Politics

ambedkar-2
Working the Seam
Liberty, equality and fraternity were Ambedkar's central socio-political ideals. Here, we explore how he increasingly understood them from a Buddhist point of view.
Vidyaruchi
20 September 2025
vien of gold
Preparing the Ground
Dr Ambedkar is of great historical significance, but his thought is also worthy of attention. This article lays the ground for a distinctive exploration of some of his deepest ideas.
Vidyaruchi
18 August 2025
ipcc
Advayacitta explores the nature of the IPCC and the quality of its reports.
Advayacitta
16 September 2024
A Buddhist Utopia
The second in a series exploring what the Buddha said about society. In this one we look in detail about how, according to the Buddha, an empire should be ruled.
Ratnaguna
16 January 2024
Gangetic plain
A commentary on the seven principles the Buddha gave to the Vajjika League, saying that, if followed, would prevent its decline and assure its growth and prosperity.
Ratnaguna
16 November 2023
uko-post-artwork-large-79174
An exploration of the principles of an authentic social justice movement, beginning with the need for the exercise of reason and an agreement between narrative and fact.
Vidyaruchi
20 September 2023
mushroom cloud
Advayacitta begins to explore the history of climate change politics. He investigates the cultural context within which preoccupation with global warming developed. It was a context notable for its intense fear of disasters.
Advayacitta
3 August 2023
Homeless
Chapter 13 of The Destructivists by William Collins, in which he explains why 'Wokeism' has become dominant in all centres of power and authority.
Rick Bradford
23 July 2023
B.R._Ambedkar
Dr Ambedkar was a unique figure in world history. Buddhists seeking to promote 'Social Justice' causes have been known to cite him as a precedent. But is this justified? Vidyaruchi investigates.
Vidyaruchi
25 June 2023
un assembley
Chapter 10 of The Destructivists by William Collins, in which he explains why the 'elites' - the privileged, the established, the influential, the powerful - have most to gain from the imposed Moral Infantilism of society.
Rick Bradford
29 May 2023
Wolf2
Calls for 'Social Justice' seem to be getting shriller, and the demands made in its name stranger. Vidyaruchi explains what the terms have come to mean, where the ideas underlying their current use originated, and why they are so dangerous.
Vidyaruchi
3 May 2023
angry annoyed woman, getting mad asking question you talking to
Ratnaguna discusses the rise of offence-taking in our culture and argues that, just because someone gives offence, doesn't mean you have to take it.
Ratnaguna
23 April 2023
sun over trees
In this article Advayacitta describes the process of how he came to alter his opinion about climate change.
Advayacitta
15 March 2023
moralinfant
Chapter 7 of The Destructivists by William Collins, in which he explains how supposed moral rectitude functions as a form of power.
Rick Bradford
24 February 2023
defund
Many people, including some Buddhists, now believe that black lives are 'systematically and intentionally targeted for demise' by the police. In the second instalment of 'An Immoral Panic', Subhamati examines the evidence.
Subhamati[1]
22 January 2023
the destructivits
Chapter 2 of The Destructivists by William Collins, in which he ascribes the divisions in our society to a form of moral corruption which must be countered in moral terms.
Rick Bradford
11 January 2023
Prajnanandi read ‘a good heart is not enough’, and wrote to the author to say, 'I absolutely agree with the principles you outlined, but when I applied the principles, I came to the opposite conclusions. Can we talk?’
Achara
28 November 2022
Command-and-Control
Advayacitta explores how decision making in health care has been increasingly taken away from clinicians and their patients, and replaced by authoritarian control by governments and bureaucracies.
Advayacitta
28 November 2022
Red Pill Blue Pill concept. The right choice the concept of the movie matrix. The choice of tablets
The concluding part of the series on wise policymaking introduces the fifth principle: ‘hone your truth-seeking ability’. This far-reaching and challenging principle includes some concrete suggestions as to how policymakers can free themselves of groupthink
Achara
12 September 2022
Vaccination
Policy creation is an important activity, rich with possibilities for beneficial action. But how to bring a clear head, as well as a good heart? This second part introduces two further principles of wise policymaking.
Achara
6 September 2022
A Good Heart
Wise policymaking is a beneficial activity for the world, and hence can be a spiritual practice for leaders of faith communities. But how to bring a wise head, as well as a loving heart?
Achara
29 August 2022
Stairway to EU Heaven
In Part Two of this series, Subhamati takes a closer look at Stephen Batchelor's Tricycle article on Brexit, and asks whether it inadvertently reveals a significant weakness in the way Western Buddhists think about political matters.
Subhamati[1]
23 June 2022
Ratnaguna and Advayacitta discuss the book ‘Despised: Why the Modern Left Loathes the Working Class’ by Paul Embery, and the important issues it raises.
Advayacitta
26 May 2022
White people
An American professor of religion and culture has recently published an article in which she accuses Apramāda of trying to 'delegitimize and derail racial justice work'. In this article Ratnaguna responds to her criticisms.
Ratnaguna
8 April 2022
Abhaya Mudra
How should we define ‘racial equality’? Calls for equality of socio-economic outcomes between racial groups are getting louder. But how coherent are such demands? Or feasible? And what should Buddhists make of them?
Subhamati[1]
29 March 2022
Individuals
Part 2 of the series Breaking Free of Tribalism and Becoming an Individual
Ratnaguna
8 February 2022
An Immoral Panic
An investigation into truth, delusion, justice and race in the USA
Subhamati[1]
6 January 2022
Tribe
The first of a 3 part series Breaking Free of Tribalism and Becoming an Individual. In this one Ratnaguna examines the nature of tribes.
Ratnaguna
30 November 2021
Popper-3
Vidyaruchi considers the limitations of Popper's political thought, and argues that the liberalism that he espoused needs a framework of higher values such as is found in Buddhism.
Vidyaruchi
30 October 2021
Walking with the wind
Aryajit interviews Ratnaguna on Walking with the Wind by the Civil Rights activist John Lewis. Please note, Ratnaguna said Lewis was a Republican politician, but he was actually a democrat.
Ratnaguna
30 October 2021
Anywheres
As unenlightened human beings, we all have predispositions – patterns of desire, perception and feeling – that often lead us astray and generate suffering. Whole societies can split into mutually unintelligible ‘tribes’, blind to one another’s pain or anger.
Vaddhaka2
10 October 2021
Head in Hands
Advayacitta, a clinical psychologist, explores how political ideologies can undermine psychological functioning, thereby harming individuals and whole societies.
Advayacitta
23 September 2021
Brexit[1]
If you are a Buddhist, are you bound to be a Remainer? Many seem to think so, including one of Britain's best-known writers on Buddhism. But why do they take a 'tragic and prophetic' view of Brexit?
Subhamati[1]
8 May 2021
leave-your-views[1]
Ratnaguna discusses the importance of Buddhists transcending political ideologies, and developing wisdom.
Ratnaguna
3 May 2021

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