Transmission

Here’s a brilliant article by Erik Storlie dissecting the latest wave of scandals to sweep ‘American Buddhism’. He lays the blame exactly where it belongs: not on occasional ‘mistakes’, but on the ‘fairy-tale’ notion of a Dhamma lineage. Those of us whose Buddhism is inspired by the early Buddhist teachings know full well that all notions of hierarchy, lineage, and Dhamma transmission are exactly the opposite of what the Buddha explicitly wanted. Storlie quotes a few passages to support his case; there are many more. Indeed, the entire Vinaya is constructed so as to exclude these power-based dynamics. It is a great shame that our very real, urgent need for spiritual Awakening has been hijacked by such inauthentic, damaging notions. It’s past time for a return to the source…

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American images

Here’s a few snapshots from my recent trip across the US.