Plight of Buddhist art

[V.V. Raman]

Mr. Aditya Mishra's posting reminds me of what I wrote elsewhere in the
context:
It is not impossible for religious fanatics in any tradition to engage in
outrageous behavior, quoting from their scriptures to justify their actions,
and (in many instances) they would be perfectly on target too, because (God
knows) many scriptures and canonical texts  have elements which, irrespective
of their appropriateness in times past, are intolerable, unacceptable, and
worthy of condemnation by all decent and enlightened people today,
whatever their religious affiliation.
Every human institution, of no matter what antiquity, inherent merit, or
positive attributes, needs to change and evolve, or else it stagnates and rots,
and in this interwoven world, its stench can affect other human beings too.
Positive transformations within a religious system can occur only when it is
fortunate to produce bold visionaries, enlightened religious leaders and
thoughtful scholars. This is happening in a number of contexts all over the
world, but there is potential for the opposite to happen to hapen as well.

V. V. Raman