Robert Thurman on Trump

[vlyons]

Thurman is an American Buddhist author and academic who has written, edited, and translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism. He was the Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, before retiring in June 2019.

This is an interesting video about his take on Trump.

[harumph]

1. I've always thought the principle of auspicious birth

to be problematic and asked a monk once, "Master, one person is born into
a rich family, but with a cruel and controlling father, and another person is born into a poor family but with two loving parents..."
Which person led a more righteous existence in his/her former life? He gave me a very muddled answer. I'm not surprised.
Conventional (mass appeal) interpretations of reincarnation focus on the rewards of good behavior which is correlated in the next life as great wealth. Seems overly simplistic to me and lacking imagination.

I've always been inclined to reject the Just World Hypothesis completely whether its impetus/cause/matrix is purported as Tao or a personal god.

Trump, has no idea who Trump is because he is pure appetite. He is a broken personality. Our culture collectively is at fault for idolizing such a void of a person. Many people in this country are as ignorant and lost as he - but they lack the power (as yet) to make their darkest dreams a reality.

[usonian]

2. I can't understand the lust for money and power beyond what is reasonable.

David Loy treats this in “Money, Sex, War, Karma”, noting that things like money, fame, power and so on are largely symbolic, and since there can always be someone with more, they are in fact losing propositions. “There can never be enough”, echoing “Too much and never enough” by psychologist Mary Trump.

But, to me, it’s not so much about future lives, rather this life, in which we can indeed, be very happy by caring for and helping others, and very sad trying to disadvantage others. One is a positive feedback loop and the other negative, and it shows.

The greedy, arrogant and deceitful are unhappy people, as evidenced in their constant anger and resentment, whereas those who see others as equal but different, honorable and deserving of fair treatment (as in the golden rule), are at peace in this life and any future lives.

I base those three qualities on The Buddha’s ☸️ actions and the 🪷 Lotus Sutra 🪷

1. We are equal but different, since we are all manifestations of the mystic law/dharma, each of us creating and adding meaning to the universe, hence innumerable meanings.
2. We are all honorable, as Devadatta, the Buddha’s arch-enemy was respected as a future Buddha, given that we all have that potential, and
3. As the Buddha and Ananda encountered a sick monk in the road, neglected by his peers, the Buddha instructed the monks to treat each other as they would treat himself.

[vlyons]

3. The 3 great poisons are greed, hatred, and ignorance about how things actually exist.

In Tibetan Buddhism, samsara has 6 realms, one of which is the hungry ghosts, who have great big stomachs, long skinny necks, and tiny mouths. So they can only eat little bites that painfully burn when swallowed and going down the neck to a stomach that is never satisfied, always wanting more. They are motivated by greed. Another realm is for the asuras or demigods, who are deeply jealous of the gods. The demigods are always at war with the gods, trying to overpower them, causing trouble and chaos. The demigods are motivated by envy and jealousy.