Vajradhara
One of Many
Namaste Arthra,
thank you for the post.
ah.. and here, re-reading what you've wrote, i note that you cavet this as an "English" compliation. which, frankly, sounds like it couldn't be anything but confusing... i mean... take a look at what it says in the description which you've provided:
"This is the book that introduced Jack Kerouac to Buddhism. Originally published in 1932 and then republished in its present, enlarged form in 1938, this edition contains a fine new introduction by Robert Aitken and covers a wide selection of readings from Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan, and modern sources intended to provide the reader with a foundation in classical Buddhist thought."
the Pali Canon, the Sanskrit/Tibetan Canon and the Chinese Canon are not "pick and choose" religious teachings! goodness!
however, many beings believe that you can simply pick up a Buddhist teaching and go from there. it is a bit strange, i confess, for clearly the Buddha Shakyamuni never taught such a thing... but... there it is.
to wit:
in our teachings, morality and ethics are not divine in origin. to posit this as so, puts you well outside of the Buddhist paradigm and squarely in with the Sanatana Dharma, Sikh and Jains and other, non-Buddhist schools of thought.
we, Buddhist types, also do not hold a linear view of human progression.. it is a cyclic and, as such, there will be times when these things increase and periods when they decrease. it is a particularly Western and hence, Greek, view that posits a linear time experience.
let me see if i understand.
rather, than reading the actual Sutta/Sutras for ourselves, you would posit that we read Mr. Fozdars book? why have the chaff when the wheat is available? besides, as my post on Baha'i planet explained, i have some serious reservations about Mr. Fozdars and, hence, Momans, academic approach to my religion. perhaps, Amy can find that one for you..?
beings which have no connection to the local issues facing various populations are not in an informed position to make policy decisions, in my view.
to wit:
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/AlisonMarshall.htm
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/bahai/1999/jssr/bhjssr.htm
as examples of other beings which have not had your experience.
The Talisman email forum was created in 1994 by Professor John Walbridge of the University of Indiana as an academic project. Many participants were delighted at the kind of freewheeling, even contentious, intellectual discussions that took place there and that had hitherto been so rare in Baha’i community life.[53] However, as in the earlier cases mentioned above, more conservative Baha’is were disturbed by the opinions expressed there and turned in e-mails to Baha’i authorities. In late 1995, the NSA contacted David Langness, demanding that he make a retraction for a post he had made in October comparing Baha’i judicial proceedings to “kangaroo courts” and complaining about the secretive way these cases are handled.[54] The primary focus of their concern was his statement that the NSA had initially acted against dialogue without approval from the House. Langness had been one of those sanctioned for his association with dialogue and had been the primary author of A Modest Proposal. The NSA threatened to take away Langness’s voting rights if he did not comply.[55] However, when Langness eventually posted a retraction, it was deemed insufficient, and he was sanctioned anyway.[56]
http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/bigquestions/enemies.html
clearly, there is a great deal of difference in some beings experience with the Baha'i faith. this is, from my point of view, what you would expect to find in a tradition which has a variety of different beings putting its teachings into practice.
as i say, this view, represented by the preceeding paragraphs, is one of the primary cautions i have with regards to a New World Order as envisoned by the Baha'i Community.
thank you for the post.
"well known complier"? Arthra... i really don't know what to say. our Sutras and Suttas are *already* compiled and arranged. perhaps, you've even heard of some of those beings... perhaps Buddhagosha being one of the more famous.arthra said:
ah.. and here, re-reading what you've wrote, i note that you cavet this as an "English" compliation. which, frankly, sounds like it couldn't be anything but confusing... i mean... take a look at what it says in the description which you've provided:
"This is the book that introduced Jack Kerouac to Buddhism. Originally published in 1932 and then republished in its present, enlarged form in 1938, this edition contains a fine new introduction by Robert Aitken and covers a wide selection of readings from Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan, and modern sources intended to provide the reader with a foundation in classical Buddhist thought."
the Pali Canon, the Sanskrit/Tibetan Canon and the Chinese Canon are not "pick and choose" religious teachings! goodness!
however, many beings believe that you can simply pick up a Buddhist teaching and go from there. it is a bit strange, i confess, for clearly the Buddha Shakyamuni never taught such a thing... but... there it is.
ah, i see.
in most religious writings it is this way.. so it really isn't surprising to see that those things have appeared in your religous path as well.
excellent! this is good... but... we need to be a bit careful here... for Buddhism, at least, does not support the notional of eternalism. in our paradigm, there is no-thing which lasts forever, not even the universe... it too, will have its cycle.
not to be offensive, Art, however, this demonstrates to me that you folks don't know what you are talking about with regards to my religion.
to wit:
the last statement there is the only thing that Buddhism could uphold.
in our teachings, morality and ethics are not divine in origin. to posit this as so, puts you well outside of the Buddhist paradigm and squarely in with the Sanatana Dharma, Sikh and Jains and other, non-Buddhist schools of thought.
we, Buddhist types, also do not hold a linear view of human progression.. it is a cyclic and, as such, there will be times when these things increase and periods when they decrease. it is a particularly Western and hence, Greek, view that posits a linear time experience.
so...
let me see if i understand.
rather, than reading the actual Sutta/Sutras for ourselves, you would posit that we read Mr. Fozdars book? why have the chaff when the wheat is available? besides, as my post on Baha'i planet explained, i have some serious reservations about Mr. Fozdars and, hence, Momans, academic approach to my religion. perhaps, Amy can find that one for you..?
i really hope that is not the case. i would, of course, support peace and harmony amongst all beings. i would not, however, support a single worldwide government.
beings which have no connection to the local issues facing various populations are not in an informed position to make policy decisions, in my view.
despite your assertion to the contrary, there are beings that have experiences which do not match yours.
to wit:
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/AlisonMarshall.htm
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/bahai/1999/jssr/bhjssr.htm
as examples of other beings which have not had your experience.
on the contrary, Art, some of these beings are not left to themselves, to wit:
The Talisman email forum was created in 1994 by Professor John Walbridge of the University of Indiana as an academic project. Many participants were delighted at the kind of freewheeling, even contentious, intellectual discussions that took place there and that had hitherto been so rare in Baha’i community life.[53] However, as in the earlier cases mentioned above, more conservative Baha’is were disturbed by the opinions expressed there and turned in e-mails to Baha’i authorities. In late 1995, the NSA contacted David Langness, demanding that he make a retraction for a post he had made in October comparing Baha’i judicial proceedings to “kangaroo courts” and complaining about the secretive way these cases are handled.[54] The primary focus of their concern was his statement that the NSA had initially acted against dialogue without approval from the House. Langness had been one of those sanctioned for his association with dialogue and had been the primary author of A Modest Proposal. The NSA threatened to take away Langness’s voting rights if he did not comply.[55] However, when Langness eventually posted a retraction, it was deemed insufficient, and he was sanctioned anyway.[56]
http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/bigquestions/enemies.html
clearly, there is a great deal of difference in some beings experience with the Baha'i faith. this is, from my point of view, what you would expect to find in a tradition which has a variety of different beings putting its teachings into practice.
as i say, this view, represented by the preceeding paragraphs, is one of the primary cautions i have with regards to a New World Order as envisoned by the Baha'i Community.
