[Buddha-l] Re: **REALLY** Western Buddhism

[James Ward]

On Oct 27, 2006, at 1:55 PM, Michael LaTorra wrote:

> As for Curt's ineffectual prayer to Kanzeon on behalf of Sam Harris, I 
> can only remark: Doesn't this failure tell you something about the 
> effectiveness of prayer? (See also the recent study showing that heart 
> patients who were prayed for did **WORSE** than the control group.)

(Taking a break from practicing how not to be seen...)

"May all beings be happy" -- *yawn*.  Wake up!  Are you going to wish 
the world well or not?

Eq. 1:          m = M,

where
m = "more" and
M = "merrier".

Or, less rigorously, "the more, the merrier."

Should this aspiration actually benefit the world, then, well -- bravo.
If it's an ineffectual bit of ignorance in an unconscious, pointless 
universe, you'll still probably have more fun.  And in the face of the 
yawning, uncaring void, you might perhaps make something beautiful.  It 
still won't care -- but you did it.

(Imagine ticker-tape parade here _____.  "With that, the pieces of 
ticker-tape were transformed into a rain of flowers which fell upon the 
entire assembly.")

I don't expect the planet will say no to having another friend just 
now.  And a few hundred or thousand species could probably benefit from 
an outbreak of conscious, active benevolence among the humans.  Let's 
hope it doesn't take too long.  Call it what you want:  prayer, good 
wishes, good vibrations, the love train, cloyingly saccharine crap, who 
cares?

Who cares?

Best,

James Ward