O Mi Tu Fo

--- these famous Buddhism words mean nothing. And this is exactly Buddha
would suggest one to face tragedies like Nanjing Massacre, Holocaust, or
Dresden Bombing.  I found this is kind of sorry that in western cultures,
there is lack of good solutions for treating unfairness, death and sadness
etc. "Forgiveness", for example, comes with the implication that one's side
is right and the other is wrong. "Memorial", would not only ask one to
remember the glory but also to extend one's hatred to the next generations.

If Pound was here, would he have another look at Buddhism ? (I read in
several places that he might not like it.) Anyway, in history, there is
never a war under the name of Buddha, not even a complaint of unfairness!
(correct me), although the whole religion or philosophy, which consists of
hundreds, if not thousands, times more pages than the Bibles, is dedicated
to the topics.

(To the above two concept: Buddhism does not accept "rightness" at the first
place and "memorizing" is especially harmful for the peace of mind.)


Hongguang


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jennifer Wilson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 6:54 PM
Subject: Pound's nomination to Writers Corner


> Several years ago Pound was nominated to the Writers Corner of the
Cathedral
> of St. John the Divine in New York.  His nomination was subsequently
> rescinded when a member of the congregation circulated a petition noting
> intention to demonstrate.  She was a converted Jew and several of her
family
> members had perished in the Holocaust.  Because the Cathedral considers
> itself a national ecumenical institution, church leaders determined in
> conference with others in the community that a reversal was in the best
> interest of the church.
>        Although the Writers Corner is a program of rather recent vintage,
the
> reversal of a nomination was and is unprecedented.  Perhaps in a gesture
of
> protest, E. L. Doctorow made note in his induction of F. Scott Fitzgerald
the
> evening that Pound would have been inducted, that Fitzgerald was
> anti-Semitic.
>        In response to the rescission, Donald Hall, the Elector who
nominated
> Pound, resigned in protest.  I have a letter from him describing the
events.
> A recent phone conversation with Elector Carolyn Kizer generated her
comment:
> "Disgraceful."  I have also visited with Lynn Chase, who endowed the
Writers
> Corner, and Daniel Hoffman, who chaired the nomination committee.  At the
> time Hoffman noted that he would maintain the blank stone for Pound's
> eventual inclusion, but in our recent phone conversation he didn't sound
> optimistic.
>        I would be most grateful for any information you may be able to
offer
> on this nouveau Bolingen.
>
> Jennifer Wilson