[Buddha-l] Buddhism at the APA

[Piya Tan]

I only have two hand, Weng Fai. Maybe if I have Bodhisattva hands, I could
point to more. Anyway thanks for pointing out more of the shadows.

I agree with what you say of Thai magical Buddhism, and there are many more.
Looks like we (that's the royal we) are the only good guy/s left (thumbs
under armpits), and my thumbs are hurting.

Piya Tan


2009/4/15 Weng-Fai Wong <wongwf at comp.nus.edu.sg>

> Like you say Piya: a finger pointing outwards means 4 pointing back. To be
> fair, just look at the charms and talisman business that Thai monks are
> doing, esp. the big advertisements in the Chinese tabloid papers here.
>
> Bad apples are everywhere.
>
> Weng-Fai
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com [mailto:buddha-l-
> > bounces at mailman.swcp.com] On Behalf Of Piya Tan
> > Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 8:51 AM
> > To: Buddhist discussion forum
> > Subject: Re: [Buddha-l] Buddhism at the APA
> >
> > 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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