[Buddha-l] Big is beautiful (was: Review of a review)

[Franz Metcalf]

Gang,

Dan wrote

> In English to be a "big man" or to be "big about it" carries that  
> same lofty
> connotation. Just shows that "big" is bigger (vertically and  
> horizontally)
> than "grand." Domage. :-)

I find it interesting that the word "petty" in English carries this  
even further, with its actual denotation diverging from the French  
"petit." Petty now means small-minded, cheap, tawdry, inferior, etc. I  
do not think "petit" has even this negative connotation in French, let  
alone this denotation. Est-ce que c'est vrai, Joy?

Mandatory Buddhist content: this parallels the Pali word "hina."  
Perhaps this is why Mahayana has been more successful in the big ol'  
USofA.

Franz