Really, I did!

[ornoth]

In the Mahasihanada Sutta, someone criticizes the Buddha for not practicing asceticism. Part of the response is this passage, which I find singularly amusing.

“Such was my asceticism, Sariputta, that I went naked, rejecting conventions, licking my hands, not coming when asked, not stopping when asked; I did not accept food brought or food specially made or an invitation to a meal; I received nothing from a pot, from a bowl, across a threshold, across a stick, across a pestle, from two eating together, from a pregnant woman, from a woman giving suck, from a woman in the midst of men, from where food was advertised to be distributed, from where a dog was waiting, from where flies were buzzing; I accepted no fish or meat, I drank no liquor, wine or fermented brew. I kept to one house, to one morsel; I kept to two houses, to two morsels;…I kept to seven houses, to seven morsels. I lived on one saucerful a day, on two saucerfuls a day…on seven saucerfuls a day; I took food once a day, once every two days…once every seven days, and so on up to once every fortnight; I dwelt pursuing the practice of taking food at stated intervals. I was an eater of greens or millet or wild rice or hide-parings or moss or ricebran or rice-scum or sesamum flour or grass or cowdung. I lived on forest roots and fruits, I fed on fallen fruits. I clothed myself in hemp, in hemp-mixed cloth, in shrouds, in refuse rags, in tree bark, in antelope hide, in strips of antelope hide, in kusa-grass fabric, in bark fabric, in wood-shavings fabric, in head-hair wool, in animal wool, in owls’ wings. I was one who pulled out hair and beard, pursuing the practice of pulling out hair and beard. I was one who stood continuously, rejecting seats. I was one who squatted continuously, devoted to maintaining the squatting position. I was one who used a mattress of spikes; I made a mattress of spikes my bed. I dwelt pursuing the practice of bathing in water three times daily including the evening. Thus in such a variety of ways I dwelt pursuing the practice of tormenting and mortifying the body. Such was my asceticism.”

Comments

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Nothing to do with the post I'm following, just I saw an article on Buddhism in the US that might interest you (or at least I'd be interested in hearing your reaction to it). http://suicidegirls.com/news/culture/22223/

[ornoth.livejournal.com]

I didn't get through it all (lack of time), but I think the author has a very different understanding of Buddhism than I do. He clearly misunderstands the "hatred can only be overcome by love" by thinking "love" equals "pacifism", which is simplistic and misguided.

Buddhism is not about passivity and pacifism at all costs. It's perfectly fine to defend oneself or enforce the rule of law; those are required elements of human society.

On the other hand, while it might be ultimately necessary to use violence to defend oneself and enforce the rule of law, those should still be methods of last resort; the goal should be a society where violence is not necessary for any purpose, including self-defense and policing. Of course, that's a utopian ideal that isn't likely to happen in this world...

But understanding and love -- which of course includes the "tough love" of enforcing lawfulness and defending oneself -- remains the only way that hatred might ever be successfully addressed, at least IMO.