Ancient Wisdom Applies to Today and Tomorrow
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
During May 1 to 8 Social Security is joining forces with faith-based and community groups across the country to increase awareness about their programs and services. The theme for this Faith Week of Action is “Shining a Light on Your Lifelong Protections.”
One of the common misconceptions about Buddhism is that it is detached from the affairs of daily living. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Buddhist tradition focuses on cultivating the wisdom to differentiate between short-term pleasure and long-term well-being, and the courage to make the best choices.
Among the ancient Buddhist teachings, we find detailed, practical advice on how to handle our money. One sutra, or teaching, advises us to “set aside one fourth of our earnings for times of need.”
Social Security is a solid partner that helps us to prepare for times of need — retirement, disability or the unexpected death of a family’s breadwinner.
As a Buddhist, I believe that all of our lives are profoundly interwoven. As one of the great modern Buddhist thinkers, Daisaku Ikeda said, “Each form of life supports all others; together, they weave the grand web of life. Thus, there really is no happiness for oneself alone; no suffering that afflicts only others.”
I appreciate that Social Security provides this kind of protection for my friends, neighbors, and all my fellow Americans. I can relate to those who resent the deduction taken from their paycheck every payday. However, I also know these contributions provide us with an essential foundation for the future.
We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We must ensure their well-being and honor their much-needed contributions to our world. Social security helps us to do just that. Register for Social Security’s Faith Week of Action online and learn how you can help spread the message about securing today and tomorrow.
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About the Author
Adin Strauss, General Director, Soka Gakkai International-USA
Adin Strauss, General Director, Soka Gakkai International-USA
Comments
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Jessica R.
Thank you Aidin for that informative and interesting article. Congratulations on becoming the new Men’s division leader for our great lay organizatio, SGI.
richard
Why do I here our liberal government hounding about seperation of church and state (by the way there is no such terminology in my constitution) while we have this gonvernment (my) employee preaching budism in a government communication! Shame on you. Practice what our liberal government preaches and keep your religion to yourself!
Carol
We Are All One, well said.
Ann
The article speaks to people of all faiths, does it not?
As Christians we can check out opportunities to participate with our faith groups during the days below.
Read section in article:
“During May 1 to 8 Social Security is joining forces with faith-based and community groups across the country to increase awareness about their programs and services. The theme for this Faith Week of Action is “Shining a Light on Your Lifelong Protections.”
Social Security values all people, and the richness of their life experiences. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We must ensure their well-being and honor their much-needed contributions to our world. Social security helps us to do just that. Register for Social Security’s Faith Week of Action online and learn how you can help spread the message about securing today and tomorrow.
Joe F.
I believe that Adin Strauss is sending a Word of his beliefs, Buddhism w/o a care about that we are in America and most Americans look up to the Trinity..
God, the Holy Spirit; God the Son and God as God. I believe that Mr. Strauss will not be Heavenly Bound as His God is a mere “Idol”…
Mr. C.
Since the central “No [Wo]Man Is An Island” argument underlying the rationale of this piece can be so readily made without recourse to parallels or parables explicitly identified with this or that belief system or similar sorts of parochiality or accidents of personal viewpoint, the author might have done better to advance the argument that the entire society is better off by virtue of Social Security by direct reference to facts, figures, and outcomes supporting his contention.
A gesture to the non-partisan, non-sectarian philosophical principle of “The Golden Rule” would have been a more tolerable level of “opining”… were some such broad brush contextualizing felt by the author to have been called for.
While I definitely support the fact and rationale of our Social Security system, given that it is under such present attack, it’s a bit too risky to proselytize for it by recourse to potentially problematic personal idiosyncrasy, penchant, and prejudiced beliefs (however pleasantly or loftily couched).
I grant that many – both subscribers to it and not – consider Buddhism a philosophy and, thereby, not strictly a religion, my impression has been that most in the community of philosophers would class it as a religion… just, perhaps, a non- or less-theist belief system.
Let’s keep sociopolitical and economic policy discussions as non-sectarian as we can possibly manage.
I think the writer of this piece probably thought he was doing that. If so, I agree with many others here that this was his unfortunate lapse.
George
People, be nice. Let’s hear from all philosophies .. and religions — to enrich our understanding of the life that we all share. Rather than silence the Buddhist, let’s work to learn something from everyone and not give up teaching each other in a spirit of community. Who’s the bad guy?–not those giving the Buddhist a forum but those denying others an equal (but not dominant) voice.
Karen
I so agree with you George.
John O.
Yes, but not on a government sponsored and run website.
Conrad G.
There’s a difference between teaching ABOUT a religion (which I support) and teaching religion (which should not be government supported).
Billy
Go Trump is all I can say now.
yz
AGREED – go Trump!
LeCat2 U.
And how about the fact that Potus wants to change the way savings are to be controlled by his government that now has this nation in an unsustainable level. Plus he wants to rename SS to be called Government Assistance, how so when it is my money and then only given a pitence for imterest. No way let him drag our useless Congress into doing this, get the word out , plus our country was founded on christianity values.
LM
It was not, read the Constitution!
John O.
Yes, and the government would have disciplined or fired me if I had posted the same thing from a Christian perspective. It is the hypocrisy that is found objectionable not the messenger.
Mike T.
Wayne and Andy should get their facts straight. Mr. Strauss isn’t a government official and the tenets of Buddhism are shared and practiced worldwide…much like those of Christianity. If you two would set aside your one-world, one-God opinions, you might widen your world view.