[Buddha-l] Fsat Mnifdlunses?

[Dan Lusthaus]

> Somewhat higher on my agenda these days than worrying about
> what labels to put on Vasubandhu is writing to America's senators to
> urge them 1) to abandon the expensive and dysfunctional profit-driven
> health-care system in the USA and to replace it with something an
> Ontarian or a Québecois might approve, 2) to pull all troops out of
> Iraq and Afghanistan and to close every American base that is not on
> American soil, 3) to dismantle every nuclear warhead that the USA has
> ever built, 4) to make it impossible for any state to use the death
> penalty, and 5) to impose a tax of $10 per gallon of gasoline to
> encourage Americans to rediscover walking and bicycling. (You see, I
> love my country to much that I want to help it become part of the the
> civilized world.)

Someone running on that platform would probably be unable to get enough 
signatures on a petition to run for dog catcher, much less Senator. 
Unilateral gestures might work for Canadians, since nothing they do matters 
in the larger scheme of things anyway. It would be a dangerous indulgence 
for the US. There are plenty of players ready and eager to fill such a void, 
and it would definitely NOT be an improvement. As for the Canadian Health 
care system, some of what I am hearing from Canadian colleagues and friends 
who are getting to that age when health care really matters do not make me 
envious. The wiser of them are going out of the system for Chinese doctors, 
with much better results. Happy scribbling.

Just to clarify a few points: Those who put emphasis on ni"scaya were doing 
so within the pramana system, i.e., one's judgements/decisions/"certainties" 
are not arbitrary, but derived through rigorous epistemological means. That 
begins with Asanga, gets further polished by Vasubandhu, Dignaga, 
Dharmakirti and beyond (i.e., those Yogacaras we needn't be concerned about 
getting right).

Buddhavacana is not a sporadic Buddhist idea, but central and, with some 
quibbling over details, embraced by all Buddhists. Buddhavacana is 
predicated on the idea of being able to differentiate Buddha's words (or 
words in concert with his meaning) from all other statements and claims. 
Concern over getting him right starts with him (according to numerous 
accounts in the Nikayas), and only becomes more pronounced and detailed once 
he's gone and limiting the spread of erroneous interpretations has increased 
(one cannot simply call the latter-day Satis into his presence for an 
authenticity check).

Without Buddhavacana there is no Buddhism. Without Buddhism, one cannot 
think of oneself as a Buddhist or sympathetic to or sympatico with 
"Buddhist" ideas.

Dan