[Buddha-l] Ethics and the four way test

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Sun, 2005-03-13 at 21:22 -0500, Evelyn Ruut wrote:

> Likewise how about the ten commandments?   All of these are
> guidelines, but the commandments, these seem as though they are meant
> to be taken as solid rules written in stone.....:-) 

This reminds me of one of my favourite Mort Sahl jokes about Unitarians:
"Unitarians, they're the ones who believe that Moses came down off the
mountain with tablets on which were inscribed The Ten Suggestions."  (He
then went on to say that when the Ku Klux Klan wants to make a statement
about a Unitarian family, they burn a question mark in his lawn.)
  
> The Buddha said:
>  
> 
> "If it is not truthful and not helpful, don't say it.
> If it is truthful and not helpful, don't say it.
> If it is not truthful and helpful, don't say it.
> If it is both truthful and helpful, wait for the right time."

The Buddha also said "I never speak an untruth, even in jest." If that
is not an extremist position, I've never heard one. It's pretty clear
the old man had never read The Name of the Rose. That would cure anyone
of humourlessness. But don't mind me. I'm just an echo of Umberto. 

> "Since everything is but an apparition, perfect in being what it is,
> having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one
> may well burst into laughter."    –Longchenpa

Now here's a man who may have read The Name of the Rose.

-- 
Richard Hayes
***
"Books are useless to us until our inner book opens; then all other
books are good so far as they confirm our book."
        (Swami Vivekananda)