tantric sex magic

Just kidding. I want to write about redemption. Even so this is one of my most popular posts.

I remember back in 2010, Brit Hume suggested that Tiger Woods convert from Buddhism to Christianity because Christianity has redemption. I remember at the time a flummoxed Buddhist going on TV to respond to this charge. At the time I was unclear. I wish to muse further on this situation.

Buddhism doesn't have redemption in the sense that Jesus Christ died for our sins, in the sense that we've been kicked out of the garden because Eve gave the apple to Adam. The whole metaphysical contraption of Christianity isn't, obviously, part of Buddhism.

But were there great comeback stories in Buddhism. Of course there were. Did the Buddha think anyone could stage a great comeback? He did hesitate with allowing women into the order, and he gave them more rules, but many think that was quite revolutionary and feminist given the historical context. Of course the story of Angulimala comes to mind. He had a necklace made out of the fingers of the people he killed. When he turned to Buddhism the people stoned him and didn't give him food because they could remember him as a murderer. But that eventually died down and the Buddha taught that you don't run from your problems.

It's not Darth Vader finally acknowledging his son and saving his life type of redemption, but then again no two redemptions are alike.

Thinking about the Tiger Wood situation, obviously he's lost his wife, and by extension full time with his children. I'm sure he visits his children and whatnot, but it's never the same after a divorce. He's been linked to Linsey Vaughn, the great female skier who is injured during these olympics, so his love life has bounced back. He hasn't really won a major since the incident, and the impact on his golfing life has been quite significant. I'm sure he's lost millions and millions of dollars. I don't really know what it's like when you're super rich, what it's like to see some money drift away from you. I'm not sure how bad that really hurts. I don't know his social context, whether people treat him differently or whether he lost any friends. I suppose a real friend sticks by your side even in the bad times, so I guess he lost a lot of friendly acquaintances.

What ever your motivation for "doing good", I would say if it's a kind of redemption motivation, to make up for the bad you've done, well, there's nothing wrong with that. You might realize that it's not easy to tighten things up and "act good". Our lives are a bunch of habits and when we dig a hole, we often find that it wasn't worth it when we start digging out of it. I think that's one of the themes of My Name Is Earl. I think that's the whole point of ethics. It's not to turn you into a sheep, or to flip pleasure upside down and call it bad. The whole point of ethics is that you get hurt by not choosing the best path in life at times, and you really suffer through not being ethical. And that kind of insight is worth all the tantric sex magic in the world.

Did I go on a tangent?

Brandi Carlile's song It Wasn't Me:

Hang on, just hang on for a minute
I've got something to say
I'm not asking you to move on or forget it
But these are better days
To be wrong all along and admit is not amazing grace
But to be loved like a song you remember
Even when you've changed

Tell me did I go on a tangent?
Did I lie through my teeth?
Did I cause you to stumble on your feet?
Did I bring shame on my family?
Did it show when I was weak?
Whatever you see, that wasn't me
That wasn't me, that wasn't me

When you're lost you will toss every lucky coin you'll ever trust
And you will hide from every god like he never turns his back on us
And you will fall all the way to the bottom and fall on your own knife
But you'll learn who you are even if it doesn't take your life

Tell me did I go on a tangent?
Did I lie through my teeth?
Did I cause you to stumble on your feet?
Did I bring shame on my family?
Did it show when I was weak?
Whatever you see, that wasn't me
That wasn't me, that wasn't me

But I want you to know that you'll never alone
I wanna believe do I make myself a blessing to everyone I meet
When you fall I will get you on your feet
Do I spend time with my family?
Did it show when I was weak?
When that's what you see, that will be me
That will be me, that will be me
That will be me

[end]

I woke up today singing, "did I go on a tangent?"

I googled the line, and found the song. I went to Spotify, and listened to the song. It seemed so apropo to my fall ten months ago. My actions were ego dystonic. I experienced them as not me. That wasn't me. I could not stop crying this morning for the hurt I brought.

What I love about this song is that she vows, like a bodhisattva vow, to help people back onto their feet, the ones who have fallen like she has. If there's any silver lining to a mistake, it's understanding them, and vowing to help people who've had similar mistakes. "But I want you to know that you'll never alone/I wanna believe do I make myself a blessing to everyone I meet/When you fall I will get you on your feet"

I bought tickets for a Brandi Carlile concert for one of the many people I hurt, and she was very excited. I apologized and apologized. She says I need to forgive myself. A friend thinks what I did was pretty serious and I think so too. Unfortunately I can't take it back. There's a line from a George Michaels song, "some mistakes were built to last/that's what you get/that's what you get". Another friend says I need to focus on positively moving forward; So that's what I'll do. But this song has a lot of meaning for me.

The line "I'm not asking you to move on or forget it" also captures the fact that saying sorry doesn't take back anything, the thing happened. The song goes on to say, "To be wrong all along and admit is not amazing grace/But to be loved like a song you remember/Even when you've changed".

There was this big thing when Brit Hume said that Tiger Woods should convert to Christianity because it has redemption, and he implied that there isn't any in Buddhism. I am sure there isn't redemption like Christianity, because every system of belief is different. But in Buddhism seeing reality, being awake and alive, is the ultimate goal. When you're awake and alive you see things clearly. You're not bewildered, distracted, confused on important levels. You don't go twisting off on a tangent. By coming back to reality is positive progress. 

Angulimama murdered people, and then found the live Buddha, and he turned his life around. The best thing you can do is progress down the path towards enlightenment, which includes pledging to be harmless to others. Doing that might not be redemption, but it's a good thing, and will make do for redemption in my mind.

The Brit Hume of Singapore?

There's a post on Shambhala SunSpace, that has videos of ministers slagging off Buddhism.

In the end, I think of section 64 of the patience chapter of the Bodhicaryavatara, is my ultimate response:

"My hatred toward those who revile and violate images, stupas, and the sublime Dharma is wrong, because the Buddhas and the like are free of distress."

Final Words on Brit Hume?

There are a few more articles, things are getting deeper, the initial reactions were a little reactive, but I think things are flowing more deeply now. I can't claim to know all the article, but here are 3.

First is Karen Maezen Miller's assertions, which seems pretty deep.

Second is John from Sweep the Dust, Push the Dirt.

Finally is an article from 2004, by Father Joseph S. O'Leary.

Ann Coulter steps in to defend Brit Hume

Here's the link to what she has written (printer friendly version without her adverts).

I question the premise that you need a God for forgiveness. And if there's no God, what is God given forgiveness? What's great about Coulter is that she's so sure she's right. Bold assertion as argument.

She writes: "Is Buddhism about forgiveness? Because, if so, Buddhists had better start demanding corrections from every book, magazine article and blog posting ever written on the subject, which claims Buddhists don't believe in God, but try to become their own gods."

She so boldly rails against ignorance, um, but I don't think Buddhism is about becoming your own god.

She writes: "On MSNBC, David Shuster invoked the "separation of church and television" (a phrase that also doesn't appear in the Constitution), bitterly complaining that Hume had brought up Christianity "out-of-the-blue" on "a political talk show."" (I added the link to Wikipedia.)

Yes.

She quotes the Bible to prove her case. She doesn't realize she's arguing above the system, about different systems? To argue within the system of thought is absurd. Does she have any sense of modernity?

I never really learned to hate Ann Coulter. People rail against her and what she represents. I'm afraid she's living up to her reputation.

Further Links:

(Sweep the dust, Push the dirt blog has a response as well.)

Tom Shales asks for an apology at The Washington Post. You have to sign up to read articles, but it's worth it probably.

Ethan, Rick, Brit

Here's someone on TV actually talking to a Buddhist about Brit Hume.

Also on NPR it's discussed. More Ethan Nichtern. He seems to be the American spokesman so far.

TV media reaction to Brit Hume

worsthourse.com has compiled the media responses of the Daily Show, Imus and even O'Reilly and Pat Buchanan.

Here's Keith Oberman and Don Savage.

Here's an 18 minute audio interview.

Comments to Brit Hume

So there have been a lot of reactions to Brit Hume:

Progressive Buddhism lists e-mail addresses where you can complain.

Sweep The Dust, Push The Dirt has a poll. I voted for "Metta Meditation w/Reverend Danny till puppies explode from his heart"

My Buddha Is Pink contains a response and e-mail addresses again. A worthy post worth reading.

Shambhala SunSpace is where I first saw the story.

Bitterroot Badger's Bozeman Buddhist Blog includes his letter to Fox News.

Precious Metal comments briefly.

Huffington Post comments as well.

Brit Hume

Check out this link, which is an article with accompanying video of Brit Hume suggesting that Tiger Woods should become a Christian because he can be forgiven. Of course he doesn't explain how that escapes the consequences of his actions, which I guess is the hidden premise of his comment, but it would be a popular move probably in terms of keeping or regaining his sponsorship, probably. Does Brit Hume really think this naked statement isn't just a plug for Christianity. It's the kind of drastic action that seems like he's doing something, when the reality is that he's tarnished his public image, hurt people close to him, and lost millions of dollars. He's revealed himself as human, with clay feet.

I think what Tiger did was against the precept of sexual misconduct, looking at it from a Buddhist context. When the scandal came out, I asked myself, "why would Tiger get married?" He can sleep around and that's OK if everyone knows what the score is. Sexual misconduct is avoided by being honest and open. You can shag as many multiple partners as you want as long as you don't hurt anyone, not hurt anyone beyond the disappointments of usual relationships. But when he commits to a marriage, he's locked himself in. Why would he do that? My answer is that he wanted it all, to sleep around and have a wife and children. His wife didn't agree to that, and he was duplicitous in hiding it from her, in conducting these affairs. I really don't know enough about the situation, but what the heck, I have an opinion on what Brit Hume said.

My response to Brit Hume is that converting to Christianity will have consequences, just as what Tiger Woods did, but I'm not sure they will be what he expects them to be. Perhaps Brit Hume should talk more about his own spirituality and connect that to why he said that, explain how concerting to Christianity evades consequences, or if he just thinks it's a good idea in general because of the forgiveness.

It's not clear to me that having metta, you wouldn't be forgiving, and that Christian forgiveness is superior to Buddhist forgiveness. Is Mr. Hume hoping for a metaphysical evasion of consequences? I find his comments confusing on many levels. Is Brit saying Christianity is an easier spiritual path? Is that how you choose your spirituality? I can honestly see the attraction of that, I sometimes feel the Buddhist path is hard. I still find it easier than the other ones. Is it that Christianity has loop holes? I remember a friend, who when he found out that you could give yourself supreme unction if no priest was around and clear your sins before you face God, he stopped confessing and holds out for doing that when he dies. Is that the kind of loop hole Mr. Hume is looking for a superficial cleansing? Or wouldn't Tiger Woods have to really convert, not just out of a venial desire to evade justice, and really be sorry? I suppose talking heads on political shows can say what ever they want, but I wonder if naked expressions of unselfconscious superficial spirituality are what the people tuned in for. Of course in this Christian country of USA, he will probably be more popular with unselfconscious superficial people.

In my post I thought it was silly to bring Bjork to trial for blasphemy, it was 14 years ago, and she was making a point out of ignorance. I hope Brit Hume learns from this comment, I hope people respond to him, and let him know what a naked kind of proselytizing his comment was. Perhaps that's what he intended. I'm genuinely curious about why he said what he said. Perhaps he could elaborate in public.