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hardie karges
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
Buddhism: the Only Certainty is Uncertainty
The only certainty is uncertainty—and death. Just add kindness and compassion. And that largely sums up Early Buddhism, as best we know it, long before the Long Walk to China and the tete a tete with Taoism, under low lights on dark days, with Bodhisattvas queueing up to add tea and sympathy to tinder lesions from unknown devils. The Buddha was a real person, yes, and all the pluralized buddhas came later, like magic, the ultimate fix for any philosophy hoping to become religion.
Admittedly the Buddha himself was partially guilty for publicizing his deathbed hallucinations, but still, that is no reason to concoct fantasies. After all, if he really had the 100,000 past lives that he claimed, then he wouldn’t have even been Homo Sapiens now, would he? At a conservative twenty years per lifetime, that would be two million years, right? So, that is food for fantasy for the religion builders. And that’s what they did, creating Abhidharmic matrices on paper and multiple hells on temple walls.
People sometimes need something supernatural to inspire them, and that’s what they got. But the basic discipline is still there, for those who want it, since the fantasies will always die even while the onlookers are asking why and the Monday morning quarterbacks have bigger and better ideas. Be kind. Don’t lie, cheat, or steal. Meditate if you can. Keep the dog locked up when he’s mean and restless, but well-fed when he’s good. The only secret to life is not to ask too much, and you won’t be disappointed.
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
Buddhism Unchained: Don’t Follow the Money
Foĺlow the dharma, not drachma, dirham, denaro, or dinero; rupiah, rubles, or renminbi. Because money is not important. What is in your heart is important. That should go without saying, of course, but it often needs to be repeated for best effect. It’s often said that free enterprise and Christian Protestantism go hand in hand, but it’s hard to imagine what kind of economic system would be inspired by Buddhism. Communism, maybe? No, I don’t think so, certainly not the authoritarian kind. Because Buddhist monks are the freest people in the world, even if they are sometimes confined to their home temple, or at least ONE temple, especially during the wassa rains retreat.
But, other than that, they are pretty much free to come and go. And they do, subject to availability, of course. Because monks are in high demand, given the bragging rights that often go with numbers. But that only applies to the men, of course. Nuns and laywomen often have a much tougher time in the temples, often for reasons that can only be explained by patriarchy and general male orneriness. I hope that’s changing, but there are no guarantees. Last I heard, nun mae chees in Thailand still go to Sri Lanka for full ordination.
When perfected, the temple-based sangha system might indeed be able to serve as an economic paradigm, though not likely either communist or capitalist. Collectivist, maybe? Yes, maybe, if certain temples could be coaxed into giving up the daily alms round. It’s nice, and all, but is more symbolic than absolutely necessary, certainly. I suppose some folks see the monks dropping by for daily bread like paper or milk delivery boys, as regular as rain, but they could maybe be encouraged to visit the temple more often, too. That’s often what they do in the USA, and it works fairly well.
Bottom line: if Buddhist monasteries were to allow women on an equal basis with men and they were to grow bountiful organic gardens, with rotating tasks divided equally between women and men, I bet that they could overcome any lingering sexual urges, and in the meantime impress many people with their efforts to be a new social paradigm. I personally would be so impressed that I and others might easily be inspired to make some contributions to the cause once or twice a year. It’s a new world dawning, better sooner than later.
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
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hardie karges
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…
streaming consciousness... 
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