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From: mayne@sun10.scri.fsu.edu (William (Bill) Mayne)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Buddha Dharma and free thinking
Message-ID: <1990Dec14.033942.1988@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 14 Dec 90 03:39:42 GMT
References: <1990Dec7.011311.2389@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Dec8.020416.27265@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Dec11.022212.10949@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Dec12.061626.10201@nas.nasa.gov>
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In article <1990Dec12.061626.10201@nas.nasa.gov> tilley@cs.rochester.edu (Dave Tilley) writes:
>In article <1990Dec11.022212.10949@nas.nasa.gov> mayne@sun10.scri.fsu.edu (William (Bill) Mayne) writes:
>>
>>In article <1990Dec8.020416.27265@nas.nasa.gov> kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans) writes:
[Long debate on Nichiren interpretation of the Lotus Sutra omitted.]
>>... A third possibility is that those who, like
>>Nichiren Daishonen use the Lotus Sutra to denegrate all the
>>Buddha's other teachings are actually misinterpreting it.
>>I confess I don't know enough about the Lotus Sutra to evaluate
>>that possibility. But if Nichiren was right then Sakyamuni was wrong,
>>even though Nichiren depends largely on the supposed statements
>>of Sakyamuni.
>
>I would suggest that you read the Lotus Sutra for yourself. It is highly
>valued by Many sects. I find it wonderful. My opinion is that the Nichiren
>sect does misinterpret in some ways or ad on to it incorrectly in some ways.

I'm actually glad and not surprised to learn from someone who knows
something about it that the Nichiren interpretation as put forth by
Mr. Evans is suspect. It is like learning the violence done to the
Bible by Christian fundamentalists.

>>bill mayne      |       mayne@nu.cs.fsu.edu
>
>Many sects revere their teachers. But I do have some problems with
>the use of the assertion that this is TRUE Buddhism. Yech! Like the
>others are not. It misses the whole beauty of the Lotus Sutra.
>
>dave

How true. And I agree with pleas to lower the thermastat in this
newsgroup, though hopefully by appeal to our better instincts
rather than through censorship. (Are you listening, moderator?)
I got involved in this only because, like others, I saw the teaching
of the Buddha, at least all sects other than Mr. Evan's being
repeatedly attacked any time an orthodox Buddhist explanation was
given in response to a question about Buddhism.

Your interesting perspective on the Lotus Sutra shows me that some
good has come out of all of this. Thanks.

Bill Mayne