[Buddha-l] How to help the Dharma grow in western cultures

[Franz Metcalf]

Gang,

Jim wrote:

> I have heard it said that anything not specifically mentioned by the 
> Buddha as OK is inherently evil. I can't remember who said it.

Hmm, perhaps it was Benito.

Just kidding, Benito, but there's a bit of truth in that, no? I'm 
finding your back-and-forth with Richard about the qualities of 
"Liberal American Buddhism" most entertaining. Frankly, I'm sympathetic 
to the notion that there is something worth calling "Liberal American 
Buddhism." That is, there is a set of beliefs and practices across 
American convert Buddhist traditions that overlap enough to warrant us 
thinking about them as existing as a coherent thing. Naturally 
they--like everything else--lack such coherence, but *thinking* of them 
as an "it" is a useful exercise. Indeed, I'm just finishing an article 
on a set of eight qualities of American Buddhism from which I think 
Asian Buddhism can deeply profit. I'm afraid you won't like this 
article in the slightest, but at least I'm roughly on your side against 
Richard in talking as if Liberal American Buddhism exists.

Cheers to all,

Franz