Sword Wielding Buddhist Mobs In Myanmar

IronRabbit

Government shutdown, icecaps melting, chemical weapons - and now, of all things - a murderous Buddhist mob drubbing Muslims in Burma? It seems this dark age is whipping another vicious curve at us. This is disturbing to say the least. Comments?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/world/asia/myanmar-violence-buddhists-muslims.html?_r=0

how

For as many years as humans have been counting, I think there has been folks saying that we are going to hell in a hand basket.
Personally I think hell is ignorance and whether you are living in a pastoral village or in the posting above, the path each one of us chooses to walk either creates suffering or alleviates it.
The sanity or craziness of the world around us is a manifestation of the path choice that each new moment offers everyone.
Choose wisely.

lobster

This is disturbing to say the least.

It is?

Just another fine day for picnicking in the hell realms as far as I am unconcerned.

There are of course solutions such as 'international flash mobs' - not yet available.
Basically people of good will descend on a troubled spot from all surrounding areas of the disturbance. Supported by the 'airborne sangha', have mantra will travel. Offering free hugs, corporate and crowd sourced fluffy bunnies for all, free citizen co-counselling, swords for flowers and a 3D TV, free internet nodes, citizen dance classes, 'burning man' mobile etc etc.
:screwy:

One day!

Cinorjer

Yes, this has been building up slowly into a total ethnic cleansing and a nation-wide genocide slaughter. Everyone can see it building, but nobody wants to do anything about it. This sort of infection of violent hatred into a society doesn't happen overnight. All the building blocks are there. The authorities making sure the victims are blamed and if not encouraging the violence, ignoring it. Demonizing of the victims. It's the age-old tribalism that humanity reverts to under stress.

IronRabbit

Unfortunately (or rather - realistically) choice is an illusion (albeit a very helpful one occasionally) that creates the notion of a path taken yielding suffering or its absence. Truthfully such choices create suffering and equanimity nearly simultaneously in the ebb and flow of existence. One could posit then that ignorance is being chided for expressing fear or revulsion for events or circumstances that are unacceptable.
http://www.alternet.org/story/143187/barbara_ehrenreich:_the_relentless_promotion_of_positive_thinking_has_undermined_america

Ignorant indeed is referencing the murder of children as a picnic in any realm.

The "age-old tribalism that humanity reverts to under stress" could be genetic. Perhaps Neanderthals were ethnically cleansed into extinction. Most troubling is that Buddhist Monks are directing this violence in a country in which Buddhism is the chosen state philosophy.

robot

IronRabbit said:

Ignorant indeed is referencing the murder of children as a picnic in any realm.

You've been away. Incoherent nonsense is his shtick. Not always. Sometimes he makes good sense.

vinlyn

Despite the unfortunate choice of words, I get what Lobster is saying.

But I also would suggest that he be more mindful with the choice and power of his words.

David

More stupid human tricks.

Because of what I personally get from the dharma this goes very much against what Buddha stood for. There's a little bit of shock over the fact these people claim Buddhism as their philosophy but if it was the other way around it would be just as horrible.

More of us are waking up every day but the majority of us are still just a bunch of stupid humans.

The good news is the tide can still turn.

how

IronRabbit said:

Unfortunately (or rather - realistically) choice is an illusion (albeit a very helpful one occasionally) that creates the notion of a path taken yielding suffering or its absence. Truthfully such choices create suffering and equanimity nearly simultaneously in the ebb and flow of existence. One could posit then that ignorance is being chided for expressing fear or revulsion for events or circumstances that are unacceptable.

So just where would you place the 4NT in your posted "Choice is an illusion"?

Fear and revulsion at ignorance or anyones demonstration of a lack of empathy is little more than an impotent indulgence in stimulation unless it is mated with a choice for an alternative.

So often the darkness out there exists because we fail to face that there's never been a real "them" or an "out there" to blame.
This "dark age" is just the illusion that we are innately separated from everything else.
A bubble of choice to indulge in or transcend, with each new breath we take.

IronRabbit

Where exactly would the 4NT fit with "radical Buddhist monks" and "rampaging Buddhist mobs" ? How about the 10P while we're taking shortcuts

Buddhist aggression in Myanmar is no illusion and the victims families should have no difficulty distinguishing between the "real them" and their murdered loved ones.

How disappointing to have one's reaction to an atrocity challenged with rhapsodized pseudo-sutra reference without even cursory acknowledgement of the incident cited.

But okay, this is to be expected in "general banter" so its back to the rabbit warren.....

how

@IronRabbit
I asked you why "Choice was an illusion" like you stated in the opening sentence of your last post.
I had no idea that an answer from you about it first required specific acknowledgement from me about rampaging Buddhists.

Feel free to answer unless there are more conditions that I've not yet met.

lobster

Ignorant indeed is referencing the murder of children as a picnic in any realm

.

Perhaps.
Perhaps go and look at some wrathful Buddhist Deities . . .
On a higher level wrathful deities, bless their blood dripping tootsies, represent the death and murder of our useless thinking, conjecture and continual suffering over suffering (stomping on our 'murdered children/thoughts'). Indulging in discussing, crying over and generally suffering over the inhumanity of this world is 'picnicking in others hell realms' as you no doubt know . . .

The solution is to become able to turn the tide of our ignorance. To share that new being in our situation and if we have the courage and ability of the Buddha, which I do not, to enter areas of conflict and sway the actions of ignorance . . .
http://www.beyondthenet.net/thedway/soldier.htm

Then we can do what is required. Which may be to create new children . . .

SEMCHEN TAMCHE DANG ZAMBULING GI KYE DRO TADAG CHYI NANG GHI SHIDE DHAN DHUEKUN DENPAR GYUR CHIK
as Manjushri says when he goes into 'inner battle/jihad'

To infinity and beyond
Buzz Lightyear - Toystory

ThailandTom

This is old news and things have been this way and far worse for centuries and they probably will continue to happen across the world as long as the human race is in existence :coffee:

Kundo

IronRabbit said:

Government shutdown, icecaps melting, chemical weapons - and now, of all things - a murderous Buddhist mob drubbing Muslims in Burma? It seems this dark age is whipping another vicious curve at us. This is disturbing to say the least. Comments?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/world/asia/myanmar-violence-buddhists-muslims.html?_r=0

My comments - this is samsara. It's just taken longer to get to Myanmar/Burma. In other parts of the world it's Muslims killing others. And before that it was Christians killing others and prior to that it was Pagans throwing Christians to the lions. And before that, a Jew was crucified. And so on and so on.

We can always take a small part of the current going ons and get all doomsday-ish about it. I personally have enough going on in my life to not try to solve the world's problems. I have to solve my own before I die and pass it on to my daughter.

In metta,
Raven

Stormer

Personally, I think anyone who goes on a murderous rampage and kills several people with extreme prejudice should not be considered a 'Buddhist'. Of course, we could go on and on about the meaning of what a 'Buddhist' is and whether we even agree with using a term but, I think of it as almost insulting as well as sad that someone who claims to have similar beliefs to mine would be driven to kill other human beings.

Not to sound self-righteous but I highly doubt that I would kill or even harm anyone for something as trivial as religion.

vinlyn

1. Buddhism -- a religion -- is not trivial. In fact, none of the "great" world religions is trivial.

2. In my humble view, let no one here be the decider on who is or who isn't a Buddhist. Let the individual decide, no matter how misguided he or she is.

IronRabbit

My first reaction to Tom was - Old news! Look at the date! - but on reflection, this is old news - humans have been acting unskillfully like this for thousands of years - Budddhist and non-Buddhists.
I saw this as a sign of darkness - of a dark age. As a decline of Buddhism - and it is - but not its end.
Some Buddhist scholars claim the last 15,000 years have been a dark era.
I took issue with How for choosing something more golden than seeing signs of a dark age - as if everyone who chose it was blind to the darkness that only I could see.
I get it now - I am alone - I live in the darkness.
It is very lonely - I get irritable and contentious when others fail or choose not to see it as I do.
I will keep pointing it out - because its what I do - because I see it - its over there. So maybe it will serve to remind those who want it that a golden age may also be unfolding within this dark age.

vinlyn

Interesting post, IronRabbit. I quite agree. If you study the history of SE Asia, you see that Buddhism was long woven into the culture of the region, and you had countries such as Burma and Thailand sacking each others capitals and kidnapping its people...and all done by kings who promoted Buddhism. Ah well...even with Buddhism, man is still man.

ThailandTom

vinlyn said:

Interesting post, IronRabbit. I quite agree. If you study the history of SE Asia, you see that Buddhism was long woven into the culture of the region, and you had countries such as Burma and Thailand sacking each others capitals and kidnapping its people...and all done by kings who promoted Buddhism. Ah well...even with Buddhism, man is still man.

Yep you can polish a turd all you want or dress it up in a nice little turd suit, but it's still going to be a turd.

footiam

It is undeniable that the sword wielding Buddhists have broken the precepts. Would they be so proud then to announce to the world about what they did and stake claim to a shameful act. If not, are they just ordinary people fighting for their territorial rights?