[Buddha-l] demise in asia

[Piya Tan]

In Singapore (as in Malaysia), we often have brushes with the evangelists.
I'm normally a mild-mannered Dharma geek, but whenever I meet a pushy
evangelist, I am transformed into a vajra-like figure and take a stand of
socratic non-answers.

My best memory thus far is that of a bus-ride with two over-dressed Mormons,
trying to chat up a bunch of South Indian foreign workers (on which
Singapore is
currently built) on a weekend ride. I told them, I'm not talk (say NO to the

evangelists), and he retorted "why not?" and so on. Anyway, I told the
Indians
"they are trying to convert you". The Indians simply ignored them
thereafter.

On the lighter side, you will see "SIN" (international abbrev for SINgapore)
on the
Olympic caps of our sportspersons. Someone (clearly a local with Stockholm
Syndrome for the evangelists) wrote to the local newspapers and complained
that SIN should be changed to something like SGP maybe.

I wrote my reply to the Straits Times saying, amongst other things: first
ask
that Catholic Cardinal SIN in the Philippines to change his name first!

Actually I see the evangelists as a blessing of sort for us silly Buddhists
so caught up counting the cows of others, always saying they know nothing
about Buddhism (because they do not read Buddhist books), cannot
meditate (because they don't try) and don't feel like attaining nirvana
(because
money, status and the guru come first).

So the evangelists are our main rallying and unifying point. Hope we can
work
harder and take Buddhism more for what it is meant to be.

Having said that, I can now say that I simply do not really enjoy talking
about
evangelists or evangelism when I have a wealth of Sutras and joyful
meditation
in my life. I suppose we need to go down to hell occasionally to help some
beings out.

May we live each day to see a brilliant sunrise and a glorious sunset
And spend the warm heat of noon in inner stillness in a tree's shade
Let the Mara's demons come, for their shadows are brightest then
It's all in the mind, guys, close your eyes, see more
Then open your eyes, see everything.

Piya Tan



On Sun, Aug 31, 2008 at 12:05 AM, Gary Gach <gary.gach at gmail.com> wrote:

> is it a matter of time only before evangelicals concertedly target gampo
> abbey, shasta abbey, spirit rock, insight meditation society, orissa,
> tassajara, buddhist church of america, and the various other warrens of
> dharma heathenry?
>
> http://www.redroom.com/author/gary-g-gach
> 1.415.771.77.93
> may all beings
> be well
> _______________________________________________
> buddha-l mailing list
> buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
> http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l
>



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