Reader letters to BuddhaJones.com. Letters are separated by blank lines or bold headings.

Goal Vehicle

I did enjoy Fiji Konstanzer's explanation unavailable of the vehicle concept. I would like to interject that what characterizes a goal vehicle is a fused understanding of the absolute and the relative. In The Daishonin's Buddhism, this is sometimes referred to as the fusion of the objective and the subjective. When one's path is itself one's goal, then one is cognizant of the absolute Buddha nature in every moment while at the same time fully participating in the affairs of daily life. As the Daishonin wrote, "Base your heart on the ninth consciousness and base your practice on the six consciousnesses." This is my two cents.
Derrick


Buddhist Humor?

I finally got a chance to check out your site. M. Simon's scholarship is to be commended. I'm glad there is a place for Buddhist humor.
ps nellhaus


Is this a joke?
Don T.


Would you please stop this site? It is so disturbing. You may be upset by this email. But I can't stop telling you. The internet is not proper media for your opinion. Participate SGI activities, face realities, and you won't go wrong way. I admit that I don't know you at all, so I may be totally wrong to say this to you. But most readers do not know you, right? Please stop!
AZ


Hulllo Dalai

I questioned the wisdom of you expressing interest unavailable in the Dalai Lama since Tibetan Buddhism is almost totally different than Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. It is a little like a Southern Baptist finding validity in something the Pope says. Strange. I gave this some thought then and concluded that the operative word is not Tibetan or Nichiren. The operative word is Buddhism. In the Gosho, Sessen Doji was willing to give his life to hear a single verse of the Buddhas teachings, even though it was a frightening demon who was going to teach him the verse! We should seek the Buddhas teachings from those who know them, as the Dalai Lama does to some degree. Stay centered on the Gohonzon and be firm that you are a disciple of the Daishonin.
RGranada


Ben Hillcrest and Shantideva

Ben Hillcrest needs to get a clue. The verses he "did not write" were written by Buddhist saint of the Eigth Century, Shantideva. The verses are famous and I'm surprised that Mr. Hillcrest, as an avowed Buddhist, did not know this unavailable. Maybe he was trying to be funny. Ha, Mr. Hillcrest, ha. Some of us are religious about our religion and study its pertinent texts. One suspects that the curriculum one studies as a Nichiren Buddhist is, shall we say, shallowly neglectful of classical texts.

I am not laughing at your web site. I refuse to laugh. There are some funny things but I will not laugh at them because to do so would be to admit that there is something here that has power over me to cause this reaction in me. I don't want to give you that kind of credit since Mr. Hillcrest is so shoddy in his scholarship that he would not know such a famous passage.

I also do not think that Urth Caf serves the best lattes in Los Angeles. Haven't you people ever been to Peet's? The clientele at Urth is positively insufferable chock-a-block full of film industry snobs and yoga instructors. I did have a good wedge of pie there once. Do you want me to write an article about the Bodhi Tree bookstore? It will not be funny and it will be thoroughly researched unlike the detestable tripe vomited into cyberspace by Mr. I'm-so-witlessly-funny Ben Hillcrest.
Cha-cha-cha,
Marcus


Ben Hillcrest responds: Shantideva? Cool. Thanks.


To the gentleman who criticized Ben Hillcrest. I do not know Mr. Hillcrest but I think you were too harsh with him. Please watch your word choice and tone, especially when making criticism. People can be very fragile, their feelings are tender sometimes. It takes a thick skin to put your writings up for all the world to see and get criticism. You don't need to throw rocks. How would you like it?
Donna


Math Problem

Three guys in a hotel call room service and order two large pizzas. The delivery boy brings them up with a bill for exactly $30.00.Each guy gives him a $10.00 bill, and he leaves. That's a fact! When he hands the $30.00 to the cashier, he is told a mistake was made. The bill was only $25.00, not $30.00. The cashier gives the delivery boy five $1.00 bills and tells him to take it back to the 3 guys who ordered the pizza. That's a fact!

On the way back to their room, the delivery boy has a thought... these guys did not give him a tip. He figures that since there is no way to split $5.00 evenly three ways anyhow, he will keep two dollars for himself and give them back three dollars.OK! So far so good! He knocks on the door and one fellow answers. He explains about a mix up in the bill, and hands the guy the three dollars, and then departs with his two-dollar tip in his pocket.

Now the fun begins! Remember $30-$25=$5 Right? $5-$3=$2 Right? So what's the problem? All is well, right? Not quite. Answer this: Each of the three guys originally gave $10.00 each. They each got back $1.00 in change. That means they paid $9.00 each, which times three is $27.00.The delivery boy kept $2.00 for a tip. $27.00 plus $2.00 equals $29.00. Where the hack is the other dollar ??? Solve it ?
Teh Terik


Teh Terik's math problem is not a problem. He's got where the money came from and where the money went all confused. It's like getting subject and object confused or maybe heaven and earth or something. Here's where the money came from: $9 from each guy (how come all the guys are guys?) $1 back to each guy. This makes $30 Here's where the money went: $25 to the pizza place $ 2 to the pizza 'guy' (this 'guy' thing seems a wee bit suspicious) $ 3 back to the three 'guys' (see what I mean?) this makes $30 why does there appear to be missing $1? I think it has to do with the power of the number 3. Three is significant. A lot of important terms have the number three -- three great secret laws, three obstacles, three blind mice, three musketeers, etc, etc. Now, there is also "Sansho tremis," the three paradoxes. This 'guy's' math problem appears to be a paradox, but isn't. That's the third paradox -- there is no paradox.
HTH --
A guy


Guys

I work with a bunch of very manly guys. They drink, swear and have the world-views of neanderthals. They are hard workers. I kid you not: there are two signs above the toilets. One reads 'Please flush after use.' The other reads 'Piss in toilet.' One of the guys has a big problem. His ex-girlfriend had his baby a few days ago and she won't let him see it. Now, when you deal with daily life by filling yourself with alcohol and fighting strangers what is left to deal with serious problems like this? Here is what he did. There are three fellows at work we call the ninjas. They each have black belts in a whole bunch of martial arts. They are strong, smart and nimble. So the guy got the three ninjas drunk and ordered them to beat him up! That's how he dealt with his feelings about his ex. For some reason they all like and respect me. They must think I landed from another planet.
Keith


The Site in General

Buddhajones is a Buddhahoot. How did you get my first women's division chapter chief to give guidance? The author's name is obviously a pseudonym, because the compassionate spirit is unmistakable. I was going to submit an article! However, your Buddhist ethic against attachments dissuaded me. Please thank Coco-san for that time she gave the YWD leader in my chapter guidance to move into my apartment so she could save money for Tozan.
Regards,
Thomas Ultican


I LOVE THIS SIGHT...
Fortune Baby in Hartford, CT.
Victor