[Buddha-l] "Western Self, Asian Other"

[Margaret Gouin]

2009/12/31 Richard Hayes <rhayes at unm.edu>

>
> <snipped>
> Although Quli's article raises quite a few problems (which several of you
> have already pointed out), I do think she makes a valid point when she
> observes that for Buddhists it is quite important to reflect on what counts
> as legitimate Buddhism, but academics should not engage in this enterprise.
> So while, say, a Rinzai Zen Buddhist might do well to think about whether
> SGI, NKT, the FWBO and Stephen Batchelor are really presenting authentic
> Buddhist teachings, academics should abstain for passing judgement on such
> matters.
>
>
One of my favourite statements is from Eva Dargyay, writing in 1988:

'The ethnographic details reported here should caution us against rushing to
label one or the other activities or ideas as “truly Buddhist” or
“non-Buddhist.” This would not only distort the facts, as such labels were
never used by the people involved, but it would also jeopardize the validity
of our findings. It is not the researcher’s business to define what
constitutes true Buddhism and what constitutes a less authentic form of this
religion if the Buddhists themselves feel they are genuine followers of
their faith.'

(Eva Dargyay. 1988. ‘Buddhism in Adaptation: ancestor gods and their tantric
counterparts in the religious life of Zanskar’, *History of Religions*,
28.2: 123-34; page 133)

Margaret