[Buddha-l] A ltter concerning toleration

[curt]

Obviously the guy is a pinhead (that is, Mr. Lane - not Dr. Hayes).
Nevertheless, these kinds of things shouldn't be dismissed lightly.
In fact, it represents a potential threat to every person on this list.
A smear attack of this sort does not rely on truth - it simply relies on
throwing a sufficient amount of verbal filth around in the hopes that
some of it will stick. Whether it sticks or not is also completely
independent of the veracity or sanity of the accusations made. And if
it does stick - then we would all be potentially guilty by association.

"Are you now, or have you ever been, a subscriber to Buddha-l -
a known haven of former Communists and anti-monists?"

- Curt

Richard Hayes wrote:

> Denizens of buddha-l,
>
> The following letter has been sent to the chair of my department. 
> Perhaps others of you would like to join our friend in discussing my 
> qualifications. Otherwise, enjoy the letter as an interesting sign of 
> our times.
>
> Cordinally (and moderately) yours,
> Richard Hayes
>
> \begin{letter}
> Mr../Prof Goodman,
>  
>    My name is Mr. Lane and I am a member of of list called Buddha-L. I 
> am writing about the outrageous behavior of Richard Hayes. He 
> constantly posts rabidly anti-American posts, anti-Christian and if 
> you believe Dan Lusthaus anti-Jewish. He has called Dan Lusthaus a war 
> mongering pinhead. His anti-Americanism is not loyal opposition but 
> outright treason. He blamed the U.S. for Sept 11 justifying the 
> attacks as the result justifiable anger. He has said it is the U.S. 
> that is the cause of all the trouble in the world "as we are the 
> oppressors". He seemed to anticipate happily the fall of the U.S. yet 
> we never hear a peep out of him about the evils that occur in the 
> P.R.C or the Islamic counties.
>
>    Mr.. Hayes constantly belittles Buddhist sutras he does not agree 
> with (the Lotus Sutra) and feels it is O.K. He has ridiculed the 
> Hua-Yen and T'ien T'ai which many people feel are the highest level of 
> Buddhist thought. Mr. Hayes feels it is totally appropriate to slander 
> any religious doctrine he does not agree with or understand but when 
> somebody posts something contrary to his beliefs he either blocks it 
> or responds with a personal attack.
>  
>    Mr. Hayes is a translator but fancies himself a Buddhist scholar. 
> From what I have seen he has yet to understand one Mahayana doctrine 
> which in and of itself is no crime, however given the Mahayana and its 
> non-dualist doctrines are religious beliefs of millions I do not not 
> see any difference between his mocking non-dualism and anybody 
> slandering Christianity. Judaism or Islam. Mr. Hayes has no clue of 
> the difference between monism and non-dualism but I understand that 
> you will be letting him teach a course on Hui-Neng and the Platform 
> Sutra, is that true? If so you might as well let him teach a course in 
> quantum mechanics as his understanding of the two is about the same. 
> (Incidentally Hayes went through a whole tirade about relating quantum 
> mechanics and Buddhism only later to admit he knows nothing about QM 
> at all). This of course is classic Hayes M.O. try and ridicule 
> anything he is incapable of understanding. Yes I have personally 
> attacked him on Buddha-L as he has attacked me. Apparently he thinks 
> the latter is fine but not the former.
>  
>   Mr. Hayes is a self professed former Communist (I have grave doubts 
> about the former part - I believe in one of his recent e-mails he 
> described himself as a Marxist Quaker). I don't believe Communists or 
> former Communists should be teaching young people in this country any 
> more than I would accept a Nazi or former Nazi teaching teaching them. 
> After all we are talking about a party that has slaughtered over 100 
> million people in the twentieth century. I wonder who his role model 
> is Stalin, Mao or Pol Pot.
>  
>     Despite all of this I still would not be writing about Hayes if he 
> believed in free speech but of course what (former) Communist does. To 
> that end I am asking for the names of all of your superiors in the 
> university, the state government and any persons important in private 
> funding of the university so that I may forward them his outrageous 
> e-mails. I think we should see if these people agree with my opinion 
> that (former) Communists should not be teaching young people. Mr. 
> Hayes will of course deny all of the above but remind him that I have 
> all Buddha-L e-mails going back to 1998 backed up in three different 
> places.
>  
>  Sincerely yours,
>  Mr. Lane
> \end{letter}
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