Joanna Macy & Sulak Sivaraksa: In Conversation at BPF's National Gathering

BPF's National Gathering was one of the jewels of 2014, an unprecedented convening of Buddhist activists from across the US.In our Keynote Event, BPF elders Joanna Macy and Ajahn Sulak Sivaraksa shared their wisdom with an audience of almost 400, speaking fiercely about the importance of spiritual friendship, the devastation of capitalism and industrial growth economies, and the usefulness of Buddhist practice in the most challenging of times.

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Highlights of the highlights

Joanna Macy describes the importance of 'holding actions' that interrupt business as usual, and the power of "spiritual friendship to stop dams from being built and to take them down."Sulak Sivaraksa embeds our critiques of capitalism directly into our practice, inviting us to "breathe in mindfully, and breathe out 'away with Coca Cola' ... Coca Cola is not only a drink, but it destroys the local dreams of people everywhere ... you have to understand that capitalism is dukkha" (usually translated as suffering or unsatisfactoriness).Watch these videos to get a full taste of the experience!  Thank you to Kay Cuajunco for videography and editing of the 3-minute highlights version, and David Nelson for videography and editing of the 38-minute abridged version.[embed]http://youtu.be/5OQh1F55QwQ[/embed]