[Buddha-l] Demise in asia

[jkirk]

jkirk wrote:

> The Tibetans seem to be having a lot of success in the USA
today. They 
> are good at raising money and spreading their message, too.

The Tibetans are also v. successful in Taiwan - and do fairly
well in Malaysia and SG. Indeed in monetary terms most do far
better in these places than they do in the west - since their
Asian followers are generally far more financially generous than
their European and American followers.

However I think in many cases all this cash corrupts the Dharma.

- Chris
==========================
'However I think in many cases all this cash corrupts the
Dharma.'

Chris, Ain't it da trut! 

There's too much money everywhere, especially in US politics and
also 
religion. My first brush with UUs was in the North Bennington
Library, upstairs, where four of us met to discuss. Sort of like
what I once heard the old NY Ethical Society meetings were like.
No church, no muzak, no minister, no gigantic building, no paid
employees~~~~~~~~~~~~

The local Unitarian fellowship I occasionally visit here in Boise
raised a 
ton of money after 2 years of hard work, to enlarge their 
meeting hall and make more rooms for Sunday school classes. They
also 
got enough to hire a regular music director.  
Now again they are trying to raise even more money for this 'n
that...
Once an institution hits the money trail, it's the long long
trail that, like 
Draupadi's sari, is unending. Along with institutional expansion.

They did spend a lot on their religious education program, which
is
where I personally think most of the swag ought to go, to build
up the 
self-respect, critical thinking, and compassion of the future
generations.

But yes--cash corrupts all Dharmas, and apparently Buddhist ones
as well.
In capitalist societies, even deliberately chosen poverty or
public modesty 
influences nobody. 

New book that might be of interest to someone besides yours
truly:
_Bengal in Global Concept History: Culturalism in the Age of
Capital_ 
(Chicago Studies in Practices of Meaning) (Paperback) by Andrew
Sartori. 
U Chic. Pr., Sept 15-2008. 
Even though the focus is apparently on Bengal, the culturalism
idea under discussion might yield some insights.

Cheers, Joanna