Well, I guess I���ll weigh in on the article. Quite frankly, I didn���t
like it. In all fairness to Professor Lopez, this article is not written by
him, nor is it an in-depth interview article of him. So if I falsely
represent Professor Lopez, I apologize in advance.

My first point of contention is with the type of article this is--the void
filling editorial. Not a ���Real��� news story, but rather the sort of
thing that people with short attention spans need to make their selves feel
informed.

My second problem is that Professor Lopez is probably representative of what
is wrong with the entire American educational system. Without the benefit
of having read any of Professor Lopez���s book(s), I must assume that he
really isn���t an ���Expert��� on Buddhism. Most lay practitioners are not
experts of Buddhism. He may be a Buddhist. He may have spent time as a
monk. But, I am careful about those whom I seek out for information. And
to accept a book���s jacket cover as credentials of ���Expert��� level in
anything is against my nature.

And lastly, I must admit my own prejudice against most college professors.
We have a saying in this country ���Those who can, do. Those who can���t,
teach.��� I would not be very likely to take a class on Buddhism at an
American college. I would rather (as I hope to one day) attend something
like Mahachula University in Thailand.

I hope I don���t sound mean spirited. But in the west, parts of Buddhism
have been high-jacked by everyone from just plain evil people, to New Age
recycled hippies. I was on my own (religiously) for many years; until I
found a Thai Buddhist Temple. And even now, when I first attend a temple, I
am cautious about accepting it as 100% genuine. Being of an established
Order is helpful. But I am leery of western monks that aren���t in check of
such an Order. Please forgive my being slow to trust. Perhaps I was
mislead in a past life.

Kevin

_
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Yours in the Dhamma `=--=-'
Kevin




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