LETTERS

THE AMERICANIZATION OF BUDDHISM

Congratulations on the informative articles on Buddhism, American-style [RELIGION, Oct. 13]. As you pointed out, the Four Noble Truths that expound on the sudden flash of insight that the Buddha received some 2,500 years ago have stood the test of time. These basic truths are as relevant to late 20th century America as they were to 6th century B.C. India. Trials and tribulations are constant factors in daily living, and meditation can only make good sense as a tool to get in touch with our inner core and the spiritual self to weather life's troubles. OM SAHAI San Mateo, Calif.

Just as Christianity became a religion about Christ instead of the religion of Christ, in Eastern countries Buddha was elevated to godlike status in the center of an elaborate, ritualized theology. Since we Americans are not programmed to accept the cultural, traditional trappings of Eastern Buddhism, we can more clearly see the moon instead of focusing on the finger pointing toward it. Perhaps the truest Buddhism of all will finally surface here in the U.S. LARRY WALLINGFORD Chicago

Your cover story on Buddhism was a colossal disappointment. You treated the subject as just another cult, a Church of Scientology or a Heaven's Gate. Would you refer to the Pope as Sophia Loren's confessor or hold up Barbra Streisand as a shining example of Judaism? MURRAY SILVER JR. Atlanta

B-B-B-Brad Pitt on your cover instead of Buddha? Give me a break! PATT KENNY New York City

Buddha taught the use of compassion to relieve suffering. Ritual, dogma and temples are irrelevant, red herrings on the path to insight. Karma and reincarnation are merely clever carrot-and-stick tools for people who need them. Most of us can do without them. TOM KOWALSKI Atlanta

Daily practice of Buddhism has the power to transform your relationship with your mate, family, community and world. It's funny how shrinking the self can open up amazing possibilities. TIM UNGER Fairfax, Calif.

Ten years from now, Buddhism as a fad will be discarded in the American popular imagination, as were Marxism and other revolutionary countercultural movements. But serious Buddhists will still be in the world, as they have been, working ceaselessly (and discreetly) for the benefit of all. DIMITRI B. BAKHROUSHIN New York City

It's interesting that a country that prides itself on having original thinkers so readily embraces a religion that uses conundrums, or koans, as a training device to force the mind to abandon logic. Have we quit thinking? MARY SHAFFER Frederick, Md.

How can an American really be a Buddhist, a person who stresses the abolition of desires, including that for a future life? Our whole capitalistic culture depends on individualism, whereas Buddhism looks upon the individual as an illusion. Buddhism asks us to become a different person, but most of us do not want to do that. I'm skeptical about the future of Buddhism in the U.S. ANGELO A. DE GENNARO San Antonio, Texas

Buddhism is not a religion or a belief; it is an experience that words cannot describe. It changes our level of consciousness. Once we have experienced Buddhism, we perceive the world around us differently. Your attempt to describe objectively the state of Buddhism in the U.S. is interesting and well researched but is ultimately an exercise in futility. I am reminded of a quote from the third Patriarch of Zen (who died in A.D. 606): "Words! The [Buddhist] Way is beyond language, for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today." ERIC MART Miami

American Buddhism is a frightening thought. If Buddhism couldn't withstand the changes made to it as it moved from India to China to Japan, imagine what's going to happen when Americans get their hands on it. First we'll do away with that karma nonsense, and then we'll have to make some adjustments concerning that meditation stuff--it's hard on the back and legs. Maybe we can work it out so we can meditate sitting in the recliner while watching a video of Steven Seagal beating the crap out of somebody. CHUCK ULMER Carnegie, Pa.

RESPONSE FROM NOW

In recent years, the feminist movement has scored incredible breakthroughs: a record crowd of more than 750,000 abortion-rights supporters in a march on Washington, a 100% increase in the number of women in Congress and support for the $1.6 billion Violence Against Women Act. Yet 91% of U.S. Senators and 95% of corporate CEOs are white men. An estimated 2 million to 4 million women each year are beaten by their male partners. Reproductive freedom is under relentless, often violent attack. And now a feel-good group like the Promise Keepers calls for men to assert their power in the family and society. If NOW is "irrelevant," as your Winners & Losers item claims [NOTEBOOK, Oct. 13], why did the Promise Keepers spend $1 million, according to our estimates, on spin control for their Washington event to counter us? As Shakespeare would put it, surely they protest too much. PATRICIA IRELAND, President National Organization for Women Washington

KENNEDY'S CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

Your article on the tape recordings of President John F. Kennedy's handling of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis [NATION, Oct. 13] stated, "From the beginning, President Kennedy was dovishly cautious." In my 1996 book, The Cuban Missile Crisis, I pointed out that Kennedy was in fact hawkish at the start of the missile crisis. On Oct. 16, the first day of the crisis, Kennedy made it clear in meetings with advisers that he needed to respond militarily to the Soviet missile deployment. Ultimately, Kennedy endorsed the blockade option, rather than military strikes, after being persuaded by Robert Kennedy and Robert McNamara to abandon the military alternative that he initially preferred. MARK J. WHITE Assistant Professor of History Eastern Illinois University Charleston, Ill.

I am a retired naval-intelligence officer. My son, a former submariner, and I have jointly written a book, Shadowing Crazy Ivan, that discusses U.S. intelligence operations regarding Soviet submarines. During the Cuban missile crisis, I briefed President Kennedy and his advisers. Although few people knew it, there was a Cuban submarine crisis going on at the same time that posed a greater threat than the short-range missiles being installed in Cuba. The U.S. had received evidence of Soviet submarine-pen construction that would have enabled Soviet submarines capable of launching long-range missiles to cruise up and down U.S. coasts. A Soviet naval base of this magnitude in Cuba would have allowed the deployment of enemy subs in our backyard with great ease and frequency.

The world remembers a President wrestling with this crucial decision, but what were the real reasons behind Kennedy's choice? Our book reveals he had an ace in his hand: U.S. technology had provided a way of locating the Soviet ballistic-missile and attack submarines. We believe Kennedy boldly used this knowledge to convince Khrushchev that he should back down. WILLIAM J. REED Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

TALIBAN CRACKS DOWN ON WOMEN

The treatment of women by the ultra-extremist authorities of Afghanistan's Taliban [WORLD, Oct. 13] is among the worst human rights abuses of the century. The U.S. must take some of the blame. We supported the Afghan "freedom fighters" in their war against the Soviet Union. A good start at restitution would be the imposition of sanctions against Afghanistan, the kind that finally toppled South African apartheid. And since the Taliban forbids foreign-aid workers to offer assistance to women, U.N. aid ought to be halted in areas held by this vicious regime. I fear, however, that women are still considered second-class citizens in the U.S., as well as in Afghanistan, and the world will not see major action soon against the Taliban. LORI ROSSBERG, President Women's Equity Action League of California Beverly Hills, Calif.

DOSSIER OF DIANA'S DEATH

A wretched list of people failed the Princess of Wales on that terrible night in August: reckless paparazzi [WORLD, Oct. 13], a driver impaired by drugs and alcohol, an ineffectual bodyguard. But most shameful was the slow trip to the hospital when every second counted in getting Diana to a trauma center; she was deprived of a last chance for survival. PATRICIA JOERGER Rochester, N.Y.

Was the work done at the accident scene, in the ambulance and at the hospital of the highest quality, as it should always be? Were the best doctors made available to treat the type of injuries Diana suffered? Although the actual crash was important, the media are concentrating on it too heavily. The medical facts deserve a solid investigation. LELAND L. ("TED") COGDELL JR. Alexandria, Va.

Princess Diana lost her life in a road accident caused by very familiar villains: speed, alcohol and bad judgment. But how about the media's invasion of privacy? What is really needed is a thorough and impartial investigation of the press. But what outside agency exists that could undertake such a job and report the results? The circumstances surrounding Diana's death emphasize the demoralizing influence exerted by the modern media. ROBERT J. WIDENMANN Bronshoj, Denmark

Your coverage of the myriad details of the crash failed to tell us if the occupants of the car, other than the driver, were tested for drug or alcohol use that may have played a role in the tragic crash. No chauffeur would drive at such high speeds unless directed--or at the very least tacitly encouraged--to do so by his employer. While the evidence suggests the driver's judgment was diminished by drugs and alcohol, the unanswered question remains: Were those in a position to tell him either to flee from the paparazzi or to drive at a more cautious speed similarly impaired? JOHN M. DANIELS Bali

THE EINHORN EARTH DAY FICTION

Your story about fugitive hippie "guru" Ira Einhorn [AMERICAN SCENE, Sept. 29] carried a photo of him at the first Earth Day Rally in Philadelphia in 1970 with a caption stating that he organized it. He did not. He was not even a member of the committee of 33 men and women who did. The photo you ran was taken during a one-hour period when Einhorn literally occupied the podium, refusing to get off the stage and delaying Senator Edmund Muskie's keynote speech. It was an unsuccessful attempt--at least at that time--to seize 15 minutes of fame. Now a notorious murder, flight, trial in absentia and foreign capture are giving Einhorn the national media attention he so desperately craved. On behalf of those who did organize the first Earth Day in Philadelphia, we would appreciate your setting the record straight. EDWARD W. FURIA AUSTAN S. LIBRACH Earth Week Committee of Philadelphia, 1970 Seattle, Wash., and Austin, Texas

HOOTS ABOUT HOOTERS' SUIT

It is a real shame that those men sued Hooters for sex discrimination when the restaurant chain refused to hire them as waiters [BUSINESS, Oct. 13]. It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out the concept of Hooters and the appeal of the "surfer girls next door" who work there as waitresses. As a male and a customer, I don't want guys waiting on me, and I would stop going there if the government forced Hooters to hire men as waiters. The male plaintiffs knew they had no chance of getting a job. They just saw the lawsuit as a way to make a quick buck. It's a shame when people who are not qualified for a job can sue a company for not hiring them and win a settlement. DEAN S. SAPP Catonsville, Md.

When I think of the 10,000 Hooters Girls who work for $2.13 an hour plus tips and of the $325 million in revenues made by their employers, I can only say, "God bless capitalism!" LUC BOUCHET Calgary, Alta.

NEEDED: ADULT SUPERVISION

Your article describing juvenile delinquency among orphaned elephants in South Africa [BEHAVIOR, Oct. 13] carried important information about all social mammals, humans included. You quoted a zoologist as saying that normally "a dominant older male elephant is around to keep young bulls in line." Without this control, young males become killers. We see the same phenomenon in the U.S. in the human species when government replaces the father. Statist contempt for the family flies in the face of biology. ROBERT KOCH Novato, Calif.

The unfortunate "murder" of rhinos by orphaned elephants (and vice versa) is nothing new. The Roman naturalist Pliny observed that one of the great "antipathies of nature" exists between the rhinoceros and its natural enemy, the elephant. Pliny recounts how the rhinoceros sharpens its horn against a rock and charges the elephant full tilt, aiming "straight at the belly, which he knows to be more tender than the rest." In the 1830s, explorer James Edward Alexander described the following interaction between these two enemies: "When the elephant and the rhinoceros come together and are mutually enraged, the rhinoceros, avoiding the blow of the trunk and the thrust of the tusks, dashes at the elephant's belly and rips it up." PETER V. MINORSKY, Professor Department of Biology Union College Schenectady, N.Y.

MONEY ON A CARD

Your article on the cashless society and cash cards that can electronically store money was incomplete [BUSINESS, Oct. 13]. You should have noted that personal privacy and security are compromised and that banks stand to benefit most. The smart cards provide precise information as to the purchases made, which is tantamount to surveillance. DAVID MEURER Toronto

Here in Portugal, sometimes called the poorest country in Europe, we've been using electronic cash cards for more than two years. The kids at school have them; I use mine daily. Cash cards are all over the place. Does this mean that Portuguese villagers in the suburbs of Lisbon are technologically ahead of people in the Big Apple? ORMOND FANNON Cascais, Portugal

TURNING A DEAF EAR

Re your item on Bill Clinton's hearing loss [WASHINGTON DIARY, Oct. 13]: I got my hearing aid about five years ago, at age 48. My associates were complaining that I was ignoring them. My boss insisted that I get a hearing aid because he was tired of saying I wasn't ignoring my colleagues but simply couldn't hear them. I contended I was indeed ignoring them; however, I broke down and got a hearing aid anyway. But I'm still ignoring them--all the more now that I can hear all the B.S. they have to say. FRED DESIO Elizabethtown, Pa.

STILETTOS MADE FOR WALKIN'

In a letter to TIME, Catherine Crow wrote about being disgusted by high-heeled shoes [LETTERS, Oct. 6]. Yes, they are coming back into popularity, but they have never been out of fashion with me. Since I was 14 (and I'm now 70), I have favored stilettos. I wear flat shoes only around the house. Wearing flat heels constantly is not good for the feet. I hope we will see more women wearing high heels to show off their legs. BERYL WITT Pleasant City, Ohio

MELROSE PLACE ON THE WEB

The piece about Ken Hart's Website featuring the TV show Melrose Place [NETLY NEWS, Oct. 13] noted that Hart had received a letter from Spelling Entertainment Group advising him that his summaries on the Internet may constitute unauthorized use. We regret that Hart was offended by our letter and appreciate that he is a fan of Melrose Place. However, unless we actively police the use of our trademarks and copyrights, we risk diluting our property rights. We do not believe any useful purpose is served by making personal attacks against Aaron Spelling, an executive producer on all Spelling television shows. He was not involved in the decision made by the legal department to send the letter to Hart. SALLY SUCHIL, Senior Vice President and General Counsel Spelling Entertainment Group Inc. Los Angeles