The Dhamma Brothers

I learned about this documentary from this article.

I knew that Buddhist teachers had been working with inmates in the US at various times, but this is the first I've heard of a documentary on the subject.

The Dhamma Brothers tells a dramatic tale of human potential and transformation as it closely follows and documents the stories of the prison inmates at Donaldson Correction Facility who enter into this arduous and intensive program. This film, with the power to dismantle stereotypes about men behind prison bars also, in the words of Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking), "gives you hope for the human race."

Sadly it is often the people who can benefit most from Buddhist teachings who don't have access to them. Realistically I don't think we can expect to see hugely amazing transformations from this (not every criminal is Angulimala) but it is good to see someone trying.

Monks on the Frontline - Burma

Here's an interesting video from Journeyman Pictures.

NOTE: Looks like the producers have disabled embedding so you can't watch the video inline, and my player scripting links don't work, but you can still watch the video at YouTube and skip to the appropriate time marks manually.

There are a few interesting points that you can jump to here using these links (which probably will not work in an RSS reader):

[1:06] - "The best way to remove this evil government is to use force", states Rambo monk.

[3:23] - I fail to see how advocating that the monks stay out of politics is "towing the government line" or having a pro-government stance as the narrator states. The narrator fails to substantiate this claim. "I'm not interested in these protests because it's none of our business", states Abbot U Arthipha. "Monks should keep away from politics". I don't think the narrator understands this position and additionally there seem to be some translation errors in the subtitles. If Ven. U Arthipha is pro-government then it is unsubstantiated by this interview as he doesn't say a single thing in support of the government.

[8:17] - More information about the "Rambo Monk" and some interview questions. The story he mentions about taming the dragon king is recounted here. (I can't seem to find the scriptural source for this story, so please let me know if you know what this is from.) It is worth noting that the dragon king isn't killed but only subdued.

Rewind and watch from the beginning or view the video at YouTube.

Overall I'm disappointed with this video. The producers seem to have no criticism for monks involved in violence, but seem to have plenty of implied criticism for monks who try to stay out of the situation by calling them "pro government." Since when was refusing to participate in a fight considered joining in on one side of the fight? If those monks are pro government then it is unsubstantiated in the video.

Anyway, the situation in Burma is pretty horrible. It's hard for me to criticize anyone who lives there who feels the need to do something to improve it. I think different people are coming to different conclusions about what that something is though and what their role should be.

A transcript of this video is available.

3D Dialogue: Engaged Buddhism

Jesse Hirsh host of 3D Dialogue interviews Prof. Mavis Fenn, Dept. of Religious Studies, St. Paul's College, Waterloo University, regarding Engaged Buddhism.

Prof. Fenn seems to consider Engaged Buddhism to be a "Western" expression of Buddhism arising from the interaction during colonialism.

I hesitate to post this because they don't really say all that much of interest during the 7 minutes that they use, but I suppose I will anyway.

How to Change The World by Ajahn Brahm

This is not new, but it's new to me. I thought it was a pretty good talk.

I also have a playlist on YouTube where I'm collecting videos like this that are relevant to Buddhism and politics. (There's a widget embedded on the sidebar to the left that links to this also, and it includes an RSS feed.)

If you're in need of some humor, you might want to skip to the funny part using this link. I kind of like Dr. Who, but I don't like it that much!

Once sufficiently amused, rewinding to the beginning to watch the whole talk is recommended.

Video: The Politics of Buddhism in Burma

Description from YouTube:

Jesse Hirsh host of 3D Dialogue interviews Bush Gulati, from the Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Burma, regarding the role of Buddhist Monks in the struggle against the military dictatorship.

The discussion starts with the history of Buddhism in Burma, and goes on to explore the relationship between the monks and the lay people. This is followed by a brief history of the political activism of the monks, as well as how they're engaging politics in Burma in the modern day. The discussion ends with a call to action to the International community to step forward and help the people of Burma.

I thought this video was interesting. Mr. Gulati describes the monks more as "encouraging" the lay population to do something. He spends a bit of time describing the relationship between the monks and lay community.