Well, yes, I have a big problem with this.

I kinda hoped that buddhism wasn’t falling foul of this religion sickness that has been dogging christianity and islam, guess I’m wrong.

I applaud you for trying to redirect the issue to the treatment of women, but I can’t help but feel that it’s a futile attempt.

The thing is, this whole reaction, it stinks.

I know not all Sinhalese buddhists are like this, but the more I read about what the Buddhist clergy are doing in Sri lanka, like what happened with the ethnic Tamils, the more I am not impressed by their tradition, nor smugness as ‘protectors of the true dharma’. They need their own dalai lama or ghandi to come to the front and guide them in the true words of the dharma. All the rest of that BS needs to be cut away.

Akon issues apology for offending sensibilities.

http://hiphopwired.com/2010/03/24/akon-issues-apology-for-violent-protests-in-sri-lanka-cancels-concert/

I agree that being an international artist, Akon’s team should have been more sensitive; but westerners just dont hold the image of the Buddha in the same way as Easterners, particularly Theravadins. This is kind of a grey area issue. As a Buddhist and as a musical artist myself in the hip hop genre, my spiritual sensibilities do at times clash with my musical expression, but from a wider perspective, discriminating between “this and that” without seeing the underlying empty nature is an extreme. I think the Sinhalese who are resorting to violence over this issue are not operating from the Middle. It would be better to explain, in as strong a manner as possible, that the Buddha image is sacred and not to be used frivilously. However, in a situation like Bill Maher or Howard Stern, making direct assaults on the Religion with lies, jokes and slander, then I think a bit of outrage is warranted, but violence – never. One of my teachers, Lama Jigme Gyatso, might argue that Akon was just being a tantrika anyway – good day to all!