[Buddha-l] Spiritual hygiene

[Joy Vriens]

Richard, 

>I agree. Hadot almost succeeded in converting me to the position that the 
>term "spiritual" may have a use after all. This past semester I taught a 
>course entitled "Comparative philosophy," and Hadot was one of our key texts. 
>We read several authors who have discussed the pros and cons of comparing 
>thinkers of one tradition with thinkers from another (Matilal, Halbfass, 
>Kupperman, Mueller, Mohanty), and then we tried our hand at practicing 
>comparative philosophy by reading Marcus Aurelius, Xunzi and Santideva. It 
>was quite a lively class. As always happens to me when I teach a class, I 
>ended up having no idea at all where I stand on any of the key issues. All I 
>know is that I loved everything we read (especially Hadot) and would feel the 
>universe a poorer place if any of these authors had not been part of it. 

My personal comparative religion and philosophy is entirely pleasure-driven. I tend to read and reread several books at the same time, not really noticing I pass from one to another. The saying that anything well said is the Buddha's or another spiritual model's word is well said. And I have this strange discursive addiction that makes me have to maintain and renew the contact with these words continuously. Brainwashing, just like the good emperor. Who said we don't need our daily ritual baths. 

Joy 

« Tout est unique — et insignifiant. » Cioran, De l’inconvénient d’être né.