Compassion and interdependence in voting matters

By Derek Tahara | He/Him/His | Santa Clara, CA

With the 2020 election dawning upon us November 3, voting is more essential than ever and it’s needed to be done with compassion. Growing up as a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple, some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from all of the sermons from the Rev. Koyama and the Rev. Mukojima are compassion and interdependence.

The “Golden Chain,” one of the gathas that was regularly chanted at my temple, has a theme of compassion. “I will try to think pure and beautiful thoughts, say pure and beautiful words and do pure and beautiful deeds, knowing that what I do now depends not only on my happiness or unhappiness, but also those of others as well.”

This part in the “Golden Chain” defines the message of compassion and shows why people need to get out and safely vote.

Voting means not just voting for yourself, but your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and everyone else in your community. “Do pure and beautiful deeds, knowing that what I do now depends not only on my happiness or unhappiness, but also those of others as well” could mean that voting affects more than just yourself.

Interdependence is another Buddhist value that comes up in voting. When voting, people have to trust and depend that other people with the same party affiliation will vote for the same candidate. Americans all across the country depend on each other to vote for the candidate they think will help push the society forward in a positive light.

Back in 2016, when I was still in college at Oregon, I don’t think I voted. According to the Census Bureau, Americans aged 18 to 29 years-old had a voter turnout of 46.1 percent. I was a part of the 54 percent who did not vote, and in hindsight, it was not a good decision. Not only did I selfishly think my vote didn’t matter, it helped affect the election results and every American who did vote. I did not “do pure and beautiful deeds” by not voting.

In 2018, I learned my lesson and voted in the primaries.

I made sure to vote in the 2020 election after seeing what has transpired over the course of four years. Voting was also the compassionate thing to do for not just myself, but for others around me. It was necessary to vote to help move the needle forward in our imperfect society. Amida Buddha’s “Golden Chain” has helped me understand plays a significant role in voting, to not just help ourselves, but help others around us and improve our quality of life. This November, I’m depending on people to vote for the candidate they feel is fit for office.