[cafeviahe]

Vampires aside reading through the article I can't really fault his history.

Like Element I don't really have a problem with the term "reinvent", though I think "revive" is probably more correct.

The suttas don't really contain a meditation technique as far as I can see, rather guiding principles upon which meditation techniques could be based and more importantly principles upon which wisdom can be cultivated through day to day activities.

I don't think he has provided evidence justifying either of these two headlines;

Asian Theravada repeatedly reinvented meditation under the influence of Western ideas.

Theravada meditation was reinvented by guys who were into extreme asceticism. For the first one yes Anagarika Dhammapala was influenced by the west in that his movement was primarily to counter British colonialism by reviving Buddhism, I just don't see any link with Burmese Vipassana or Thai Dhutanga. I don't see any western influence until Vipassana came to the West.

For the second the Thai forest tradition encouraged the practice of Dhutangas which are optional practices in the Vinaya and so part of the middle way rather than extreme asceticism. I don't think it is really anywhere near the asceticism of the Jains (for example) and even in Ajahn Muns time I think was considered optional or as a limited number of practices for a limited period of time for monks only.

So a useful historical overview but if there is a point he's trying to make I'm not convinced he's made it.