What is a Rebel Buddha?
One of my favorite people talks about his brand new book. Read it when it arrives, people!
Rev. Danny Fisher
Just a Buddhist Minister Trying to Benefit Beings
August 31, 2010
A Gift of Dharma for 8.31.10
Today’s quote is from His Holiness Kyabje Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, Dudjom Rinpoche (1904-1987), the late leader of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, whom I previously wrote a little biography for here. This is it:
Strive with a good heart to do everything that benefits others. Follow in the footsteps of the wise and examine finely everything you do. Do not be the slave of unexamined fashions. Be sparing with your words. Be thoughtful rather, and examine situations carefully. For the roots of discrimination must be nourished: the desire to do all that should be done and to abandon all that should be abandoned.
August 31, 2010
Killing the Buddha‘s Jessica Miller Reflects on the Recent New York Times Article “Sex Scandal Has U.S. Buddhists Looking Within”
This via the great Phil Ryan at the Tricycle Editors’ Blog: Killing the Buddha‘s Jessica Miller offers some insightful reflections on Mark Oppenheimer’s recent New York Times piece “Sex Scandal Has U.S. Buddhists Looking Within”. Here’s a good snippet:
It is undeniable that the news is hot on stories of what Oppenheimer calls “clerical impropriety.” As distressed as I am over the sentence I am about to write: it seems as though it is only a matter of time until every religion has its fifteen minutes of sexual scandal. But while stories like this one are trendy, it could be dangerous to analogize one religion’s scandals with those of others.
While this particular instance obviously and unforgivably includes abuse, it is an abuse unique to this particular religious society, and to this particular religious leader. The article makes it seem as though this abbot’s misconduct occurred only among adult women, and we know at least one affair was consensual. The story here is less about adding Buddhism to the list of religions that have had public scandals, and more about how this one community is handling the situation.
Read the rest here.
