[Buddha-l] Re: Diversions, distractions and off-topic discussions

[Dan Lusthaus]

Richard,

> Over the past twelve years or so I have seen you say quite a few silly
> things, but this may be the silliest.

Always striving to outdo myself.


> Thomas Berry made an interesting observation in his address to Harvard
> Divinity School in 1996. He said that he felt that the division of
> policies into left and right had run its course and was essentially
> backward looking.

What has impoverished the old right vs. left polemics is the absence of any
intelligent thought emanating from the left since the mid-60s. The left has
fallen into mindless, ineffective demonization prattle, while the right has
fallen into clever, effective demonization prattle.

Berry is harmless enough, kind of the old school of Huston Smith-ish
globalization based on pegging each religion into an alleged archetype that
rounds out the human picture. I wouldn't recommend his typology of religions
to undergrads or anyone else if what they were seeking were accurate
portrayals of any of those traditions. Would you?

As for his political proposal, by '96 the environmental movement was already
firmly established here (that, and the women's movement are the only lasting
legacies of the 60s, plus some music that has endured), so he's not
proposing anything radical. But he repeats an old mistake, made by Mani,
Guru Nanak, Baha'ullah, and others. What they all overlooked, stated simply:
all universalisms are particularistic. For example, Guru Nanak bravely and
insightfully stated that God was neither a Hindu nor a Muslim (something the
Sants, Kabir, etc., had already hit upon). What he overlooked is that if one
is not a Hindu nor a Muslim, one must be something else. In his case and
those who followed him, that something else came to be a follower of
Sikhism, an interesting, mystical and embracing tradition. The Guru Granth
incorporates Buddhist, Jain, Hindu and Muslim echoes in a more organic way
than, for instance, a Unitarian prayer book that collects selected snippets
from everyone from God to Abe Lincoln and Gandhi eclectically.

In the practical world, however, even the majority of people who voted for
Bush are pro-environment (according to the polls). That Democrats can't
mobilize that shows they are more clueless than he is -- which is a very
damning statement. Unfortunately the cartoon version of history and current
events that the remnants of the left recites in the place of what should be
serious analysis -- given emotional charge by demonizing the opposition -- 
isn't going to get the job done.

I won't go through your recent posts pointing out where all the cartoons are
and why they are cartoons. The recent threads have largely run their course,
so I'm going to join Mike's group and wait for something more
Buddhist-related. Unless violations of the fallacy list pop up, or things
get out of control again.

Joanna, it's your turn...

Dan Lusthaus