Earlier this week Rev James Ford, who I find myself admiring more and more as time passes, wrote a post suggesting “Ten Rules for Social Engagement.” There he reflects on the Buddhist life, the tensions between monastic and householder callings, being drawn toward that other-worldly dimension vs this-worldly service, and so on.
It is a topic that has been on my mind at least since my early 20s and seems to be a topic of interest to all great religions and philosophies at some point or another. In my 20s, in fact, it was philosophy itself that drew me toward something resembling the monastic life – that of the deep thinker, or whatever you want to call it. I still took part in social action in numerous ways, even co-organizing a ‘peace concert' in the run-up to the invasion of Afghanistan with friends and my then-girlfriend.
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