[Buddha-l] Jinapanjaram

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

On 15-05-10 09:03, Joy Vriens wrote:
> I see Tantra very much as playing the same role that science plays
> now. When religion and science weren't separated, science was simply
> more magical, but having the same sort of consideration and respect as
> we feel for science nowadays. I see the flirting between Buddhism and
> Science (ken Wilbur and his electronically assisted samadhi, Mathieu
> Ricard helping to establish the brain wave frequency of happiness etc.
> and the next step trying to reproduce them with technology) as
> something similar than the flirting between Buddhism and Tantra in the
> past.
>    
Hi Joy,
I'm trying to figure out the philosophy of Michel Henry these days (he 
has been discovered recently in the Pays Bas) and I'm reading the new 
naturalizing phenomenologers from the US. The discours is changing, 
there's a lot of interest in embodiment these days, and that's the stuff 
Tantra works with. You and I come from a generation that believed in 
science and logic, now there's more interest in brain and body. I for 
myself found the Tibetan variety quite confusing and therefore quite 
interesting. I never took the time to immerse myself in the Theravada 
tradition, but I'm not surprised to read that they do more than just sit 
with their eyes closed. Besides there will always be a crowd looking for 
another Disneyland, canned mysticism etc, ready to spend a few bucks. 
And I'm afraid the temptation for many Buddhist leaders is too strong 
not to serve them what they ask for, the more because there are many 
wealthy burned out managers in the crowd.

erik