10 Misconceptions About Buddhism

Wow, talk about a Yin-Yang article! :D

I agreed wholeheartedly with most of the points but have some additions / reservations / outright doubts about the others. As if it mattered here's what I thought. Bear in mind I've been closely associated with various forms of Eastern religions / philosophies for most of my life, so maybe my observations don't quite fit into the author's intended audience.


  1. Religion - yep, they got it right. Sort of. As with Taoism, Buddhism has many flavors; some DO practice it as a true religion, others merely as a philosophical Path.
  2. Pacifists - also true. Buddhists were also well-documented as having fought against various political factions and armies, having been "paid" by "donations to the temple" from the various warlords.
  3. Meditation - I had a problem with this one. The study they cited was concerned with Asian-Americans, NOT Buddhists as a world-wide system. It's well known that once an Eastern practice hits our Western shores it is changed beyond all recognition. In fact, the "search within" that is so essential to Buddhist belief demands meditation of one sort or another.
  4. Dalai Lama - pretty much on the button.
  5. The Buddha - again, all correct.
  6. Paganism - I'm waffling on this one. Elements of Paganism are indeed found in many forms of Buddhism, and as was mentioned the old-school belief that if you weren't Judeo-Christian you weren't squat might be unfair or offensive, but you'd be surprised how many so-called modern minds hold onto this belief even today.
  7. Suffering - on the button.
  8. Diet - pretty much correct.
  9. Reincarnation - this misconception is probably due to many people mixing up Hinduism with Buddhism.
  10. Gautama - very true, but with the proviso that once Buddhism gained "religion" it also gained gods and goddesses.

So, on the Super Sliding Sifu Scale I would give the article a 75 out of 100.

Excellent post, Sea - thank you! ;)
 
Well that was 'enlightening'. :cool:
I've just realized that I may be an accidental Buddhist.

The bit on suffering in particular seems to cover how I view life, often taken as a pessimistic or negative stance but from my perspective simply an acceptance of the way things are as a means of coping with them, and of finding viable, practical ways of changing them.

The stance of seeing our circumstances as some form of deserved or undeserved punishment, or inflicted on us as part of some greater plan seems to be an unnecessary complication to me. The presumption that something other than the natural workings of the Universe has control over us tends to exempt people from the effort of fixing their own problems where fixable, and getting along with and accepting what life's handed them if not.

Being born seemingly devoid of the ability to attach supernatural causes to natural events I've only skimmed the surface of various religions for the sake of being able to write them off my list of possibly having some point that I am missing.

So far the only one that didn't trigger my BS alarm was some, not all, aspects of Buddhism. It just seems a sensible instruction manual for living in the here and now by adhering to the rules of what is, not what should be.
It doesn't demand perfection. I like that. :)

My 'religion' might be best described as Ethically Flexible Pragmatism. I guess basic Buddhism, the philosophy of it, sans the human adornments of oooms and temples and 'uniforms,' comes closest of all those I've looked at so far.
 

Thanks for your input Sifu, I thought of you when I read the article. :saturn:
 
Diwundrin said:
I've just realized that I may be an accidental Buddhist.
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Is that like getting peanut butter in your chocolate?

The bit on suffering in particular seems to cover how I view life, often taken as a pessimistic or negative stance but from my perspective simply an acceptance of the way things are as a means of coping with them, and of finding viable, practical ways of changing them.
Click to expand...

A lot of people mistake the entire "suffering" thing for some pseudo-masochistic streak, but yes, it's simply an acknowledgment that "all of life is suffering and we must learn to joyfully participate" in it. It's about perception, it's about self-control and world-view.

So far the only one that didn't trigger my BS alarm was some, not all, aspects of Buddhism. It just seems a sensible instruction manual for living in the here and now by adhering to the rules of what is, not what should be.

It doesn't demand perfection. I like that. :)
Click to expand...

I guess you never tried Pastafarianism - that's ONE religion I follow with relish.

... well, actually, tomato sauce, to slather over His Noodly Appendages. :cool:

My 'religion' might be best described as Ethically Flexible Pragmatism. I guess basic Buddhism, the philosophy of it, sans the human adornments of oooms and temples and 'uniforms,' comes closest of all those I've looked at so far.
Click to expand...

My teacher always said, "You'll soon meet your doom if you don't do the Oooom".



SeaBreeze said:
Thanks for your input Sifu, I thought of you when I read the article. :saturn:
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I'm flattered. Thank you!
 
My teacher always said, "You'll soon meet your doom if you don't do the Oooom".
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OOOooooooom.

576t.gif
Now here's a tasteful, deeply symbolic, and iconic representation of the true philosophical and spiritual enlightenment achieved by the lifelong study of Buddhism.

A smiling Buddha rubber duckie! Bet the Dalai Lama's got one of these. :cool:

(Actually he strikes me as the kind of bloke who'd enjoy a laugh at it.)

I guess you never tried Pastafarianism - that's ONE religion I follow with relish.

... well, actually, tomato sauce, to slather over His Noodly Appendages.
cool.png
Click to expand...

So, it's yuuummmmm, not oooommm ? Gotta get those incantations right.

nzru.jpg
 
Oh, that is SO totally awesome! I want one!!!

Not to start a flame war (well, maybe ...), but I can't envision a rubber duckie based on any famous Judeo-Christian figures. Could you imagine the riots that would start?

Or a rubber duckie Muslim toy? Oy!
 
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