Mindful Solidarity : A Secular Buddhist Democratic Socialist Dialogue

Mindful Solidarity is a dialogue between secular Buddhism (where mindfulness comes in) and democratic socialism (where solidarity comes in). An idea whose time has come, the notion of mindful solidarity starts by asking: How do we respond in a mindful and compassionate way to the social and political crises that we face?

Until now, Buddhist meditators and progressive political activists have interacted rarely. Activists may dismiss Buddhism as irrelevant in the face of struggles for urgent political change. Many Buddhist meditators believe activists fail to recognise that human suffering arises not simply from unjust social institutions but also from our tendency toward greed, anger, and delusion.

Political activists with a meditation practice, imbued with an ethic of care, are likely to be more effective as they work to create fundamental social changes. At the same time, the Buddhist path of individual transformation is enriched by making it more ethically and socially focused.