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Hi Aifu Lawrence,
To answer your question... Yes and No.
People tend to see things of cultivation from the influence of Catholocism/Christianity.
They use thse religions as a base for judging anything else that has a following, and a manner of practice.
The statues in Buddhism are only a way to keep the mind focused. The images play a role in anchoring
certain qualities that come from Virtue, Wisdom, Patience, Compassion, etc. This is said in Buddhism,but
maybe not enough. Also, some people will only want to believe whats comfortable to them.
So, the fact that many things are not explained in detail to the western world,andnow the eastern world is following,
leads them to disbelieve, and asyou say, shy away from such practices in fear that they are following a dogmatic,
religious order.
When actually Buddhism is far from dogmatic,and far from a simple-minded order. Asyou can see, many religions
have people who just mindlessly shoot their mouths off, speaking on the word of god. But they are the most aggressive,
uncompassionate minds out there with no patience or wisdom to understand the next person's conditions. THey know nothing
about anyother relam, or law of the universe except what they read and are preached to only belive. Nothing ontheir part is
proper cultivation.
WHat is proper cultivation? It is the practices that lead one to reveal one's pure mind, widsom, patience, compassion. Without
these, how will the world be? And in this light, look at the world now and see how it has been without patience, compassion, wisdom and the attaining of revealing the pure mind.
The article isn't bashing religioscultivation in Buddhism, it is taking the religion out o f it, andleting peopleunderstand that it is
a manner of cultivation, and one should not become too fixed on the method, or they will miss the bigger picture.
Peace and Happiness,
Aiwei
From: lardg <lardg@...>
To: WW_WCKF@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, March 8, 2007 1:45:33 AM
Subject: [WW_WCKF] Lin Aiwei
In speaking of the Religious expedient of Buddhism do you think that
this is the factor that makes many people shy away from studying
Buddhist Teachings. The fact that they are misled into thinking that by
engaging in meditation to clear the mind of random unclear thought that
they are engaging in a religious act somewhat simular to praying in
lets say a Christian Religion. I also see how having the statue of the
Buddha seems rather like a deity that is to be worshiped and praised.
It is nice to see this information come out for the populous to see, so
that it may educate those whom would like to get to know a little more
about Buddhism and how it can make a great difference in their lives,
especially in conjunction with the cultivation of Martial Arts.
Peace, and Much Respect,
Lawrence Rammirez
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