4/24/2017 10 Misconceptions about Buddhism

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10 Misconceptions about Buddhism

Two Buddhist scholars expand on popular misconceptions about Buddhism.
By Robert E. Buswell, Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
S U M ME R 20 14

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Oración by César González Palomo

I
n the series Ȓᆪ� Misconceptions about Buddhism, scholars Robert E. Buswell Jr. and
Donald S. Lopez Jr. expand and debunk these popular misconceptions:

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1 . ALL BU DDHI ST S M EDI TAT E.

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Meditation is often identified as the central practice of Buddhism. However, the majority of
Buddhists throughout history have not meditated. Meditation has traditionally been considered
a monastic practice, and even then as a specialty only of certain monks. It is only since the ᆪ�ᆪ�th
century that the practice of meditation has begun to be widely practiced by laypeople.

2 . THE P R I M AR Y FO R M O F B U DDHI ST M EDI TAT I ON I S M I N DFU LN ESS. 

In fact, there are hundreds of forms of Buddhist meditation, some for developing deep states of
concentration and mental bliss, some for analyzing the constituents of mind and body to find
that there is no self, some for meeting the Buddha face-to-face. The practice of mindfulness as it
is taught in America today began in Burma in the early ᆪ�ᆪ�th century.

3 . ALL BU DDHI ST S AR E V EG ETAR I AN S. 

Bhikshu, the Sanskrit term translated as “monk,” literally means “beggar.” Buddhist monks and
nuns originally begged for their daily meal (some still do) and therefore were supposed to eat
whatever was offered to them, including meat. According to some sources, the bout of dysentery
that the Buddha suffered before he entered nirvana occurred after he ate pork. In the centuries
after the Buddha’s death, vegetarianism began to be promoted in some Buddhist texts. However,

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even today not all Buddhist monks and nuns are vegetarians. For example, in China they are; in
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Tibet they are not.

4 . ALL BU DDHI ST S AR E P AC I FI STS. 

It is often said that a war has never been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is unclear what “in
the name of” might mean, but there have been many battles between Buddhists (with some
Buddhist monasteries having their own armies). There have also been wars of Buddhists against
non-Buddhists. Tibetan Buddhists fought bravely against British forces that invaded Tibet.
During World War II, many Japanese priests supported the military expansion of the Japanese
empire.

5 . BU DDHI SM I S A PHI LOSO PHY AN D N O T A R ELI G I O N . 

Buddhism has many philosophical schools, with a sophistication equal to that of any
philosophical school that developed in Europe. However, Buddhism is a religion by any
definition of that indefinable term, unless one defines religion as belief in a creator God. The
great majority of Buddhist practice over history, for both monks and laypeople, has been focused
on a good rebirth in the next lifetime, whether for oneself, for one’s family, or for all beings in
the universe.

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6 . THE BU DDHA W AS A HU M AN B EI N G , N OT A G OD, AN D T HE R ELI G I O N HE

FOU N DED HAS N O P LAC E FO R T HE W OR SHI P OF G O DS.   S U B S C RIB E

Buddhism has an elaborate pantheon of celestial beings (devas; the name is etymologically
related to the English word divinity) and advanced spiritual beings (bodhisattvas and buddhas),
who occupy various heavens and pure lands and who respond to the prayers of the devout.

7 . ZEN R EJ EC T S C ON V EN TI O N AL BU DDHI SM . 

Zen masters burn statues of the Buddha, scorn the sutras, and regularly frequent bars and
brothels. Zen monks follow a strict set of regulations, called “pure rules,” which are based on the
monastic discipline imported from India. Most Zen monks have engaged in extensive study of
Buddhist scriptures before beginning their training in the meditation hall. And although a
celebrated verse in Zen speaks of “not relying on words and letters,” Zen has the largest body of
written literature of any tradition of East Asian Buddhism.

8 . THE FOU R N OB LE TR U T HS AR E N OBLE

The famous phrase “four noble truths” is a mistranslation. The term “noble” in Sanskrit is aryan,
a perfectly good word meaning “noble “ or “superior” that was ruined by the Nazis. Aryan is a
technical term in Buddhism, referring to someone who has had direct experience of the truth
and will never again be reborn as an animal, ghost, or hell being. The four truths of suffering,
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origin, cessation, and path are true for such enlightened beings. They are not true for us; we
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don’t understand that life is suffering. So the term means the “four truths for the [spiritually]
noble.”

9 . ZEN I S DEDI C ATED T O T HE EX PER I EN C E OF “ SU DDEN EN LI G HT EN M EN T ”

The notion that “sudden enlightenment” frees its followers from the extended regimens of
training in ethics, meditation, and wisdom found in conventional forms of Buddhism. Zen
monks routinely expect to spend decades in full-time practice before they will be able to make
real progress in their meditation.

1 0 . ALL SP I R I TU AL TR ADI TI ON S, BU DDHI SM I N C LU DED, AR E DI FFER EN T

PATHS TO T HE SAM E M O U N T AI N TOP . 

Many great Buddhist figures state unequivocally that enlightenment is accessible only to those
who follow the Buddhist path. One can get only so far (generally, rebirth in heaven) by following
other religions; only Buddhism has the path to liberation from suffering. All roads may lead to
the base camp, but only Buddhism leads to the summit.

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Robert E. Buswell, Jr. holds the Irving and Jean Stone Endowed Chair in Humanities at the
University of California, Los Angeles, where he is also Distinguished Professor of Buddhist
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Studies and founding director of the Center for Buddhist Studies S U B S C RIB E
Donald S. Lopez, Jr. is Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the Department of Asian
Languages at the University of Michigan.

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