--- In [email protected], Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>
> On Feb 22, 2007, at 11:00 PM, hyperbolicgeometry wrote:
>
> > --Re: Vaj says that Tibetan Buddhist yidam worship is
not "really"
> > god worship and therefore (a) is dissimilar to Hindui worship -
> > being part of "wisdom" oriented sadhana.(b) doesn't fall under
the
> > scrutiny of Sam Harris' attacks on faith-based religion.
> > Nope, factually incorrect since the Green Tara provides a
> > counterexample to the sole motive of the quest for wisdom. The
Green
> > Tara can/is worshipped in Tibetan Buddhism for the expressed
purpose
> > (aside from the acquisitionof wisdom); of the attainment of
material
> > wealth, better health, eradication of all types of bad karma (and
> > those types of bad karma specifically mentioned in a long
shopping
> > list: such as snake bites, boils, zits, etc...you name it
(clearly
> > items beyond the scope of pure "wisdom".) Overall, Green Tara
> > worship is supposed to offset bad karma on a global scale as
well as
> > on a personal level. Thus, Tibetan Buddhist teachers have the
same
> > types of motives behind such worship as many motivated Hindus in
> > their worship, even though such Deities are not called "gods"
per se
> > in Tibetan Buddhism. OK, yidams.
> > Also, there are many Hindus who are mostly into the "wisdom"
aspect
> > of Deity worship and would consider it beneath them to pray for
> > material benefits.
> > Thus, to be consistent, the Harris/Vaj criticism of god worship
> > would have to include a good slice of Buddhism. Since Harris
claims
> > to be a Buddhist, doesn't make him (and Vaj) somewhat
hypocritical?
>
> Of course not, it just means you hold an erroneous View.
>
double-edged sword.
