[Buddha-l] Buddhism and blasphemy

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Tue, 2006-02-07 at 23:52 -0800, Franz Metcalf wrote:

> as I see it, there is no such thing as blasphemy (as usually conceived) in 
> regard to Buddhism. Not ideally, anyway. Buddhas are by definition 
> perfected beings without further karma. You can't defame them, only 
> your own wrong view of them.

Would this not be true of every system of thought that speaks of some
kind of perfect (or perfected) being? Surely, it is impossible to harm
God, as that being is usually conceived. So blasphemy cannot possibly do
harm to any ideal being. What it CAN do is discourage others from
seeking the benefit of associating with that ideal being. (This was Mike
Austin's concern about putting Buddha images on underwear and bathing
suits, and I think it is a legitimate concern, even though I don't share
it.) So blasphemy could have the effect of turning people away from God,
or of turning people against those who do turn to God, or mutatis
mutandis, the Buddha or the Dharma or the Sangha. Surely that is the
worry on the minds of those who have a concern about blasphemy of any
kind.

> People afraid of cartoons are weak.

Perhaps that is true, but are they any more weak than those who make
cartoons or consume them? Cartooning is usually a deliberate act of
casting a foible in bright light and letting virtues remain in much
dimmer light. Most political cartoons are about the powerful and are
produced and consumed by those who feel weak or overpowered. (I promised
myself I would never use the following word, because I hate it with a
passion that would curdle the blood of a wolf, or even of a coyote, but
I'll say it anyway: cartoons EMPOWER those who feel weak and vulnerable.
Having used that god-awful word, I now feel very faint and weak. Please
pass the smelling salts.)

> Religions harmed by cartoons are weak. Prophets incensed by cartoons are false.

The issue, of course, is not whether prophets (real or imagined) are
incensed. The issue is that people who listen to prophets (and who think
that there really are people who are speaking God's thoughts instead of
speaking their own mind) feel threatened. What is really interesting
about what is going on now in the world is that everyone is feeling weak
and vulnerable, and that's what makes the situation so volatile. Just
about everyone on the face of the earth is feeling really afraid of
someone else on the face of the earth, which puts a very big frown on
the earth's face.

So one thing that might be worth thinking about is what we can do to
reduce all this mutual fear and suspicion. Probably the least productive
strategy of all is to point fingers and others and say that THEY are the
ones who are dangerous. Any time we do not look into our own hearts and
minds and see villainy and treachery ready to leap out and do serious
damage, we are not facing reality.

> And if the Buddha was around now, he'd maintain a noble silence.

Not necessarily. There are times when silence is noble, but there are
other times when it is just plain awful. (Having said that, I have to be
the first to point out that I almost NEVER know which times are which.)

-- 
Richard Hayes
***
"To blame others for one's misfortunes is a sign of lack of education;
to blame oneself shows that one's education has begun;
to blame neither oneself nor others shows that one's education is
complete."
                                   ---Epictetus (55-135)
-- 
Richard Hayes
Department of Philosophy
University of New Mexico