Dear Piya and friends,

Piya, I think you have got the wrong idea of my reply. Never mind
that for now. I only wish you give Yifer an answer to his message
which I would probably have rejected.


metta,
Yong Peng.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Piya Tan wrote:
>...open learning. It is certainly a good concept. And, I
>certainly agree that we have to work hard to keep this an
>open forum. However, we have to note that there are three
>types of people. (1) People who respect this open forum, and
>cooperate to keep it open. (2) People who do not respect this
>open forum, and make deliberate and unmistakable attempts to
>spoil it. (3) People who do not respect this open forum, and
>attempt to do damages indirectly.

Despite the rudeness and dogmatic opinions we have encountered here
(of course, not here alone), I am really stimulated by the various
challenges we are facing. It shows that as Buddhists we have a lot
more to learn from one another. However, it also means that we are
still not tolerant of others' differing views despite claims of being
tolerant and compassionate. We scold others impatiently despite
signing off "with metta." We often feel like giving up this website
because by allowing like and dislike to reinforce our latent
tendencies: our pride is hurt. And so on.

The only place I can remember where people appear nice to one
another, and seem to speak with one common voice, without dissent,
and where all appear to be all right and going the same direction
(when really not) was in my early days of involvement with
a "Buddhist community" that turned out to be a tragic Western cult,
and which I have since happily forsaken.