Buddhist Jihad

McCain Rally Preacher Erroneously Calls Buddha a "god," Prays to Christian God to Save God's Rep By Causing McCain Victory

Just another day in samsara as usual, home of passion, aggression and -- ignorance.

How offensive is this guy's total ignorance of Buddhism and his dismissal of all other religions to this card-carrying Buddhist?

 Mm -- very.  But in a dharmic context.

Who does he think he is?

Oh, right. He's just being proud and godly, not repulsive and arrogant. Blessed are the meek, dude.

Another fake Christian in need of remedial Sunday School.

Dharmic context:

13.

Even if someone cuts your head off

For having done nothing wrong,

To take on that person's negativities

Through the power of compassion

Is the practice of a bodhisattva.

Hat-tip to Jesus' General

and to TPM

Cross-posted at No Blood for Hubris.

Former Officer: Slaughter of Laypeople, Monks in Burma

Burma: Thousands dead in massacre; monks' corpses dumped in the jungle

Last updated at 11:37am on 1st October 2007

Thousands of protesters are dead and the bodies of hundreds of executed monks have been dumped in the jungle, a former intelligence officer for Burma's ruling junta has revealed.

The most senior official to defect so far, Hla Win, said: "Many more people have been killed in recent days than you've heard about. The bodies can be counted in several thousand."

Mr Win, who spoke out as a Swedish diplomat predicted that the revolt has failed, said he fled when he was ordered to take part in a massacre of holy men. He has now reached the border with Thailand.

Meanwhile, the United Nations special envoy was in Burma's new capital today seeking meetings with the ruling military junta.

Need we continue to do business with this regime?

Full link here.

PM Brown on Burma Death Toll: "Loss of Life . . . Far Greater"

UK fears Burma toll 'far higher'

                                                                                    

       

                                 

Brown on Burma

        British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he believes the loss of life in Burma has been "far greater" than that reported by the authorities.

He was speaking after holding talks by phone with US President George W Bush and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

Burmese officials said nine people were killed on Thursday as troops fired tear gas and bullets to disperse crowds of anti-government protesters in Rangoon.

Most internet links have been severed and mobile phone networks disrupted.

''I want to condemn absolutely the appalling level of violence against the people of Burma.

       

                                 

People seem to be determined to continue, despite the bullets, beatings and killings. I hear right now that shooting is still going on near our office                                                           Rangoon resident

       

"I am afraid that we believe the loss of life in Burma is far greater than is being reported so far," Mr Brown said.

Full link here.

BREAKING NEWS: COMMUNIST CHINA CLAIMS GATEKEEPER PRESENCE IN BARDO AFTERLIFE -- REBIRTH FORBIDDEN WITHOUT ASKING "MAO, MAY I?"

     Here's a nice article.  Keep in mind, of course, that the Dalai Lama long ago said he would not take rebirth in China, and that he did not wish formal lineage to be continued.

  One great lama in exile has been of the opinion that the Dalai Lama should call together all recognized tulkus and formally dissolve this system, ending any further conflict forever.

China tells living Buddhas (sic) to obtain permission before they reincarnate

 

Tibet’s living Buddhas (sic) have been banned from reincarnation (sic) without permission from China’s atheist leaders. The ban is included in new rules intended to assert Beijing’s authority over Tibet’s restive and deeply Buddhist people.

“The so-called reincarnated living Buddha without government approval is illegal and invalid,” according to the order, which comes into effect on September 1.

The 14-part regulation issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs is aimed at limiting the influence of Tibet’s exiled god-king (sic), the Dalai Lama, and at preventing the re-incarnation of the 72-year-old monk without approval from Beijing.

It is the latest in a series of measures by the Communist authorities to tighten their grip over Tibet. Reincarnate lamas, known as tulkus, often lead religious communities and oversee the training of monks, giving them enormous influence over religious life in the Himalayan region.  Anyone outside China is banned from taking part in the process of seeking and recognising a living Buddha, effectively excluding the Dalai Lama, who traditionally can play an important role in giving recognition to candidate reincarnates.

For the first time China has given the Government the power to ensure that no new living Buddha can be identified, sounding a possible death knell to a mystical system that dates back at least as far as the 12th century.

China already insists that only the Government can approve the appointments of Tibet’s two most important monks, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama.  The Dalai Lama’s announcement in May 1995 that a search inside Tibet — and with the co- operation of a prominent abbot — had identified the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, who died in 1989, enraged Beijing. That prompted the Communist authorities to restart the search and to send a senior Politburo member to Lhasa to oversee the final choice. This resulted in top Communist officials presiding over a ceremony at the main Jokhang temple in Lhasa in which names of three boys inscribed on ivory sticks were placed inside a golden urn and a lot was then drawn to find the true reincarnation.

The boy chosen by the Dalai Lama has disappeared. The abbot who worked with the Dalai Lama was jailed and has since vanished.

Full link here.

.

The Communist Chinese have quite the ego, have they not?  Imagine thinking their permission is needed for beings to take rebirth.  Really.

Here's the thing.   The true nature of this story is somewhat hidden by several clumsy translations (fueled by 19th-century theosophy with a sprinkle of Hollywood New Ageism) into English which distort the tulku tradition, such "god-king," "living buddhas," "reincarnation," etc.

One must keep in mind that since ego/self is regarded as not truly existent (see Kamalasila quote, above), there is no "reincarnation" per se as in the Hindu tradition, for there is no soul/self/ego/atman as a truly existent entity.

Hindu viewpont:  atman.  Buddhist viewpoint:  anatman.

Best metaphor I've heard of is that one's  individual existence is like the flame of a candle -- the passing of the flame from one candle to another is  similar to the process of rebirth.  And the flame is a process, not some 'thing.'

We are all tulkus -- everyone takes rebirth, like it or not.  Time, place, circumstances are dependent upon accrued karma.

Nobody needs China's permission.

.

Catholic Paper Discovers Buddhism, Catholicism, Not the Same!

Despite pop works’ claims, Buddhist, Catholic beliefs collide, don’t blend

[Commentary by yours truly.

First:  note the writer's use of quotes.  Or should I say, note the "writer"'s use of quotes.

Thus, it's not the Four Noble Truths, it's the "Four Noble Truths."

Is that like the "Ten Commandments" or  the "Beatitudes"?

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Looking for a quiet little place where you can hone your skills in Zen Buddhist meditation?   The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia can help.  Weekends devoted to Zen Buddhism are regularly scheduled events on the calendar of their retreat center in Spokane, Wash.

Or perhaps you’re more interested in doing a little reading before bedtime on the religious traditions of the East? Jesuit Father Robert Kennedy's. . . Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit can school you in the ways of the Buddha and help reconcile your fascination with all things Asian to your Christian past.

And should you have any doubts about the compatibility of Buddhist practices with the Christian faith, look no further than Sister Elaine McInnes, whose book Zen Contemplation for Christians dismisses such reservations as antiquated hang-ups from those dreadful days before the Second Vatican Council.

So, is she correct?

The simple answer is “no.”  Nevertheless, thousands of Catholics and Christians from coast to coast are still buying into the belief that the best way to become a better Christian is to first become a better Buddhist.  Thousands more are rejecting their Christian roots altogether and embracing the more exotic religious practices of the East. [feeling threatened, are we?]

‘Four Noble Truths’

Just what exactly is it about Buddhism that attracts these Westerners?  And why do so many Christians stubbornly insist that the two faiths are compatible?

Answering those questions first requires some defining of terms, which with Buddhism is no easy task.  Rather like Protestantism, there are many different types of Buddhism, [no, really?  how horrid!  "Many different types"? with many different sets of beliefs. {diversity, ooh!] The most well-known in the West are Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, but the exact shape those forms take in America are different still from the shape they take in their native habitats. ["Habitats"? ]

Defining what constitutes a Buddhist is almost as difficult as defining Buddhism. [Harder than defining Christianity or Christians?]

Because many forms of Buddhism require little to no community participation [hunh?]  a person can consider himself a Buddhist because he attends an occasional Buddhist retreat, practices Buddhist meditation or just attempts to incorporate the teachings of the Buddha into his daily life. [Well, no, actually, formal affiliation involves "Taking Refuge."  There are many other formal steps along the way.]

But according to Anthony Clark, a professor of Chinese history at the University of Alabama, for all the seeming and real differences in Buddhism, at their core, all forms share the same four fundamental principles. Those principles, referred to as the “Four Noble Truths,” came to the Buddha . . .  while he was meditating one afternoon in the shade of a bodhi tree.

["One afternoon"?  Oh?  Writer makes Buddha's enlightenment sound like a happy accident at tea-time.  On the contrary, Buddha attained enlightenment after a lifetime of searching, and after a long long period of meditation.  That he was under a bodhi tree is correct. ]

The writer continues:

The “Four Noble Truths” are:

1) All of life is suffering.

2) Selfish desire causes that suffering.

3) Detachment from desire brings freedom from suffering.

4) Desire can be extinguished through following the “Eight-fold Path” – having right views, intentions, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration.

 

[Let's correct these misconceptions with actual teachings on The Four Noble Truths -- commentary by Traleg Rinpoche:

The Truth of Suffering -- The first of the Four Noble Truths is suf­fering (Skt. dukkha). . .. We should qualify that translation by saying that this does not mean that the Buddha didn’t acknowledge the existence of happiness or contentment in life.

The point that he was making is that there is happiness and also sorrow in the world; but the reason why everything we experience in our everyday life is said to be du­kha is that even when we have some kind of happiness, it is not permanent;  it is subject to change.  So unless we can gain insight into that truth and understand what is really able to give us happiness, and what is unable to provide happiness, the experience of dissatisfac­tion will persist.

Normally we think our happiness is contingent upon external circumstances and situations, rather than upon our own inner atti­tude toward things, or toward life in general.

The Buddha was saying that dissatisfaction is part of life, even if we are seeking happiness and even if we manage to find temporary happiness. The very fact that it is temporary means that sooner or later the happiness is going to pass. So the Buddha said that unless we understand this and see how pervasive dissatisfaction or dukkha is, it is impossible for us to start looking for real happiness.

According to the Buddha, even when we think we are trying to find real happiness, we are not doing it effectively, because we don’t have the right attitude and we don’t know where to look for it. The Buddha was not against happiness; rather, he gave us a method of finding out how to overcome that sense of dissatisfaction, and this method is part of the last Noble Truth.

2. The Origin of Suffering

The second Noble Truth is the origin of suffering, which means that once we have realized that suffering or dissatisfaction exists, we next have to find out where that suffering comes from:  does it originate within, or does it come from some kind of external situation or con­dition?  The Buddha said that when we start to examine ourselves and see how we respond to situations, how we act in the world, how we feel about things, then we will realize that the cause of suffering is within. This is not to say that external social or economic conditions don’t create suffering; but the main suffering that afflicts us is created by our own mind and attitude.

The Buddha said that if we want to overcome dissatisfaction, which is intimately linked with our experience of suffering, then we have to deal with craving, grasping, clinging, and attachment—all these exaggerated forms of desire.

Now, some people think that Bud­dhists encourage the idea of eradicating desire altogether, but that is not what the Buddha said. He said that we should try to overcome excessive and exaggerated forms of desire, which manifest as craving, grasping, and so on, because they make our condition worse by increasing our sense of dissatisfaction and discontentment. It is the more obsessive types of desire that the Buddha said we should try to overcome.

As long as we have these strong forms of desire, they will always be accompanied by aversion, hatred, resentment, and so forth, because when we can’t get what we want, we become frustrated, angry, and resentful. Or, if we find some obstacles in the way of satisfying our desire, we want to eliminate them, eradicate them, or attack them. We may even resort to violence and deception in order to satisfy our greed and craving.

So the Buddha said that we need to deal with these extreme forms of desires; but we should not aim to eradicate desire altogether, because we can use desire in all kinds of positive ways as well.

3.  The Goal: The Cessation of Suffering

The third Noble Truth is the goal. First we find out about the human condition, how it is pervaded by a sense of dissatisfaction, then we look at the cause of that dissatisfaction, and after that we look at the goal, which is the attainment of nirvana. Some people think nirvana is some kind of absolute reality that is transcendent and otherworldly.

But the Buddha said that one can attain nirvana while still living in this world. . .  it is possible to achieve nirvana in this very lifetime. Achieving nirvana means that one’s mind is no longer afflicted by delusion and emotional afflictions. The mind becomes tranquil, and one’s experience of happiness is no longer dependent upon external situations and circumstances.  Therefore, one’s reaction to things is less extreme, and one is able to maintain a sense of tranquillity and peace, even when faced by adverse circumstances.

This is so because the one who has attained nirvana has overcome the three root delusions of attraction, aversion, and ignorance.  When the mind is no longer governed by strong emotional reactions of ei­ther attraction and aversion, we can be at peace and tranquil even when things are not going right. We maintain a sense of fortitude and face things courageously.

The Path: The Way Out of Suffering

Having realized that this is the goal—to achieve a permanent happi­ness that is not based upon external changing conditions—we then have to find out how to apply ourselves in order to achieve that goal. This is what the fourth Noble Truth explains. The fourth Noble Truth is the path, and this is the essence of Buddhist practice.

Known as the Eightfold Noble Path, it is oriented toward developing three things in an individual: moral sensitivity, meditation or the concen­trated mind, and wisdom. Through the practice of moral sensitivity we become better individuals, able to overcome our egocentric ten­dencies. We become more compassionate and more sensitive to the needs of others. Through the practice of meditation our mind be­comes more focused, more resilient, and more aware, which in turn gives rise to wisdom.  Full teaching, here.]

The writer continues:

Agnostic tendencies

In addition to the “Four Noble Truths,” most forms of Buddhism are agnostic –-[they're all actually non-theistic] the question of whether God exists being irrelevant to the reality of the “Four Noble Truths” and the “Eight-fold Path.” [Truth enough.  The "existence" of God is regarded as irrelevant].

Most forms of Buddhism also deny the immortality of the soul.  [Buddhism asserts the non-existence of ego.  See Kamalasila quote, above].   For Buddhists, said Clark, “The final goal is not just eradicating desire, but becoming free of suffering.”

The way they do that, he said, is by reaching nirvana, which ultimately means extinguishing the self and becoming part of the “great monad,” the universal oneness.  [This is just dead wrong.]

Buddhism also contains a strong component of relativism, viewing other religious practices and beliefs as acceptable because they are upaya, expedient means to achieving spiritual growth. ["Acceptable"?  Well, they're not buddhadharma, but they might be better than a smack in the head with a 2 by 4].

That element of relativism, Clark believes, at least in part accounts for so many Westerners’ attraction to Buddhism.  “Buddhism allows you to be anything you want to be with all sorts of East Asian trappings,” he said.

[Ooh, weird oriental 'trappings'.  One prefers one's own Catholic "trappings".]

Institutional ‘trappings’

Another strong point of attraction is that “Eight-fold Path.”  Unlike Christianity, which puts control over the universe in God’s hands, not man’s, Buddhism gives its adherents a step-by-step plan for eliminating suffering from their lives and achieving, at least a form of, salvation.  [It's not "salvation," it's enlightenment].

For Phillip Harbin . .the emphasis placed on “personal effort and experience” was compelling. . . .It also . . comes with as many or as few institutional trappings of religion as the adherent likes.    Monks, robes and prayer beads are there for those who want them. [Say, weren't Buddhists using rosaries 500 years before Christ?  Your 'trappings' are actually our trappings.]  For those who want to practice a spirituality that brings them peace without having to conform to any institutional practices or demands, Buddhism offers that.

[Of course, there are plenty of Buddhist religious practices and demands, for those who wish to pursue them. For example, the 227 rules of conduct for monks; the 4 x 100,000 practices of ngondro (completion of all of which is merely a preliminary practice); lay vows; vows of yogins; , etc. etc.]

Full story here.

The author continues asserting complete misunderstandings of the Buddhist point of view, including accusing it of nihilism (which is explicitly contradicted in Madhyamika) and, well, if you're Buddhist, you will catch her errors, and if you aren't, you probably couldn't care less.  Too bad they don't check out their assertions with actual Buddhists prior to printing them and passing around wrong information.

Really, the intention of such articles is to try to retain their flock.

But hey.

If your karmic merit is insufficient, you won't ever come in contact with buddhadharma.

So relax.

Why Buddha Thought Ignorance Was the Worst of the Three Poisons

Really, one hardly knows where to begin!!

Moi, I SO prefer primary sources.

You just can't beat 'em.

Ergo -- voila this article!

It was written as a critique of a scary front-page story in the New York Times about teaching mindfulness to children in schools.  The NY Times piece mentioned that mindfulness training had a good effect on children's behaviors.

But this response points out all the horrid horrors of teaching mindfulness.  So, you know, watch out!

First you teach them mindfulness, next thing you know, they'll die from pyelonephritis!

And,  remember, boys and girls:  the following is not satire.

A juicy pack of Bubble Gum to the first reader who can name all the really stupid misconceptions this apparently-educated-therefore-ought-to-know-better writer falsely asserted to be true!

Meditation, self hypnosis and the flight from rationality (sic)

This post was written by Nancy Reyes on 17 June, 2007

In the good old days, we  started the school day by having the kids settle down and then saying a prayer and then a bible reading.  [I remember those days--and in public schools.  Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?  Why were they making me do that?]

Such acts of piety allow one to settle their mind into context, which is why books on organizing one’s life starts with taking a half hour of reading a great book or listening to music before you decide what is important and what is not important in making your daily schedule.   From Buddha under the tree to Elijah in the cave to Marcus Aurelius to Mother Teresa’s sisters spending an hour meditation each day, thoughtful people knew that quiet time was needed if you were to stay balanced in life.

Yet in our secular world, where even a “moment of silence” is forbidden, why are we lauding the teaching of Buddhist meditation techniques to students under the guise of medicine/therapy?

If I were a strict Christian, I’d sue them in court. [If I were a strict Buddhist, I'd lampoon you.  Oh right, hey, that's just what I'm doing.]

But as a more secularized Catholic, I have fewer theological problems with the technique (which resembles the ancient Jesus prayer or the five minutes of silence and calming we learned in parochial school prior to the prayer that started class) than with the philosophical underpinnings that go along with it. [Pray, lady, to be saved from horrid Buddhist philosophical underpinnings.]

“Meditation” is similar to mild hypnosis [asserts the author without any proof, knowing ZERO about meditation, and never having any experience of it herself, and no education on this subject]. Ninety percent of people can be hypnotized or be taught relaxation technique, but there are different levels for different people.   And ten percent of people [says who?] are prone to go into a very deep hypnotic state when they practice that technique  [What technique?  Which technique?  What misguided arrogance -- hm, well, arrogance generally misguides, does it not?]

The technique is to get the mind into the deep concentration that most of us have when absorbed in work or when we make art or music [Says who?].  This deep concentration allows us to think or process our feelings at a deeper level, and produce good things.  It is also (alas) similar [asserts the author minus any proof] to the deep concentration of a video game or movie . . .which is why some experts worry about kids learning the wrong lessons from video games.

So although the “gift” of creativity often goes along with the ability to go deeply into a trance state, the flip side is that this ability also correlates with the ability to be influenced by others to the extent that you start believing in all sorts of eccentric and sometime dangerous ideas . . .

And, as you practice self hypnosis, you can sometimes go into these deeper hypnotic states without realizing it.

When we doctors use the trance state, we don’t try to get them to believe in flying saucers or angels or that if they think correctly, they will become rich.  Our use is more limited:  To stop smoking, or to learn to relax, or more commonly to control pain without drugs.

But even then, we have to worry about the small percentage of the population that has a strict ego that keeps the bad inside  . . .  by “opening” it up, you can lead to a psychotic break [paranoid much?].   Psychologists, doctors, and even trainers in Transcendental meditation are taught to watch out for this rare but dangerous state.  But what if it happens at a school, with a semi- trained teacher?

Summary: It’s good and bad. Like all of life. [Aha -- writer discovers samsara?]

But my final question about it’s use in schools can be found in this statement:

“If we can help children slow down and think,” Dr. Haick said, “they have the answers within themselves.”

Ummm…doctor, I thought that school was about having children find answers in books . . .and about learning about facts and logic, not about “finding the answers within themselves”.  [Oh?  I thought schools were to educate children so they could grow up to be thoughtful, reasonable adults.]

You see, this is magical thinking: I don’t have to learn, I just meditate and the answers just magically come to me.  Poof.

But where do the answers come from?  If you never learn facts, and you never learn logic, the problem might be that your subconscious id is making up the answers [uh, if you're going to use Freudian terms, and God knows why you would, why not check your, uh, facts before you make up a term that does not exist, like "subconscious id" ]. And the subconscious, although the source of creativity and beauty, is also the source of delusions and lies.

So encouraging children to “find their answers within” might sound good for postmoderns who believe reality is a “construct” , but a small percentage of these children might end up with the delusion of magical thinking:  The idea that if I think this way it will happen.”

Think I am going overboard with this worry?

Well, the popularity of such magical thinking, from “The Secret” to  prosperity theology is becoming more popular. Wish and you get it, think and it is so. Reality is what you make it.

As a result, I see patients who don’t “believe” they need vaccines because they “know” something from a book (but never saw a child die of polio or tetanus, or blind from measles), or when they refuse antibiotics for their child with an acute kidney infection and 105 fever (and never saw a woman die at age twenty from untreated pyelonephritis). [Take that, Mary Baker Eddy!]

And, of course, this magical thinking won’t really do them much good if a local volcano blows up, a typhoon hits, or terrorists nuke their city.

Reality tends to put an end to such fairy tales."

.

.

It's just so awful.

Mindfulness = hypnosis = death by volcano.

Clear as day.

.

Why does this person, supposedly a doctor, not know any better?

Because -- it's the stupidity, stupid?

(Check out "Don't Bite the Hook:  Teaching Mindfulness Training to Kids," a response to the NYTimes article at Abu Shri, here.)

Other Sentient Beings, Lacking Good Karma, Fail to Embrace Buddhadharma

Let's not forget what brought us here, people:  THE BUDDHIZATION OF AMERICA.

And remember:  whatever it is, it's all Bob Thurman's fault!!

"Robert Thurman, father of actress Uma Thurman (actress in the recent martial arts movie -- Kill Bill) who used to sit on the lap of the Dalai Lama, was ranked as among the 25 most influential opinion makers in America by Time magazine in 1997. Thurman, who was the first American Tibetan Buddhist monk, now teaches at Columbia University and predicts the Buddhization of America in his generation. In the last decade, Buddhism has grown by 170% compared to Christianity's 5%.

 

What is the significance of burying tantric vases?

It is the act of defiling the land and provoking God's judgment.

 

What damage does it do when they dump the mandalas off Newport Beach and Malibu?

It is the act of defiling the waters and provoking God's judgment.

 

When did this start, who could possibly have assisted them or allowed them access? "In the summer of 1981, the "iron bird year" of the Tibetan calendar, the god-king granted a public initiation for the first time outside of Asia. The date and the location (Wisconsin, USA) of the initiation were drawn directly from a prophecy of the Tibetan "religious founder", Padmasambhava, who introduced Vajrayana to the Land of Snows from India in the eighth century:"

When the iron bird flies

and horses run on wheels

The Tibetan people will scattered to the ends of the earth, and the

Dharma will come to the land of the Red Man

Full story here.

Red Chinese Blow Up Sacred Buddhist Statue at Samye

The Taliban demonstrated the nature of impermanence in Afghanistan by blowing up the Buddhas of Bamiyan.

Now the Communist Chinese have blown up a sacred statue of Padmasambhava.

What's a little more cultural genocide, when there's so much actual genocide in Tibet, eh?

More here.

And here.

And an excellent site with many fine translations on shunyata, here.

Methinks He Doth Protest Too Much

Something funny's going on here.

In an article called "Killing for Buddha" [got that message across, loud and clear], the author, a Christian, I'm not sure of what variety, makes the point that sometimes Buddhists can take an interest in politics.  That's it.  End of story.

It's called "Killing for Buddha" but it isn't about Buddhists killing anybody.  At all.

Smear much, sir?

And we [he means Christians] often get challenged when talking about belligerency and lethality in religion: Make an exception with Buddhism, it is said, which is always peaceful.

Not so. While Buddhists like these monks do not wake up in the morning and look for who to kill "for Buddha" or Buddhist culture, they do connect their faith and philosophy to national and other causes – just as Muslims currently specialize in doing, and as Christians often have.

In this game of war-like versus peace-like religions and faith communities, one sadly has to note that it's a level playing field, and at different times different gods and theologies get invoked to justify killing.

Yo, dude.  This isn't a level playing field.  Nobody's invoking the dharma as an excuse to kill anybody, pal.

Seems like some people find buddhadharma a wee bit threatening.

Similarly, here, the Hawaiian writer of "View from the Pew" uses that fact that Tibetan Buddhism is different from other Buddhist paths as a way to make the Dalai Lama seem less influential.  Hmm.  What's up with that?

More on H.H. the Dalai Lama's visit to Hawaii here.

Osama Denounces "Pagan Buddhism": How Talibangelical of Him

Oh good.  Osama Bin Laden gets on the Al Mohler's anti-Buddhist bandwagon:  he doesn't call Buddhism "Satanic," he calls it "Pagan."

Thanks for the tip, Osama.  I feel so relatively enlightened by this news.

It  took me some time to track down his actual statement;   I don't recall reading about any new Osama messages in the paper.

Reading it, it took me a while to sift through his dense language sprinkled with constant criticism of Denmark in order to figure out what his beef was -- he was talking about how really bad it is to have "Pagan Buddhism" running the UN security council, and I'm like, since when is there a Buddhist, pagan or not, on the UN  security council?

Silly me.  Turns out that it's China!  Osama Bin Laden thinks that Communist China is run by pagan Buddhists.  Or by pagans and Buddhists.  Whatever.

O-kay.

Oh, and some Al Qaeda group now wants to assassinate the Dalai Lama. Well, that makes sense.  The pagan Buddhists who are running Communist China have always had His Holiness in their sights, have they not?

File under "passion, aggression, and ignorance."

Concern over death threats against Dalai Lama
by Prakash Dubey

 

Lumbini (AsiaNews) – Nepal’s three million Buddhists are alarmed over death threats made against the Dalai Lama, allegedly by Islamic extremist group Lashkar-e-Toiba. In Lumbini, Buddha’s birth place in southern Nepal, monks and lay people are praying for him.

A local monk, Bhante Jaydeo, told AsiaNews that the Dalai Lama “is an apostle of non violence and peace. In spite of being a victim of Chinese Communist violence, he has never preached for a violent uprising in Tibet and has always called for reconciliation” with Beijing. “Here in town monks and the faithful have prepared special prayers for his safety.”

When an Indian paper reported the threat on April 1, police in Dharamsala (India) where the Dalai Lama lives in exile stepped up security arrangements.

Lashkar-e-Toiba is based in Pakistani-held Kashmir and is among the most powerful Islamic terrorist groups in South Asia. It is thought to be tied to al-Qaeda and it has been held responsible for many attacks in India.

For experts, the threat made against the Buddhist leader is probably connected to a recent statement attributed to Osama bin Laden against all religions other than Islam, including “pagan Buddhism. . .”

The report has raised eyebrows because the Dalai Lama has never had any problems with Muslims.

Abdul Dewan, a Muslim member of the Nepali Forum on Inter-faith Dialogue, is surprised that a believer in Allah would “want to kill a religious person without any faults like the Dalai Lama”.

Shambhu Dewan, a Hindu from the Tharu tribe and also a member of the Forum, told AsiaNews that the report is reason for concern to believers of all religions, including Muslims.

The Forum itself has decided to organise “a moment of inter-faith prayer for the life of the Tibetan spiritual leader and calls on the Nepali government to intervene with Pakistan to get this group to abandon this odious crime.”

More here.