Tricycle Daily Dharma July 7, 2013
Distinguishing Genuine Dharma
We
reassure ourselves that the changes we’ve made in Buddhism are all for
the best—that Buddhism has always adapted itself to every culture it
enters, and we can trust it to adapt wisely to the West. But this treats
Buddhism as if it were a conscious agent—a wise amoebic force that
knows how to adapt to its environment in order to survive. Actually,
Buddhism isn’t an agent, and it doesn’t adapt. It gets adapted—sometimes
by people who know what they’re doing, sometimes by people who don’t.
Just because a particular adaptation survives and prevails doesn’t mean
that it’s genuine dharma. It may simply appeal to the desires and fears
of its target audience.
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- Thanissaro Bhikkhu, “Lost in Quotation”
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