Not a topic that is comfortable to discuss. 30 years ago I used to visit a monk in a remote part of Northern Thailand who had lived in a cave for 6 years. I am an atheist. We would visit this pleasant man over 3 or 4 years. He lived alone. I knew where
he slept in the cave and he would 'entertain' visitors in a 'salathai' structure. Many long conversations.He said he only slept in the cave when he felt he had to. Many bats, Time passes and I go back to see if he is still there...20 years later. He is
gone. A large wall is built separating the Hill people from the New people. There was one young boy in yellow robes cleaning the new big house. I told him I will go to the caves....he was hesitant, "my master" is not here. I say in Thai..."no problem, I
go alone." I found the 'master' who was polite and offered me a headlight and water. A very pleasant man in white robes. Nice people...some of the things I encountered were curious. I am an atheist, so I have no fear of ghosts,scams etc.. However, there
is a booming business in the 'Buddhist' selling of charms, luck, love and death. Theravada and spirits are not uncommon. The Tibetans have more ghosts than most. However....in this situation the primal figure was a horned, bearded personage typical of 13
century European
Catholicism. Quite interesting. I believe that 'culture' is a mere 'frosting on the cake'. We are the same people and are manipulated in the same ways. If anyone chooses to see these images. Be polite, no problem. It is not real,it is theatre.
....Ken

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On Sun, 19 Feb 2017 18:34:26 -0800 (PST)
islandteak@gmail.com wrote:

Not a topic that is comfortable to discuss. 30 years
ago I used to visit a monk in a remote part of
Northern Thailand who had lived in a cave for 6
years.

The white robe signifies that this "monk" is not a
bikkhu. He is not practicing all of the rules of
the /vinaya/, and he is honest enough not to pretend
otherwise. One might put it that he has one foot in the
monastery and the other in the marketplace. Or
perhaps he has chosen not to live in a
religious community. Is that a bad thing? I hope not.

Any religion so ancient as Buddhism has grown a plethora
of irrelevant parasitic superstition. That has nothing
to do with the teaching of Lord Buddha, to which we are
blessed to still have access. Metta, Rale

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