[Buddha-l] Buddhism in Israel

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Dan Lusthaus schreef:
> Eric,
>
>   
>> First the peculiar use of the word 'friend' by the Tibetans in Dharamsala,
>>     
>
> I'm afraid the relevance of this escapes me. If this is another backhanded
> negative, it's too subtle (and bigotted) for my weary mind. Are you trying
> to say that, unlike you, Tibetans are too polite to badmouth and kick out
> the Israelis? Because, unlike Tibetans, Israelis are all bad-mannered? Or
> that Israelis are too stubborn, uncouth, whatever, to benefit from proximity
> to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community in Dharamsala?
>   
No, I'm not shrewd enough to make such subtle implications, certainly 
not in an email where the risc of misunderstanding is very high.
>   
>> Second thing is that young Israeli tourists have a bad reputation in India
>>     
>
> I didn't deny that. But why is that relevant to what I posted? Are the
> Israelis living in Dharamsala tourists? 
Yes they are.
> Are they the ones earning the bad
> reputation?
>   
Some of them probably.
>   
>> And you cannot deny I think that the relation between the number of
>>     
> Israeli tourists in Dharamsala and the popularity of Buddhism in Israel is
> somewhat conjectural. :-)
>
> The preponderance of Israelis in Dharamsala is a sign of the growing
> popularity of Buddhism in Israel (why choose that as destination? Once
> there, they bring some of that back with them, further increasing the
> popularity, etc.). The number of Buddhist centers of various stripes is
> increasing; interest in meditation and Buddhist philosophy is also growing.
> Some of that you can confirm by an internet search. Or ask an Israeli.
>
>   
I have been there twice and it struck me that many tourists hang out 
there not for the LTWA or even for Buddhism. Even in McCleod Ganj most 
people just have a good time. It's cooler then in many other places in 
India, there's a lot more tugpa and applepie around then in most places, 
everybody calls you a friend (so there's a kind of welcoming 
atmosphere), you can buy Tibetan souvenirs and clothing, nature is great 
and there're a lot of fellow tourists (many tourists like meeting 
countrymen).
So it is possible that the presence of Israeli tourists is a sign of 
growing popularity of Buddhism in Israel, but it is certainly not 
necessary. In order for it to be a sufficient proof we would have to 
establish what the Israeli tourists are doing there.

-- 


Erik

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