How can our Buddhist practice make a difference in the face of all the challenges of the modern world?
Drawing on his decades of experience as a teacher, activist, and meditator, Donald Rothberg issues an urgent call to integrate the deepest aspects of Buddhist practice with the pressing needs of our time. By uniting meditation, ethics, emotional work, joy, and conscious action, he maps out a path that combines inner development with outward action.
The Five Themes of Practice
Donald structures his talk around five essential themes that support a holistic Buddhist path:
- Bridging Inner and Outer Transformation:
Buddhist practice is often internal, but Donald emphasizes its potential to transform society as well. He reminds practitioners that meditation and activism need not be separate and that cycles of inner and outer focus are natural. - Ethics as Foundational:
Ethics (sila) is a cornerstone of Buddhist training, often overlooked in the West. Donald reimagines ethics as a “commitment to care” and encourages practitioners to see ethical precepts not only as personal guidelines but as vehicles for social justice. - Working with Difficult Emotions:
Emotions such as fear, anger, and despair are not barriers to practice but rich material for growth. Donald introduces practices like the “truth mandala” to help individuals and communities process collective grief and rage. - Nurturing Joy:
Amid crises, joy becomes an act of resistance and resilience. Donald illustrates how joy is part of our inner nature and can be cultivated through song, ritual, and community—citing Emma Goldman and Rabbi Nachman as examples. - Listening for What Calls You:
Rather than trying to solve all the world’s problems, Donald advises identifying one issue that deeply resonates. From there, he suggests taking concrete, manageable steps to become involved, guided by what enlivens us.
Ethics Beyond the Individual
Donald expands the traditional view of ethics beyond individual behavior to include social responsibility. Drawing from historical examples like King Ashoka and Thich Nhat Hanh, he argues that ethics can and should shape entire communities and societies. Ethical precepts, like non-harming, can be interpreted in a social context, urging practitioners to consider systemic injustice and their own complicity.
The Role of Community
Community plays a central role in supporting ethical practice. Donald shares examples of small groups that study and apply precepts together, emphasizing the value of communal accountability and shared reflection. He notes that these settings help people stay committed and deepen their understanding.
Processing Emotions through Practice
Donald highlights that difficult emotions, when engaged with skillfully, can lead to deeper insights. He recounts his own retreats where he explored emotions like anger and fear for extended periods, ultimately finding sadness and love underneath. This process of emotional alchemy transforms personal suffering into a source of connection and compassion.
Hopeful Action: The 3.5% Rule
Referencing political scientist Erica Chenoweth’s research, Donald notes that nonviolent movements succeed when just 3.5% of the population participates. This data point offers a powerful sense of hope and possibility, reinforcing that collective ethical action, even on a small scale, can bring about systemic change.
Action Without Attachment
Donald concludes with the profound teaching: “Act without attachment to outcome.” Rooted in the Bhagavad Gita, this principle encourages committed action guided by values rather than results. Such a stance allows for persistence in the face of uncertainty and affirms the intrinsic worth of ethical engagement.
Donald Rothberg, Ph.D., is a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Center, a guiding teacher for the Marin Sangha in San Rafael, California, and a regular teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, Southern Dharma Retreat Center, InsightLA, and New York Insight.
He teaches retreats and groups on concentration and insight meditation practice, lovingkindness practice, transforming the judgmental mind, mindful communication, working skillfully with conflict, and socially engaged Buddhism.
He has practiced insight meditation since 1976, and has also received training in Tibetan Dzogchen, body-based psychotherapy, and trauma work. He has helped guide many six-month to two-year training programs in socially engaged spirituality, both Buddhist-based and interfaith, and is the author of The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World, and the co-editor of Ken Wilber in Dialogue.
Learn more at https://donaldrothberg.com