[Buddha-l] nytimes review of pbs The Buddha

[Richard Hayes]

On Apr 7, 2010, at 2:46 PM, Dan Lusthaus wrote:

> What the review doesn't say is that the white people are practicing a form 
> of hagiographic elevation that makes the Asians look like rank amateurs. 
> There is an interesting tension in the trailer. HHDL is actually trying to 
> humanize the Buddha. He insists that when Buddha heard about the brutal 
> massacre of his clansmen, he was sad. Yes, Buddhas are allowed to be sad. 
> They are human, according to HHDL. The word he searches for to describe 
> Buddha in that situation is "fail." Buddha was a failure.

Well, not all white people think alike. Hans Schumann's book on the Buddha portrays him as someone whose last years with filled with disappointment, scandal and failure (all of which is chronicled in the historical portions of the vinaya). And Stephen Batchelor describes the Buddha as a tragic figure, for much the same reasons. Even some white folks can resist the temptation to wax hagiographic about people they like.

> the other half is deeply disappointed that we can't raise the level 
> even a bit above bedtime fairy tales, and find something intelligent to say 
> about Buddha and his life.

For chrissake, Dan, it's a goddamn TELEVISION program! To expect that medium to deliver anyone but fluffy mind-candy is to make a date with dukkha.

Richard