WorldDharma The Vision of Alan Clements by Jeannine Davies and Dave Watson At age 48, Alan Clements has already logged enough journeys — physical and spiritual — to fill several lifetimes. Born in Boston, he's been an artist, author, Buddhist monk, lecturer, teacher, and activist. He's traveled to more than seventy countries and lived in twenty, including troubled spots such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Croatia, and Bosnia. Clements is most known for his efforts to publicize the systematic acts of injustice and cruelty conducted by the military dictatorship in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, the home of the "world's most famous political dissident," 1991's Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and leader of her country’s nonviolent struggle for freedom. Clements says, "It’s a nationwide struggle rooted in courage and compassion, and for that reason it’s called a ‘revolution of the spirit.’ Nor is it just about Burma. This is about a shift in global values." Alan has dedicated his life to transporting this spiritual revolution not only to the world, but also into our own hearts and minds. "Everyone can understand the value of challenging fear and breaking free of the barriers that confine us," he says. "Freedom is the scent of God, the highest good, the most valued expression of love. Imagine being wrongly accused, sentenced, and imprisoned. Then, in the midst of your despair and isolation, you hear a friend yelling, ‘Freedom is near!’ and this friend fights for your release. Clearly, freedom is the most precious of all qualities to protect in this world." In an interview conducted at his home in Vancouver, British Columbia, Alan spoke of the next level of his revolution of the spirit, something he calls "WorldDharma." He conceived the word, which "combines the ancient Sanskrit word ‘dharma,’ to mean the nature of consciousness in relation to freedom, with ‘world.’ Together, WorldDharma means ‘liberation through living, fully, in the world.’ It also points to both the indivisibility of freedom and the interrelatedness of all things, so aptly brought to life by the great Indian Chief Seattle’s words: 'For all things share the same breath, the animals, trees, and man.' " When asked how he conceived the concept of WorldDharma, he replied, "It came to me slowly…feeling the disease of dogma; forged from within by heartache and pain. It was primarily during my time in war zones and around refugees in Croatia, Bosnia and Burma, places where you see broken lives based upon the madness of men; men deranged by pathological obsessions with concepts; lethal dogmas burning with nationalism, racism, and religious extremism. WorldDharma is a concept designed to take us beyond dogma. "And I’m hopeful," Clements says. "It was the Dalai Lama that spoke of our need for a new spirituality, one that was more human and common to all people. I think he also said, ‘The color of blood is the same for all; human suffering and human freedom transcend all distinctions.’ Clearly, he speaks to the core of conscience, not merely on behalf of Tibetans or Tibetan Buddhism. Frankly, I think WorldDharma could be that ‘new spirituality,’ transcending culture, nationality, politics, and religion, straight to the heart, a freedom beyond fear and all forms of tribalism." Despite the serious and complex nature of the tasks he's undertaken, Clements isn't a grim bearer of tragic news, an obsessed radical, or an infomercial-oriented self-help type promoting his wares; quite the contrary. In person, he's warm and engaging, rather calm and serene, with a fully functioning sense of humor along with a razor-sharp wit. Unlike many activist-artist-seekers, he seems much less concerned with assigning blame to the oppressors than he is in promoting hope and positive action. He operates under an Eastern philosophical/humanist viewpoint, a clear and sincere belief that the true solution to the problems of the human race will come about through the accumulation of many small acts of individual kindness. "When Mother Teresa was asked how greatness was achieved, I think she replied, 'Only through small, daily acts done well, with love, over a lifetime.’ This is a model I try to live by," Clements says. "My teachers in Burma would say, 'to know your mind is the most important task of your life,' " he says. "They would encourage us to learn as much as possible about the nature of consciousness. As a good artist learns all he can about colors, how to mix and apply them, so too does a dharma artist learn the colors of consciousness. What is the color of love, truth and freedom? What are these energies? How do they arise, and how can they be evolved? This is the spiritual life, and the spiritual life takes courage. Aung San Suu Kyi said something quite nice about this: 'Fearlessness may be a gift, but more precious is courage — courage that comes from not allowing fear to dictate one’s actions.’ " Clements' definition of spirituality is "non-rigidity, or the absence of pretense, along with an intention to help others. But we must be humble in our service, not egocentric or too focused on our own so-called predicament — my problems, my issues, my story, or coming to terms with my so-called dysfunction — first before I can actually help someone else. This is simply not smart. Anyone who has worked in a refugee camp knows that one of the most effective means of supporting the traumatized restore their sense of worth is to gently encourage them to help others. Hold a hand. Cry together. From one’s own compassion, basic goodness is felt again. From there, the light shines, slowly, of course." There's a story he likes to relate of a white social worker who went to Australia to work with the Aborigines. When she asked a woman if she could help her, the woman replied, "If you've come to help me, please leave, but if you're here because you see that our freedom is linked, then please stay, and we can help each other." It's a simple expression of a timeless, complex truth: that of mutual interrelatedness, or the indivisibility of freedom. In other words, no one is an island. "Understanding mutual interrelatedness could be the single most important insight necessary for survival of our species," he said. "It’s imperative." Alan Clements will present "Spirit in Action: Liberation through Living" at Seattle Unity March 10 and, with Marcia Jacobs, "Empowered Presence: An Experiential Training" March 11. Call (206) 622-8475 or visit <www.seattleunity.org> for information on these events. He will also conduct a meditation retreat, "A New Way of Seeing," near Vancouver, B.C. April 12-16. Call (604) 251-1781 or visit <www.WorldDharma.com>. Jeannine Davies and Dave Watson are freelance writers living in Vancouver, British Columbia.