Buddhism, a profound spiritual tradition with roots stretching back over two millennia, has undergone countless transformations as it traversed diverse cultures and societies. As a Western Buddhist, I have observed a growing tendency within our tradition to rigidify certain teachings into forms of dogma. This development seems incongruent with the very essence of Buddhism, which encourages personal experience and the questioning of established norms. Many practices and rituals that originated in the specific cultural contexts of Asian societies often appear unhelpful or even confusing to those of us raised in markedly different environments.

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One of the best things about Web 1.0 was its variety. You could find sites about anything – from someone's collection of rare stamps to fan pages for obscure TV shows. Each click could lead you to something completely new and unexpected. It was like exploring a vast, quirky library where every book was written by a different person.

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