[Buddha-l] NYTimes.com: Let Us Pray for Wealth

[Joy Vriens]

Stan,

>You've been very kind in further clarifying your take on this matter. I would agree with you that one can make any act of virtue an act of religion in the manner of which you speak here. Where I don't agree is that, outside of the practice of the theological virtues, each virtue has its specific object, and that object is not necessarily allied with an exercise of religion. At any rate, your remarks are interesting and a help. 


I don't disagree with that. But without the meaning that I can give to "virtues outside of the practice of the theological virtues", those virtues have litlle interest for me. They are not tasty enough, they lack salt as our good friend Jesus would put it. Virtues locked up in themselves, a world locked up in itself, a life locked up in itself, limited by themselves simply lack perspective. Something "other" needs to be added to it. Not to make it complete, but to somehow make it more visible, alive, to bewitch (ensorceler) it. This something isn't necessarily something ontological, although one may believe it is to give it more strength. It is a perspective, it creates a space of otherness, a perhaps imaginery exit. And imagining an exit, open doors and windows is enough to give ones mind more space, to create perspective because the (imaginary) lines continue behind the horizon. And this changes the nature of the horizon, which changes our experience of it. We feel no long!
 er imprisoned and can experience more openness. That in my opinion is the main objective of a religion.

Joy