KARL JASPERS FORUM

TA109 (Bhatt)

Commentary 6 (to C5, etc., Müller)

COMMENTING ON BUDDHISM

by Rob Weedon

5 November 2008, posted 15 November 2008

As to commenting re Buddhism -- I look back on some years of not managing to motivate any discussion at all. That may be entirely appropriate, I'd not contend that -- but it may also be (and I'm persuaded it's the case) that we in the West are STILL embarrassingly out in left field. It seems to me our question "Why Do They Hate Us ?" -- clear as daylight to the rest of the world, will (hopefully) find itself answered as the global economy succeeds in righting itself, and we begin at last, to relate, not push.

For simplicity's sake I think of Asia and the West as a newly married man and wife. Opinion goes (re marriage) as you surely know : "The first six months is bliss, the second six months is hell, and after that things begin to settle down, Eventually you both sit quietly before the fire and get along more or less o.k. But until the West spontaneously reaches out to (for their mutual behalf) the East it's (imho) time and energy wasted talking about it.

I'm reluctant to identify This or That 'avenue of acquisition' ; when Asia 'takes' (with a Westerner) it doesn't 'take' verbally. Perhaps the following little verses may suggest why, if one's hangup on language permits it.

Man'ssssssssssssssss

Firsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst

Disssssssssssssssssobediensssssssssssssssssssssssssssss...

When we use language

Yin and Yang are butterflies

pinned onto a card.

Wipe away the words

and you remove the pin -- then

they can fly again.

Pleasure chatting with you again.

You must be way older than I am.

Compliments !

Rob Weedon

e-mail <rweedon (at) mindspring.com

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