Re: waiting for the Miracle

AntiUtopia (AntiUtopia@aol.com)
Thu, 26 Mar 1998 07:20:05 -0500 (EST) 

In a message dated 98-03-26 01:27:51 EST, you write:

> Wow, I'm on a roll--at least until Scottie and Jim get ahold of this 
>  post.  For tonight, however, I'll end here and bask in the warmth of my 
>  own, heh-heh, brilliance.  Whatever.  Good-night, folks.  Don't let the 
>  bedbug stains on the sheet lose the trial for you.  (Obscure "Pretty 
>  Mouth" reference...please excuse me, I think that's my cue.)
>  
>  exit Brendan.
>  

ga.  that was a good post, Brendan.  I'd have to agree with the rejection of
the prophecy as a plea for salvation from an impending, deliberate suicide.
It's too foreign to the tone and point of view presented in the story.  

I think you had a pretty good take on Seymour, too.  

AND I think what really needs to be explored is the interface between
Americanism and Buddhism.  I think the interface between the two distorts them
both.  When Teddy complains about how difficult it is to live a spiritual life
in America (as opposed to India), when Seymour kills himself because, well, he
was just too happy (perhaps), I can't help feeling that well, both these
characters are full of it, just really complaining that, "Golly, it is just so
**hard,** much easier to go ahead and kill oneself."  America, its wealth, and
the materialistic orientation of American society is perceived as the problem
(thus, internal struggles are attributed to external sources), as opposed to
merely seeing this battle as one to be faced in any attempt at spiritual
growth.

That attitude seem foreign to every religion I've studied.  Buddhism too (this
one I've studied less than others, mostly from secondary sources.  Sorry.
I'll get around to reading the primary texts soon, I hope).  The Buddha, if I
remember, was initially wealthy.  He rejected that life consciously to pursue
a spiritual life.  So by being surrounded by wealth and consciously rejecting
it he made the same kind of decision in the same kind of circumstances that a
Seymour or a Teddy would have to make here in America.

And do you think people Over There are Really all that much different from
those over here? :)

Teddy and Seymour--Big Crybabies :)

Jim