[Buddha-l] The Slow Movement

[jkirk]

Thanks for the link-- 

I'm about to post to the list an update about the negative
happenings at Bat Nha monastery where they kicked out Nhat Hanh's
Vietnamese and foreign monks and nuns. 
The Vietnamese chap whose message I asked permission to
cross-post, gave me permission, but added he wanted me to include
the official wording of this government agency text  in
Vietnamese.  I replied asking for a link to the Vietnamese text,
because probably nobody on this list reads Vietnamese, but not
sure. (In any case, I doubt if the software used by the list
could handle anything written in Vietnamese roman script.) He
wanted it included for verification, so nobody could think he was
slinging slander at a govt agency. He lives in the USA so he's
not in any immediate danger or anything.  so far I've not gotten
his reply with the link. If he can't find one, I will post it as
from a knowledgeable source but minus his name. This letter was
published last October, but the attacks on Nhat Hanh's monastics
began in May of this year. Took the forces arrayed against TNH
some time to muster their attacks.

Between us, I do think TNH brought this on his people himself--
first by saying when he was in Vietnam in 2005 that the Dalai
Lama should have been invited to the Vesak celebrations that he
(TNH) had been allowed in for. 
"In an [earlier] interview with Italian TV, Hanh had said that
Vietnam should allow the Dalai Lama to attend the Hanoi gathering
and China should allow the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet to meet
with his followers there, just as Hanh was allowed to return to
Vietnam."  (Yikes--what a stupid move.) Link:
http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/world/story/5706903/  

 China objected to the VN government in Hanoi and said they
should kick out TNH for saying that! Then: "The animosities may
predate last year's row over the Dalai Lama. A provincial police
officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, accused Hanh of
breaking Vietnamese law during a 2007 visit when he suggested to
President Nguyen Minh Triet that Vietnam abolish government
control of religion.
"He should focus on Buddhism and keep out of politics," the
officer said, adding that the monks have until September to
relocate." [same link as above.]

So even though TNH insists that he and his program are not
political, he has apparently made political comments, guaranteed
to end good relations with the VN government, as they have done.

It's all pretty Byzantine and distressing, but why-- if he wanted
to insert his practice into a VN monastery, where the abbot
originally invited his practice and monks to be there-- would he
say the things that he said? This same abbot obviously has been
pressured by the government and that most Viets agree is why the
abbot disinvited TNH's group, finally.

========================================================


I couldn't resist sharing this link to a wonderful website:
 
http://slowdownnow.org/
 
I recall reading in one of Thich Nhat Hanh's books that doing
things slowly and mindfully was a way of refusing to cooperate
with today's frantic pace of life, and that at Plum
Village, Wednesday was officially "Lazy Day," where no work
was done.  Sounds healthy to me....
 
Katherine Masis


      
_______________________________________________
buddha-l mailing list
buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l