Dharma of Resistance

What is new in this course?

From a Buddhist perspective

Buddha worked to eradicate human suffering by teaching individuals how to get in touch with that part of the human consciousness where there is no ego, no self and no resistance. His ultimate teaching lies in how to observe Shunyata, the source of consciousness itself. Because of his deep intimacy with Shunyata, Buddha also taught his followers a moral code rooted in compassion. Nevertheless, he lived before organized frameworks and constructs about the condition of the human collective or the systems of oppression existed. Buddha understood every community’s well being to be dependent on the state of mind and actions of involved individuals in the context of simple relationships. Early discourses by Buddha show that he did not support the caste system, and he encouraged rulers to not resort to wars and work to reduce poverty; but he did not speak about actively resisting the socio-economic systems that existed at the time (e.g., the caste system and monarchies). Over time, acknowledgement of these systems and/or power of consent started appearing in Buddhist scriptures.

Although people unfailingly have the desire to form a nation and to find a wise ruler, few of them fully understand the reason why a wise ruler is a wise ruler. They are glad simply to be accepted by the ruler. But they never recognize that they themselves do accept and support the ruler.

In the 21st century, many engaged Buddhists and communities have been experimenting with how to confront harmful systems to build our collective power. And yet, most Buddhists still conceptualize their commitment to peace and nonviolence in moral terms. What we need is both a more healing approach that composts traumas of the 21st century and a more strategic approach that views Nonviolence as a weapon to be wielded with careful organizing rather than merely as a moral ideal. In the US, at this time, we need to do the cultural preparation that is necessary to increase our society’s capacity for mobilization. This course will use the wisdom of multiple ancient and contemporary traditions e.g., neurobiological science on trauma healing, lessons from natural systems, ancient spiritual teachings including of Buddhism, and modern understanding of strategy and tactics to help build a culture of nonviolent resistance that is wholesome and beautiful.

From a social permaculture perspective

“Social permaculture” teaches how to engage in the design of organizations and social dynamics using a living systems lens and using some of the same practices, thinking and methods as land-based permaculture. As modern humans, we tend to forget that human beings and our social systems are an extension of living systems, and reflect some of the very same patterning. Social permaculture practice is relevant for direct action organizers in a few ways:

1. the work of forming resilient, trusting, thriving affinity groups that have the power and joy necessary to prepare, implement and deal with the aftermath of direct actions
2. understanding how communication, conflict, social power, and “bad patterning” can be processed as design challenges from the framework of seeing human systems as living systems

To consider humans as an extension of the natural world allows us to study ecological defense activities as “nature defending itself.” Yet social permaculture has rarely touched issues of the design of defense/resistance movements. This is a vibrant “growth edge” for social permaculture that will be embodied in this course: how could “the problem be the solution” when it comes to the multi-dimensional struggles embodied in movements for ecological, social and economic justice?

From a Kingian/Gandhian Nonviolence perspective

Social movements are too often caught between a false choice: on one hand, non-confrontational tactics which do not directly challenge the status quo are insufficient for the scale of crises we currently face. On the other hand, many activists seeking more direct action tactics resort to physical destruction and emotional aggression towards people who are often themselves victims of existing power systems because of their trauma and shame. This severs the movement’s connection to the broader society and is used to justify harsh crackdowns of the state sanctioned violence and repression towards activists. There is a third way which is neither accommodating nor destructive: the tradition of Nonviolent civil resistance, which wends through Gandhi’s Nonviolent revolution in India, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the U.S. civil rights movement, and countless other transformational social movements. Nonviolence synthesizes the disciplined engagement of militancy with pacifism’s unwavering commitment to protecting life. Yet many changemakers today still do not understand the meaning and power of Nonviolent resistance. Additionally, as parts of the climate and justice movements, we are very new to grappling with the scale of individual, familiar, racial, economic and climate trauma we have around us. This course will be an exploration of how to make our authenticity, vulnerability and grief in the context of our friendships our superpower.

From a climate perspective

The average footprint of a person living in the US is equivalent to 45,000 lbs of carbon dioxide per year and it needs to come down to 5000 lbs within the next ten years for us to keep global temperature rise to below 1.5 degree celsius (something necessary to avoid climate catastrophe). This change from 45,000 to 5,000 lbs will not be possible without our collective efforts at the systemic level and without us saying a sacred NO to powerful interests that make profit from extracting and burning fossil fuels (See a talk that explains these science based numbers). Governments, policymakers or entrepreneurs can much more easily enact/implement necessary laws and policies when the public is spiritually, psychologically and culturally ready for a change. This course will explore how we can bring the spiritual power of our relationships to the frontlines of climate resistance and water/land protection.

From a social justice perspective

Racism and colonialism are among the root cultural causes of climate crisis and the poor people of color all over the world suffer the most because of climate crisis. And yet, changemakers working on racial justice and healing have repeatedly pointed out that the mainstream climate movement in the US (and abroad) fails to integrate and collaborate with Black Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC) leadership in the US and the global south. When the climate movement does engage with communities of color, it is often done in a manner that is tokenizing, exploitive and rooted in white saviorism. We can build a climate movement that embodies social justice values and catalyzes racial healing. We can build a social justice movement that acknowledges another harsh truth: the truth of climate emergency and the genocide it promises to bring. We can design for interactions that cultivate relationships and celebrate our differences as a path toward a greater collective strength through unity and right relationships. In this course, we will explore how we might be able to achieve individual healing, social justice and radical climate action through one elegant framework.

From a strategic direct action perspective

Nonviolent resistance can be our most powerful tool for growing movements, winning hearts and minds to our causes, standing against injustice and creating the changes that we want to see in the world. Many courses explore the theory and philosophy of nonviolent resistance, but fail to address the more practical and strategic elements of this valuable tactic. This often leads to participants feeling excited and willing to engage, but unprepared to confront the unique challenges and risks inherent to this work–which can lead to fear, inertia and despair. This course takes a holistic approach that will not only prepare you emotionally and spiritually, but also provide you with the practical knowledge and foundational skills that are critical for mitigating risk and planning or participating in direct actions, safely and effectively.

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