[Buddha-l] A candid question

[Stuart Lachs]

Franz,

Paul Groner recently gave a talk at the  Princeton  Buddhist Seminar: "The 
Creation of Japan's First Public Library." It was founded by an interesting 
man named Ryoo Dohaku (born in 1630) around 1670. Dohaku made a quite a bit 
of money selling medicine. He had an interesting and odd life, becoming 
ordained as a monk at the age of 12, after much death in his family. In 1696 
he built another library at Bukkokuji and named it "The Hall to Encourage 
Public Learning."

Stuart

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Franz Metcalf" <franzmetcalf at earthlink.net>
To: "Buddhist discussion forum" <buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com>
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Buddha-l] A candid question


> Stephen et al.,
>
> Yes, I was implying that it was in the British North American colonies 
> that the first truly public lending libraries originated. But I've now 
> consulted Wikipedia and found that--unsurprisingly--the history of the 
> library I was taught in the United States is not the only one. Since we're 
> in disclaimer mode, I'll wonder out loud if there might have been lending 
> libraries open to the public further removed in time and space than 
> Western Europe or North America. I somehow doubt that the various sanghas 
> lent manuscripts, but perhaps the enlightened leaders of Cordoba? Or 
> Chang-an? Or Alexandria?
>
> Anyway, thanks for the little lesson in jingoism and (Buddhist content) 
> attachment,
>
> Franz
>
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