President Obama created a new presidential precedent when he bowed to the Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko Saturday.No president of the United States in the more than 230 years since the country was founded in 1776 had ever bowed to a member of royalty. That was until Barack Obama’s presidency.
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In the 1908 Olympic games, a controversy arose when flagbearer (Ralph Rose) refused to dip the flag to King Edward VII of England. Rose explained "This flag dips to no earthly king."
The willingness of the president to "dip" is shameful indeed.
So what? Let it go man, just let it go.
ReplyDeleteOn November 10th, Ichro Ozawa, Secretary-General of Japan Democratic Party and one of the most powerful politic leaders of Japan visited Yukei Matsunaga the head of the Japan Buddist Federation.
ReplyDeleteAt the Press Conference Ozawa said
" Christians and Moslims are people without generosity and tolerance. The western world now comes to a blind alley because its culture is based on self-righteous Christianity.
Buddists accept all kind of people and its teaching says that everyone can be Budda. Buddism is the only true religeon with generosity and tolerance. "
(Koyasan, Wakayama, Japan )
I'm no expert on Buddhism, but my guess is that to "be a Buddha" means to achieve the sainthood and perfect enlightenment that the original Buddha is believed to have achieved.
ReplyDeleteSo, as I see it, this is about a theoretical potential spiritual achievement -- one for spiritual geniuses.
For the original Buddha was an Aryan -- a White man of nobility and with blue eyes. In his time, Hinduism taught that only Aryans could achieve enlightenment and thus not have to endure endless rebirths (that is, escape miserable reincarnations).
Most religions these days teach that anyone can find salvation -- in one way or another, according to the religion's methods and requirements -- regardless of race or gender.
I don't think there are many Buddhas running around.
Don't kid yourself -- the Japanese and other Asians abroad are VERY race-conscious, regardless of whatever religion(s) they espouse.
Even though I'm certainly no authority on the subject, I have gathered this much from watching a movie.
ReplyDeleteLet me call this simple piece "Buddhism 101."
In 1950, Errol Flynn starred in a movie adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling movie "Kim."
This story gives us a glimpse into the religious life of India.
Buddhism is presented in this movie as a pessimistic view of human life. Basically, this world is evil, and the goal of all who seek God is to escape the fate of coming back to this earth to suffer through yet another lifetime.
The goal of Buddhism is thus "release" from suffering, achieved by "finding God" in an inner, psychical-spiritual experience, and thus becoming holy (or a Saint) and totally enlightened.
If successful, the follower will be let off the 'Wheel of Rebirth' and in this way will find everlasting peace for his soul.
To simplify the idea and answer the question -- as explained in this movie: How does one reach God and find what Christians call "salvation" and Buddhists call "release"?
In Buddhism, one renounces this world and loves God so perfectly that one's soul (during meditation, as a rule) meets God and forgets this world entirely. This experience is called is "enlightenment."
Once the soul has had this mystical union with God, further reincarnations will not take place and, upon death, the soul will remain with God.
For those who fail (even if they are trying to succeed), they will be reborn (and those souls who become totally corrupt will be annihilated).
To make Buddhism seem just a little less weird to Westerners (but NOT to endorse it for them!), there is a similar idea in Christianity, that is found in the old hymn "Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus."
ReplyDeleteThe song says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus /Look full in His wonderful face,/ and the things of earth will grow strangely dim / in the light of His Glory and Grace."
(This latter is something I endorse.)
Buddhists actually take this idea of meditation on God to the point of making it the means of deliverance from suffering.
Jesus said He is the truth, the light and the way. NO ONE GETS TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM. So excuse us for not being tolerant. Maybe we are just trying to save you from Hell!
ReplyDeleteActually, Obama is not at all the first American president to bow to foreign royalty. Clinton bowed to the same emperor (Akihito) during his presidency, and Nixon did the same with Akihito's father (Hirohito), and if you search around, you can probably find pictures of each event (and perhaps more). The fact that people suddenly make a big deal out of nothing doesn't mean that it's the first time that it's ever occurred.
ReplyDeleteSo what that Clinton and Nixon bowed, THEY were an embarassment also!
ReplyDeleteThe Oriental custom of bowing is only acceptable when both persons mutually bow. Then it is merely a sign of goodwill. For example, Japanese will bow mutually to each other to confirm a contract in business. Nothing of idolatry in that--it's just a question of honor.
ReplyDeleteBut since the Emperor did not bow along with Obama -- whose bow was not in the proper Oriental form, anyhow -- this is wrong and a disgrace to our nation -- well, actually, to Obama himself.
I am NOT a Clinton fan by far, but as I recall when Clinton "bowed" he barely shrugged his shoulders and the media tore him apart for it. Obama did a full out Bow, and the "media" seems to think it's just fine. Amazingly when Bush wanted to deploy more troops the nation was in an uproar, now that Obama wants to deploy more troops, everybody seems to support it. Barrack Hussein Obama mmmmm mmmmm mmmm.
ReplyDeleteGod preaches acceptance, and that includes others cultural identities.
ReplyDelete