My God can beat up your God

In Chapter 3, Prof Asma relate several incidents he encountered with
zealous missionaries. Groups like Kmapuchea for Christ International, International Christian missionaries go into poor provinces, devasted by droughts to build churches and schools. Parents are convinced to send their kids to school to learn English. The actual subject matter are Bible and the kids are taught that Buddhism are stupid and Jesus is a better and more powerful God. (p 86).

He called these "rice Christians" - people who convert, baptized and go through the motion every Sunday to get a container of lifesaving rice.
Some ophrans were asked to attend baptism of their parents. The church elders told them nobody can go to paradise without baptism. So they baptised the long dead too.

Humanitarian aids with spiritual string attached.

It raise the question of where does the line get drawn - sharing experiences/believe, and imposing one's experiences/believe and opinion. At what stage are we sure that what we believe is the best for all, regardless.

To reap the reward of one's humanitarian effort, it is best to question one's intention - to help without expecting any reward or to help with the expectation those helped will convert. One more head for the tally. Meeting quotas.

The Gods Drink Whiskey- peace walk, Maha Ghosananda

In chapter 6, it is about Maha Ghosananda (one of
the nominee for Nobel Laureate) with Dalai Lama/Thich
Nan That. He was a student of one of Ghandi disciple.
When the communist govt ban and kill, monk, he was the
only one (??) still quietly wear monk robe. What a
miracle he was not killed.
He started a peace walk (and apparantly became an annual
event) dhammayietra
from Seam Reap to Phnon Penn, model after salt walk by
Ghandi. Takes weeks and along the way villages join
in.
Kind of civil disobedience.
After reading about this guru, I dream to meet him. I
hope he will not die before I reach Cambodia (maybe
next year) He should be late 70s-80s.

What is Tripitika?

A trip is a journey. It could be a journey you started but not in control - like taking pot. Or it could be a journey, you did not start and have no control - like your life
Did you choose to be born and can you control where you are going?. You may think you are in control, but seriously are you?. Well take this simple exercise : get into your time machine , go back as far as you can remember like Secondary 1. Well, standing where you were in Seconday 1, can you imagine what you life is like now?.

So, Tripitika is a kind of a trip, a travel, a journey.

Tripitika is also a basket of books , so this blog is about trip, book. YOu can also take a trip via book.

The Gods Drink Whiskey

The Gods Drink Whiskey : stumbling toward englightenment in the land of the
tattered buddha.

By : Professor Stephen Asma : Professor of Buddhism, Columbia College, Chicago

A narrative, journalistic, anaylitical account of a professor teaching stint in Cambodia. It turned out to be a journey for the author, who is fairly upfront with the issues he faces.

What can be more ironical : A US professor invited to teach Buddhism to a pioneering students who are probably borned Buddhist.

A multi dimension book that cater to a wide range of readers -

If you like adventure and don't care for spiritual stuff :
read it like a novel, with
as a story with intricate plots of Cambodian politics, aggressive missionaries. Raced to those chapters that tickle your fancy or curiosity.

If you are intellectually or philiosphically inclined :
reading one chapter, put it down, reflect on the issues faced by the author and figures one own intreperation.

If you are new to Buddhism :
read, skimp and skip, move on to those concept you can relate to or understand.

If you are well versed with Buddhism material :
reflect.

Whichever way you read, you will come across humps, as one is forced to slow down and reflect on the issues within the context of one own life or the analysis that is way beyond one head that.

happy reading.