If people are really interested in the evolution of Buddhism - Jenny Quillien and I are planning a "Buddha Tour" - a month long study trip starting at Bodh Gaya (birthplace) then proceeding to Dharmsala (Tibetan variation) - Bangkok (Hinayana variation) - shaolin (the Taoist infusion) - Nara Japan (Zen) - then San Francisco (Watts and Suzuki). The focus of the study will be on epistemology and metaphysics with a small amount of critical examination of the "Tao of Physics" "Quantum Consciousness" claim that Buddhism and Taoism anticipated quantum physics.
Let me know - off-list - if you are interested in being kept current with out plans. (It will be pricey because of all the travel, but it should be a good month.) Asian Philosophy was my undergraduate major and I have been studying it since 1968. davew (profw...@fastmail.fm) On Tue, Sep 25, 2012, at 07:16 PM, Sarbajit Roy wrote: > Dear Russ > > 1. Religion / faith is not something which can be "bought", although > the US Televangelists who buy cheap advertising on my cable TV > channels to sell me JEEEESSSSSUSSS at 4:00 a.m may disagree. > > 2. "Buddhism is a religion indigenous to the Indian sub-continent" > (per wikipedia). > > 3. BUDDHUISM is a religion exogenous to the Indian sub-continent. > (per Sarbajit) > (FYI - The word buddhu means "fool, "idiot" or "moron ") > > 4. Western Buddhists are buddhus who by doing deep scholarly research > on fragments of bark containing the secrets of the Wise (Amida ) > Buddha allegedly written 600 years after his death in 500 BCE (or was > it 400 BCE ?) think they "know" everything. These are the same Buddhus > who after looking at a dinosaur's bones conclude that dinosaurs had a > brain in their butt. > > 5. A Religion / Faith has to be experienced in its setting. Shifting > the setting causes it to lose its essence in translation. In computer > terms, the software is non-portable. > > 6. Whatever you chose to call it, there is no such thing as "modern" > Buddhism. Western (presumably United States of America Western) > Buddhuism is the concoction of tripped out frauds (who "experienced" > India/Nepal) and ranks on the same ersatz plane as American Chopsuey > and Chicken Tikka Masala. . > > PS: Does (your ?) Western Buddhism model include "rebirth" ? > > Sarbajit > > On 9/23/12, Russ Abbott <russ.abb...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I'm not really buying that. My sense of modern (and especially western) > > Buddhism seems pretty God-free. > > > > *-- Russ Abbott* > > *_____________________________________________* > > *** Professor, Computer Science* > > * California State University, Los Angeles* > > > > * My paper on how the Fed can fix the economy: ssrn.com/abstract=1977688* > > * Google voice: 747-*999-5105 > > Google+: plus.google.com/114865618166480775623/ > > * vita: *sites.google.com/site/russabbott/ > > CS Wiki <http://cs.calstatela.edu/wiki/> and the courses I teach > > *_____________________________________________* > > > > > > > > On Sun, Sep 23, 2012 at 10:29 AM, Sarbajit Roy <sroy...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> Buddhism may not have "a God" but Buddhism belief has "gods" who are > >> superior beings existing at various planes of existence. Their gods, > >> called "Devas", apparently exist at the highest plane of existence > >> well above humans, and animals, and various beings condemned > >> in past lives to inhabit hell (the lowest planes). Buddhism's "demons" > >> called "Asuras" occupy another zone. > >> > >> However, in Zorastrianism, conversely the gods are called "Ahuras" and > >> the demons are called "Daevas" (root terms of devil): > >> > >> So it seems possible that all these zones / planes are actually > >> political statements referring to events in some hoary past at an > >> indeterminate location. > >> http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/aryans/religion.htm > >> http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20583/20583-h/20583-h.htm > >> (page 287) > >> > >> Re: Buddhism as a religion: > >> BTW: Are we referring to "God" as "creator- God" ? > >> > >> On 9/23/12, Russ Abbott <russ.abb...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> > Thanks, Sarbajit. As I understand it Buddhism does not have a God. Does > >> > that mean you would not classify it as a religion? > >> > > >> > -- Russ > >> > > >> > >> ============================================================ > >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > >> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > >> > > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
