Any history of the spread of ecologically-engaged Buddhism in the West necessarily includes the names Guyapati and David Loy. The former initiated discussions of ecodharma before the term existed in the mainstream Western Buddhist lexicon, and in 2007 opened Spain’s Eco-Dharma Centre, an international project rooted in communal effort. Ten years later, the latter helped to create the first dedicated ecodharma center in the U.S. In this conversation, the two explore braiding together Western and Eastern philosophies, as well as social justice work to develop “transversal” forms of resistance — the only tenable response, they advance, for deeply intertwined systems of oppression.
“What we’re trying to do with ecodharma is a continuation of the evolution of Buddhism.”
“To address interlocking systems of oppression, we need interlocking, connected, inter-related forms of resistance and alternatives.”
This recording is from a talk hosted by Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center.
G (Guhyapati) has been working at the intersection of social activism, dharma, and ecological learning for 40 years. In the early 2000’s he founded the Ecodharma Centre where he pioneered training and retreats integrating contemplative practice, activism, and ecology. In 2017 he envisioned and founded the Ulex Project, building that into a collective project that provides training and capacity building support for social movements across Europe. He is known for highly innovative work blending pedagogical methodologies and innovating the approach known as Integral Activist Training. This holistic approach to activist learning has inspired numerous training initiatives across Europe. He currently steers the strategic development of the Ulex Project and its social movement capacity building programme and is devising a year-long Deeper Resources for Action programme, that seeks to harness radical dharma to empower socio-political activism.
Pieces on One Earth SanghaDavid Robert Loy is Director Emeritus and Cofounder of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center. He is a professor, writer, and teacher in the Sanbo tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism. A student of Yamada Koun and Robert Aitken, he was authorized to teach in 1988 and leads retreats and workshops nationally and internationally. He is author of EcoDharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis and A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, Evolution, and Ethics in the Modern World, and he is co-editor of A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency. His website is davidloy.org.
Pieces on One Earth Sangha
An Interview with Guhyapati
A Conversation with David Loy
An Ethic of Shared Responsibility
