[Buddha-l] The Case for God

[jkirk]

"moneytheist"--now there's a term whose time is long overdue,
including here in the USA :)

"I have been reading William Pietz's entry on "Person" in Donald
Lopez Jr's "Critical Terms for the study of Buddhsm" (2005), and
feel compelled that we need to do more than let the centuries of
monastic slavery, oppression and tartuffism politely rest (or
grow)."

	I don't have this book--would you kindly explain what you
or Lopez are 
	getting with respect to monastic slavery,. etc. ? There
must be scope for 
	a list discussion with this one.

What are the local Buddhist moneytheists doing that disillusions
the professional youths? 

"the materialism and mega-churchism of Singapore." Is SG any more
materialistic than is China, or the US and the EU? Megachurchism
has been in my country for at least 2-3 decades; perhaps the biz
people of SG are late-arriving wannabes? 

You seem to enjoy writing in cryptic one or two liners---how
about fewer "summary sweeps," and more details of the scene in
Singapore?  For ex., I'm wondering how exactly is your Buddhist
tradition being attacked there by the  moneythesists?

Joanna 
============================



Bernard Faure's new "Unmasking Buddhism" (2009), comes to mind
here. Faure, in his "zen insights and oversights" tack, is
interesting and useful reading if we discount his sometimes too
summary sweeps of the details.

We are in a very exciting cameo in the local history of Buddhism
as the moneytheist monastics of Singapore are quietly ganging up
against those who, influenced by the noon radiance of the forest
monks (mostly Ajahn Chah's pupils), trying to isolate them
(includig myself).

Are we seing symptoms of chinks and cleavages in a new Buddhist
chrysalis?
Butterflies, like good dharma, do not live long, but they are
beautiful as they fly in the light, and we watch them.

It is an exciting moment here, yet a terrifying one, too, when we
realize this is not textbook Buddhism or academic Buddhism, but
real-life spirituality.

I have been reading William Pietz's entry on "Person" in Donald
Lopez Jr's "Critical Terms for the study of Buddhsm" (2005), and
feel compelled that we need to do more than let the centuries of
monastic slavery, oppression and tartuffism politely rest (or
grow).

In Singapore the money monastics are employing armies of
professionally qualified youths. The more thinks one, who value
mental health over money, in no time leave, often deeply
disillusioned to find the monastic heart not only dark but empty.

Don't get me wrong: I only agree with people like Schopen, where
they are not too summary in his writing. WIll someone tell him to
visit India one day, or better go for a good meditation retreat,
so that he could see the other brighter side of Buddhism?

I am all for early Buddhism and forest dharma, as I think they
are good anthitheses, even cure, for the materialism and
mega-churchism of Singapore.
(There is a wide range of mediaevally virulent forms of
evangelism, here, too. Frankly I fear the SInhalese nayaka my
family and I pushing a large TV at Giant, a popular mart here,
more!)

I am now working on an article on "The Body in Buddhism" which
inspired me to reflect on "The Person in Buddhism." I have to
work on the former for a good doctrinal ground, but more enjoy
writing the latter.

Thanks for reading this, and good for you if you feel some deligh
about it.
There are less than a handful ears here in this philistine
Singapore that I can speak so richly with.

Asalha Puja (the fullmoon day commemorating the teaching the
First
Discourse) was on Tuesday. The monastic rains retreat is now well
on its way.

With the blessing of the vars.aavaasa,

Piya Tan