recently, there are several posts in queries of the differences of
Buddhist and Jain concepts, in particular the idea of soul. I am
writing, in this regard, to clarify certain points in the function of
this mailing list.
I have, after private exchanges with Ven. Kumara and Dr. Bittar last
year, started to moderate all new members to the list. And, I would
like to confirm that I am still doing so. That means messages of
members who joined after mid-May last year are moderated.
Over the year, there are a few mails that contain harsh and rude
languages. These mails have gone directly to the trash. However,
there are also mails that are sincere and genuine but is still
critical of some buddhist concepts. I think that it is unfair to turn
them down. As the Buddha said the Dhamma is not easy to comprehend,
this certainly applies to the concept of 'soullessness'. So, I would
allow the message into the board for an exchange of views in the
buddhist perspective.
In recent times, we have seen interests in Buddhism across many parts
of the world. As buddhists, we understand the difficulties of certain
buddhist concepts. And I believe that there are attempts to simplify
this understanding process by using ideas from another religion, as
is the case when the Dhamma was first introduced to China. This is
not different from assimilation. It is of course unfair to Buddhism.
In this light, it is to our benefits to acknowledge and understand
how and where buddhist concepts can be misunderstood, and provide a
rightful answer before the misconceptions become widespread.
For this, I seek your understanding and participation.