No buts its got to be Buddha

[melthebell]

seems the sri lankans are turning more hardline in their stance about their religion Buddhism

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-27107857

 

British woman is being deported for "hurting others' religious feelings" and there has been a previous case of a man being refused entry because of a buddha tattoo and Two years ago, three French tourists were given suspended prison sentences for kissing a Buddha statue.

 

it comes in the wake of violence by hardline Buddist monks too

 

Over the past year monks belonging to certain hardline Buddhist groups have led violent attacks against Muslims and Christians, a trend which has given rise to considerable concern among religious minorities in Sri Lanka.

 

so if youre ever going to sri lanka leave your buddhas at home, and NO kissing him

[Nagel]

My Allah tattoo caused no end of problems on my recent holiday in Dubai.

[melthebell]

My Allah tattoo caused no end of problems on my recent holiday in Dubai.

yeah but its on yer arse so nobody sees it

[The Joker]

yeah but its on yer arse so nobody sees it

 

Maybe he got drunk and pulled down his trousers

[blake]

this happens regularly in Buddhist countries. People have been at least arrested (maybe not deported) for wearing disrespectful t-shirts featuring Buddha in Thailand. People have even be arrested for trapping a fifty or a hundred baht note if it blows away in the wind, with their foot, only that time it is not Buddha that is being disrespected, but the king and the monarchy.

 

the problem is westerners frequently regard eastern religions in a fetishistic-type way and which annoys Buddhists no end. One time years ago I was at a party in England where the hostess said she was a Buddhist and I saw she displayed a Buddha figure in her kitchen, not even in a position of height but right next to where she chopped up her vegetables to prepare her dinner. No Thai or Khmer or Burmese Buddhist would ever position a Buddha figure like that. Buddhas are usually placed high up, well above eye level, and in a peaceful room of the house as part of a shrine, not in a place like the kitchen or bathroom.

[onewheeldave]

 

the problem is westerners frequently regard eastern religions in a fetishistic-type way and which annoys Buddhists no end. One time years ago I was at a party in England where the hostess said she was a Buddhist and I saw she displayed a Buddha figure in her kitchen, not even in a position of height but right next to where she chopped up her vegetables to prepare her dinner. No Thai or Khmer or Burmese Buddhist would ever position a Buddha figure like that. Buddhas are usually placed high up, well above eye level, and in a peaceful room of the house as part of a shrine, not in a place like the kitchen or bathroom.

 

Well, she was a western buddhist. She can place her buddha statues well below eye level if she wants. Western buddhists don't necessarily follow the same traditions as thai/burmese buddhists.

 

Indeed, western buddhists often see thai/burmese state buddhism as having been turned into little more than a state religion that has been heavily distorted and, having little in common with the original teachings of the buddha.

[blake]

Indeed, western buddhists often see thai/burmese state buddhism as having been turned into little more than a state religion that has been heavily distorted and, having little in common with the original teachings of the buddha.

 

unlike here in the UK, there is no state religion in Thailand. In fact, I don't think that there is any country, anywhere in the world where Buddhism is the state religion. Sri Lanka does not have any state religion any more than Thailand does.

 

westerner Buddhists are of course entitled to believe whatever they want. But they are the subject of much scorn, the belief being that they have just taken a religion or belief system off the supermarket shelf, to try it for while. They may consider themselves Buddhists today. But they just change their minds again tomorrow, reject Buddhism, and become Hindus or something else that seems vaguely esoteric tomorrow instead. This is where religion becomes like a part of the consumer culture, and is in fact very typical of the western capitalist mindset. And to be honest I do think it is somewhat contemptible.

[onewheeldave]

unlike here in the UK, there is no state religion in Thailand. In fact, I don't think that there is any country, anywhere in the world where Buddhism is the state religion. Sri Lanka does not have any state religion any more than Thailand does.

 

westerner Buddhists are of course entitled to believe whatever they want. But they are the subject of much scorn, the belief being that they have just taken a religion or belief system off the supermarket shelf, to try it for while. They may consider themselves Buddhists today. But they just change their minds again tomorrow, reject Buddhism, and become Hindus or something else that seems vaguely esoteric tomorrow instead. This is where religion becomes like a part of the consumer culture, and is in fact very typical of the western capitalist mindset. And to be honest I do think it is somewhat contemptible.

 

You seem to be talking about western 'spiritual dabblers' who have a quick go at buddhism before moving onto some other version of spirituality?

 

But there are western buddhists who stick to buddhism seriously, as well as several long established western buddhist organisations- zen buddhism being particularly well represented in the west.

[melthebell]

Dave I think the point was when you go over to a country that's deeply Buddhist westerners may be not quite so strict and reverent like the lady in the op with a tattoo

western style of it to the easts style of it, completely different

[blake]

Sri Lanka isn't exactly 'deeply' Buddhist when only 70% of the inhabitants are practicitioners.

 

that is nothing compared to the 90% plus Buddhist populations of Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia.

 

I don't think it is any sign that the Sri Lankans are getting more 'hardline', or anything - just that it is not a good idea to look like a total plonker when you turn up in some foreign country you have not got a clue about. You should always keep covered up and wear long trousers and long sleeved shirts when you are going through immigration anyway just as you should in any other official setting, no matter how hot it is.