[Buddha-l] Non Orthodox Elements within Thai Buddhism

[jkirk]

Curt-----What do you mean by "superstitious," pray tell?
That terminology is distinctly non-scholarly nor is it useful--
merely a negative label that says you don't approve of something some people 
do. It's a well-established fact that polytheistic peoples (as well as 
monotheistic peoples) mainly approach their deities in a patron-client mode, 
asking for favors and offering payment, either as austerities or as temple 
offerings. Devotion is part of the payment. Those wanting to "lose self in 
deity" are few.

See, for example, the film 'Kataragama', about the big annual festival of 
Kartikeyya/Murugan in Sri Lanka. This Hindu deity is considered such a 
powerful boon grantor that he is worshipped and vowed-to not only by Hindus, 
but Buddhists, Christians and Muslims. Some repay his boons by 
self-inflicted austerities--fire-walking, piercing of the face and body, 
pulling carts attached by hooks in the skin of their backs, aso. For others, 
coconuts and flowers serve as suitable offerings.

Joanna
=========================

> Are you suggesting that Christianity has a monopoly on "true" devotion - 
> and that all other religious devotion, outside of Christianity, merely 
> amounts to superstitious ploys to win the favor of various Gods for 
> personal gain?
> - Curt
>
> Erik Hoogcarspel wrote:
>
>> curt schreef:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> As far as "benefit" goes - I think that having a devotional aspect to 
>>> one's practice is very beneficial.
>>>
>>> - Curt
>>>
>> Here you betray your old Christian backgrounds, Curt. Any decent 
>> polytheist knows that you only worship those gods in order to win the 
>> lottery, not get the birdsflue, not get hit by a car and have a son.
>>
>> Erik
>>
>>
>> www.xs4all.nl/~jehms
>> weblog http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950
>>
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