[Buddha-l] Back to the core values?

[Jackhat1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/31/2007 4:18:59 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
curt at cola.iges.org writes:

Batchelor does in fact "threaten" something that I hold dear. Like many  
people (including Pierre Hadot, C.G. Jung, Sangharakshita, Ghandi, the  
Cleary brothers, and many others) I feel that there is something  
fundamentally missing from "western" culture - something  "spiritual"
==
Are you saying belief in rebirth and devotional practices are spiritual  
while trying to clear one's mind right now is not?

if 
I  may use that word. I once attended a retreat led by Stanley Lombardo  
(actually I've had that pleasure more than once), and during a Dharma  
Talk, he said something to the effect that all of the wisdom found in  
Buddhism can also be found in Homer (maybe he added Hesiod and/or Plato  
or some other Greeks as well). When we had the chance to ask questions I  
asked, well, if that's the case, then why don't we just build some  
Temples to Demeter and Athena and forget all about this Buddhist stuff  
from Asia? His answer was that we have lost the *practice* of the kind  
of spirituality found in Homer - all we have left are the words (or  
something like that). In rushing back to embrace "his own" culture I  
feel that Batchelor is papering over this still very sizable  problem.
====
Can you say more about what Lombardo said and this sizable problem? Could  
Lombardo be saying the following? Homer's world lived by active myths which  
helped one to deal with inner processes. Some of us have lost the ability  to 
live according to the wonderful truths found in knowledge of ancient  stories.
 
My understanding of Buddha's teaching is that he would say that  these 
stories are fingers pointing toward the moon. Some are useful. Others  are not. 
Belief in rebirth if it takes our attention away from our problems  right now and 
toward metaphysical speculations is not useful and not part of the  Buddha's 
teachings. That is, the Buddha mentions rebirth (doesn't  mention devotional 
practices, I think) but, to me, as not part of his teachings  to alleviate 
suffering.
 
You mention Jung. His interest in and understanding (a very faulty  
understanding in my opinion) of  Buddhism is very interesting.
 
Jack
 
Jack 
 
 
 








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