The World Dharma Of Freedom And Non-Violence with Alan Clements

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Alan Clements dares to say we are living in a “post-mindfulness” era. What he means is that we all need to move into a post-hierarchical time where “nirvana” is not static and the mindful mind - observing one's self - is not mistaken for “dharma intelligence.” He encourages us to live in a liberating authenticity, devoid of dogma, spiritual mimicry, and the pretense of certainty. Clements passionately challenges us to step out of the confines of set traditions, authority and religion. Deeply influenced by his friendship with the Burmese leader of a non-violent revolution, Aung San Suu Kyi, Clements reflects her beliefs and says, “hope is irrelevant if it is not co-joined with action . . . [I]t is crucial to see that hope must be co-joined with the act of physically providing food to elevate the status of the other. It is the same with love. Love is an action; compassion is action.” (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

Alan Clements is an author, performing artist, media activist, and founder of the World Dharma vision. As the first American to ordain as a Buddhist monk in Burma, he lived for nearly five years in a Rangoon monastery training in Buddhist psychology and mindfulness meditation. He is the co-founder of the Burma Project/USA International, a nonprofit human rights and media advocacy organization dedicated to raising awareness of Burma’s nonviolent struggle for freedom.

Clements is the author of:

• Burma: The Next Killing Fields? (Odonian Press 2002)
• A Future to Believe In: 108 Reflections on the Art and Activism of Freedom (World Dharma Publications 2011)

To learn more about the work of Alan Clements go to www.alanclements.com.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• Why hope is irrelevant without action
• What is Burma’s Nobel Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi’s message to the world
• What is the essence of a non-violent revolution
• What does it mean to be in a “post-mindfulness” culture
• How is consciousness like an ecosystem

Host: Michael Toms         Interview Date: 4/23/2012       Program Number: 3433