10% Happier with Dan Harris The Elephant in the Meditation Room | Christopher Ford
Feb 21, 2022
Christopher Ford, a lay chaplain in the Soto tradition of Zen Buddhism and former Assistant Secretary of State for International Security under Trump, dives into the intriguing intersection of Buddhism and conservatism. He discusses navigating political polarization, sharing personal experiences from the Trump administration and advocating for moderation. Ford also offers practical mindfulness techniques for stress relief and emphasizes the importance of intellectual humility in political discourse, blending compassion with governance.
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Buddhist Conservatism
- Buddhist conservatism values non-attachment to views and "beginner's mind."
- It emphasizes thoughtful prudence in policy, skeptical of easy answers, like a "Burkean sensibility."
Balancing Engagement and Detachment
- Excessive "not knowing" can lead to passivity, so an active, compassionate engagement is key.
- Buddhist practice seeks a balance between engagement and detachment, like carrying an egg without dropping or crushing it.
Hawkish Buddhism and Statecraft
- Christopher Ford identifies as hawkish in foreign policy.
- He believes that historical Buddhist societies and leaders, like Ashoka, understood the need for force in statecraft.