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The Rise of Fake Buddhism.

January 16, 2013
Uncategorized
Mark aka waykiwayki


Hi all,

Straight off the bat, I’m not a Buddhist, but i’ve studied some of the nice philosophies – in books, and with some Monks in the Himalayas some years ago.

Buddhism holds much beauty in the core doctrines, so much so that centuries ago, people went to allot of trouble to celebrate, study, and contemplate the doctrine.


However, in 2013, Buddhism is now completely commercialised across the world, people buy plastic statues, buddha lip balm, and lots of other crap that is mostly made in Chinese factories.  In Europe much Buddhist tat is sold in Chinese shops, and even garden centres and larger stores have now got in on the action.

“But it gets people interested in Buddhism” I hear some readers say.   But the point is that this shit being made, distributed, and sold, just is not Buddhist, and that’s the fact here.  Even some nice ambient music is grouped into a Buddha-Bar series – since when is a bar Buddhist?

***
What this all creates is the following;  I know a friend who was recently at a house full of Buddhist stuff and drapes, and the home owner was the most unbuddhist person one would ever meet – but used the stuff to pretend that they had a grounding “in something” – a cover, a facade.  Yes, they could probably recite the simple four noble truths, but the person was cold and uncompassionate in nature. 

There are also many false Buddhist quotes around, and many people cover themselves in a jacket of these quotes and recite them often – I am not convinced this is good to layer-in oneself’ with quotes, as quotes need to come from the inside-out, and not pushed onto oneself, e.g  keeping certain traits frozen in a straight jacket.   Yes, we can learn/see a quote and like it, but to live by it and own it, it needs to be felt and to shake the core of the self – then it moves outward from the inside.

Just goto Thailand and you will soon see someone pretending they are Buddhist one minute, then trying to swindle you out of all your money the next.

Ok, Shields up.

        

Let’s now have a little peek into the Dalai Lama who now so many westerners seem to idolise.    For one, he hangs out with dodgy people, gets driven about in Mercedes, and  is becoming the master at playing the “jet-set Gandhi celebrity” routine and smiling like a clown – while his countrymen are tortured.   See these links for some more insight into the Dalai Lama and his history (link1, link2, link3, link4, link5, link6, link7).


I once met the Dalai Lama’s translator for an hour, and he seemed more like a corporate politician type’ in energy, than any spiritual type of guy.

To put anyone on a pedestal, and give your soul and life to someone or something you don’t really know is naive, ignorant, and very “old paradigm” – so think or research before posting lots of Dalai Lama stuff on facebook whilst paying tax, insurance, and sending your kids to indoctrination schools – it just makes one look a little silly.  
“Oh but when I met the Dalai Lama I felt amazing, he made me feel….lalalala” – to this crowd, I give you this.  
Buddhism does not make one spiritual, at the introductory level it is allot of mental concepts that need thinking about, allot of ‘mind’ really for a while before any emptyness can enter.

Many monks and lamas still say all the ills and pains in people is just their karma……………….

       

………..well, maybe two millenia ago that view stood up well, but right now the world is getting trashed and people are being oppressed and controlled due to corrupt psychopath controllers – funded by normal people via their tax and corporate consumption  – easily removed causes, and little to do with karma.  

I have never heard a monk or lama say anything about the world paying interest on electronic money created out of thin air by central bank, or any comments about GM foods.  I think this is because they just don’t know because they only probably look at Buddhist books and websites – one needs to be more rounded I feel, more open to information if one is dedicating their lives to a path of total compassion.

Ok, shields down.

***

If you can get past the “religiousness-ness” of the decor, clothes, props, and “master worship” in these clips, there are some really decent deep teachings, but they need reflection and meditation – one cannot just buy shit, recite a false quote, hang some drapes in the home, or post Dalai CIA Lama comments on facebook – which are all really getting to epidemic levels, especially in the new age.

note: this one is all a buildup to part4, when the fruits come – it may be hard to grasp first time as one may be focused on the monks four year old demenour.


Just like everything else on this planet half decent- it gets trashed by those in the west jumping on things and buying the paraphernalia.

The key is this, it’s better to know the teachings and have no stuff, no sign that you know, and never tell anyone you know, than to have all the t-shirts, crap, posters and drapes.  To buy lots of Buddhist stuff pushes you further from the Buddha.

***
A quote below by the Hermetic Master, Franz Hartmann.   And one that could be placed upon many Buddhist Monks in 2013.

“Unspiritual men, therefore, who retire from the world
because they are afraid of the world, cannot be considered
to be heroes who have renounced the world; they deserve rather to be
regarded as cowards who have deserted their ranks at the
beginning of the battle with life. Such people sometimes
retire into convents/monasteries for the purpose of having a comfortable
life, and in addition to that a ticket to heaven. They imagine
they do a service to God by leading a harmless and useless
life; for which imaginary service they expect to obtain a
reward at the end of life. But the reward which they will
receive will also exist merely in their imagination. As the
sensualist wastes his time in the prosecution of useless
pleasures, so the bigot wastes his time in useless
ceremonies and prayers. The actions of the former are
instigated by a desire for sensual pleasure in this life, those
of the latter by the hope for pleasure in another life; both
are acting for the purpose of gratifying their own selfish
desires. I am unable to see any essential difference
between the motives and morals of the two.”

***********

One thing I found funny this week is that people in England who drink cow’s breast milk and eat pigs, cows, and deer, went mental because there were traces of horse meat in tesco’s burgers…..such conditioning….sigh…..heheh, you have to laugh or you might cry.

Thought provoking and fun movies on the net I saw recently are American Nomads, Samsara, and Silver Lining.   

I leave you with this short clip….


…and another clip from a great sufi book (you, see, if I labelled myself a Buddhist, I would not have come across this amazing Sufi work).


respect,
mx