On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 05:31:49 -0400, "AC" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > From: "Anders Honore" > Buddhism is largely a social construct, a vehicle > for carrying out old animistic rituals and serving the needs of the lay > people. Enlightenment doesn't come into the picture much (certainly not > for > laypeople) - it is no more than 100 years ago that meditation was quite > rare > even among monks in Thailand. >> > > So you are saying that D.T. Suzuki and his colleagues basically > re-invented > Buddhism and shipped it West? It sounds plausible.
Not really. Just that a very large part of what we think of as 'Buddhism' does not have this enlightened core. There is still a part of it (possibly larger than in the west. who knows?) livjng healthily within this construct, but talking of Buddhism as a religious institution, I don't think it is accurate to neccesarily equate it with this practise of enlightenment. > So Buddha and his > teachings basically slipped through the cracks as Buddhism became an > institutioanl religion and form took the place of substance? sort of, but these things shift all the time. as said, 100 years ago, meditation was rare even among monks in Thailand. Ajahn Mun in particular, and the Kammatthana tradition he founded, saw this trend being reversed on a large-scale, with the result that meditation is now actually becoming more and more practised by the lay people as well. Ajahn Maha Boowa, the last living Dhamma descendant of Ajahn Mun, is possibly the most celebrated monk in Thailand - his morning talks are being streamed live via the internet and that website is among the ten most visited in Thailand. And yet, you can still find large parts of the Thai Buddhist community which does not care much for this. > Interesting to consider that if Buddhism had not come to the West it > would > have dried up and died in the East? Impossible to say. > Interesting things to consider. How alive is Buddhism in the East? Is it > teaching Meditation and anything regarding enlightenment, etc.? Or is it > just a Religious Service that members attend out of habit? Bit of both. Mostly the latter, but the former is not too difficult to find. Of course, this is just my estimation. I haven't been to Japan and am not too sure of the situation there. The Nichiren/Sokka Gakkai which I believe is the largest Buddhist school there, however teaches that enlightenment is no longer possible and that the only true teaching in this day and age is recitation of the Lotus Sutra. That's a large chunk of Japanese Buddhism not dedicated to enlightenment. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Livelihood Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
