After reading William Johnston's May 25 letter, I'd just like to set the record straight and say not all Buddhists think rationalism is a bad thing, and not all Buddhists believe in some fairy tale where Asia is a Shangri-La full of enlightened beings.
Unfortunately, an awful lot of Western Buddhists do fall into the above category. What they fail to realize is that the Buddha taught that everything in this world is imperfect and has the potential for suffering. This includes countries with a Buddhist tradition, and even includes the traditions and individuals within Buddhism itself. Maybe one day Western Buddhists will start to realize this, and devote their time and energy to seeing clearly, rather than to living in a fairy tale.
jim makin
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