Post by matiandos on Dec 28, 2005 21:05:59 GMT
An Extremly important topic for all those alligning themselves to Theravada and a subject worth discussing.
From the Original E-Sangha Post:
THE BROKEN BUDDHA
Critical Reflections on Theravada and a Plea for a New Buddhism
By S. Dhammika
http://www.buddhistische-gesellschaft-berl...nbuddhaengl.pdf
In 2001 I had been a monk in the Theravadin tradition for 25 years as well as reaching the conventional half-way point in my life, having also had my 50th birthday. It seemed a good time to assess my life and my practice up to then as well as to give some thought to where the two might go in the future. Even before I became a monk I had reservations about some of the things I had seen during my stays in Thai and Laotian monasteries. This didn’t deter me from ordaining though.
Corruption and misunderstandings exist in all religions, I thought, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to find those who practiced the true Theravada. As it happened it was quite difficult to find such people. But more disappointing, when I did meet dedicated and sincere Theravadins, all too often they seemed to give exaggerated importance to things which, to me at least, appeared to be little more than rituals and formalities.
I recall visiting a tea-plantation one afternoon with the late Venerable Sivali of Khandaboda, a dedicated monk and skillful meditation teacher. The manager of the plantation walked a quarter of a mile down the steep hillside to welcome us and then asked if we would like a cup of tea. We said yes and he walked back up the hill to his bungalow, prepared our tea and brought it down to us. As I sipped mine, I noticed that Sivali was looking rather coy and not drinking his. I looked at my tea, saw that it had milk in it and knew straight away why. A few minutes later the manager also noticed that Sivali was not drinking his tea and went over to see what the problem was. Sivali gently told him and the solicitous and embarrassed man took his cup, threw the tea out and ran all the way back up the hill to get him another one without milk in it.
If an ordinary person were as fussy about not having milk in their tea we would dismiss it as just a silly eccentricity. But why would an otherwise decent intelligent person dedicated to the practice of letting-go, being content with what is and developing a kind heart be prepared to cause embarrassment and inconvenience over such a minor thing? To be able to answer this question is to understand the very essence of Theravada but this dawned on me only gradually. As it did, I decided to just do my own practice and try to have as little contact with institutional Theravada as possible. But being a monk in a Theravadin land this proved easier said than done. Quite understandably, Asian Theravadins expect you to follow their tra-ditions and not question them. You can point out that certain practices or ideas are not in the Tipitaka or are even contrary to it but it will make no difference. Right or wrong, inane or practical, that’s how it has always been done and that’s what you must do.
In 1996, I traveled in Europe for the first time, thus giving me the opportunity to see how Theravada was understood and practiced there. Theravada in Asia might be hidebound and fossilized, I thought, but at least, Westerners will have been able to separate the fruit from the peel, the gift from the wrapping, the Buddha from ‘the thick uneven crust’ surrounding it. To my astonishment and despair, I found that this was not so. Most groups, centers and monasteries I visited adhered to such practices with even more tenacity than in Asia. I finally had to admit that this is Theravada and reluctantly and with some sadness, decided that I could not be a part of it any longer. I began telling anyone who might be interested that I did not consider myself or want to be considered by others to be a Theravadin monk any longer. In fact, I had probably never really been one anyway, not a good one at least. When I mentioned this to a friend, he asked “Then what sort of monk are you?” I wasn’t prepared for this question but after thinking about it for a while I decided that I didn’t have to align myself with any school. Now I follow the Buddha’s teachings to the best of my under-standing and to the best of my ability. What follows are thoughts and observations on the Theravada tradition that I have formed over the last 25 years, some of the experiences that have led to them and some suggestions about the possible future of the Dhamma in the West.
Much to think about, and while he may use the Theravada tradition as his subject I think that his observtions are equally applicable to all the established lineages. We in the West are given an opportunity to consider what we take and incorportate into our own practices from the critical point of view given by the Buddha in the Instructions to the Kalama's. Why, for example, is the institutionalized discrimiation against women defined in the Vinaya considered to be an acceptable practice in the West when all other social institutions are actively working to eliminate such discrimination? How does such discrimination (and it appears to exist in all established lineages) support the Buddha Dharma?
Original Thread: www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=23335&st=0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCUSS !!!
From the Original E-Sangha Post:
THE BROKEN BUDDHA
Critical Reflections on Theravada and a Plea for a New Buddhism
By S. Dhammika
http://www.buddhistische-gesellschaft-berl...nbuddhaengl.pdf
In 2001 I had been a monk in the Theravadin tradition for 25 years as well as reaching the conventional half-way point in my life, having also had my 50th birthday. It seemed a good time to assess my life and my practice up to then as well as to give some thought to where the two might go in the future. Even before I became a monk I had reservations about some of the things I had seen during my stays in Thai and Laotian monasteries. This didn’t deter me from ordaining though.
Corruption and misunderstandings exist in all religions, I thought, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to find those who practiced the true Theravada. As it happened it was quite difficult to find such people. But more disappointing, when I did meet dedicated and sincere Theravadins, all too often they seemed to give exaggerated importance to things which, to me at least, appeared to be little more than rituals and formalities.
I recall visiting a tea-plantation one afternoon with the late Venerable Sivali of Khandaboda, a dedicated monk and skillful meditation teacher. The manager of the plantation walked a quarter of a mile down the steep hillside to welcome us and then asked if we would like a cup of tea. We said yes and he walked back up the hill to his bungalow, prepared our tea and brought it down to us. As I sipped mine, I noticed that Sivali was looking rather coy and not drinking his. I looked at my tea, saw that it had milk in it and knew straight away why. A few minutes later the manager also noticed that Sivali was not drinking his tea and went over to see what the problem was. Sivali gently told him and the solicitous and embarrassed man took his cup, threw the tea out and ran all the way back up the hill to get him another one without milk in it.
If an ordinary person were as fussy about not having milk in their tea we would dismiss it as just a silly eccentricity. But why would an otherwise decent intelligent person dedicated to the practice of letting-go, being content with what is and developing a kind heart be prepared to cause embarrassment and inconvenience over such a minor thing? To be able to answer this question is to understand the very essence of Theravada but this dawned on me only gradually. As it did, I decided to just do my own practice and try to have as little contact with institutional Theravada as possible. But being a monk in a Theravadin land this proved easier said than done. Quite understandably, Asian Theravadins expect you to follow their tra-ditions and not question them. You can point out that certain practices or ideas are not in the Tipitaka or are even contrary to it but it will make no difference. Right or wrong, inane or practical, that’s how it has always been done and that’s what you must do.
In 1996, I traveled in Europe for the first time, thus giving me the opportunity to see how Theravada was understood and practiced there. Theravada in Asia might be hidebound and fossilized, I thought, but at least, Westerners will have been able to separate the fruit from the peel, the gift from the wrapping, the Buddha from ‘the thick uneven crust’ surrounding it. To my astonishment and despair, I found that this was not so. Most groups, centers and monasteries I visited adhered to such practices with even more tenacity than in Asia. I finally had to admit that this is Theravada and reluctantly and with some sadness, decided that I could not be a part of it any longer. I began telling anyone who might be interested that I did not consider myself or want to be considered by others to be a Theravadin monk any longer. In fact, I had probably never really been one anyway, not a good one at least. When I mentioned this to a friend, he asked “Then what sort of monk are you?” I wasn’t prepared for this question but after thinking about it for a while I decided that I didn’t have to align myself with any school. Now I follow the Buddha’s teachings to the best of my under-standing and to the best of my ability. What follows are thoughts and observations on the Theravada tradition that I have formed over the last 25 years, some of the experiences that have led to them and some suggestions about the possible future of the Dhamma in the West.
Much to think about, and while he may use the Theravada tradition as his subject I think that his observtions are equally applicable to all the established lineages. We in the West are given an opportunity to consider what we take and incorportate into our own practices from the critical point of view given by the Buddha in the Instructions to the Kalama's. Why, for example, is the institutionalized discrimiation against women defined in the Vinaya considered to be an acceptable practice in the West when all other social institutions are actively working to eliminate such discrimination? How does such discrimination (and it appears to exist in all established lineages) support the Buddha Dharma?
Original Thread: www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=23335&st=0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCUSS !!!
