Killing the Buddha: Sam Harris.

[white_wolf]

I thought this article might make an interesting discussion.


"The ninth-century Buddhist master Lin Chi is supposed to have said, “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” Like much of Zen teaching, this seems too cute by half, but it makes a valuable point: to turn the Buddha into a religious fetish is to miss the essence of what he taught. In considering what Buddhism can offer the world in the twenty-first century, I propose that we take Lin Chi’s admonishment rather seriously. As students of the Buddha, we should dispense with Buddhism.

This is not to say that Buddhism has nothing to offer the world. One could surely argue that the Buddhist tradition, taken as a whole, represents the richest source of contemplative wisdom that any civilization has produced. In a world that has long been terrorized by fratricidal Sky-God religions, the ascendance of Buddhism would surely be a welcome development. But this will not happen. There is no reason whatsoever to think that Buddhism can successfully compete with the relentless evangelizing of Christianity and Islam. Nor should it try to." More at link:




http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/killing-the-buddha

[intaglio]

1. Buddhism tends to make more sense to me (an atheist)

but all to often the raw teachings seem to have been perverted by those who came after. There are the 3 "vehicles" and the schools within those.

[Ruby Reason]

2. There is also no reason to think that it can not successfully compete.

[white_wolf]

3. Buddhism isn't nearly as evangelical as Islam or Christianity.

That's why it probably isn't able to compete. For instance a lot of Christian charities(especially in poor countries) will mandate conversion before they help you, but I've never heard of a Buddhist charity mandating conversion.

[Ruby Reason]

4. While I understand the evangelical portion...

my sister is Southern Baptist and my father was Roman Catholic (my family is a huge mix), I still say what seems true-ist (spelling?) will eventually persist and continue. I'm new to this thought path, but it certainly seems like it can make some other beliefs waver in their ability to measure up in the "true" department.

Did that make sense? Sorry, I'm not much of a religious person or philosopher.

[white_wolf]

5. I understand what you are saying and in the long term I'd say you are correct.

However, in the short term, i.e. this century, I can't see Buddhism overtaking Christianity and especially not Islam which is growing faster than any other religion on the planet. Though, I do sometimes wonder if Buddhism in its Pure Land form couldn't prove to be a strong rival to protestant Christianity here in the States.

[tama]

6. Interesting

As it is easy to consider Christianity a version of the Pure Land form.

[Shankapotomus]

7. that's why buddhism will win

because it doesn't compete.

no try. just be.