[Buddha-l] Prostrations and protestations and panic and perturbations

[Richard Hayes]

On Monday 25 September 2006 08:36, Lara Braitstein wrote:

> The climate of fear even on this list is such that
> people who share my views always respond off-list. For
> everyone's information, I have had a number of
> students at my university approach me to thank me for
> saying something, anything against some of the
> hateful, essentializing material that shows up here.

Suffering from a severe bout of akutobhaya, I must thank you in public for 
saying what you said. What you said is probably going to fall on deaf eyes, 
but it's just as well to say what needs to be said every now and then.

My father has a tendency to becoming choleric in discussions about politics 
and religion. It's a hell of a failing, one that I thank God I did not 
inherit. My pop's eldest brother was considerably more phlegmatic and could 
discuss anything with anyone without generating heat or rancor. One time, on 
noticing that my father had become all worked up in a discussion of some 
controverted theological point with an interlocutor, my uncle gave one of the 
best pieces of advice I have ever heard one human being give another: "Don't 
argue with him, Phil. He's an idiot." 

Once or twice in the long and tattered history of buddha-l (which is just 
about to celebrate its 15th birthday!), my uncle's words have come to mind. I 
thought I'd share them, just in case they may come in handy someday to some 
other sentient being who happens not to be an idiot.

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