I feel that the western appropriation of Buddhism is a corollary to the missionary use of Buddhism as a waystation to conversion. Geopolitical goals can also not be ruled out.
Ignore the Man Behind the Curtain
by Ngakpa Traktung Yeshe Dorje and A'dzom Rinpoche
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Quite frankly, the degree of arrogance contained within the Western Buddhist Movement's writings harkens back to the deadly arrogance of China's Cultural Revolution, Cambodia's egalitarian liberation and consequent killing fields, and Stalin's purges in the name of collectivism. Let me be clear: I am not saying that Mr. Das, or those who mold the belief structure of Western Buddhism, are genocidal fiends<b>. I am simply saying that they embrace certain beliefs, openly expressed, which link them to some of the bloodiest revolutions in history. It is no wonder that those who dress this vision up in new words call it a "postmodern" vision. </b>It is crucial for them to distance their egalitarian, socialist, collectivist goals as far as possible from the results of the same philosophy throughout the "modern" era. I for one am unwilling to sacrifice the beliefs and structure of the precious Buddha Dharma for a social agenda that has shown itself to be a miserable failure over and over again. I am unwilling to become part of the "amalgamated" mashed-potato mixture of Western Buddhism's "collective wisdom," and I am unwilling to pretend that this is not what is hiding behind the great Wizard of Oz's "Western Buddhist" curtain.
Egalitarianism and the utopian fantasies of collectivism are in essence new forms of Buddhist heresy which threaten to derail the subtle and delicate process of Buddhist transmission in the West.<b> The passé philosophy of these movements, dressed up in postmodern apparel, is attempting to heist the image of Buddhism - while denying such a thing as Buddhism exists. </b>Egalitarianism is a seductively noble-seeming philosophy based, unlike the Buddha Dharma, in unreal views of human nature and acted on with disastrous results<b>. Its flaws, obvious for over two hundred years of Western philosophy, are grave. In practice, it is a set of beliefs rampant with patriarchal arrogance and patronizing contempt for the "common man," a set of beliefs which has no compunction about sacrificing traditions and culture in order to "save the ignorant" from their superstitious and backward ways.</b>
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Ignore the Man Behind the Curtain
by Ngakpa Traktung Yeshe Dorje and A'dzom Rinpoche
..
Quite frankly, the degree of arrogance contained within the Western Buddhist Movement's writings harkens back to the deadly arrogance of China's Cultural Revolution, Cambodia's egalitarian liberation and consequent killing fields, and Stalin's purges in the name of collectivism. Let me be clear: I am not saying that Mr. Das, or those who mold the belief structure of Western Buddhism, are genocidal fiends<b>. I am simply saying that they embrace certain beliefs, openly expressed, which link them to some of the bloodiest revolutions in history. It is no wonder that those who dress this vision up in new words call it a "postmodern" vision. </b>It is crucial for them to distance their egalitarian, socialist, collectivist goals as far as possible from the results of the same philosophy throughout the "modern" era. I for one am unwilling to sacrifice the beliefs and structure of the precious Buddha Dharma for a social agenda that has shown itself to be a miserable failure over and over again. I am unwilling to become part of the "amalgamated" mashed-potato mixture of Western Buddhism's "collective wisdom," and I am unwilling to pretend that this is not what is hiding behind the great Wizard of Oz's "Western Buddhist" curtain.
Egalitarianism and the utopian fantasies of collectivism are in essence new forms of Buddhist heresy which threaten to derail the subtle and delicate process of Buddhist transmission in the West.<b> The passé philosophy of these movements, dressed up in postmodern apparel, is attempting to heist the image of Buddhism - while denying such a thing as Buddhism exists. </b>Egalitarianism is a seductively noble-seeming philosophy based, unlike the Buddha Dharma, in unreal views of human nature and acted on with disastrous results<b>. Its flaws, obvious for over two hundred years of Western philosophy, are grave. In practice, it is a set of beliefs rampant with patriarchal arrogance and patronizing contempt for the "common man," a set of beliefs which has no compunction about sacrificing traditions and culture in order to "save the ignorant" from their superstitious and backward ways.</b>
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