No subject

strong in specifics, esp Buddhist specifics. I suppose it is difficult to
give gritty details on say Buddhism, when her interest is broader, a kind of
global view of religion.

But I'm sure I will enjoy attending her talks. Some teachers are better
speakers than witers.

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,
inno 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 itt.
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


On Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 10:41 AM, Katherine Masis <twin_oceans at yahoo.com>wrote:

>
> Karen Armstrong is one of my favorite authors!  I've read most of her books
> and Armstrong says in no uncertain terms that what matters is how you
> behave, not what you believe.  She reports this idea came up in the course
> of a conversation with a rabbi several years ago.  One of her projects is
> The Charter for Compassion.  Watch the 3-minute video at:
>
> http://charterforcompassion.com/
>
> "The Charter does NOT assume:
> - all religions are the same
> - compassion is the only thing that matters in religion
> - religious people have a monopoly on compassion
> The Charter DOES affirm that:
> - compassion is celebrated in all major religious, spiritual and ethical
> traditions
> - the Golden Rule is our prime duty and cannot be limited to our own
> political, religious or ethnic group
> - therefore, in our divided world, compassion can build common ground"
>
> There are other Karen Armstrong videos.  Check out the one with her
> 21-minute acceptance speech for the TED prize:
>
>
> http://www.ted.com/talks/karen_armstrong_makes_her_ted_prize_wish_the_charter_for_compassion.html
>
> Youtube also has some more Armstrong videos.
>
> Katherine Masis
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:49:58 +0800
> From: Weng-Fai Wong <wongwf at comp.nus.edu.sg>
> Subject: [Buddha-l] The Case for God
> To: Buddhist discussion forum <buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com>
> Message-ID: <4A54C026.9010001 at comp.nus.edu.sg>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Given the recent popularity of Dawkins, Hitchen and Harris, what do
> people think of Karen Armstrong's retort "The Case for God"?
>
> W. F. Wong
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com
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>
> End of buddha-l Digest, Vol 53, Issue 14
> ****************************************
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>
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