I formally reject Buddhism.
Westerners who think "Bhuddism is the best religion" have not looked into the matter of religion.
I formally reject Buddhism. If the Buddha were to appear before me at this moment and challenge me to a game of shove ha'penny, I would thrash him. I can actually demonstrate this – I'm not making it up.
(Taoism is at least slightly better than Buddhism.)
You sure that’s a he? :rolleyes:
No.
Actually, I should probably add that, if the Buddha had been female (Gautama, I mean) perhaps Buddhism would not have been so anti-procreation. The value of such a stance (anti-natalism, as it’s called), is increasingly clear these days, with the population being what it is. I do think, however, that a religion that does not celebrate birth and marriage is incomplete. Even though my own alienation from birth and marriage has for a long time kept me in sympathy with Buddhism. I find Buddhism to be very Yang, without much Yin, at least as it is transmitted from its Indian origins.After the Bodhidharma arrives in China, the tradition becomes more interesting and sympathetic to me. Apparently:’D.T. Suzuki contends that Chán’s growth in popularity during the 7th and 8th centuries attracted criticism that it had “no authorized records of its direct transmission from the founder of Buddhism” and that Chán historians made Bodhidharma the 28th patriarch of Buddhism in response to such attacks.’But I’d actually prefer it if there was a complete break between Chan and the Buddhism of India. Chan seems a thousand times better. I feel like Chan shouldn’t really be Buddhism at all.One of the Zen masters (or was it Jimi Hendrix?) said, “My Zen cuts down the mountains.” As far as I’m concerned, amongst those mountains are the mountains of received tradition, and of the patriarchs. These are the mountains that need to be cut down.
Anonymous writes:But Quentin, it is intelligent, thoughtful and talented people like you who should be having children. Although I understand your decision, I’ve decided not to have any children myself. I wouldn’t be able to promise them a good future in this corrupt, violent world. If things were to change very quickly, then maybe. But with me it’s not such a tragedy that I don’t have kids. I’m pretty average.
I appreciate that very much. Thank you.Apart from anything else, I don’t have the material means or the lifestyle stability to bring up a child. If I did have, I think I would want to adopt. I’m sure you’re not really average.