Zen Peacemakers

The Zen Peacemakers were by far the most characteristic and developed organization I had the pleasure of working with. ZPO (Zen Peacemaker Order) has attracted international attention for its effort to socially engage Buddhism in a global setting. The founder of ZPO, Bernie Glassman, moved out of New York City to settle in Montague, Massachusetts to be along “the Buddhist Belt” and to be surrounded by likeminded people. I met with Rami, Bernie’s assistant, for a very thorough and kind conversation.

Bernie Glassman began his socially engaged work in 1980 by closely working with Zen Sangha in NYC after he received the transmission of the Dharma from Taizan Maezumi while studying at the Zen Center of Los Angeles (ZCLA). He wanted to engage his Zen practice outside of meditation, so he began to work with the homeless, the incarcerated, and thus started a legendary practice called “street retreats” where participants are to live on the streets for an extended period of time instead of practicing in the comfort of a zendo. Bernie Glassman’s work with the wider suffering of the world eventually transformed into the ZPO. Currently, members of the Zen Peacemakers engage in streets retreats and “bearing witness” to the suffering of the world. Street retreats have become a skillful practice outside the ZPO community.

ZPO has 3 key tenets to their socially engaged approach for their retreats and activism:

1) Not knowing and not coming to any situation with fixed ideas

2) Bearing witness to the sorrows and the joys of the world

3) Taking action that rises from the first two tenets

Fun Fact: Bernie Glassman was also featured in the documentary we watched for class, The Gate of Sweet Nectar. The ZPO do present offerings to the hungry ghosts in the ritualistic way that we saw in the documentary. Despite the title and the liturgy of their Sweet Nectar Ritual, Rami insists that ZPO is not just a Zen group, although it is rooted in that lineage. People of any faith and any Buddhist lineage may join on ZPO retreats. The foundation of the retreats and ZPO activism is of a Buddhist origin.

There is a lot of depth to the ZPO, and ultimately Bernie Glassman  wanted to create an international network of people who are interested in meditation AND social action. A quote from the ZPO website states:

“Never predictable nor conventional, Bernie’s dynamic and visionary leadership has inspired many to experiment with new forms of practice and service over the years.”

I greatly enjoyed speaking with Rami, and he lives in Northampton so if anyone wants to learn more about his spiritual story (it’s very interesting!) or about the Zen Peacemakers, definitely get in touch with him! The Zen Peacemakers also has a very thorough website with a lot of information. Click the link!

Contact Information:

Email: info@zenpeacemakers.com, rami@zenpeacemakers.org

PO Box 294, Montague, MA 01351

 

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