Buddhist Action Month: (BAM!) is an annual festival of Buddhist social action. It started in Britain in 2012 and has since spread out across Europe and beyond. Social action is one of the manifestations of METTA, the strong intention to create Loving Kindness for all, which is embodied in the desire to act for the benefit of the world. Practising this is at the heart of everything we do in the Triratna Buddhist Community.
The Essence of BAM: is to encourage individual Buddhists and Buddhist Centres to take any action they wish that benefits the environment, other people, our local communities or society. Buddhist Centres of course exist for the benefit of others and to reduce suffering through teaching and sharing the dharma – but this month the invitation is to reach out to those needing help in other ways, which we may not focus on at other times of the year. We can also take the opportunity to reflect on the ethical issues that arise from living in a world that is dominated by individualism, materialism and consumer values.
History: Buddhist Action Month (BAM!) was initiated by the Network of Buddhist Organisations (NBO) (www.nbo.org.uk) to inspire and support social change and care for the environment. In 2015 Triratna Buddhist Centres across Europe got involved and in the years that followed BAM was represented by actions and activities across Britain, in Europe, Australia and North America.
“For the month of June, BAM encourages Buddhists of all traditions to take their practice off the cushion and into the world, to exemplify compassion, ethics, meditation, and insight in the real world and in contact with others. BAM invites us to make more conscious the connections between our ethical commitment as Buddhists and the needs of other beings – human and otherwise, our society and our environment; and it offers us the opportunity to explicitly explore and discuss the ethical issues facing Buddhists in the 21st century.” (NBO-website)
This year TBCO again offers a platform to share resources, information and inspiration to get involved with BAM.
In the Buddhist Action Month Handbook 2016 you will find useful information on:
- Sustainability and Climate Change
- Generosity and Awakening Money
- Caring for Others
- A list of 63 suggested actions for Buddhist Centres and Groups
- Event Planning Guide
- Book and film recommendations
- Sustainable Buddhist Centre Certification Scheme - User Guide
- Energy Audit Template for Buddhist Centres
- Top ten tips to reduce your carbon footprint
- 16-point statement on climate change
A full index of the contents of the Buddhist Action Month Handbook 2016 is provided below.
You can also view the Buddhist Action Month Handbook 2016 on ISSUU here
Also included are the following resources prepared by the NBO in 2018:
- 2018-BAM-Handbook
- Suggestions for BAM Activities
- Tips for planning a BAM activity
- Event planning guide
- The BAM logo which you can freely use for your events and communications
For a bit more history on BAM within Triratna you can look here:
https://thebuddhistcentre.com/buddhist-action-month-2017/june-buddhist-action-month-bam-2018
and here:
https://thebuddhistcentre.com/buddhist-action-month-2017/very-short-history-buddhist-action-month-uk
BAM! buddhist action month 2019 Facebook page is to be found here
If you are involved in any activities at your Centre or elsewhere that fit in well with this Buddhist Action Month, please feel free to engage with this Buddhist Action Space!
And last but not least, here is some new material specifically created for this year’s BAM 2019!
- Sustainable Buddhist centre Scheme Flyer
- New Initiative on Climate Action within Triratna