[Buddha-l] Buddhism and Marxism: where the twain could meet

[[DPD Web] Shen Shi'an]

Hmmm... Methinks Marxism physically forced equality upon the masses, who are, since, with the three poisons and inequalities in karma, unable to be equalised. But Buddhism encourages the natural cultivation of equanimity for the masses and "ironing out" of inequalities of karma by urging all to strive towards the creation of positive karma and enlightenment. 

The only way to be truly equal is for all to become Buddhas. Has it ever struck any of you that the non-political politics of Pure lands is spiritually communist in nature? There, the leaders are enlightened (Buddhas)- there is thus no totalitarian problem. And beings in Pure lands are void of greed and hatred, only with residue ignorance to be taken care of. 

Amituofo, shi'an
www.moonpointer.com
www.TheDailyEnlightenment.com

-----Original Message-----
From: buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com on behalf of Richard Hayes
Sent: Fri 9/22/2006 2:25 AM
To: Buddhist discussion forum
Subject: [Buddha-l] Buddhism and Marxism: where the twain could meet
 
On Thursday 21 September 2006 10:41, Richard Hayes wrote:

> IIn fact, it's almost axiomatic 
> that a Western Buddhist will have a leftist orientation.

Some of you might be interested in a new book by Kevin M. Brien, <cite>Marx, 
Reason, and the Art of Freedom</cite>. In this revised second edition, Brien 
has an appendix on Marxism and Buddhism in which he argues that not only are 
Marxism and Buddhism fully compatible, but each complements the other. He 
quotes a fellow with the title the Dalai Lama, who says that in his view the 
failure of the Soviet Union was not the failure of Marxism but the failure of 
totalitarianism. If one could have Marxism without totalitarianism---and why 
not?---then one could have a Marxist economy that is fully in keeping with 
the main social principles of Buddhism. So argues the Dalai Lama and 
Professor Brien. I have not yet read the book carefully, but I find myself 
quite intrigued at the outset and hope to learn from it. (My Marxist theory 
has become a bit rusty of late, so I look forward to this refresher course.)

Quick, somebody had better report me in to Fox news. I might be another one of 
those fellows that Bill O'Reilly talks about so obsessively: a radical 
leftist professor corrupting the minds of our nation's youth with all kinds 
of weird ideas drawn from Eastern mysticism and other suspicious 
non-Christian sources.

-- 

Richard P. Hayes
Department of Philosophy
University of New Mexico
http://www.unm.edu/~rhayes
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