“Our own life is the instrument with which we experiment with truth”.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Would you like to explore the interaction between social action and meditation in greater depth?

Is your sangha, social action group, or BPF chapter ready for a framework for study & discussion?

Are you interested in connecting with others to discuss the relationship between inner and outer development?

BPF offers the Buddhist Alliance for Social Engagement program to help meet the needs for socially engaged Buddhists to connect and study together. Buddhist Alliance for Social Engagement, or BASE, is a hands-on BPF program that explores the interaction between social action and meditation in an intimate, small-group setting.  Participants work individually in internships and volunteer placements and come together for meditation, study, discussion, and group action. 

BPF ran fifteen years of BASE programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are in the process of redeveloping our training and education programs, including offering BASE as a toolkit for people to start their own BASE programs. If you would like to help us shape upcoming programs, please let us know via our short survey! If you think you'd like to get involved in coordinating a BASE group, read on:

“They say, 'Home is where the heart is'.  For me, the BASE group provided a special kind of home, where I could experiment with new ways of relating, tiny stitch by tiny stitch.”

--Former BASE participant

What can BASE offer me as a participant?

BASE allows participants to learn from their experiences and take their teachings to a place of action.  Whether you're inclined more towards activism or more towards meditation, you can draw from your volunteer placement and from in-group relations as you explore your spiritual path. The program's regular meetings feed discussion through group readings and projects and help you bridge the connection between your inner and outer development.

What can BASE offer my sangha or my BPF chapter?

If you belong to a sangha or BPF chapter, BASE opens a space for your group to experiment with truth.  Within a trusted family, members can ask difficult questions and broaden their understandings of social action and mediation.  A BASE program provides structural support to strengthen within-group bonds and find reach new depths in the meaning of practice. 

What does a BASE group look like?

Good question—there's no exact answer.  BASE has had various incarnations since the first program ran in 1995.   Sometimes pre-existing sanghas decided to use the BASE curriculum to deepen commitment and bring new life into their community.  At other times, strangers came together to explore a new medium for spiritual development. Some programs were residential, some groups had a mentor, some were organized around a theme.

Whatever the form, all BASE programs have had some common features.  All participants have had job or volunteer placements oriented towards social action.  In the past, these have included hospices, cancer resource centers, anti-nuclear organizations, and medical clinics for the homeless.  BASE group members met frequently to meditate, to discuss readings, and to share experiences from their engaged practices.  A six-month time frame and small groups of no more than twelve practitioners allowed for trust and depth; many groups worked together on a social action project that the group designed.

I really would like to participate in BASE, but I don't know how to start a group. How can I find others who would also like to be part of BASE?

Starting a new program can feel intimidating. But if you want it, having a BASE group to engage with is worth the effort.  The BASE handbook provides ideas and guidance about how to get your group started and how to keep it going. If a group you are already a part of might be interested in participating in BASE with you – perhaps your meditation group or members of a social activist group or peace coalition—then you have a good place to start organizing.  .

Can I do this as a self study?

The BASE handbook and reader are a great resource if you choose to study on your own. However, you will get the maximum value out of the program if you are able to be in community with others engaged in the questions, exercise, and practices of the BASE program. If you live in a small or rural community with little access to other socially engaged Buddhists, consider connecting with others virtually in our BASE discussion forum. Finding even one other person to study with will be of great value to your practice!

“As the program developed, the group members themselves led us to consider more fully our group life together. As we took more risks and felt greater trust, we realized that the group met a deep longing felt by each of us, a longing to integrate the psychological, social, and spiritaul dimensions of our lives.”
--Donald Rothberg, Former BASE mentor

 I want to learn more about creating strong BASE group – what’s my next step?

If you're interested in learning more about forming a BASE group, contact Dawn at dawn@bpf.org. We are currently revising the BASE Handbook as a tool for you to start your own group. If you would like to help us shape upcoming programs, please let us know via our short survey!