engaged Buddhism.

Engaged Buddhism is a modern movement that applies Buddhist ethical principles—such as compassion, nonviolence, and dependent origination—to social, political, and environmental issues. Although the term engaged Buddhism was coined and popularized in Western contexts by Thich Nhat Hanh, the approach draws on earlier Asian currents, including late 19th- and early 20th-century humanistic and reformist Buddhist movements that emphasized social responsibility, education, and public welfare. In Western settings, engaged Buddhism has taken on a particularly explicit activist character, shaping Buddhist responses to war, civil rights, ecology, and social justice.