Spiritual Bullies

When I was a young boy in the 1960's growing up in L.A. I used to take the public bus home from school and made a bus change near south L.A. At the bus change there used to be many vagrants hanging out at the taco shop asking passerby's for money. When they were bored they would sometimes play a game with kids coming off the bus. They would walk up to them and hand off a $10 bill pushing it on the kid saying 'Take it, take it, it's for you." Then when the kid took the money they would grab the kid by the shirt lifting him off the ground and tell him to give it back or they would kick his ass. Well, I guess I was lucky growing up in L.A. in the '60's, for if it was in current times, people will shoot you for fun and to watch you squint blood when they are bored.

Nowadays, many a spiritual forum and discussion group seems to work the same way as these vagrants did via 'out of control' moderators and list owners. While it commendable they wish to be of spiritual service to others, they forget that harmful service is many a time worse than no service. To quote Socrates, "My friend Crito, your zeal is invaluable, if a right one; but if wrong, the greater the zeal the greater the evil..." Such zealots and spiritually sick individuals seem to forget the law of karma applies to them as well as others when they act out their ill deeds. The Buddha reportedly warns us that our actions stick to us as out shadow and even though we do not pay our bill al at once it is being accrued telling us "Fresh milk takes time to sour. So a fool's deeds take time to catch up with him" But this is just echoed as the same law that the bible speaks of ?'As yea sew, so shall ye reap'

It is a common practice that many an overregulated and prejudiced discussion forum claim to offer spiritual peace. Then, at the last moment take that promise back and work to destroy one's peace, just as the vagrants did with the children with their bullying fun. So it was most recently experience a 'for profit' Buddhist discussion forum I have been a member on for the past few years called eSangha. Whenever I bring up the taboo subjects of freedom of thought and freedom of speech at eSangha it results in a temporary ban of my account there. If one has a different opinion than the mainstream with spiritual beliefs, then the threat of being banned is given by the moderators in an effort to stifle discussion. One moderator described his efforts at 'sanitizing' the forum bragging about his ability to make threads invisible if he chooses to. Psychologist William James once said, "A great many people believe they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

In one translation of the Dhamapadda, the Buddha reportedly speaks of receiving ALL opinions, which is something that is sorely lacking at many discussion groups. This spiritual bullying is not limited to the Buddhists or eSangha, as the worst offenders are the Christians - banning me effectively from 100% of their forums and discussion groups. (where a ban can take place). Charity? Reciprocity? Humility? Such persons need to go back to the basics before calling themeless Christians? I am a Christian Buddhist myself and have much experience with many genres of spiritual and other discussion forums being on nearly 200 of them over the last 9 years. But out of the 200 forums I was a member of, I have been banned from roughly 70% of them. I have to look for humor sometimes in this prejudice. A while ago I signed up for the Billy Graham forum and a forum for Catholics. After making my first post to each forum, both banned me - permanently. Then, both forums would solicit me for donations months later after being banned. I believe Thoreau had it right in Walden: "Trade curses everything it touches and even though you trade in 'messages from heaven' trade attaches itself and the whole thing becomes cursed."

I mentioned above 'one translation of the Dhamapadda' since you will find many flavors of the Dhamapadda which rests on the point of the post. I also use the word 'reportedly' a lot to describe the Buddha's or Jesus' words. Why? Because everything we have on the Buddha or Jesus is here-say. They wrote down nothing. As such, let various opinions flourish for all to see and let people have the freedom to think for themselves. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. Either a spiritual practice works or it does not wok and that is the bottom line. Spiritual directions that destroy ones peace are false, spiritual directions that promote ones peace as well as the inner peace of others are the true way. But in any case, let the opinions be said in freedom.

It has been said that a wooden Buddha will not get through a fire, a clay Buddha will not get through the ocean and a bronze Buddha will not get though a furnace. But, a clay Buddha can get through the furnace and turn to stone, a wooden Buddha can float across a river and a bronze Buddha will withstand a fire. So I use many tools to find peace and do not limit myself. I apply this diversity not only to spiritual paths and practices, but most importantly I apply it to my discussion groups. I have long since learned not to put all my marbles in one group. As such I am on 40 to 50 groups at any one time and if one choose to ban me due to prejudice, the other groups are there for my spiritual and other benefit.

I find useful tool with such problems as prejudice of views and destroying the peace of others is to meditate on the Mahayana based 'dana-paramita' also know as the perfection of generosity. Especially with the giving of security and freedom from fear as well as the giving of the dharma. Of course, when such discussion lists try to shut a member up or ban them, they are doing just the opposite. They are producing fear and destroying security and taking away the offering of dharma. Now, I am not against temporarily banning a member if they are continually abusive toward other members, using profane language towards list members or destroying the effective operation of a group. But banning a member due of the personal prejudices list owner or moderator is a very bad policy if one claims to have an interest in spiritual ways. Why do I get banned so much? I get banned not for fighting, but for fright-ing. They do not like to here what I write about, so the easiest way to shut me up is to ban me.

The three unwholesome roots of delusions, greed and hate are very basic to a a Buddhist practice. Out of these three, delusion is the foundational root, for without seeing delusions for what they are, you cannot distinguish the other two unwholesome roots of greed and hate. Until the prejudiced individuals work through the delusion there will be no growth spiritually. On the country, as they work to destroy the peace of others, they will go backward with their spiritual progress until they take that first step in the opposite direction from where they have been headed in. Isn't this just common sense? More sickness will only yield more sickness? This is not my law, but the law of nature, as James Allen reminds us below.

"Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results. Bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles. Men understand this law in the natural world, and work with it. But few understand it in the mental and moral world."

but

"To think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all - such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor."

and it reminds us we will never be at peace by fostering hatred for another.

To be at peace with this subject, all we can do is to be true to our nature while aligning that nature the best we can to an authentically peaceful life. Once we do this, we will be able to feel the same peace as Socrates did when he was sentenced to death (for having opinions and wishing to express them)

"...know this truth my Judges - that no evil can happen to a good man - either in life or after death.



Take care,


V (male)