A Buddhist response to Jerry Farwell's death.

[Invictus ChiKen]

This is starting to make the rounds on the net. I place it here with little to no comment. Other than after all the slander I believe Jerry has given to Buddhism (or did I get my fundamentalist nut jobs mixed up?) there response is the practices and rituals that they (believe) will keep him from suffering for a very very long time.

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place. I just thought this would give everyone a little chuckle.

Hello Friends,

Of course, we all know of the death of Dr. Jerry Falwell.

Dr Falwell, during his life, committed so many offenses, as mentioned by the Buddha, as well as so many offenses to humanity, that were not even conceived by the Buddha, that his debt of Negative Karma is, at best, staggering, even if calculated by a mere unenlightened being such as myself.

It is thus that we should, as compassionate individuals, and Mahayanists, attempt to do practices on his behalf, to lighten his Karmic burden, so that he gains great appreciation for the spiritual power of the Buddha, the holy love of his fellow sentient beings, and is relieved of at least some of his time in the Hell Realms.

In my most humble opinion, the Medicine Buddha Sutra, The Sublime Sutra of Golden Light, and the Diamond Cutter Sutra are not powerful enough to do him any good, or rather, to do enough good. We are not talking about a man with typical transgressions here. His evil deeds were many, and severe.

We need to implore the Great Goddess Namgyalma to guide him safely through the Bardo state. Many spirits will be there who will wish to harm him.

For this particular individual, I ask that you do the short Namgyalma Mantra, 21 times daily, if at all possible. I realize that there will not be great motivation on your part. But please, out of a sense of great compassion, I ask you to try your best.

The mantra is:

OM DRUM SOHA/ OM AMRITA AHYU DADAY SOHA. OM AH HUNG TAM HRI/ ANG AH RAKYA RAKYA MAM SARWA SATAM TSA SOHA.

Upon completing the Mantra recitation, one should blow upon incense three times, and then light it.

Also, at some point during the next 40 days, I would ask all of you to recite the Ksitigarbha Sutra at least once. This will provide much merit both for Dr. Falwell and yourself. You will also learn much by reading it.

Ksitigarbha took responsibility for all beings on the three lower paths, promising to bring them to a state of favourable rebirth eventually. We need to enlist his assistance in the case of Dr. Falwell.

We have no hope of keeping Dr. Falwell out of the evil paths. At best, we can minimize his time spent in the Hell Realms, or possibly secure for him a birth among the Hungry Ghosts, which, while not ideal, is still better than birth in the constant suffering of the Hells.

The Ksitigarbha Sutra can be found HERE!!!
Ksitigarbha Sutra

Thanks for your assistance and compassion on this.

The heaps of merit obtained by being compassionate towards such an individual are immeasurable.

Namaste,

--Tom

[Hillary]

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place. I just thought this would give everyone a little chuckle.

Well, probably Fantasy would be a better arena for this

However, I wouldn't have thought that you were in any position to poke fun at other people's irrationality.

[Invictus ChiKen]

Actually it was more of finding the situation funny. Didn't Farwell lump Buddhist in with all the problems with America?

And now after his condeming them to hell there praying for his soul. That's the point I find funny.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I love Buddhists. They never do what you expect.

[Hillary]

Actually it was more of finding the situation funny. Didn't Farwell lump Buddhist in with all the problems with America?

And now after his condeming them to hell there praying for his soul. That's the point I find funny.

Fair point - my error. Apologies.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Hey, you can chant your mantra and keep the moral High Ground, and I'll chant mine.

[Frank Hipper]

A lady I once worked with would cook rice soup for The Hungry Ghosts mentioned in the OP every full moon; according to her they're reincarnated with throats so small they can't swallow solid food, hence the name.

She practised a very ascetic version of Buddhism, she woulddn't eat garlic or onions for fear her bad breath would scare the spirits she prayed to away...she was quite good at pissing everyone right the fuck off, too; nothing like working your asses off and turning around to find someone making more money per hour than everyone else chanting a mantra in the corner when she should have been working.

[Invictus ChiKen]

she was quite good at pissing everyone right the fuck off, too; nothing like working your asses off and turning around to find someone making more money per hour than everyone else chanting a mantra in the corner when she should have been working.

So wait. Was she payed to chant?

Did she actually get payed alot and attribute to her chanting?

Was she rude and disrespectful to everyone?

Or was she hated for being payed to chant/payed more and attributed it to chanting?

[kheegster]

she was quite good at pissing everyone right the fuck off, too; nothing like working your asses off and turning around to find someone making more money per hour than everyone else chanting a mantra in the corner when she should have been working.

So wait. Was she payed to chant?

Did she actually get payed alot and attribute to her chanting?

Was she rude and disrespectful to everyone?

Or was she hated for being payed to chant/payed more and attributed it to chanting?

I think he meant that the woman was disliked because she spent lots of time at work chanting when she should have been making her pay worth it.

The bit about the chanting and the OP are characteristics of Mahayana Buddhism, which has a lot of mythological elements not present in the original teachings of the Buddha. It's annoying enough hear this shit when it's in Chinese, but when translated into English it sounds even more ridiculous.

[Flagg]

So if I don't chant and blow on scented smoke like a retard, Falwell's obese spirit will get fucked up? That's awesome, it means I don't have to do anything and the asshole still suffers! You know, if all of this wasn't nonsensical bullshit.

[Eleas]

The heaps of merit obtained by being compassionate towards such an individual are immeasurable.

Wow, and up until now I thought there were limits to passive aggressive behaviour. I love a good surprise.

[Mobiboros]

As a Buddhist myself I'll say that the Buddhist who wrote that piece is free to ask whatever they like. However I am not chanting for Falwell. I am not dancing on his grave but I am not chanting for him to get a better shake from his Karma. He did the deed and if there is karmic justice he deserves what he gets.

[FTeik]

So in what shape will he reincarnate?

[ray245]

A pig maybe? I dunno...

[Frank Hipper]

So wait. Was she payed to chant?

Did she actually get payed alot and attribute to her chanting?

Was she rude and disrespectful to everyone?

Or was she hated for being payed to chant/payed more and attributed it to chanting?

I think he meant that the woman was disliked because she spent lots of time at work chanting when she should have been making her pay worth it.

Yes, and not doing the job she was hired to do, having other people eventually do what little it was she decided she would do, and all the while making more money than everyone.

It got to the point that she was saying that the heat from the stoves was giving her cancer, and she still kept her job and ridiculous pay rate!

Chanting was just an added annoyance in a banquet of them.

[drachefly]

I realize that there will not be great motivation on your part.

Understatement of the day. However, what is unmotivated prayer? Probably worse than not praying, under their rules. Be what you are, not something else.