Qualms with Buddhism

 

venerable?  prostration?

Colossians Chapter 2

why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.  KJ

21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. NIV

I should refrain from attachment to my cat / rabbit / pet so I don't suffer when my cat / rabbit / pet  shows its impermanence and carks it?????

Eat and Drink and Be Merry?  Buddhists: Fuck Forbid!

It has a STENCH to it that I cannot identify. 

Yet it attracts the greatest minds and some scientists: 

Sam Harris, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Marsha Linehan etc.

Speaking of Harris and Kabat-Zinn 

There is a high form of idolatry attached to it which should be stinking to atheists or any rationalist and even Christians and Muslims: all these images of Gurus and Buddhas everywhere and all this prostration and offerings etc

It sure IS a GOOD SHOW of wisdom and what not and I have been attracted to it for a long long time beginning with my worshipping of Lobsang Rampa in my teens:
a well known scam artist and fraud
but hell Astral Projection sounded like pure heaven and a pure haven for this battered kid who was looking for an escape from a cruel reality.

But I do have to admire the commitment of some though. 

This amazing Canadian monk is fascinating to watch: his determination and his zeal are unreal. Monk in early 20's, learning Pali and what not.  I have always admired one who studies languages in order to understand as so many things are lost in translation.

I think I might have said earlier that I admire people who study ancient languages like

Dr. Miles Smith was a student of classic authors from his youth, was well acquainted with the Rabbinical learning, and well versed in Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac and Arabic. He was often called a "walking library." Born about 1568, died 1624.

John Boyse, or Bois, at six years of age could write Hebrew elegantly. He was for twelve years chief lecturer in Greek at St. John's College, Cambridge. Bishop Andrewes, of Ely, made him a prebend in his church in 1615. He was one of the most laborious of all the revisers. Born 1560, died 1643.

Rowan Williams speaks or reads eleven languages: English, Welsh, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Biblical Hebrew, Syriac, Latin, and both Ancient (koine) and Modern Greek.[25][26] He learnt Russian in order to be able to read the works of Dostoevsky in the original.[27] He has since described his spoken German as a "disaster area" and said that he is "a very clumsy reader and writer of Russian"

But still sure the Laplace's Demon in me wished he knew
ALL the languages and had read
ALL the classics and
ALL the so-called sacred texts

but to what purpose I know not.  

Even Buddha himself would say that wisdom and "reality" are not in reading or 'knowing" but in DOING.

I am glad I have watched  the report of Solange / Ina in French on her visit to the VIPASSANA  Centre, we have one near here also and I was always curious but obviously it will never happen me getting old and all.

Anyway Debussy is not helping much to clear my mind in order to better explain my love / hate relationship with Buddhism.  

I have expressed before that A MYTH IS A MYTH IS A MYTH and Buddha after all is just that: another myth.

Sure I liked my moderate meditation week this week
but as Solange said so well all these things that depend on will are bound to fail in time.

The idea of overcoming pain with practice is also interesting
but then again nothing a good dose of oxycodone wouldn't do  

so the Middle way may not be reality / dhamma after all.

One thing also that bugs me a lot is that it is almost impossible to learn about Buddhism in your own language.

They all use these mystical phoney words and air and one has to totally learn another language before one begins to understand.

So all this talk to myself now I wish I had a bouncing wall somewhere to trigger some more thinking in this tired head.

So this is it then and there it is, it is what it is :P

Wherever you go there you are.

P.S. this Linehan guru looks quite fishy to me according to her Wiki profile. 

But the science world is chock full of these big egos and super professors flying high on pride and respect but low on facts and reality.

Voila for now