[Buddha-l] New trans. of petry of the Sixth DL

[curt]

I have to admit feeling a little uneasy about this book. It
emphasizes the more lurid side of Tibetan Buddhism (or
more generally, of Tantrism) - and it is written by a former
Buddhist who has recently converted to Catholicism. There
is a long and sad history of Christian Buddhologists seizing
upon Tantra (especially its more lurid manifestations) as
evidence of the "decadence" of Eastern religions in general.
I wouldn't dream of accusing Paul Williams of intentionally
participating in that kind of theological propaganda, but I
wonder if he happens to mention anywhere in this book
that he is now an ex-Buddhist - or if he acknowledges the
past misrepresentations of Tantrism by Christian Buddhologists
and explicitly distances himself from them?

I say this having read Williams excellent book "Buddhist
Thought", which was published in the midst of his recent
conversion away from Buddhism. The tone of that book
is extremely problematic in places and he makes very strange
choices of words - like insisting on calling the Buddha and
by extension all Indian ascetics "dropouts". He also goes
out of his way to use Hume-esque language to describe
the Buddhist critique of the Self. I was even more struck by
the tone of "Buddhist Thought" when I started reading Williams'
earlier book on Mahayana Buddhism - in which he makes it
very clear from the beginning that he is writing not just as a
scholar but also as a practicing Buddhist. No such clarity about
where the author is coming from is to be found anywhere
in "Buddhist Thought".

When reading a book about the drunken sexual daliances of
a historically important figure in Buddhism, I think it is
only fair to ask what the point is supposed to be.
This is even more true when one reads that Williams is
publicly saying that the current military occupation of Tibet
by China is, at least in part, a result of the behavior of the
sixth Dalai Lama. 

- Curt


jkirk wrote:

> Paul Williams. _Songs of Love, Poems of Sadness : The Erotic Verse of 
> the Sixth Dalai Lama._  I. B. Tauris, this month.
> Good summer reading?
> Joanna
> -----------
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4073630.stm
>
> The publication of a new translation of the erotic poetry of the sixth 
> Dalai Lama - who rejected monastic orders and indulged his passion for 
> women and wine - has given new insight into this controversial figure 
> of religious history.
> ...Tsangyang's lifestyle meant there were many who believed they could 
> not govern effectively in his name, creating a power vacuum in Tibet.
>
> This led to two successive invasions from different parts of Mongolia 
> - after which the Chinese army entered the area to sort out the 
> situation.
>
> "It is really from this time that China had been able to enforce their 
> claim - which they still have - that Tibet is an integral part of 
> China," Mr Williams added....