Date: 11/4/2009 4:53:05 PM
Subject: [CASonline] Special Edition: "Sin !! Sin !!"
 
       
 

 
 
"Sin !! Sin !!" 
A Buddhist's un-appreciative take on fundamental Christianity, not-so-hidden warning to Buddhists and his half-baked attempts at drawing the contrasts plus one compare - a non-comprehensive approach.
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A prelude - cooking an admonishment
 
The Buddhist legend goes that the lordly beast lowered and rested while the other creatures stalked with awe around it, remembering its lordly gait and power. Then, as time passes, it appeared that the mighty beast was not awakening. It has entered the state of ultimate peace. However, the other animals never forget the glory, the veneration and power it once exacted.
 
Then, to their shock, little worms began gnawing from its insides, slowly but wilfully nibbling every pinch of its golden flesh. Now, the vultures encircled and inched, at first warily, then, blatantly, boldly. Next, came the jackals and their cousins spoiling for a piece of the deceased king.
 
All the while, the worms gnawed deeper and wider into the Lion's meat, bitching over this fat and that morsel.
 
Fabricating further the fascinating tale, one group of the Lion's cubs thought Simba X should be their rightful new leader since their Father, the King of Beasts, has passed into eternal peace, while another insisted Simba Z is most authentic. Yet another group claimed that the true, perfect thought of their beloved deceased Father could be understood by peeking from and sometimes at their late Father's crown but the others heartily mocked that the crown is lean whereas their smell of the lion's wispy tail is best.        
 
One after the other, the lion cubs grew mired in their own confusion and fight till, in the end, hardly any, save for a few, grew manes. They looked like overgrown stuff toys ( not a few transfigured right into squirmy, nasty worms ) and a few even began to feed on their noble dad's carcass. Initially, nobody - except perhaps their Lordly Father - expected things to get that bad !!
 
All this time, a vacuum was created. Where once the mighty Lion roars, there was now listless snoring, sniggering and slapping of the baby cubs. So, boldly, the gibbons took control over the worldly college for money and smugness while the foxes burrowed deep into the animals' central panel of control. The medicinal plantations were next. Places after places fell to the myriad creatures that roam the vicious jungle.
 
Jungle became lawless, the world plunged into darkness.
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At the risk of appearing to be likewise forging a "siege mentality" - like what some clever people have done - it is intriguing to observe this common tactics being applied across so many successful, fatly rich mega churches !!
 
Trick ONE: "You are under Siege !!"
To unify one's flock, tell them they are under siege by a compulsive wicked. The battle is decisive and the consequences dire and eternal !! The politicians used it and the mega churches used them on children and sometimes parents alike, frightened to death of Satan, ever ready to tempt them into evil !! No thanks to Satan, they are against so many non-Christians and even other Christians ( plus the Catholics ) who misrepresent God and who will be gleefully glad to challenge, assault and if ever successful, rip into shreds their full convicted faith and church !! The false prophets !! The homosexuals !! The stem cell researchers !! The corrupt politicians !! THE DEVIL !!  
 
Trick TWO: "Be Dead Sure !!"
Then, be DEAD sure. Just be DEAD sure. Speak with absolute, complete conviction even if you are really not that sure !! Talk like this and somehow, later, someone will believe you. Project an invincible facade, never own up your mistake ( lie if need to or be a hypocrite ). People will grow to see you as the authority. Studies on the phenomena of Leadership too have shown the same effect.      
 
From our little insight, these mega churches tend to be headed by strong personalities who are loud, fiery and studiedly charismatic: the projected-doctored versions of themselves !!
 
Indeed, many of us could well recall the dogged certainty our colleagues, relatives or friends slapped us with: well-meaning patronising or acid despise ... Ha !!
 
CAS's Teachers such as the saintly Lati Rinpoche or the solidly unshakeable 100th Ganden Trisur certainly lacked that type of hollering chest thumping and placing these gapingly contrasting men-of-the-cloth side-by-side, our Teachers looked infinitely peaceful and .... holy, with centuries, if not, milleniums of tradition, learning and practice behind them.
 
Trick THREE: "Beguile the Senses !!"
We cannot miss Ted's injunction to his 9 year-old "youth pastor" to use "your childish face" to win converts in the clip. Of course, this followed the uncanny revelation of his homosexual liason with the beefy male escort  via Oprah and Larry King ...... besides a host of current and ex church boys, all of these in addition to or in spite of his signature condemnation of anything even remotely homosexual as "abomination" and so gospel-true that it is "beyond debate". Let's not forget his exalted rank as President Bush's spiritual counsellor, every Mondays of the week, rain or shine !!
 
The evangelical Christians artfully crafted hyper "wows !!" through heavy metal, rock, pop, country or whatever it takes to beguile the undiscerning senses of a busy people, worn out from a whole week of frenzied politiking and deadlines in the office. 
 
No wonder the Buddhists do not fare well in societies in transition ( think Korea / Singapore / Hong Kong / though Taiwan's an exception ), in places where people have no time or interest to contemplate philosophies, in places where the Buddhists left the awkward vacuum. Besides, Buddhists talked about Lo-Jong - transforming your mind, reigning-in the senses ... most of the time, not even being carried out, made available or known to the already burnt and stressed out beings in the transition society !! 
 
People in these places want or need, amidst their daily struggle of mundane urbane living, to follow something they are persuaded to believe is conveniently certain.  It helps if there are strong seemingly infallible leaders. It helps if there are tearful testimonies of fellow friends. It helps if a false sense of confidence and even arrogance are pressed upon the psyche: you are the new generation, you are not superstitious, your God is mightier than the others, your God is real while others are fake, you are young, beautiful, cute and sexy. You belong to a hip group of young things. It definitely helps with the sensual pull and enchantment: the zap, the electric, the comradeship, the common enemy !!
 
The little children carolled in the clip, "We are being trained to be God's army !!" 
( Condensed successful quip from Siege Mentality / False sense of Worth-Confidence-Purpose / Dead Sure )
 
Trick FOUR: "You betray God !!"
Then, use guilt !! Make the people guilty, use the wrongs they will inevitably inflict upon their loved ones ... make it as bad as you can.
 
As aside:
Look at what Korean Christians are doing in their child care centres: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDoQaCDMtuo
They make the innocent hearts bleed with guilt for all the wrongs they have done ( it can range from taking an extra bite on that chocolate chip cookie to wondering whether or not God has heard her prayers ) and for unrepayable gratitude to Christs for having died and paid with blood for their sins, sins and sins they expect will be committed for perfection shall forever elude them ( a fundamental tenet of Christianity - thou shalt never be perfect for thou is but a created, not the Creator !! ).   
 
Trick FIVE: Move in for the Final Kill  
Next, tell them there is a way out. Their way. The only way. You own them. 
 
The evangelicals make no secret of their huge ambition to convert the world: published books, DVDs on how to talk to a Muslim / challenge the Buddhists / question the atheists. One dear Chrsitian evangelical friend of mine told me that the best idea will be to construct schools so you can brain-wash the kids, get government funding and provide a supposed tool for material progress for the people.  
 
At Camden Education Center ( CAS's affiliate ), we do not teach our pupils - whether primary, secondary or in Junior College - to smash mugs with hammers, likening the crushing of enemies of Buddhists, the Buddhist centres or the Buddha !! That's a relief but, not, again, a relief ( maybe all these studying of the openly radical elements are doing no good to my mind !! ) to camps as such where children are bashing objects thinking they are enemies of the church and blessing allies ( including a paper mannequin of President Bush, the microphones, their plastic chairs amognst others  ) thnking they further their radical dogmatic-tainted agendas !!
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Through Buddhist eyes:
The Lam Rim teaches that "enemies" are reflections of our attachment-greed, "friends" are reflections of our anger-aversion and ignorance reflects the indifferent parties and underlies the former two. So, in the Chod meditation, Buddhists visualise offering their bodies to the world, for healinng of Muslims, Christians, atheists, marxists, feminists, agnostics, the hell-beings and that fish on the chopping board with unequivocal equanimity, never, just to or for Buddhists ....
 
"Never" because there are the Bodhisattva vows to cherish others always, always others above oneself, and the "Lo-Jong" teachings that all beings have been equally kind and been our kind mothers countless times in past lives.   
 
The Buddhist "Tong-Len", too, visualises taking on sufferings of all beings and offering everything good and joyful to all beings..... never with distinctions, never the stark and simplistic good versus evil, me versus them, we versus others, humans ( eater ) versus animals ( food ).          
 
Pastor Becky, one of America's most successful evangelists especially for youths, in the clip, brawled over how right she is to indoctrinate the young before 9 as this is the age known to psychologists where what is taught and pushed gets unquestioningly digested, for life. Her defence: if the Paskistani young are taught how worthwhile it is to be blown to pieces for Islam, why can't she tell her young to die for Christ !!
 
We don't love the good and hate the evil. Buddhists love both and will die for both. Buddhists don't just die for Buddhists, for the Buddha or for Buddhism. The Bodhisattva should gladly offer his lives ( yes, plural form depicting infinity !! ) for the well-being even if but for one being in the hell realms, so wrote the first Panchen Lama.
 
Shantideva reminds the Bodhisattva that the Buddhas are infinitely more pleased if we served sentient beings than if we served them. This is because Buddhas always have infinitely more love for all beings than, if ever, for themselves.
 
Their doctrine toyed and probably thrusted snuggedly with reflections of sentient beings' Three Poisons:
1) Attachment-Greed for God, future divine rewards, expanding numbers its attendant worldly prestige and offerings;
2) Hared-Anger for the non-believer, alternative understandings: clear devils, pure evil;  
3) Ignorance and denial or true blindness to other presentations.
 
A flaw perhaps of their principal tenet seems to be either getting saved by accepting Christ, the Son of God, or getting damned into eternal putrid hell if not accepting Christ. This gives rise to so many serious implications: either heaven or hell / God or the Devil. 
 
As the brainwashed mother hastily defended the insular home-coaching she is giving her son:
"There are only 2 types of people in the world: people who love Jesus and people who don't."
 
Buddhism as with other religions do not accept Christ as is depicted in Christianity and therefore is essentially the Devil's legions !! No excuse, no Middle Way. Any means will be justified converting these ignorant people even if forcibly ( anyone's relatives forced into Salvation on the deathbed ?? ).
 
Unity in Confusion
The gracious compare perhaps is the unifying wish to be happy and to avoid suffering. The radical Christian launches yet another assault in Mongolia, one of the places ripe for an onslaught, a place left vacuumed after flat execution, both literal and figurative, by the marauding communists. They feel the ends justify the means and thanked the communists ( factually, openly thanking via their few gleaming TV and radio channels there ) as the communists have left the Buddhists bleeding and fighting for life in the caked desert sand. The Incas and the Mayans have been slated clean and the late Pope has chosen to apologise for all the great wrong and sacrilege the church has committed in Christ's name in 2000 in the past thousand years. The Australian Prime Minister has said sorry, slightly belated perhaps after a few hundred years, for kidnapping the aborignal children to the then version of Jesus Camp and mass swiping away any lingering link to their devilish, shamanistic parents, language, food and culture.
 
The good student who remembered the Teachers' admonishment ought to recognise these as sentient beings' inherent wish to want to be happy and their futile, vain but pitiful attempts to achieve it.
 
The good Buddhist will remember the Great Bodhisattva Samantabhadra who vows to match into eternity, His aspirations and infinite, boundless compassion to every defilelment, pain and confusion in the world.
 
Didn't Christ pray to God to forgive the sinners because they know not what they are doing ??
 
"Amituofo !!"
 
bb @ CAS blessed by holy Chenrezig
 
p/s:
Bodhisattvas have chosen to incarnate into wherever will be beneficial to sentient beings. Hence, in spite of truly, really, absolutely, rude, highly questionable and even objectionable inherent contradictions ( eg: God gives you cancer to test your faith, creates you, gives you Free Choice, loves you but if you don't accept Himself incarnated into human form as His own son, Lord Jesus Christ, as your Saviour, you are damnned forever into the eternal fires of hell where there will be "gnashing of teeth" in addition to several other gospel-described horrors !! ), rays of divinity shines through from Mother Theresa of Calcutta, St Francis of Assisi and these countless heroic men and women wrapping up lame limbs and disemboweled stomachs amidst zipping bombs ( think: the Red Cross for one !! ), in the killing fields.  
 
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WATCH "JESUS CAMP" - THAT MOST TELLING OF RADICAL EVANGELISM: 
 

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