Dearest Friends,

I hope this reflection finds you reasonably well.

In many of the sessions I’ve led with you under our beloved Banyan community, I’ve often spoken about understanding “causes and conditions”—whether these are of the personal, familial, communal, societal, cultural, political, economic or historical variety. This effort is a practical application of the Buddhist teaching on dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda)—that things only exist in our world for as long as the conditions that support them are present. Seeing this clearly is a doorway to equanimity.

Ever since the closure of Banyan’s mindful friends groups and guided meditation offerings was announced in early April, I’ve been reflecting on the wider causes and conditions in which our sangha is embedded—not just because I needed the equanimity, but also because I’m a scholar, a philosopher and a historian by temperament. I see Banyan as a sincere attempt to transmit the dharma and create sangha in a world where relational economies based on reciprocity have given way to capitalist systems constrained by profit.  

To be clear, I’m not saying that Banyan is a profit-driven enterprise. What I’m saying is that it’s an enterprise that’s embedded in a profit-driven system—and systems are profoundly powerful causes and conditions. The Buddhist practice of generosity (giving dana) is unwieldy in such systems: It doesn’t readily supply the stable and scalable transaction-based commodity-focused revenue streams that profit-mandated organizations require. In general, community-supported or volunteer-driven models face similar challenges within capitalist systems: They depend on fragile and inconsistent volunteer energy; they rarely provide stable livelihoods for teachers (who often support families unlike the monastics of old); they struggle to sustain the infrastructure needed for larger platforms; and the quality of teaching can vary without professional training or compensation.

In short, the challenges are real…and meeting them requires a sustained application of our imagination. How do we offer teachings that are essentially priceless within a system that relentlessly prices everything (or that coopts the very notion of the “priceless” as a tagline for an advertising campaign)? Even my own relationship to this system is complex: I’m its victim and its survivor…but also an accomplice and a perpetrator. Navigating this complexity—especially these last four weeks—has been physically draining, emotionally exhausting, cognitively taxing and spiritually agonizing.

To conclude, I want to reiterate that I offer these reflections to support equanimity—the kind of equanimity, at least, that allows us to shield our blessed anger and our sacred grief from the poisons of hatred and delusion. The burdens of Banyan’s transition have been unevenly distributed; they’ve clearly weighed most heavily on the most vulnerable members and teachers of our community. Seeing the wider web of causes and conditions can help us address the issues at their roots…and pave the way to greater freedom and happiness for all.

P.S. Just to be clear, I’m not anti-capitalist. In the same way that there are many streams of Buddhism, there are many variants of capitalism…and some are certainly more benign than others.

SUGGESTED PRACTICE: 

Sit quietly and attend to your breath. With each inhale, reflect: “This arises because of causes.” With each exhale, reflect: “This passes because of conditions.”

REFLECTION PROMPTS:

1. Reflect on the differences between the monastic teachers of the past and the modern “householder” teachers of the present. How does this difference in life conditions clarify some of the financial pressures that shape how the dharma is shared today?
2. Think of a recent national or global event that’s caused you anger or grief. What systemic causes and conditions might have given rise to this? How does seeing these causes and conditions shift your perspective?
3. Where in your own life have you felt loss or frustration? How might recognizing the broader systemic context—whether social, cultural, economic or political—help you respond with more compassion and equanimity?