Oh... my... Lord Buddha, give me strength.
For I want to strangle nearly every single buddhist following the american sect.
Here's a hint. These things are not the basis of Buddhism:
Yoga. Yogurt. Pilates. Christian bashing. Bush bashing. Hatred towards people who are involved in war. Abortion. Being "hardcore". Zen. Kerry. Pictures of the Buddha. "Buddhist Clans." The Peace Sign. Anything black and white.
What IS Buddhism about?
Piety. Compassion. Metta for EVERYTHING (including Bush). The Buddhist community. The home altar practice. Quietness. Study. Uposatha. FAMILY.
Buddhism (~GASP~) is a CONSERVATIVE religion. In general, it says... NO ABORTIONS. That's right. That doesn't quite fit in with your little hippyness or what you're religion trendy friends told you, does it? What's something else it says? FOLLOW THE LAW. Whoa?! NO DRUGS! That means NO ALCOHOL, and if you do want some alcohol, ONLY ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. No, I'm sorry. You getting a 50 cent raise is not a special occasion you poor ass. You getting married is a special occasion. Guess what? Weed's a drug, too. So is SMOKING. CAFFINE should be avoided, because it does hinder your mind, which is what the buddha was specifically talking about when he said drugs.
Buddha ate meat. Oh wait! You're a hippie, so you want to tell everyone how bad meat is but you can't even live to your own fucking diet. Buddhism is FINE with eating meat.
Buddhism includes fasting, not allowing yourself ANY form of entertainment, no make up, and sleeping on a floor once a week.
Buddha tells us not to hang out with people who do bad things like drink and gamble and are violent.
Now, obviously, I have some issues I need to work out before I'm going to progress in buddhism. Mainly wanting to see you in the same condition as all those aborted babies you love so much (just google image "abortion").
~rubs her face and wanders off to chant on her malas~
For I want to strangle nearly every single buddhist following the american sect.
Here's a hint. These things are not the basis of Buddhism:
Yoga. Yogurt. Pilates. Christian bashing. Bush bashing. Hatred towards people who are involved in war. Abortion. Being "hardcore". Zen. Kerry. Pictures of the Buddha. "Buddhist Clans." The Peace Sign. Anything black and white.
What IS Buddhism about?
Piety. Compassion. Metta for EVERYTHING (including Bush). The Buddhist community. The home altar practice. Quietness. Study. Uposatha. FAMILY.
Buddhism (~GASP~) is a CONSERVATIVE religion. In general, it says... NO ABORTIONS. That's right. That doesn't quite fit in with your little hippyness or what you're religion trendy friends told you, does it? What's something else it says? FOLLOW THE LAW. Whoa?! NO DRUGS! That means NO ALCOHOL, and if you do want some alcohol, ONLY ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. No, I'm sorry. You getting a 50 cent raise is not a special occasion you poor ass. You getting married is a special occasion. Guess what? Weed's a drug, too. So is SMOKING. CAFFINE should be avoided, because it does hinder your mind, which is what the buddha was specifically talking about when he said drugs.
Buddha ate meat. Oh wait! You're a hippie, so you want to tell everyone how bad meat is but you can't even live to your own fucking diet. Buddhism is FINE with eating meat.
Buddhism includes fasting, not allowing yourself ANY form of entertainment, no make up, and sleeping on a floor once a week.
Buddha tells us not to hang out with people who do bad things like drink and gamble and are violent.
Now, obviously, I have some issues I need to work out before I'm going to progress in buddhism. Mainly wanting to see you in the same condition as all those aborted babies you love so much (just google image "abortion").
~rubs her face and wanders off to chant on her malas~
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
But I must argue... buddhism is not about culture. Buddhism did not reall much change the culture of the places it touched. Buddhism... compliments most cultures and a lot of religions. In the south, they kept the prostrations of hinduism and islam who were around that area. In the north, they kept their elaborate traditions (speaking of tibetan here) and hierarchies and... well, gaudiness. And in japan, they kept their simplicity and soft wit. And tea! Tea is a huge part of japanese buddhist ceremonies, but it's no where else, really, in buddhist ceremonies.
So, in short, buddhism is definately not about the culture. Buddhism is not a religion that stomps over culture or creates new culture like others may.
when i say that it is a cultural thing, i mean that in the sense that all cognition is a cultural thing. the meanings that we take things to have are a result of certain dispositions that we fall into as soon as we are born (within 3 months, the behaviors of babies born in eastern countries are visibly different from those born in western civ--just an example; my point is philosophic rather than sociological...). my point is that the meanings of words and practices vary from culture to culture, and there can be no real sharing of religions of the kind where we shop around and find one that best falls in line with what we "believe."
basically, im just arguing for the primacy of action and behavior over and before language and thought. (thats fancy philosophy talk--think body before mind, not mind before body). inasmuch as i understand buddhism, it seems to fall in line with what i am here arguing for: thought is accidental, meaning springs from practice, language as well, if that is so, then language and meaning are varied just so much as cultures are, even moreso individually, and, with respect to religion, one can only hope to find the vague religious truth within their own humble beginings (cultural heritage). i am guessing this is one reason why buddhists arent big evangelicals. i am also guessing that our cultural heritage as arrogant americans is one reason that so many americans feel they can leap frog thousands of years of history and culture, and translate all that REAL meaning into crappy selfhelp books and retreats into the hills of LA.
(please comment in me journal rather than yers, otherwise i'll never see it.)