Hi Brian,
I smiled at your response, I have the choice to take offense or be
engaged with the issue at hand, that of your enquiry. Offense is some
thing we generate by ourselves. I can not offend you if you choose not
to be offended. It is an internal response to a perceived set of values
and judgments held by the individual belong and root din the internal
construction of our life worlds. Yet we externalize it often blaming
others for offending us rather than claiming the ownership and the
teachings for our own enlightenment. So dear friend, no offense taken
or even thought about.
The wording of your reply interested me and between editing my
colleagues submissions for our symposium, I just had to respond to you.
You wrote;
…more explicit, and accessible to decision-makers that we may wish to
influence?
I am extremely uncomfortable with concept of influence and I do
understand that this may well be my Buddhist ontology kicking in, as we
seek not to influence others rather to create sharing spaces of
positive neutrality. In fact the very point you have raised is one
that I need to explore as I struggle with the possibility that my
influence may directly or indirectly violate, harm or distress another.
Could you expand a bit more on what you mean?
Love and respect
Je Kan
,
Quoting Brian wakeman <[log in to unmask]>:
> Yes,
>
> Thank you for that sensitive, but bolder response
> Jack.
>
> I too watched the video Je Kan, and had a partial
> understanding from my studies of religions. Thank you
> for sharing with us.
>
> As a general comment may I say rather tentatively, and
> I trust without giving offence........
>
> Do we need to make our presuppositions, our judgements
> of worth and standards, and the knowledge we are
> generating.......more explicit, and accessible to
> decision-makers that we may wish to influence?
>
> regards
>
>
> Brian
>
> --- Jack Whitehead <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Hi Je Kan - I've just watched the 11.45 minute video
>> clip of the Goma
>> Fire ceremony and because I know you and have seen
>> you practicing as
>> a Buddhist priest in a temple in a local community
>> in Japan as well
>> as visited your mountainside temple I have some
>> sense of the context
>> of your practice and understand a little about the
>> ceremonies of the
>> Shingon Buddhist principles you practice. Without
>> such an
>> understanding I doubt if many viewers of the
>> video-clip would
>> understand your values and commitment from just
>> watching the video.
>> But I may be mistaken and my doubt could be
>> inappropriate. This same
>> is true about my feeling that the video-clips need
>> to be connected to
>> an analytic framework in a visual narrative to
>> enable the viewers,
>> especially from different cultures, to appreciate
>> the significance of
>> what is being done and shown. I'd really like to
>> hear the responses
>> of other viewers. I liked the way you make the clip
>> available on
>> different formats and the streaming video worked
>> well.
>> Love Jack.
>>
>
>
> Brian E. Wakeman
> Education adviser
> Dunstable
> Beds
>
>
Rev Je Kan Adler-Collins
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Fukuoka Prefectural University Faculty of Nursing
Tagawa City
Fukuoka Prefecture
Japan
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