In Praise of Buddhism

So I feel like it might be easy this blog as anti-buddhist because I've only written negative things about buddhism. This was a huge mistake on my part, because it's only one side of what I feel about the matter. I sort of took it for granted that everyone would just understand that I was aware of how beautiful and intelligent buddhist philosophy is, and that my criticisms really come from a place of respect for the fundamental ideals of buddhism. I just feel like many westerners need a reality check that the Buddhist religion comes with all the political and social problems that come with all organized religion, and to inform you specifically what those problems are. I really still loathe organized religion, and I have felt that buddhism becomes idealized in the west as the religion of the true spirit, as if westerners have finally found the pure cult that they have been looking for.

A moment of vocabulary distinctions. I want to make a differentiation between the ideas behind a religion and the material reality of a religion, that is, the philisophical teachings and the social reality that is a result not only of that philosophy but also the economic and political context in which the religion is practiced. I will call the ideas "idealogical" and the other the "material." Also, I am amongst Tibetan buddhists now, and now know much more about Tibetan buddhism than zen or any of the other sects, so let's just say that I'm talking about that. OK?

I probably don't have to describe to my readers why ideological buddhism is beautiful and accurate; if you don't know about it, start reading a book about it. All of the buddhist ideas can be found in much older Hindu texts; I would argue that the entire massive tradition of the two religions--even all religions of the world--have their foundation in the Vedas. However, the ideological beauty of these texts were highly corrupted by material hinduism, which has so many problems I can't even begin to talk about them all (maybe in another post soon). But all of these ideas which were in the Vedas and the Gita and the Upanishads, etc., were only available to a highly educated elite, and even to those it was difficult because they are spread out in such a vast ocean of text, it would take many many lifetimes to understand the ideas as a cohesive whole.

Buddhism's streingth is in how true it stays to its ideological roots, and makes it's ideological foundation accessible to the masses who practice buddhism. Earlier, I said that the four noble truths offend me because they are presented in list form which I felt was oversimplified. Now I realize the wisdom of such teachings which make it easy to understand the fundamental tenants of the religion in one sitting. The fact that the huge majority of buddhists understand the ideological foundation of their religion is pretty unique to buddhism. In my experience, this makes Tibetan people some of the kindest, strongest people I have ever known, and that's a huge generalization, but they are amazing. Buddhism really directly enlightens their personalities, and makes them very thoughtful and happy. You have to live with a Tibetan family in a single tiny room to fully understand this, maybe. My hostfather isn't even religious, or so he claims, but still every day he goes on an hour long walk around the Temple (which takes him through some spactacular mountain scenery), and during this walk he focuses soley on the well-being and happyness of all sentient beings. If his mind strays from this, he'll walk more until he is satisfied that he has adiquatly meditated on the happyness of life. That is the way to make yourself a good person.

But because buddhism seems to rest so transparantly on its idological foundation makes many westerners beleive that it is without material reality, and to overlook the material reality of buddhism. Just as Hinduism fostered an educated elite, the actual practice of buddhism creates a social structure in which only people who have the luxury to devote a large part of their daily lives to meditation and philisophical study can actually hope to reach enlightenment, and thus political and social power tends to do remain firmly at the top. And Tibetan society is a theocracy, which gives the people no space to question their leaders at all. Tibetan people have given their complete trust and faith to the Dalai Lama, and now in my opinion he has lead them down the wrong path. He rules with the same divine mandate that gave the mideaval european monarchs the right to rule. However, now this is changing. The Dalai Lama is conciously urging his people to practice democracy; he is pushing the Tibetan people to accept more and more the idea of self determination. there is now an elected parlaiment and prime minister-in-exile. There is a high possibility that when he dies, he will 'decide' not to reincarnate himself and force the Tibetan people to vote on a new leader. But the unwavering faith of the Tibetan people in him makes this a difficult battle.

So since I recognize these good things about buddhism, why do I personally turn my back on it? My mind likes the maze of symbolism and representation that Hinduism presents. I feel that I have reached much a much more complex understanding of the same truths of buddhism through untangeling the riddles of the Bhagavat-Gita, the great Indian Epics the Mahabarata and the Ramayana, and the Srimad Bhavata. When I finally get the courage to attack the Vedas, which I will do in my life, I am sure that I will find those much more confusing and then after study enlighetening. In short, my literary and academic mind gets off on Hinduism. What can I say. More mental masterbation.

BUt the material reality of Hinduism is pretty bad, especially compared with buddhism. Hindu temples are chaotic and greedy, you have to shove your way to the front where you have to part with money to get a momentary darshan and a tikka. This is in contrast with silent meditation in gorgeous natural settings of buddhism. But as I said earlier, I like that Hinduism gives people lattitude to form their own relationship with their own choice of the manifestation of the Supreme--it gives people more of a sense of identity and belonging to worship their personal or family gods and still understand that everyone in the world is worshipping the same god.

This is not an ending place, but I am tired of writing.
peace
jed