[Buddha-l] Re: A Maitreya theme park projected for Kushinagar--goodgrief!

[jkirk]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for looking up the project. I haven't noticed that HHDL has ever
noticed aspects of social class and hierarchy in societies around the
world--he seems to be immune to noticing them. 
Perhaps because he has always been at the top of the elite of Tibetan
culture, and so may never have been exposed to any sort of social critique;
or, like many Buddhists, doesn't see the Buddhist mission as "fixing" the
world or society but rather working on the individual; and also as a leader
of a culture he and his organization are trying to preserve (Save
Tibet)--perhaps these are reasons why he would allow his name to be used as
an endorsement to this kind of multi-national big bucks project. Is the
Maitreya Project one of his donors, might be a question, too.

>From what I know of India, I strongly doubt if any of the protesting
dispossessed farmers have any say on the local Special Development Authority
whatsoever. If so, they'd be acting as clients to some socially higher
patron, i.e., they'd have been bought. What bugs me much more than
patron-client relations in other cultures is what outsiders get up to,
messing around with other people's religions, pilgrimage places, etc. We've
already heard from listfolk about what's been going on at Buddhagaya, for
example. 

The Maitreya Project says on their website:
	"Maitreya Project is based on the belief that inner peace and outer
peace share a cause and effect relationship and that loving-kindness leads
to peace at every level of society — peace for individuals, families,
communities and the world. 
	The Maitreya Buddha statue is being designed to last for at least
1,000 years. Through this entire new millennium and into the next, it will
effect positive change within the hearts and minds of people all over the
world and benefit the people of India through its social and economic
activities."

This statement is in my view an egregious example of the height of magical
thinking, as well as of the depths of unconsciousness about how their
actions will actually (as opposed to wishfully) affect local people. Aargh.
Best, Joanna
===================

( taken from http://www.maitreyaproject.org/en/index.html )

It would be interesting to know whether any of farmers Falcone has been
speaking to have seats on the "Kushinagar Special Development Area
Authority".

It is also unfortunate that H.H. Dalai Lama seems to support the Maitreya
statue project, or is at least willing to let the FPMT invoke his name and
image in support of it (see the URL mentioned above).  I hope he eventually
seeks out additional viewpoints besides those of the FPMT concerning the
effects the project is having on the local populations.

---------
Bill Kish



 
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