opinion have most beneficail personal effect of a karmic nature. But if not a local issue expect to be in a potentially nonproductive environment. But what can you do?

So thats my personal answer.