We want to be deceived

Pop culture, including pop Buddhism, is supported by the pop media or MSM (mainstream media) which is generally made up of information gatherers and publishers who don't often dig deep enough for the facts and probably couldn't care less if what they write or publish is almost all wrong opinion or a damn lie.  As long as the hoi polloi buys their bullshit in huge amounts—well, that's all that matters. 

Take the recent example of those little Toyotas (in the South we call 'em "Ricers") that would all of a sudden just accelerate out of the blue for no reason.  Toyota was blamed by the MSM.  It was classical shoot first, check the facts later.  Well, it was later found out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association that all those crashes were mainly caused by what is termed 'pedal misapplication' which is just a nice way of saying somebody pressed down on the accelerator who thought they were pressing down on the brake. 

When it comes to pop Buddhism which is part of pop culture, lots of pop Buddhists have certain odd ideas about Buddhism that often amount to wrong opinion.  But in addition, they have a Buddhist mainstream media—for now let's call it BMSM—that supports and even feeds and nurtures their wrong opinions.  If you are looking for an example of the power of BMSM, visit a major book store.  Occasionally I visit one of the major books stores just to look at all the pop Buddhist junk that sits on the bookshelves or finds its way into some slick quarterly Buddhist magazine.  I admit it is cheap amusement, but it's also a nice way to get all fired up to do these blogs.  I think to myself, "Who the fuck ordered these books? They're terrible!"

Both the MSM and the BMSM are here for a reason I guess.  I just don't know exactly what the reason is.  However, I am operating under the premise that the movers and shakers of the MSM and the BMSM are not interested in the truth.  Nor do they have any compunction when it comes to twisting the facts or lying.  If the lie sells more, go with the lie.  In the case of the BMSM, if pushing Buddhism in the direction of agnosticism or secularism sells and mysticism doesn't, go with the former even though mysticism is the real category in which Buddhism belongs.

It could be that the ancient Roman politicians knew better than we who were familiar with the adage, mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur which in Latin means, "The world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived."  So maybe the job of the MSM and the BMSM is to deceive us, therefore, to skirt the truth to make sure we don't discover that we are actually living in hell or if you prefer, Samsara City.  In particular, what pop Buddhists are told, in order to deceive them, is there is no self or no absolute such as the luminous Mind.  All is just suffering until you die.  After that, suffering finally ends.  This, by the way, is a lie.

Comments

[Frank]

Most peoples' brains are delusion machines. People think they're liberals, conservatives, etc. Christians, whatever....in almost all cases, it's clear that they're nothing of the kind. If you point out to them, with specifics, why they are not those things, they become angry.

[Alex]

Speaking about pop media, I recall a French minister who, during a conference, mentioned that the CEO of a large TV group told him something like: "you know what my business is all about? It's not about news, culture or entertainment. It is about selling advertizing space for empty brains".