[Buddha-l] Unpopular Buddhism

[Jackhat1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/23/2010 1:52:58 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
curt at cola.iges.org writes:

in 1997  at a conference in Boston, which he has published on his website 
under the  title "Deep  Agnosticism":
http://www.stephenbatchelor.org/deepagnosticism.htm

Wherein  he claims that a westerner who attempts to believe in Buddhism 
is involved  in "a denial of one's roots" & a "denial of one's cultural  
upbringing", which, according to Batchelor, "is not actually possible to  
sustain".

This is because westerners are deeply rational and,  therefore, incapable 
of the kind of self-deception that comes naturally to  the superstitious 
Asiatic mind, and which is necessary to believe in stuff  like 
reincarnation and karma.
===
Thanks for the article reference. I read it in the following way. "True  
Buddhism" as the Buddha taught is different than the Buddhism sullied by  
cultural accumulations, need for consolation and turned into an institutional  
religion. This latter Buddhism is what Westerners have trouble with because  
it does require "denial of one's cultural upbringing" and irrationality.
 
jack