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To: alt.zen,alt.philosophy.zen,talk.religion.buddhism From: nedludd@ix.netcom.com(Ned Ludd) Subject: Re: Zen, Orientation and Buddhism Date: 2 Jul 1997 19:17:12 GMT In <5pdnl8$hk@news.jhu.edu> Joewrites: Joe wrote: >> To be a Buddhist means you accept the Buddha-dharma >> hook, line, and sinker. No problem. Foot: > To be a Buddhist doesn't mean anything at all. To be a formal > Buddhist recognized by some sect of Buddhism may, just as being > married may be a symbol of two people's love for one another but > that doesn't mean that two people can't love each other if they > do not make a public sociatal deal of it. Symboloically, there > are Buddhists (who want recognition as such) and their are > Buddhists at heart who don't choose to formalize their Buddhist > relationship with any particular group of people. Hooks, lines, > and sinkers, are for fish, not people. Joe: > No, Foot, you are stuck on this idea of formalism vs. informalism. > That wasn't my point at all. Rather, it was just as it is love > which makes a marriage, acceptance of the Buddha-dharma makes one > a Buddhist. Many are the formalized Buddhists who have not > taken the Buddha's message to heart. Wrong. You can see it more easily in our culture: The phrase "acceptance of the Christian teachings makes one a Christian" is patently false. In fact, when - in our culture - someone criticizes one of the many "formalized Christians", they will sometimes point to someone who is a "true" Christian. And often this will be a person who (1) doesn't belong to a church, (2) doesn't keep the sabbath, and (3) has never read a word of the Bible. In our culture, a person can be a Christian without belonging to any Christian sect. Too bad that doesn't apply to your conception of Buddhism, Joe. Ned
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