[Buddha-l] A ltter concerning toleration

[jkirk]

These are indeed interesting times.
This attempt to get you fired is astounding.  I wonder if he's on anyone's
payroll.
Perhaps your university will convene a faculty Un-American Activities
Committee?
Joanna
============================================

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Hayes" <rhayes at unm.edu>
To: <buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 5:27 AM
Subject: [Buddha-l] A ltter concerning toleration


> 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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