Friday, March 25, 2011

proselytizing

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I live in a predominantly-Christian culture. This, among other things, may account for the overt and covert sense among some Americans who interest themselves in Buddhism that they should spread the good word. Christians, like Muslims, live under a mandate to spread the one true faith, the 'good' news.

But it's probably not entirely fair to lay off on culture the desire to have others see the light. See-things-my-way is hardly limited to religious institutions or the cultures they infuse.

I think Buddhists are about like anyone else: They latch onto or involve themselves in a particular path and then seek out others who are like-minded. It's supportive and lends credibility to the given path. The more of us there are, the true-r the path must be. This is human, I'd say, and it's not a bad starting point. But over the long haul, it is a crippling and inept point of view. If relying on others were the sum total of any religion, what kind of substance could that religion hold?

It's a sticky wicket, but it still needs to be addressed. Each of us is alone ... together. Our cohesiveness is real, but selling it as real is a false prophet.

I once asked my Zen teacher, Kyudo Nakagawa Roshi, why he didn't beat the bushes more and try to bring new members into the Zen center fold. He was horrified at the suggestion: The center was available; people came and went as they chose; that was enough. But didn't he try to convince people of the value Buddhism offered -- didn't he, in a sense, seek out converts? No, no, no! he said. "If people come here I encourage them. I encourage them to do zazen (seated meditation)."

Both institutionally and personally, I think this is a pretty important point. Encouraging people to seek out the truth in their own experience is quite a different kettle of fish when compared to a mandated program of converting the infidels or non-believers. Buddhism may be a very good thing, but it is up to individuals to find that out and to express that goodness. Without that, Buddhism becomes another tin-pan religion and a cause for subtle and gross wars.

True, Buddhism offers a format within which to study and actualize what is important. But it is not the format, in the end, that matters -- it is the actualization. Some people use this observation as a means of excusing themselves from group activities -- from the Sangha that is one aspect of Buddhism's "triple gem" -- Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Some say, "What the hell -- group-think just screws the pooch. I can do this on my own." And perhaps they can. But equally important, perhaps they can't. In fact, without being able to take any actualization into the marketplace, into the throng, into the hurly-burly that Sangha exemplifies ... well, Buddhism becomes another feel-good, self-serving, tin-pan religion.

On the other side of the coin, there are the stick-up-my-ass Buddhists who claim the inability to actualize on your own is proof-positive that Buddhism with its Buddha-Dharma-Sangha has got a clear bead on things. Look at this authentic text, they may crow in one way or another. If you want what we have to offer -- enlightenment, compassion, emptiness, deeeeeep meaning, etc. -- then you have to toe the Buddhist mark. There is no way but the 'Buddhist' way.

OK. On the one hand. On the other hand. Blah, blah, blah.

But the interesting part of this boring disquisition, I think, is how individuals address and see through their own desire for applause and company -- how they may continue to rely on the good graces of others, asserting, in essence, "If we're all together in this, we must be right. The greater the number, the greater the truth." And this approach is, for anyone who has taken a look, clearly horseshit. Each of us brings a very specific patience and courage and doubt and determination to practice. It may be comforting or consoling that others do the same thing, but this is not the same as actualization. The point isn't look-how-many-people-agree-with-me ... the point is, do I agree with myself? And this is a question that no amount of proselytizing, no 'authenticity,' and no institution can ever answer.

In an earlier and less politically-correct era, young men awash in hormones might be heard chanting,
Hubba, hubba!
Ding, ding!
Baby you've got
Everything!
 But even in a more innocent era, no young man would confuse chanting -- even group chanting -- with getting laid.
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2 comments:

  1. Buddhism may be a very good thing, but it is up to individuals to find that out and to express that goodness. Without that, Buddhism becomes another tin-pan religion and a cause for subtle and gross wars.
    Thanks for this. I am one who spent (wasted) many years in various Christian religions each of which prided itself on holding “the” truth. Apart from telling its members’ that questioning the “truth” (their) was dangerous, how I should vote, what we should read, what music to listen to, etc., the most important and constant reinforcement was that we alone were truly saved and everyone else was truly fucked. In true Evangelical tone we were encouraged to “Go tell as many as possible, it’s your obligation!!” What a relief to be now outside the walls and be, in their opinion, one of the fucked, salvation wise that is. If someone had approached me promoting Buddhism I would have run a mile and have never looked back. I came to where I am on the spiritual path without a Sangha (being in a remote location), my only Sangha is via the online community of like-minded individuals. I may never meet a Buddhist in the flesh and while my walk may be a little lonely at times I wouldn’t have it any other way, I am free.

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  2. like a blonde who likes to give stupid relpies.. i still gotta do to capture my own stupidity.

    as per buddhist-style evangelism, i find that it is imperative in modern era to keep moving on from one place to another, as there are simply, too many around.

    in the past the buddha would sit somewhere and people will come to him, because firstly he did what was impossible, i heard, and they will stay there for days.

    i would say that the reason why i would visit this blog is because at least it is peaceful and the articles get my brain thinking, but having been a punk-ish dude who doesn't keep his precepts 24/7, what suited me most is anonymity.

    What anonymity then? The kind where, also rather zen-ish, suggests that the Buddha are just ordinary beings like all other humans. I am so ordinary that my name and face does not matter, my understanding of buddhism .. is also.. sadly to say, just a topic amongst the tonnes of religions out there.

    i would confess to u frankly that i am discouraged as of late, as being a somewhat esoteric buddhist in a capitalistic city state, firstly my friends see me as a ghost, and it's not because i preach, but because i believe in precepts.. precepts that somehow or rather, serve to protect everybody too. i'm out, or so i think. i need to work, and i am so tempted to just ask my potential new employer if there are tonnes of christians in the new workplace, then a thought struck me, why bother, when they are everywhere.

    it is not that there are no buddhists, but buddhists simply, shuddafugup else ullbe breaking thefourthprecept ofvaintalk.

    the city environment i am in, pushes me in a direction towards being a buddhist for a few months, then a capitalist for a few years, then back again. i end up converting more communists that the total number of taoists to christians combined.

    then my local teacher will say, it's ur karma. i never liked it, and i know it's a ego thing because buddhism is sooooo good! :)

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