Hi Anders You can definitely explain much better than I do. Thank you.
But, according to the rules of Street Fighting Zen, I should be saying: Gonadless bitching kicks ass better than lesbian pussy stoner drivelling bullshit. :->> wai --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Anders Honore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 05:09:17 -0400, "AC" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > said: > > From: wai_dk Social reform actually starts with self- > > reform.>> > > > > It is a great cop-out to say that you are going to help others right > > after your life is perfect and you have achieved enlightenment. It is > > also contrary to what Zen is supposedly about, since it is the "Big > > Vehicle" which is supposed to help others FIRST. > > that is not quite true. One classic story when a chan master was asked > what his compassionate activity was, he responded 'meditation'. I know > of no sutra who extols people to put off enlightenment in order to help > beings now. that would be contrary to the concept of Upaya. The vows of > the Bodhisattva only involve putting of parinirvana for the sake of all > living beings, and even then, we could argue for a long time about > whether the vows truly mean that. > > > Personally, I think it is pretty cynical for the Buddhists of every sect > > to be mining the wealthy Western nations for money and converts while > > they basically run away from the myriad problems that exist in their own > > communities and nearby. > > I agree that perhaps there should be a larger Buddhist representation in > poorer parts of the world, but the reason why it is primarily the west > that has taken to it is that it is the region which has the funds to > seek it out. This is quite an important point, because Buddhism does not > do missionary work in the same way Christians do. > > Monks are for instance, forbidden to teach lay people without being > requested to do so, just like they are forbidden to ask for anything, > unless there is the implicit and preferebaly express consent prior to > the request that the person being asked would like to donate. All these > rules are centered around the concept of Dana (giving) and a principle > of not forcing this. Thus monks will (ideally) be all to happy to share > the Dharma with anyone who may show any interest in this, but will not > actively go out to recruit, as this sharing has to happen in the spirit > of Dana. Likewise, they can only receive their life neccesities from > those who willingly give it to them. > > The west have had the means to share and receive this far more > efficiently than elsewhere. It poses a bit of a problem of course, > because how will it spread then to other parts of the world? Much slower > than it has in the west, I am afraid. > > > After 2000 years or so of Buddhism in the East, most of those nations are > > Communist or Dictatorships and in poverty. So I have to wonder if > > retreating into a cave to seek self-improvement is such a good idea? > > There is plenty to suggest that there are far more pressing factors than > this at work in their industrial and political developmentcompared to > the west. > > > Does > > anyone have any historical information on how Buddhism improved the > > social infrastructure of any particular nation? I mean, you look back > > across the ocean, and Buddhism comes to America from a bunch of ruined > > nations (with the exception of Japan). > > And Taiwan, and Singapore and Thailand and South Korea and possibly even > Vietnam. > > I am not sure how there is evidence that Christianity has improved > infrastructures like this. Most of these western innovations have come > from a stream of thought that has been in many ways directly contrary to > the church. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/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/
