[Buddha-l] Dangerous religious literature?

[curt]

John Whalen-Bridge wrote:
> I heard Kobutso Malone give a fine presentation on his work at the American Buddhism Conference in San Diego about nine years ago.  Very powerful.  Way before 9/11--he was quite frustrated/angry/vajra-fierce about the way the prisons treated counsellors, priests, religious workers etc:  the enemy.  Meditative cushions might be weapons so we can't allow, and other such ridiculousness.  The mindset is something I've heard similar "helper" people face:  prisons construct prisoners as demons, largely beyond salvation.  And so counsellors, priests, monks, educators...disrupt that discourse.  The mess up the guards' worldview, make it seem less absolute.  
>
>   
And just imagine if a "Buddhist counselor" were to talk like this with 
prisoners! The thing is - this is exactly what any real Buddhist 
counselor would have to say in order to teach the Dharma in that 
setting. One has to say what is.

Curt Steinmetz