Buddhism is expanding extremely rapidly, and its number of adherents is about one billion. Even though Buddhism is quite popular, many in the West, where Buddhism is rarely practiced, have a misconception about it. Many people not only have a completely wrong understanding of Buddhism, but some even try to practice it without proper guidance and do it in the wrong way.
You should have noticed that in this introduction I am not interpreting Buddhism as a religion or philosophy, and the reason for this will be explained below. You might be interested in article 10 Controversial Christian Relics.
10. Religion
Misconception: Buddhism as a Religion
The position of Buddhism as a religion is one of the most common misconceptions. The reason for this misconception is that the answer to your question about the status of Buddhism depends on who you ask and his understanding of what religion is.
Buddhism does not require belief in God, does not require abandoning your religion. These things might contradict any argument that Buddhism is a religion. However, some of the adherents of Buddhism regard it as a religion, and they will not appreciate what you tell them that their faith is just “philosophy».
9. Pacifism
Misconception: All Buddhists are pacifists.
If Buddhists profess the denial of violence, this does not mean that this is an idea of pacifism, which many of us are sure of. For example, the Dalai Lama was once asked about the assassination of Osama bin Laden, and he expressed sympathy for countermeasures. And even the Buddha himself did not teach politics or culture, but taught to think freely and independently.
While all Buddhists adhere to the practice of nonviolence, not all of them are pacifists. This misconception is reinforced by films in which the masters of the old oriental martial arts have always avoided violence. However, remember: if the need for a fight was undeniable, they fought.
8. Meditation
Misconception: all Buddhists meditate.
Many people have the word “Buddhist»There is an association with a person who meditates, sitting in the lotus position, and, possibly, recites a mantra or something similar in another language. However, the truth is that only a small fraction of Buddhists meditate regularly.
This also applies to some monks. Amazingly, among the religious groups in America, Buddhists have been found to meditate less than anyone else. The study also found that more than half of the Buddhists surveyed prefer to meditate no more than once in a given time.
7. Dalai Lama
Misconception: The Dalai Lama is the Buddhist version of the Pope.
A large percentage of people, when thinking about religious leaders, believe that the Dalai Lama is the Buddhist version of the Pope. The fact is, in fact, this is not true. The Dalai Lama is the head of a small part of Tibetan Buddhism called Gelug. All other schools of Tibetan Buddhism, just like other forms of Buddhism, do not consider him an official leader.
6. Buddha
Misconception: The popular statue of Buddha in the form of a fat bald man is the real appearance of Siddhartha Gautama.
When many people hear about Buddha, they immediately imagine a fat guy with a belly for show, who usually sits in a lotus position and looks really funny. Be that as it may, this is not a Buddha, or at least not a real Buddha whose name is Siddhartha Gautama.
Some people think that “laughing buddha"Was the prototype of a wandering monk who could possibly have been the incarnation of Buddha Maitreya. There is no evidence that the real Buddha was fat. Most likely, on the contrary, he was thin.
5. Paganism
Misconception: Buddhists are pagans.
Some people believe that Buddhism is paganism, but this is absolutely not true. The truth is that even from the work of the Dalai Lama it is clear that some aspects of Buddhism that may be perceived as religious in the West are not very important. The Dalai Lama noted that religion can be “what we can do without».
4. Suffering
Misconception: Buddhists enjoy suffering.
Many people believe that Buddhists enjoy suffering or treat it as part of their religious practice. In fact, Buddhists strive to understand the essence of suffering in order to end it completely, strive to understand its impermanence and realize that life is a series of pain.
Be that as it may, a well-trained Buddhist, when it is impossible to avoid suffering, will perceive them optimistically and ultimately learn to transcend them completely. This is one of the most important parts of the Buddhist path.
3. Diet
Misconception: Buddhists are vegetarians.
Some people are familiar with the precepts of Buddhism, such as not to kill, and assume that all Buddhists are vegetarians. Some Buddhists do practice vegetarianism, but they do so only by their choice based on their understanding of the commandments.
Buddha never opposed eating meat and rejected arguments for vegetarianism. There is nothing in Buddhist teachings that would say that eating meat is regarded as murder.
2. Reincarnation
Misconception: All Buddhists believe in reincarnation.
A large number of people assume that all Buddhists believe in reincarnation, but, you guessed it, this is not entirely true. The idea of reincarnation, like the one in the West, has little in common with the idea that is professed in Buddhism. It should be obvious that the idea that someone will die and then be reborn as an animal or another person is not supported everywhere in Buddhism.
1. Siddhartha Gautama
Misconception: Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha, is a deity.
Many people are convinced that Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the real Buddha, is a deity for Buddhists. However, there is no deity in Buddhism. In fact, the Buddha Gautama himself did not consider himself a god, he also did not consider important questions about the origin of all things.
Basically, there is no god in Buddhism, however, you can choose to believe in God and still remain a Buddhist. Another interesting fact: word "Buddha"Means"woken up". Buddha was an enlightened person, but he never claimed to be anything more.
We recommend watching:
An interesting video about Buddhism from the National Geografic channel. Only reliable facts. Communication with real Buddhist monks who will introduce you to Buddhism in the best possible way.
