tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post4410989749575900774..comments2024-02-24T00:41:37.836-08:00Comments on The Buddha Diaries: Drawing the LinePeter Clothierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-15271426553012070922010-12-10T11:17:50.256-08:002010-12-10T11:17:50.256-08:00Seems to be that many many people in history have ...Seems to be that many many people in history have come to harm after taking a principled stand on an issue. Does that make me wish they had not acted? No, their actions advanced human kind. Do I regret the violence against people? Of course. Do I understand that often this is the result of radical change of the status-quo? You bet.<br /><br />I see violent reaction the world-over to policies that degrade and diminish the lives of what I'll call the "common man." Obama's support of the GOP's tax policies in endangering this country at its core and furthering an agenda that may well lead to our demise. I expect, from everything he told us while campaigning, for him to take a principled stand, and stand up to these power-hungry GOP bullies. I hear him when he says he doesn't want to hurt middle class families and the unemployed, but I believe there is a bigger harm being done here to the country at large.Taradharmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17665801586196931603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-47902208190122970192010-12-10T09:57:07.313-08:002010-12-10T09:57:07.313-08:00Peter, you are being too literal about, assigning ...Peter, you are being too literal about, assigning 'kick-ass.' to less than a grave concern for human life or rights. Here would be a good time to inject the principles held within the Jataka Tales and the re-occurring theme of enlightened sacrifice. I couldn't disagree more with: "They also produced little or nothing in the way of results." Exposure to the world about the conditions in Burma was made manifest and further, pro-Democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi was given the world stage again. As I've said many times before, Buddhist stillness is not the same as passive aggression. Every individual can be active in little ways of compassion, others on a grander scale of action. Philosophizing about what is skillful is not the same as participating in liberation movements. Hundreds, if not thousands of monks participated in that movement and it is not for us to defame their motivations as less skillful. My brief time among the peoples of Burma gave me an impression of resilience and practice completely at one with life itself.mandthttp://adgitadiaries.blog-city.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-26432706741291656592010-12-10T08:26:32.835-08:002010-12-10T08:26:32.835-08:00Or this:
www.house.gov/sites/members/.../Investi...Or this:<br /><br /><br />www.house.gov/sites/members/.../Investigaions-Border-Report.pdf<br /><br /><br />In a neighborhood near you?CHI SPHEREhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278628028066177635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-45246569742886931852010-12-10T07:16:35.758-08:002010-12-10T07:16:35.758-08:00Another read is:
Change of Subject by Eric Zorn r...Another read is:<br /><br />Change of Subject by Eric Zorn re " The eroded line in the sand"<br /><br />Chicago Tribune, December 9, 2010<br /><br />Maybe line in the mud!CHI SPHEREhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07278628028066177635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-58775560586216969972010-12-09T15:47:29.419-08:002010-12-09T15:47:29.419-08:00Roger, on second reading, I do believe he made tha...Roger, on second reading, I do believe he made that effort yesterday. That's why I said I had gotten what I was asking for--some sense of the difficulty of coming to such a decision, and the reasoning behind it. I still have my own doubts, but I understand more about where he's coming from. I hope he will continue to communicate to us in this way. Even if we disagree, we'll know our preferences have not simply been dismissed.<br /><br />MandT, we do seem to come from a different view of Buddhist teachings. There are seriously wise and knowledgeable thinkers, including Thanissaro Bhikkhu--whose teachings, as you know, I very much respect--who expressed grave reservations about the Buddhist revolt in Burma, where many innocent lives were lost in consequence of the monks' actions. Like you, a part of me was thrilled at the idea of kicking some despotic ass. But the actions of those monks came at a greatly harmful cost. They also produced little or nothing in the way of results. They were, in a word, unskillful. Would I feel differently if the despots had been ousted? Maybe. In any event, the gratification of kicking ass is not, in my opinion, a good reason to support it.Peter Clothierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-59413026373424890592010-12-09T11:21:42.858-08:002010-12-09T11:21:42.858-08:00"though there are situations in which the con..."though there are situations in which the conscious lie can be less harmful than truth." You nailed the essence of it Peter. This comment seems to me to be classic Hegelian absolutism or a misreading of Buddhist stillness to avoid actionable opposition to injustice. I stand with those monks in Burma who kick ass.mandthttp://adgitadiaries.blog-city.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-29115010468544595832010-12-09T11:00:45.635-08:002010-12-09T11:00:45.635-08:00Yes, I also think it's good to have the discus...Yes, I also think it's good to have the discussion. I appreciate the responses. I'm thinking of doing an entry on anarchy...Peter Clothierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11525159413387378704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-81165835479546362032010-12-09T10:52:31.237-08:002010-12-09T10:52:31.237-08:00I was reminded of this, while reading the number o...I was reminded of <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2010/11/29/cheney-my-vote/" rel="nofollow">this</a>, while reading the number of votes cast in the Senate. In a different time, those 53 votes would have really meant something. I guess I am tired of the tyranny of the minority.<br /><br />I do think it is good to have this discussion. We all want something more principled from those who profess to govern on our behalf.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965076219235086304.post-8849328379251488312010-12-09T10:39:21.473-08:002010-12-09T10:39:21.473-08:00how can we know that a principled presidential sta...how can we know that a principled presidential stand would not hold? he's never done it.<br /><br />i do not for a millisecond doubt your own values or principles peter. i do think that an unwillingness to hold the president (judiciously) to his own stated principles is harmful to us all. there was also something in his presidential campaign about transparency. perhaps he could let us all in on some of the details of the terrible burden of decision.rogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554961854201609452noreply@blogger.com