I would note he’s not claiming to be a teacher or a dean or claiming anything other than:
Khemarato Bhikkhu (Chief Librarian)
I’d note also he’s not written anything of his own “teaching” but instead provides a curated set of texts.
I think the wise thing to do in these situations is to carefully review what you’re going to criticize publicly to be certain your accusations are merited.
As a lay student of Buddhism for the past 30 years I find these resources well selected and presented and find no cause to diminish the contribution towards informal dharma education.
I also have never been a huge fan of the implicit and explicit hierarchy of the sangha. Buddha detailed how a huge range of students became enlightened and began teaching, including students who were otherwise very dumb but immediately grasped his teachings and became profoundly influential teachers. IMO, the entrenchment of status and hierarchy impedes the practice and shows a system of institutionalized attachments. In my practice I’ve found wisdom in anyone who has wisdom that helps me understand what distracts me from nonthinking and non attachment to self and unacceptance of what is. The sangha deserve the respect they earn by pursuing the path and being the keepers and teachers of the buddhas teachings. But I sometimes think that respect translates into deviation from those same teachings in the sangha itself (not withstanding the luxury cars and wives and things you see outside forest).
...well then, it would make more sense to me, that he call his collection of very likeable, commendable Dhamma resources a "library", rather than a "university".
It’s just a title to a web page meant to be interesting. Regardless, he didn’t represent himself as a teacher. He didn’t teach. He represented himself as a curator of a webpage, and the tittle of the page I don’t think it meant to be misleading just compelling. It’s a bit of a stretch to take it any other way, and a shifting of the goal posts. I think if you agree he didn’t do as you said he did, it isn’t self diminishing (after all the self is an illusion!) to simply state there was a misunderstanding.
Come now. Clickbait would be “You will never believe what the Buddha did when…”
This is just a title. “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” turned out to just be a book about a rather boring Englishman and his friend, not actually a pan galactic travel guide. Titles are allowed to be compelling as long as they aren’t outright BS. No one really thinks there’s a Buddhist university with degrees and graduation ceremonies and the promise of enlightenment with every degree. When I clicked on it I expected to see pretty much what I got.
> Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” turned out to just be a book about a rather boring Englishman and his friend, not actually a pan galactic travel guide.
It is about the travelling guide. The Englishman is there just to vitalize the story. /s
Khemarato Bhikkhu (Chief Librarian)
I’d note also he’s not written anything of his own “teaching” but instead provides a curated set of texts.
I think the wise thing to do in these situations is to carefully review what you’re going to criticize publicly to be certain your accusations are merited.
As a lay student of Buddhism for the past 30 years I find these resources well selected and presented and find no cause to diminish the contribution towards informal dharma education.
I also have never been a huge fan of the implicit and explicit hierarchy of the sangha. Buddha detailed how a huge range of students became enlightened and began teaching, including students who were otherwise very dumb but immediately grasped his teachings and became profoundly influential teachers. IMO, the entrenchment of status and hierarchy impedes the practice and shows a system of institutionalized attachments. In my practice I’ve found wisdom in anyone who has wisdom that helps me understand what distracts me from nonthinking and non attachment to self and unacceptance of what is. The sangha deserve the respect they earn by pursuing the path and being the keepers and teachers of the buddhas teachings. But I sometimes think that respect translates into deviation from those same teachings in the sangha itself (not withstanding the luxury cars and wives and things you see outside forest).