What is "Occupy Wall Street"?
The "Occupy Wall Street" movement began on September 17, 2011 in New York City's Zuccotti Park in the Wall Street financial district. It was initiated by the activist group Adbusters Media Foundation. Adbusters, a magazine which is advertisement-free and anti-consumerist, proposed a peaceful occupation of Wall Street to protest corporate influence on democracy, address a growing disparity in wealth, and the absence of legal repercussions behind the recent global financial crisis.
Though predominantly young, the protesters come from every walk of life and are of every age, race and gender, some employed and some seeking employment in a decimated economy. The protesters' slogan "We are the 99%," refers to the concentration of wealth in the hands of a small number of individuals and corporations versus the rest of the population.
The protests have spread to over 600 communities and 70 major U.S. cities. Internationally, other "Occupy" protests have modeled themselves after Occupy Wall Street, in over 900 cities worldwide.
In an online article appearing in Shambhala SunSpace, Claude van Italia expresses his hope, "Generation unto generation, artists and meditators – an ongoing coming to consciousness, eventually occupying all our streets non violently, artfully, with the moral authority of an outraged humanity." (article link below)
Peaceful demonstrations which call for a more just and fair society seem to go hand-in-hand with the Buddhist vision-and the Shambhala vision in particular- of an enlightened society. Meditation practioners have been showing up at OWS sights in Oakland, L.A. and elsewhere, demonstrating their solidarity with the OWS message. For example, members of the Baltimore Shambhala Center have been putting their values to the test by practising sitting meditation on the site with the local OWS. Perhaps other members of the Shambhala community will soon be sitting in meditation at their local OWS site, being present with loving-kindness.
Peaceful demonstrations which call for a more just and fair society seem to go hand-in-hand with the Buddhist vision-and the Shambhala vision in particular- of an enlightened society. Meditation practioners have been showing up at OWS sights in Oakland, L.A. and elsewhere, demonstrating their solidarity with the OWS message. For example, members of the Baltimore Shambhala Center have been putting their values to the test by practising sitting meditation on the site with the local OWS. Perhaps other members of the Shambhala community will soon be sitting in meditation at their local OWS site, being present with loving-kindness.
"In essence, the emphasis of the Buddhist path is to help us attain enlightenment, and the emphasis of the Shambhala path is help us create and maintain a good society. When we put these two together, we have the Shambhalian Buddhist view of enlightened society." — Sakyong Mipham
Buddhist persepectives on the Occupy Wall Street movement:
- This is What Compassion Looks Like: A Buddhist View of Occupy Wall Street
- Waking Up from the Nightmare: Buddhist Reflections on Occupy Wallstreet
- Remaining Human: A Buddhist Perespective on Occupy Wall Street
- Buddha Buzz: Teacher Thoughts on Occupy Wall Street
- The Buddha and Occupy Wall Street
- Being Present: Mediatitation at Occupy Wall Street
- Hindu monk leads Occupy Wall Street protesters in meditation
- Yoga Occupies Wall Street
- Jean-Claude van Italia on the dramatic, dhamic heritage of Occupy Wall Street
- Zen and the Art of Occupy Wall Street
December 11, 2011: Additional Articles
- Why I'm Involved In the Occupy Movement from The Jizo Chronicles: boddisattvas in the trenches
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