The Buddha, however, had little interest in political matters. Indeed, he literally ran away from wielding political power to pursue a spiritual quest instead. He seldom discussed issues of governance, and seldom in any detail. Influential subsequent Buddhist thinkers were almost exclusively monks - people who sequestered themselves away from worldly concerns, although, of course, sometimes worldly concerns impinged on them unbidden.
While Stoicism encourages political engagement, contemporary Stoicism has a big tent. It accommodates Stoic authors such as Trump-loathing Ryan Holiday and the Trump-supporting West Virginia legislator Pat McGeehan. Meanwhile, Western Buddhist organizations such as the Soto Zen Buddhist Association have been accused of abandoning the “buddhadharma and have become more of a supporting organization for progressive social and political causes.”
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