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  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 2:24 am on August 9, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , CHRISTIANITY, , , , , , , , , , ,   

    Soft Buddhism, Hard Buddhism, and the Middle Path between…  

    If there is a convergence of Christianity and Buddhism in the works, as I often think, then I think that will be accomplished by the evolution of ‘soft’ versions of each, which will allow them to mix and mingle almost imperceptibly, which I think is good. Because, even if I have some minor misgivings about Buddhism possibly losing some of its distinctive characteristics, I can assure you that rebirth is not one of them, nor is the vengeful form of ‘hard’ karma that supports it.  

    In that mindset, the idea is that not only rebirth, but virtually everything, is a result of prior actions, both good and bad, which strictly control present rewards or punishments, to the point that the word ‘karma’, which means ‘actions’ becomes a synonym for the English term ‘fate’. I don’t think that was the Buddha’s intent, but many people have a negative view of the world, and we are all subject to their influence. I prefer a much softer karma, more closely related to the Buddha’s own ‘samma kammanta’, i.e. right actions, as elucidated in the Eightfold Path. Do good actions, and you will receive good things. 

    And, if that karma of retribution is the ‘hard’ Buddhism which I dislike, then that Eightfold Path, which is the Middle Way between extremes is mainstream Buddhism, which stands like Hegel’s dialectic as a path forward for decision making, which is how I often use it. In this view, ‘Soft’ Buddhism would be the meditation and mindfulness often invoked by those monks walking for Peace and for which many Westerners are poised and ready to adopt whole-heartedly ASAP.  

    Christianity has a soft mystical side, too, and even a ‘reborn’ side which is preferable to the Hindu reincarnation which often is the source of Buddhist rebirth and which supports a caste and class system which too often follow hereditary priest and warrior affiliations. That is why Buddhism is not popular in India today and good reason to avoid Hinduism like the pandemic. Buddhism and Christianity need fertile ground on which to mix and mingle. That is the Buddhist Middle Way, Hegel notwithstanding…

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 2:48 am on July 19, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: CHRISTIANITY, , dhutanga, , , , , , tudong   

    Buddhism in the Morning Paper and the Evening News…  

    The Buddha stressed Right Actions. But he never said to do nothing all the time. That’s why the long-distance Buddhist monk tudong walkers have accomplished something more than just a little bit special in the ranks of the Buddhist sangha. Because it’s always been a little bit of a joke amongst Thai expats that if you want a free ride in life, then become a monk, because they don’t really have to do much to stay fed. And it wasn’t easy to refute those snickering claims—until now.  

    Because now we’ve got simple country monks performing heroic feats of self-sacrifice and long-distance hiking all for the love of dharma and karmic merit. And they always smile and they never complain. They even perform the more intricate ‘tudong’ (dhutanga) rites among the highly disciplined of them, including upright sleeping and barefoot walking. How’s that for a country song? The effect is splendid, too, even if the accomplishments are largely symbolic. 

    But those symbols can go a long way, too, and they’ve only gotten started. Peace is no easy conquest, even if it’s just inner peace, no rush for the Strait stuff of heroic duels and the lingering whispers of duality. Those things take time. First, we start with baby steps and then we see what hill we can climb. I think metta and maitri are the next big steps, more brotherly love than mom’s lovingkindness, and that means continuing the quest in ‘foreign’ countries. Because that’s the only way we’ll ever truly become brothers, albeit with the same mothers. Think big. It’s time for Christianity and Buddhism to admit their common cause. Stay tuned. 

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 4:18 pm on May 22, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , CHRISTIANITY, , , ,   

    Buddhism and the Conundrum of Forgiveness 

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 2:11 am on April 19, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , CHRISTIANITY, , , , , , , Venus figurines,   

    Buddhism in a Time of War…  

    I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, the Mahasangha, community on the quest for knowledge, path of fulfillment. Those are the three jewels of Buddhism, of course, enshrined in the old familiar Pali chant: Buddham saranam gacchami, Dhammam saranam gacchami, Sangham saranam gacchami. (I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha), refuge being the foundational commitment, so much preferable to any other feigned obedience, in my humble opinion, this being voluntary and heartfelt. 

    Because religion has a bit of a bad reputation in some circles, and Buddhism must answer to those accusations, also, whether it is technically a religion or not. Those claims usually consist of accusations that religions cause war in their respective names with little regard to the consequences. And this is at least partly true but usually comes with the naive assumption that life was always precious and dear before that, and anything that threatened that was guilty of a cardinal sin. But as much as I’d like to believe that, it’s probably not true.  

    Love of life in any form is probably a very new development, though the so-called ‘Venus figurines’ of ancient history are certainly worth considering. I don’t think those approximate our modern concepts of ‘love’, though, much less ‘lovingkindness’, and I’m not sure but what many men would rather fight to the death than worship peacefully. So Vedic Brahmanism gave up fire rituals as part of its conversation with the Jains and Buddhists on their way to adopting the more enlightened principles of the Upanishads. And the Christians of the New Testament rejected much of the Jewish Old Testament similarly. Maybe it’s time for the next phase in the history of religion: peace, love, and understanding. Be kind. It’s good for your health. 

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 6:17 pm on March 2, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , CHRISTIANITY, , , , , ,   

    Buddha Talk #0: Emptiness 

    You can have infinity, i.e. endlessness, with no boundaries, but it’s empty. Or you can have things, but only a limited number of them. You can’t have both. Infinite stuff is a fool’s dream. But that’s exactly what many Christians believe, or buy into, I should say. Because it ties directly into the capitalism that accompanies so much Christianity, especially the Protestant sort, which by no accident came into existence at almost exactly the same time as capitalism, maybe even preceding it by a bit, thereby giving the lie to any idea of mutual causation, in fact maybe a direct cause. 

    And many of those Christian values get carried into Buddhism by the same Christians who gave up their worldly ambitions in the process, at the same time that they cast piercing glances at the senior monks over the status of women in the ranks of the ordained. The meaning of the hallowed Buddhist concept of ‘Emptiness’, i.e. ‘shunyata’, is also up for grabs. Because, while shunya is the Sanskrit word for ‘zero’ and dates from right around the same time as the invention of the zero (yes), and may very well have originally been a philosophical concept long before becoming a mathematical one, that doesn’t stop certain westerners from frowning upon the concept. 

    Because ‘Emptiness’ has a very negative, and strong, Western psychological connotation as the cause of depression and unhappiness, this in a culture that rewards engagement above all else. I see it every day as a digital creator on social media, with no seeming recognition that such engagement is exactly what drives many people away from such media. Apparently driving sales is more important. So, I let many comments go unanswered, not because I agree or disagree with the viewpoint expressed, but simply because that uncertainty is fine, and often not worth fanning the flames of dispute, since the only certainty is negation. Then there’s spiritual bypassing, but that’s for another day. Be kind.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 2:22 am on January 4, 2026 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , CHRISTIANITY, , , , ,   

    Buddhist Emptiness and the Myth of Abundance  

    You can have infinity, i.e. endlessness, with no boundaries, but it’s empty. Or you can have things, but only a limited number of them. You can’t have both. Infinite stuff is a fool’s dream. But that’s exactly what many Christians believe, or buy into, I should say. Because it ties directly into the capitalism that accompanies so much Christianity, especially the Protestant sort, which by no accident came into existence at almost exactly the same time as capitalism, maybe even preceding it by a bit, thereby giving the lie to any idea of mutual causation, in fact maybe a direct cause. 

    And many of those Christian values get carried into Buddhism by the same Christians who gave up their worldly ambitions in the process, at the same time that they cast piercing glances at the senior monks over the status of women in the ranks of the ordained. The meaning of the hallowed Buddhist concept of ‘Emptiness’, i.e. ‘shunyata’, is also up for grabs. Because, while shunya is the Sanskrit word for ‘zero’ and dates from right around the same time as the invention of the zero (yes), and may very well have originally been a philosophical concept long before becoming a mathematical one, that doesn’t stop certain westerners from frowning upon the concept. 

    Because ‘Emptiness’ has a very negative, and strong, Western psychological connotation as the cause of depression and unhappiness, this in a culture that rewards engagement above all else. I see it every day as a digital creator on social media, with no seeming recognition that such engagement is exactly what drives many people away from such media. Apparently driving sales is more important. So, I let many comments go unanswered, not because I agree or disagree with the viewpoint expressed, but simply because that uncertainty is fine, and often not worth fanning the flames of dispute, since the only certainty is negation. Then there’s spiritual bypassing, but that’s for another day. Be kind.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 2:20 am on November 16, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , CHRISTIANITY, , , , genocide, , , ,   

    Buddhism and the Saving Grace of Suffering… 

    Suffering is the raw material for a further and higher evolution of consciousness. The world is neither happy nor sad. It just is. Adjectives come later. I’ve often wondered how such horrendous situations could have existed in the past, in which wholesale slaughters not only occurred, but were commonplace. How could people have possibly been so heartless as to commit such horrible acts of genocide, and gendercide, in which the defeated men were executed point blank while the women and children were enslaved and entrained for further engagement, all so that one group of men could claim superiority over another?

    Because hunger has no heart, and so they had no heart(s), not as we know the concept. The evidence would suggest that such feelings of empathy and sympathy did not even exist at that point in the development of mammalian psychology. Mammalian psychology? WTF?! But think about it, and see if you don’t agree. Because, for millennia, not only humans, but all animals, merely and simply grew, expanded, and multiplied, with probably limited contact except in situations of the hunt, for food.

    Now we can easily see gorillas and chimpanzees performing acts that can only be described as ‘almost human’. Consider the DNA. But extend the concept to include the dogs, the cats, and even the elephants (!) that we consider to be our pets, and the likeness not only continues but expands exponentially. DNA can’t explain all that, certainly not beyond the mammalian similarity and symmetry. So, what could explain all that?

    One possible explanation is that the exponential population expansions which had occurred for millennia (with at least one, probably more, prehistoric bottlenecks), suddenly came to an end as we approached Year 0, and populations struggled to maintain those levels for at least a millennium. So, is evolution self-correcting? Does that evolutionary need for constant population increase mean that people might start to be nice to each other if it means higher populations? Christianity might favor that explanation. Or Jesus might take full credit entirely, from his teaching.

    But I have another idea. We really know very little about what we really want and even less about how to attain it. But we do know what we don’t want, since the only true certainty is negation: not this, not that, not the other. How much death and destruction must be endured before someone gets the idea to try a little tenderness, i.e. kindness and compassion? Ah, that feels good, as long as we’re all one family. Let’s do that. Be kind.

    This life and this world require nothing but kindness and compassion…

     
    • Zohar Leo Palffy de Erdod's avatar

      Zohar Leo Palffy 5:10 am on November 16, 2025 Permalink | Reply

      This is true, but only in potential, not in the structure of the world.
      Suffering itself teaches nothing.
      Only awareness of suffering can teach.
      Some people go through pain and become embittered.
      Others open up.
      The evolution of consciousness is not an automatic result, but a choice that is not available to everyone.
      Therefore, I would clarify:
      Suffering is an opportunity for evolution, not a guarantee of it.

      • hardie karges's avatar

        hardie karges 7:22 pm on December 7, 2025 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks for your comments.

  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 2:27 am on November 9, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Brahminism, , , CHRISTIANITY, , , , , , , , predetermination,   

    Buddhism and the Conundrum of Change 

    Change is not a cause of suffering if things are getting better all the time. That’s the Buddha’s only conceptual mistake, and that’s what makes him so real. The Mahayanists tried to make him perfect, as some transcental manifestation should be, but the historical Buddha was first and foremost a real person with real-world problems, which he tried to renounce, of course. Some modern women take offense to the fact that he left his wife and child behind, but that must be seen within the context. They were well cared for.

    But his conceptual blunder, just like Einstein’s ‘cosmological constant’, Jesus’s birds with nests but no barns, and Plato’s perfect dictatorship, show his intrinsic humanity. Everything is subject to revision, and everything is subject to change, even concepts. That is a conceptual necessity, since it can never be proven one way of the other, anyway. But if life is predetermined, then there is no reason to act, either good or bad, and karma loses meaning. Change may appear to be a cause of suffering, if your high status is diminished, but that probably says more about superficial status than change itself.

    Christianity thrives on the optimism that change hopefully brings, of course, and the Buddha was certainly right to call BS on that, of course, even if Christianity as such didn’t exist at the time. Bhahmanism did, though, and there are very real similarities. Eternal life is a plaything of children, and we have better things to do, reincarnation ditto. This life and this world require nothing but kindness and compassion.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 3:02 am on August 24, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , CHRISTIANITY, , , , , , , , , , ,   

    Buddhist Middle Path: Hold Your Applause 

    All you need is kindness. Compassion is good, too. These are the Buddhist foundational concepts known in the Pali language as metta and karuna, often combined in modern standard Thai language as mettakaruna. I guess that’s similar to the Christian compound word ‘lovingkindness’, but without all the gratuitous emotion, please. That’s more Christian than Buddhism has ever aspired to, and largely by design.

    Christians need to hug and kiss, often, while Buddhists could usually care less. Christians are emotion junkies, while Buddhists are cool as cukes, usually, salad dressing optional. So, Christians deliberately took that word from the Hebrew Chesed and translated it to lovingkindness to make a point. Then, when Buddhism came to the West, many practitioners figure what’s good for the goose… you know. But, by then, Buddhism has changed its character, and not necessarily for the better.

    But that’s one way to fight the charge of pessimism and nihilism: slather the special sauce, and Bam! Thailand becomes like the Philippines, all of a sudden, fiery and passionate. I suppose there’s no real harm, but it’s really not what Buddhism is in its essence–just the opposite. Emotions go up and down as if by design, while the Buddhist path steers towards the middle always. That’s not a hard rigid path, but it’s not seeking peak emotion, either. That’s American Photography Course 101, always seeking ‘peak emotion’. Good luck with that. I’ll follow the Middle Path.

     
  • Unknown's avatar

    hardie karges 4:31 am on July 27, 2025 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , CHRISTIANITY, , , , , , , ,   

    Buddhism on the Installment Plan (with Quick Easy Payments) 

    If Science conquers Death, then Buddhism may be out of work, but I doubt it. Because, for all the rap about Buddhism being pessimistic, the truth is that it’s not; it’s realistic. Now, that may contrast sharply with the goo-goo eyed optimism of Sunday School Christianity (any denomination) and their doctrines of eternal life and passionate love, but it’s only being realistic—and rational. You’re going to die. Get over it. For an adult, that’s the starting point of any life equation. You’ve got x amount of years to produce y amount of children and z amount of money, so you better get started, because time’s wasting.

    Or not. Buddhism always allows for negation in any of its tetralemma style catuhskoti logic, so, if that’s negative, by definition, then so be it. Negation is often the only certainty, just as Emptiness is often the only Eternity. And that is why Buddhism is so often defined by its meditation, which is essentially doing nothing—creatively, watching thoughts come and go while breath counts the time and plays rhythm. But it’s only a partial renunciation, unlike the Jains’ total immersion, from which they seldom emerge. That’s the Middle Path, neither total leisure nor lack, buffet nor snack.

    Buddhism is so ‘right’ simply because it’s so simple. Avoid extremes and be nice; seek friends. Because that’s the heart of Buddhist ‘love’, metta, friendship. Ex-Christians try to soup it up by invoking ‘lovingkindness’, with Mary and babe at the breast, but really, it’s just friendship, non-possessive and cool, not hot, male or female, jewelry or not. Feel free to try it at home. It’s non-toxic. Or form a group. Some call it sangha. Others call it family. And don’t forget to wash your karma.

     

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