[Buddha-l] Buddhism at the APA

[Piya Tan]

Some desperate or arrogant Mahayanists long ago invented the label HInayana,
originally with good intentions to highlight the "lazy Buddhism" of the
established Buddhist coenobites (settled non-meditating and moneyed monks).
But labels like "jesuit: can become double-edged.

So Hinayana in due course became finger-pointing at what is not Mahayana. In
fact, more Mahayanists today are embarrassed with the Hinayana label than
the intended "inferior" siblings themselves.

In other words, the Mahayanists are reaping the karma of bad labelling. The
Hinayanists generally do not mind referring themselves using the term
vis-a-vis their grander siblings.

The Mahayanists know ultimately that when two fingers point at others, three
point back at them. And this is not good for business. And Mahayana means
"big business" in many cases.

A local Mahayana monk, Mingyi (Goh Kah Heng), a Gold Card holder, is facing
mutiple criminal charges for mismanagement of funds and dishonesty (sic) in
connection with a hospital he is running. Most Buddhists here are
pathologically silent, some in denial, some enjoying the moment (the top
honchos do not see eye to eye), and many others simply do not know what to
think.

Narrow minded Hinayanists like myself feel as if we are not part of this
surreal episode.

The brighter side is that the younger Buddhists are working hard for a
better future despite our terribly dysfunctional family.

PIya Tan

On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 7:30 AM, Jim Peavler <jmp at peavler.org> wrote:

>
> On Apr 14, 2009, at 1:00 PM, Jayarava wrote:
>
> >
> > --- On Tue, 14/4/09, Jim Peavler <jmp at peavler.org> wrote:
> >
> >> I have switched from reading about all that Asian
> >> philosophy to reading David Hume. Will become a Humanitarian?
> >
> > And if I read Pāli will I become a Pāliamentarian?
> >
> > JR
> >
>
> Yes, I believe that would be correct. That would be the narrow church.
> The wide church (probably Latitudinarian) would be empaliamentarian. I
> think.
>
> Jim Peavler
> jmp at peavler.org
>
>
>
>
>
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>



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