The arrogance of Western society

[Angrboda]

Speaking of arrogance, I recently had a run in with my then-current Buddhist reading group. An organizer of the group, with whom I had been working the issue out, suggested that I ask him my questions about the Dharma (the teachings), as I had expressed the fact that I had doubts about some of the Buddha's teachings. He asked me which ones, and I said that the doctrine of Anatta (no self) was the main one, but that I didn't think that he personally had the answers which I was seeking. In addition to being forcibly dis-elected from the group, he replied, as follows:

"You may not wish to hear the answers from me, but I do know the doctrine of Anatta well." [emphasis mine]

Not "my understanding of.." or even "what the answers I know are..". Nope. THE ANSWERS

Proof positive that advanced knowledge of Buddhism is no immunization against the mad bulldozers of the mind. I'd much rather study those mad bulldozers, anyway. At least we can actually study those empirically.