[Buddha-l] Re: Greetings from Oviedo

[Joy Vriens]

Benito Carral wrote:

>     I  almost agree with here you but I don't share all
> the  "enlightened values." For example, I wouldn't like
> to see a democratic sangha nor would like to spread the
> individualist  view of the human being. I can't imagine
> monks  and  nuns  saying  to the Old Guy what he should
> teach

Yet it is very likely that is the way it happened. There seemed to have 
been a sort of egality in the early communities (they called each other 
"friend", the Elder approach being something from later times). Also, 
imagine you start a new religion or religious system. You would start by 
sharing your ideas with others. You wouldn't have the authority of an 
"Old Guy" (generalissimo) right from the start. Also the contradictory 
views and practices and schisms in early Buddhism show that there must 
have been quite a lot of debate, which is only possible if there isn't 
an "Old Guy" dictating the rules. The Buddha specified (if we can go by 
the canon) that some Vinaya minor rules could be abolished, which shows 
a certain openness to debate about their utility. There also is Ananda's 
influence of allowing more of a female point of view in the Sangha etc. 
  So I am not so sure.

Joy

>  But  I'm  a  stupid  postmodern
> traditionalist, so what do I know?

Well, that. :-) And you now know you are a chatterbox (30 messages Beni, 
really...)