[Buddha-l] Withdrawal of the senses

[Franz Metcalf]

Gang,

Thanks to Joy for posting the _Science_ abstract on the consequences of 
money. And thanks to Joanna's comment on it that sparked some thoughts 
in me, as I've spent the last seven months in Canada--rather than my 
home country of the United States.

Despite what many (especially, perhaps, in the USA) might think, Canada 
is genuinely a separate country from the USA, not merely 
geopolitically, but culturally. I've now lived in Vancouver for seven 
months, and my daughter has lived in Vancouver for one quarter of her 
young life. That is long enough for me to feel confident in saying that 
a different "variety of capitalism" (as Joanna puts it) exists in 
Vancouver from in Los Angeles. Yes, there is a certain remnant of 
violence in the system in Canada, but the aggressively violent quality 
of American capitalism is moderated there, replaced by a sense of 
inclusionary responsibility for marginalized citizens. I felt that 
rather than rejecting the outer layer of society, British Columbian 
society strove (perhaps naively) to re-admit them. This is a project 
that demands significant resources of capital, and the taxation system 
in Canada reflects that. Luckily, the country's resources are not so 
bled away in extra-continental exploits as they are in the States. I 
truly wish Americans could or would look outward and see what a version 
of hell--or at least a preta realm--we are inhabiting of our own 
volition. I can't help but think that Richard Hayes has spent much time 
reflecting on these differences after his long sojourn in Canada.

And now, at last, I approximate some Buddhist content: this cultural 
difference from the States, subtle though it may be, I cannot ascribe 
to Buddhism, though I wish I could. Buddhism surely has established a 
presence in British Columbia, but the more compassionate capitalist 
culture I encountered owes little to that presence. Rather, it has 
deeper cultural roots. And this, perhaps, explains why I consistently 
refuse (thusfar) to be a card-carrying Buddhist: because what I value 
is not the label but the openness of heart I hope the practice may lead 
me to.

Well, I have failed entirely to write a post reflecting the "academic" 
discussion buddha-l purports to consist of. I suppose I just wanted to 
say to everyone out there, "Um, sorry about my country."

Franz Metcalf