Yong Peng has out of gentle concern withheld Yifer's email with his
reaction of "Nay" to my expeditious use of Conze's over-convenient 500-year
periods of Buddhist history, citing respect for :
"so many respectful & venerable bhikkhus and honourable scholars on the
member list of this group, I am still over-concerned about this
segmentation [ie Conze's 500-year periods of Buddhist historical development]."
Obviously (and thankfully?) I am not one of this category that Yifer is so
profoundly protective of, but whom I feel could think and speak for
themselves on this learning website.
My aim here is not so much to answer Yifer, as it is out of concern for the
free expression of ideas and opinions, not merely of out of respect the "so
many respectful & venerable bhikkhus and honourable scholars" but anyone
who is sincerely wishful of learning from one another on this website.
As I said in earlier responses to the "paravaadii incident," this situation
will arise again and again here and any where we go, and is the very reason
for which we should not shrink back or slink away. If we "own" these pains,
we have no one but ourselves to blame for the failure of this excellent
website.
Let us remind ourselves that dissent is welcome as is a respectful wonder
for learning. It is easy for me to joyfully remain on this website thus far
because I regard it as a great learning forum, somewhat like the Akademia
or the Peripetaeia of ancient Greece. But here anyone can be a Socrates, a
Plato, an Aristotle, an expert, or at least pretend (like me) to be one. Or
we could simply be a generous seeker.
Or, I imagine this to be like the hallowed halls of UC Berkeley or the alma
maters where you have learned and taught. Those greats days of learning and
listening to liberating voices of learning still linger in my memory: not
once do I remember a student or a professor spoke unkindly to one another,
and I have attended and audited, in a number of classes (many outside the
Buddhist field); and even tutored a few of the Buddhist classes.
We do dissent in these learning halls but we dissent with reasoning and
openness, correcting ourselves when we see new, better vistas and clearer
understanding. We do not hold to an opinion simply out of respect for any
or "so many respectful & venerable bhikkhus and honourable scholars", or
any other agenda. We do not, keeping to the Buddha's advice, subscribe to
an opinion or hold back a truth simply because of "sama.no no garu" (this
is our respected teacher, or our teacher is a respectable person).
I am also gently reminding myself not to shout down nor, without well
reasoned argument, say "nay" to anyone whose idea is different from mine. I
will be curious why they think differently: perhaps I will have something
new to learn. As I have said, we do not know each other well enough
(especially when we have not met one another) to cancel another our or to
pontificate on another's opinion as if we know better (even if we knew
better).
Respect is due to "so many respectful & venerable bhikkhus and honourable
scholars"--I totally agree, but I also understand that immediately after
the Buddha's awakening, he looks for someone to bow to, and finds none
awakened like him worthy of such respect. Still he decides that he should
respect the Dharma (Gaarava Sutta, S 6.2): even in the Mahayana tradition
there is the saying: respect the teaching, not the teacher (or better,
respect the teaching more than you do the teacher).
I fervently wish that no one of this website (but not limited to this
website) would be discouraged by what we perceive as unwise comments and
rude words levelled at us. Perhaps these words are spoken by people who
have been hurt before and are only reacting to an ancient habit. Perhaps
they have never had the privilege or opportunity of sitting in a hallowed
hall of open learning (and learning civil ways of speaking), and think that
only their teacher/s are right and everyone else whose opinion differ are
wrong.
We should take such occasions as the opportunities for a reality check on
whether those truths we teach or claim to know have actually sunk into our
being. I am not saying I am always comfortable with harsh words and
unrefined statements on this website, but this is an open forum, it
sometimes is like a marketplace, so we should expect bookish hooligans as
we hope to meet refined savants.
Let us respond to the boor and yokel with patience, or we could simply
ignore them, as the Buddha does when he is verbally insulted by them, and
Ananda suggests the Buddha to leave for another town. But the Buddha
reminds Ananda that such people can be everywhere, but in seven days,
letting it be, these nuisances will die down by itself.
There is an interesting humourous belief amongst some Chinese: when
vampires (the undead) come hopping along looking for victims, the best way
to avoid them is not to run--when you run they will tail you more without
relent--but to hold your breath! They find us not by their eyes or ears,
but by our stinking breath! Please take him salus granis.
I greatly enjoy logging on to this website each day and joining everyone of
you in discussion, often learning, sometimes giving an opinion, but never
failing to wonder at this extraordinary league or international gentle
beings, this open forum of Buddhist seekers. We have brought Buddhism
outside the monasteries, temples, universities and class rooms into the
open air (literally)!
This is a great open forum, we have to work hard to keep it so.
Remembering Ajahn Brahm's teachings related to the occasion here let me put
it my own words (again):
Do not be discouraged in anyway with rude words and personal remarks: let
us bow to them and thank them saying, "Thank you for taking away my bad karma!"
Otherwise, please remember those of us who value your teachings and
opinions: we want to hear from you, and above all we value our spiritual
friendship.