RCNelson
23rd January 2005, 02:05 PM
On this weeks commentary (http://63.118.175.191/jr/012105the.html), it was claimed, with regard to the tsunami, that:
The Buddhist talked of desire and misery. (I don't know that a natural disaster is the result of desire).
Being curious how a Buddhist could be so stupid as to blame the tsunami on desire, I went to the Larry King Live transcript archive (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0501/07/lkl.01.html). What I found was that the Buddhist representative never even mentioned desire, and even presented a fairly naturalistic view. Here's what he actually said:
Gunaratana on Larry King Live:
KING: ... How do you explain this [tsunami], how do you accept a higher being?
HANEPOLA GUNARATANA, BUDDHIST VIHARA TEMPLE: This we believe is a very natural phenomenon that can happen any time, anywhere in the world. This is not something was done or created or caused by any supernatural, superhuman being. This happened, because of the natural causes.
And now, what we are to do is to accept what has happened. And then deal with the situation with the way that is most important, most beneficial to all those who have -- those who have lost their properties, relatives, friends, children and so forth. And those who are suffering from enormous catastrophe. We support them to overcome their psychological problems, emotional problems, loss of relatives, friends and so forth.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KING: ... Does the Buddhist believe in a good and loving God?
GUNARATANA: Buddhists believe that there is a universal force, universal nature. This is called eternal law. And this is -- part of that nature, that things come into existence and they are going out of existence in one way or another. And this is one of those ways that things went out of existence. And here is an opportunity for us to generate more compassion, living friendliness, generosity, and helping each other. So here we have great, deep faith in humanity and human beings' support and help.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KING: What does the Buddhist believe with regard to charity?
GUNARATANA: Charity is very natural, spontaneous offering, giving things just like in this situation, everybody's heart open. Americans, non-Americans, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Christians. Everybody began to make generous donations because it is a human nature that giving things -- that they want to do, to support everybody. It comes naturally, automatically, spontaneously. That is what certainly happened this moment. Everybody came forward in many different ways. Billions of dollars have been raised. And all kinds of material things have been donated. All came spontaneously from their own heart. Just purely because of that human nature. Although this situation instigated this -- aroused this nature. But it is all human beings.
KING: Do your scriptures require it? Bontaje, do your scriptures require giving?
GUNARATANA: Yes. It is actually the most important thing in order to unite us, get rid of our greed, get rid of our hatred, to bring us together, be friendly, and support each other. This is the most fundamental thing. Because we is suffer because of our greed. And when we learn to give away, then we learn to reduce our greed, our suffering, and the suffering of the world. And these people are millions of people in the world. Suffering, especially here, more than almost 160,000 people suffer, in order to eliminate pain, suffering, grief, and despair. People began to donate things, give away things. This is the very basic...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KING: ... Do you doubt?
GUNARATANA: I don't have any doubt with compassion, people's generosity, their faith. They are coming forward to support in situations like this. We always have very deep faith in all these beings. That we have deepest faith in the truth, the reality. That will never fail us. It always is there. It always manifests itself in the true way. And therefore we have deepest faith in the truth.
The Buddhist talked of desire and misery. (I don't know that a natural disaster is the result of desire).
Being curious how a Buddhist could be so stupid as to blame the tsunami on desire, I went to the Larry King Live transcript archive (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0501/07/lkl.01.html). What I found was that the Buddhist representative never even mentioned desire, and even presented a fairly naturalistic view. Here's what he actually said:
Gunaratana on Larry King Live:
KING: ... How do you explain this [tsunami], how do you accept a higher being?
HANEPOLA GUNARATANA, BUDDHIST VIHARA TEMPLE: This we believe is a very natural phenomenon that can happen any time, anywhere in the world. This is not something was done or created or caused by any supernatural, superhuman being. This happened, because of the natural causes.
And now, what we are to do is to accept what has happened. And then deal with the situation with the way that is most important, most beneficial to all those who have -- those who have lost their properties, relatives, friends, children and so forth. And those who are suffering from enormous catastrophe. We support them to overcome their psychological problems, emotional problems, loss of relatives, friends and so forth.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KING: ... Does the Buddhist believe in a good and loving God?
GUNARATANA: Buddhists believe that there is a universal force, universal nature. This is called eternal law. And this is -- part of that nature, that things come into existence and they are going out of existence in one way or another. And this is one of those ways that things went out of existence. And here is an opportunity for us to generate more compassion, living friendliness, generosity, and helping each other. So here we have great, deep faith in humanity and human beings' support and help.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KING: What does the Buddhist believe with regard to charity?
GUNARATANA: Charity is very natural, spontaneous offering, giving things just like in this situation, everybody's heart open. Americans, non-Americans, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Christians. Everybody began to make generous donations because it is a human nature that giving things -- that they want to do, to support everybody. It comes naturally, automatically, spontaneously. That is what certainly happened this moment. Everybody came forward in many different ways. Billions of dollars have been raised. And all kinds of material things have been donated. All came spontaneously from their own heart. Just purely because of that human nature. Although this situation instigated this -- aroused this nature. But it is all human beings.
KING: Do your scriptures require it? Bontaje, do your scriptures require giving?
GUNARATANA: Yes. It is actually the most important thing in order to unite us, get rid of our greed, get rid of our hatred, to bring us together, be friendly, and support each other. This is the most fundamental thing. Because we is suffer because of our greed. And when we learn to give away, then we learn to reduce our greed, our suffering, and the suffering of the world. And these people are millions of people in the world. Suffering, especially here, more than almost 160,000 people suffer, in order to eliminate pain, suffering, grief, and despair. People began to donate things, give away things. This is the very basic...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KING: ... Do you doubt?
GUNARATANA: I don't have any doubt with compassion, people's generosity, their faith. They are coming forward to support in situations like this. We always have very deep faith in all these beings. That we have deepest faith in the truth, the reality. That will never fail us. It always is there. It always manifests itself in the true way. And therefore we have deepest faith in the truth.