May 10, 2005

Bodhisattvas, stay away from chicken trainers!

Just when you were exhausted from wondering what a jaywalking chicken has to do with Buddhism, I arrive with a blog that delivers the answer!

It came to me quite by accident, as I was reading the Burton Watson version of The Lotus Sutra in the bathtub tonight. I turned to a chapter where Buddha is telling Manjushri the four rules that a bodhisattvas should abide by if he or she wishes to preach the sutra in the evil age hereafter. It's Chapter 14, page 197...

“They should not closely associate with hazardous amusements, boxing or wrestling, or with actors or others engaged in various kinds of illusionary entertainment, or with chandalas, persons engaged in training pigs, sheep, chickens or dogs.”

So although I'm sure you have compassion for the plight of the Moore's (the owners of the naughty fowl mentioned in my previous blog), you are hereby advised to steer clear if you know what's good for you. (That is, unless they can prove they didn't train that poultry to jaywalk.)

Posted by at May 10, 2005 09:13 PM
Comments

Queen Lolo -

I do not know if you read the NichirenShuBuddhism Yahoo group, but there has been an ongoing thread for most of the past week regarding this chapter, and a very similar issue. I recommend it to you.

Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett

Posted by: Engyo Mike Barrett at May 11, 2005 06:48 AM

Well if it isn't one synchronistic moment after another... I will definitely check out the Nichiren Shu Buddhism group! I was hoping to have someone to talk to about this very strange "Peaceful Practices" chapter of the Lotus Sutra that includes advising bodhisattvas to avoid not only chicken trainers, but also actors, "the five types of unmanly men," and those who compose works of secular literature.

Posted by: queen lolo at May 11, 2005 12:31 PM

Mike, couldn't find this thread... can you give me the jist of it? I'm a bit unclear as to how to steer clear of actors and unmanly men, since I live in Los Angeles. And some of my best friends are...

Posted by: queen lolo at May 16, 2005 10:01 PM

Queen Lolo and all -

The beginning of the thread in question is here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nichirenshubuddhism/message/7914

or http://tinyurl.com/bmr39

Hope this works.....If you then follow the replies listed below the main email, you can miss the other stuff on that forum if you aren't interested.

Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett

Posted by: Engyo Mike Barrett at May 17, 2005 10:24 AM