[Buddha-l] Silence ?

[Mike Austin]

In message <425259EE.8070701 at xs4all.nl>, Erik Hoogcarspel 
<jehms at xs4all.nl> writes
>Richard P. Hayes schreef:
>
>>Recent events provoked a memory of a Buddhist conference I attended in
>>1986 at which Ven. Mahaghosananda was one of the many speakers. The
>>person who introduced this distinguished monk told of the time when he
>>had headed a delegation of Cambodian bhikkhus who had gained audience
>>with Pope John-Paul II. The bhikkus were instructed to walk very slowly
>>toward the Pope and to stop at a respectful distance and then to kiss
>>his papal ring when it was offered. Ven. Mahaghosananda listed carefully
>>to the instructions and was then taken into the room to meet the Pope.
>>The bhikkhu took a couple of slow steps, and then he ran across the
>>stage and gave the Pope a big hug. Witnesses saw tears came to the eyes
>>of both men.
>>
>>
>If have heard and read more stories of this type, it's like there's a 
>mystical brotherhood  or something like that and the Pope and all 
>church- and sanghaleaders are members. I think this is a fairytale. 
>Most hierophants are just grumpy old coservative men with medical 
>problems. Of course if you're like that it's very nice if you're 
>allowed to walk around in extravagant clothes and people bow to you for 
>that. And you can terrorise everone around you and forbid things like 
>sex which you cannot do yourself anymore. So that's what all these 
>grumpy old men do, whether they're muslim buddhist, catholic or whatever.

Erik,

You sound more grumpy than any of these guys!


>I don't see why two grown up men who've never seen or thought of each 
>other before and don't know each other nor are family would burst into 
>tears and hug.

Neither do I,  but it nearly brings a tear to my eye merely to hear such 
stories! I have a great respect for the late pope.  That does not mean I 
agree with everything he says.  But does that really matter?  This event 
that Richard described was speechless and direct. That, to me, shows the 
common humanity at a raw - even pure - nature.  It is brotherly love and 
respect in a finger snap. That's just how it is.

-- 
Metta
Mike Austin