Distorting the Dharma [Advice]

[Arali]

Thank you all for your replies.

I think I will appeal to the Vice Chancellor, and if that fails, then I'll create a petition.

Anyone have anything they think I should include in this final appeal?

[Modus.Ponens]

My advice is for you to be very diplomatic and careful. I have a friend who didn't finish his degree over conflict with teacher(s). Your own welfare is very important.

[dagon]

Thank you all for your replies.

I think I will appeal to the Vice Chancellor, and if that fails, then I'll create a petition.

Anyone have anything they think I should include in this final appeal?

I think that most of us respond to the material that is supposed to be studied with an automatic upchuck reflex but we need to be more objective than that. This is material that is to be used in an academic setting and as such needs to meet academic needs and standards.

What is stated there is wrong in fact – the way to attack that is to demonstrate that by providing relevant published sources. This includes both source material and commentaries that have authors that are considered to be authoritative by reputation – hence the use of bachelor as a reference. This is both a fabrication of a reference and defaming the academic standing of Bachelor. Most Universities publish academic standards to be used and include many things like plagiarism. Somewhere in these published standards there are references to fabrication of references. Anyone who reads am academic text should be able to review the original sources by use of the reference; hence universities also insist that all work by students and STAFF meet accepted stands. This is to allow both checking of the work and to allow the reader to further explore the subject matter. Unfortunately what was given to us in that scan did not show the full reference – or was that the full reference? I would like to see the full reference, lol

An example of one universities referencing standards http://sydney.edu.au/library/subjects/d ... mplete.pdf

[Cittasanto]

I do not know about university politics but the fourth Noble Truth is wrong.

Bachelor isn't a Buddhist teacher in the sense of standard Buddhism, and all schools I know would disagree here, however, there is a video I watched recently that I thought was beautiful in one aspect which hapends to relate to your problem!

phpBB .

[Jhana4]

Thank you all for your replies.

I think I will appeal to the Vice Chancellor, and if that fails, then I'll create a petition.

Anyone have anything they think I should include in this final appeal?

I think that most of us respond to the material that is supposed to be studied with an automatic upchuck reflex but we need to be more objective than that. This is material that is to be used in an academic setting and as such needs to meet academic needs and standards.

What is stated there is wrong in fact – the way to attack that is to demonstrate that by providing relevant published sources. This includes both source material and commentaries that have authors that are considered to be authoritative by reputation – hence the use of bachelor as a reference. This is both a fabrication of a reference and defaming the academic standing of Bachelor. Most Universities publish academic standards to be used and include many things like plagiarism. Somewhere in these published standards there are references to fabrication of references. Anyone who reads am academic text should be able to review the original sources by use of the reference; hence universities also insist that all work by students and STAFF meet accepted stands. This is to allow both checking of the work and to allow the reader to further explore the subject matter. Unfortunately what was given to us in that scan did not show the full reference – or was that the full reference? I would like to see the full reference, lol

An example of one universities referencing standards http://sydney.edu.au/library/subjects/d ... mplete.pdf

+1

I would recommend this as a prelude to an online petition. It is kind of hard for academics to argue for text that is proven to be clearly wrong. If done politely, behind closed doors, it might even make you appear as a better student.

[Ceisiwr]

I do not know about university politics but the fourth Noble Truth is wrong.

The fourth noble truth is fine, as is the 2nd and 3rd

The vagueness of the first is the problem here

[dagon]

You may find this article interesting and give you some ideas
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher- ... 6416991983

[DNS]

The fourth noble truth is fine, as is the 2nd and 3rd

The vagueness of the first is the problem here

Cultivate the path

This is an okay superficial definition for the 4th, but what they have after that is probably off:

that is keep doing 1-3

We don't cultivate dukkha, we want to eliminate it.

But you're right, numbers 2 and 3 are not that bad. Samudaya & Nirodha could be worded that way, for the modern reader / skillful means; understanding the origin of craving and letting go of craving.

So overall, I give the author's version of the 4 noble truths a 50% which is almost a passing score.

[Ceisiwr]

We don't cultivate dukkha, we want to eliminate it.

Hmm see "wanting to eliminate dukkha" is craving ...

[DNS]

Chanda not Tanhā

[Ceisiwr]

Chanda not Tanhā

That's nice but wanting to get rid of dukkha, is aversion

[DNS]

That's nice but wanting to get rid of dukkha, is aversion

Hi Mara (you're good at playing devil's advocate)

Okay, look at dukkha for what it is, not with attachment or aversion, just upekkha.

Better?

[SDC]

Well he did say—in the preceding paragraph—that he was adjusting them to show them as actions. So he isn’t trying to say they are the four noble truths. Let’s at least give him that. And he wouldn’t be the first to modify the dhamma in an attempt to simplify it, thereby obscuring it even further—that’s been happening for 2000 years. At least he admitted it beforehand which doesn’t completely mislead people. Having said that, his attempt is crap.

Some additional words for the university: When faced with such a massive body of literature (and a great deal of hot air) it is difficult to know what to choose to represent it. Obviously it is best to start with something simple. However Mr. Whateverhisface’s book has made a critical error with a concept that is supposed to represent the whole what the Buddha taught. Setting people up with confusing, streamlined information can make further understanding very daunting. I think it would be beneficial and responsible to provide material that does not take such careless risks and provides a bland and simple knowledge base which—contrary to popular belief—will better prepare people for what they will encounter if they choose to study further.

[nowheat]

Maybe you could rewrite the little block, yourself, to more effectively reflect what Batchelor actually said which was:

Anguish, he says, is to be understood, its origins to be let go of, its cessation to be realized, and the path to be cultivated.

All taken, of course, from the first sermon. If you try to do a better job of expressing what the author of the text book expressed badly, at the very least you might find what I found when I tried: it's not an easy thing to do in such a small space, in a way that a new student will understand. At best, they might be grateful and fix the error with your revision.

[nowheat]

I came up with:

1. Attend to suffering to understand its origins.
2. Practice letting go of its origins.
3. Experience the way suffering then stops.
4. Continue to cultivate these skills that stop the suffering.