Thoughts on Buddhism

[The Grand Nudger]

I am intrigued with all of your ideas and intellectual argument. It is very informed and educated. I give all of you alot of respect for that,, honestly. I really don't know what to say but that Buddhism is very adaptative and evolutionary in the modern here and now form. It is a peaceful method for undertanding the self and the world. I personally don't think that Buddhism played a very big role in government or politics in Asia throughout the centuries, like Christianity did in Europe. Most of the buddhist monestaries were pretty well isolated up in the mountains. I don't see how any buddhist "doctrine" justfied any abuses of kings or rulers back in the day. Even China's worst dictator in the modern era, Mao Zedong, was not a buddhist by any means. I don't see how Buddhism can support any social mind control propaganda or governmental oppresssion. It explicitly points to individualism and self empowerment. It would be very difficult to twist buddhism into political media.

http://histories.cambridge.org/browse_ch...-east_asia
http://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Warfare-M...0195394844

You may not see it, but that hasn't stopped resourceful people from seeing it, developing it, and exploiting it, for centuries. What buddhism is said to be (or what you believe buddhism to be), and what it is and has been, might be entirely different things. Buddhist ad copy is still ad copy. The powers that be can not ignore the potential influence and power of a belief system. They never have, probably never will. I'm not certain how you got the impression that buddhism wasn't tied to the hip with the history of asian states? Let's just talk about Tibet, a fuedal theocracy with a god-king at the helm (complete with a caste system, serfs, and brutal tribal customs-that were enforced by mandate from the god king- for the majority of it's history). The most standout example of buddhism in the western experience was not just connected to politics...it was politics.

(let me just add here, that the supposed reincarnation of a celestially ordained emperor with substantial worldly holdings -up to and including human beings- telling me that wealth and material increase is illusory, or that I should not seek it, is the height of irony to me. Where was this sage wisdom when he was increasing his holdings through military and civil action over his many reincarnations?)