Mahayana Compassion?

[Malcolm]

Something I've wondered about,

Since Mahayana Buddhism places firm emphasis on compassion, why don't we see monks and mahayana buddhists rush to disaster sites, doing voluntary work to help others? Why only meditation and cultivation to create this mind only "Bodhicitta"? Is this true compassion? When we compare this to Christians who go all out to help disaster victims, 3rd world countries?

I'm not only talking about organisations here, I'm also talking about YOU.

Namo Amituofo!

I can set you up with some people in Haiti, if you want to walk the walk.

[tamdrin]

How bout we all hed over to Japan ?

[Jikan]

Unless one has very specialized and needed skills, it would be better not to come help Japan now (send cash instead). They have enough problems without having to work around and feed extra bodies.

There are third world conditions in the USA. Perhaps a better idea than heading south might be for the Buddhists here in North America to take over Buffalo. Why Buffalo? Because it's there, it's full of (now decaying) wicked cool architecture and it's largely unwanted, abandoned. We'd do the world a service to reclaim it and leave the sun belt exurbs to samsara. Meanwhile, we bring a bit if design elan and build stable neighborhoods and relationships. The Mahayana Occupation & Renovation of the Core of a Major Urban Center? And you get Niagra Falls close by? I'm only being slightly facetious when I say this is has potential.

http://rustwire.com/2010/06/30/freegan- ... ghborhood/

just a thought.