Criticism of Buddhism - Wikipedia Criticism of Buddhism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search Overview about the criticism of Buddhism This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Criticism of Buddhism" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize its key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (September 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Part of a series on Buddhism History Timeline Gautama Buddha Pre-sectarian Buddhism Councils Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Decline in the Indian subcontinent Later Buddhists Buddhist modernism Dharma Concepts Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Dharma wheel Five Aggregates Impermanence Suffering Not-self Dependent Origination Middle Way Emptiness Morality Karma Rebirth Saṃsāra Cosmology Buddhist texts Buddhavacana Early Buddhist Texts Tripiṭaka Mahayana Sutras Pāli Canon Tibetan canon Chinese canon Practices Three Jewels Buddhist Paths to liberation Five precepts Perfections Meditation Philosophical reasoning Devotional practices Merit making Recollections Mindfulness Wisdom Sublime abidings Aids to Enlightenment Monasticism Lay life Buddhist chant Pilgrimage Vegetarianism Nirvāṇa Awakening Four Stages Arhat Pratyekabuddha Bodhisattva Buddha Traditions Theravāda Pāli Mahāyāna Hinayana Chinese Vajrayāna Tibetan Navayana Newar Buddhism by country Bhutan Cambodia China India Japan Korea Laos Mongolia Myanmar Russia Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Outline  Religion portal v t e This article is of a series on Criticism of religion By religion Baha'i Faith Buddhism Christianity Christian fundamentalism Catholic Anti-Catholicism Protestantism Anti-Protestantism Latter Day Saint movement Mormonism Jehovah's Witnesses Eastern Orthodoxy Oriental Orthodoxy Seventh-day Adventist Unification Church Westboro Baptist Church Hinduism Islam Islamism Twelver Shi’ism Wahhabism Jainism Judaism Conservative Judaism New religious movement Scientology Sikhism Yazdânism Zoroastrianism By religious figure Aisha Charles Taze Russell Ellen White Jesus Moses Muhammad Paul the Apostle Saul By text Bible Quran Hadiths Sahih al-Bukhari Mormon sacred texts Book of Mormon Talmud Religious violence Buddhism Christianity Mormonism Judaism Islam Persecution By Christians Sectarian violence Segregation Terrorism Christian Hindu Islamic Sikh Jewish War In Islam In Judaism Related topics Abuse Apostasy In Islam In Christianity Criticism of atheism Criticism of monotheism Sexuality Slavery Superstitions Muslim Jew v t e Criticism of Buddhism has taken numerous different forms, including that its practitioners act in ways contrary to Buddhist principles or that those principles systemically marginalize women. There are many sources of criticism, both ancient and modern, stemming from other religions, the non-religious, and other Buddhists. Contents 1 Criticism of Buddhist practices 1.1 Women in Buddhism 1.2 Nationalism 1.3 Accusations of violence 2 Criticism of Buddhist doctrine 2.1 Accusations of nihilism 2.2 Confucian criticism 2.3 Arguments of secular origin 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading Criticism of Buddhist practices[edit] Women in Buddhism[edit] Main article: Women in Buddhism See also: Women and religion Most schools of Buddhism have more rules for bhikkunis (nuns) than bhikkus (monk) lineages. Theravada Buddhists explain that in the time of the Buddha, nuns had such problems like safety if they were to be ordained the same way as monks who traveled around in the forest and between cities. Thus, more rules have to be created for nuns; for instance: nuns are forbidden to travel alone.[1] Alexander Berzin referred to the Dalai Lama's statement at the 2007 Hamburg congress:[2] Sometimes in religion there has been an emphasis on male importance. In Buddhism, however, the highest vows, namely the bhikshu and bhikshuni ones, are equal and entail the same rights. This is the case despite the fact that in some ritual areas, due to social custom, bhikshus go first. But Buddha gave the basic rights equally to both sangha groups. There is no point in discussing whether or not to revive the bhikshuni ordination; the question is merely how to do so properly within the context of the Vinaya. The most criticised doctrine is found in Amida Buddha's vow 35: "The Buddha established the Vow of transformation [women] into men, Thereby vowing to enable women to attain Buddhahood".[3][better source needed] Earlier limitations on attainment of Buddhahood by women were abolished in the Lotus Sutra which opened the direct path to enlightenment for women equally to men.[4] According to Nichiren "Only in the Lotus Sutra do we read that a woman who embraces this sutra not only excels all other women but surpasses all men".[5] Nationalism[edit] See also: Religious nationalism, Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism, and Nichirenism In medieval Southeast Asia, there were a number of Buddhist states, including the Pagan Kingdom, the Sukhothai Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa. In Sri Lanka especially, modern monks frequently involve themselves in nationalist politics.[6] These Buddhist nationalists have been opposed by the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, a self-governance movement led by the Buddhist A. T. Ariyaratne and based in Buddhist ideals, who condemn the use of violence and the denial of human rights to Tamils and other non-Buddhists.[7] Maung Zarni, a Burmese democracy advocate, human rights campaigner, and a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has written on the violence in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, states that there is no room for fundamentalism in Buddhism. "No Buddhist can be nationalistic," said Zarni, "There is no country for Buddhists. I mean, no such thing as ‘me,’ ‘my’ community, ‘my’ country, ‘my’ race or even ‘my’ faith."[8] Accusations of violence[edit] Main article: Buddhism and violence Violence in Buddhism refers to acts of violence and aggression committed by Buddhists with religious, political, and socio-cultural motivations. Buddhism is generally seen as among the religious traditions least associated with violence,[9] but in the history of Buddhism there have been acts of violence directed, fomented or inspired by Buddhists.[10] Criticism of Buddhist doctrine[edit] Accusations of nihilism[edit] See also: Nihilism and Sukha Friedrich Nietzsche, through Schopenhauer whose pessimism was highly influenced by Buddhist philosophy, interpreted Buddhism as a life-negating philosophy that seeks to escape an existence dominated by suffering. According to Omar Moad, Nietzsche misunderstood the meaning of Buddhist doctrine.[11] The term Dukkha has different meanings and is neither pessimistic nor optimistic.[12][13] Dukkha may mean disappointment, desires, cravings, bereavement, unfulfillment, or dissatisfaction.[14] Lama Surya Das emphasizes the matter-of-fact nature of Dukkha:[15] Buddha Dharma does not teach that everything is suffering. What Buddhism does say is that life, by its nature, is difficult, flawed, and imperfect. [...] That's the nature of life, and that's the First Noble Truth. From the Buddhist point of view, this is not a judgement of life's joys and sorrows; this is a simple, down-to-earth, matter-of-fact description. While the Buddha describes the flawed and imperfect nature of life in the first noble truth, he also points to the causes that underlie this imperfection and how to bring these causes to an end.[16] Confucian criticism[edit] Buddhism is sometimes seen as antithetical to much of Confucian philosophy. Due to the focus on social roles as the source of ethical obligation in Confucianism compared to the seemingly inherent nonconformity of Buddhism, there was a sustained ethical critique of Buddhism in early Confucianism. While Buddhism entails the belief there is nothing rightfully considered the self, Confucianism emphasized the self a great deal in their doctrines of self-development and societal roles. As a consequence Buddhism was considered by many to be nihilistic.[17] Arguments of secular origin[edit] See also: Secular Buddhism Sam Harris, a prominent proponent of New Atheism[18] and practitioner of Buddhist meditation, claims that many practitioners of Buddhism improperly treat it as a religion, criticizes their beliefs as "naive, petitionary, and superstitious," and claims that such beliefs impede the spread of Buddhist principles.[19] However, he has also underlined that these beliefs stem from the tendency of some Buddhists to not follow a fundamental teaching of Buddhism; namely, to believe a teaching only with sufficient evidence.[20] Stephen Batchelor, author of "Buddhism without Beliefs" has written about karma and rebirth, asserting that the Buddha “did not claim to have had experience that granted him privileged, esoteric knowledge of how the universe ticks”. However, his critics point out that his assertion is contrary to the earliest written records of the Buddha's teaching as well as hundreds of years of academic study on the topic. They also point to a lack of scholarly research on Batchelor's part to give credibility to his claims; and suggest that Batchelor may be attempting to reshape Buddhism due to his own discomfort with concepts such as karma and rebirth.[21] See also[edit] Bulssi Japbyeon Index of Buddhism-related articles Secular Buddhism References[edit] ^ Women in Buddhism Archived 2009-05-04 at the Wayback Machine (in English) ^ Berzin Summary Report Human Rights and the Status of Women in Buddhism ^ "Women In Buddhism Part IV by Rev. Patti Nakai". Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2015. ^ "The Enlightenment of Women". Retrieved 25 April 2015. ^ Writing of Nichiren Daishonin, vol1. p 463 Archived 2013-10-19 at the Wayback Machine ^ Ananda Abeysekara, "The Saffron Army, Violence, Terror(ism): Buddhism, Identity, and Difference in Sri Lanka". Numen 48.1 (2001). ^ Thomas Banchoff; Robert Wuthnow (2011). Religion and the Global Politics of Human Rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 178. ISBN 9780199841035. Retrieved 17 June 2015. ^ Pujari, Anuradha Sharma; Arora, Vishal (1 May 2014). "Nirvanaless: Asian Buddhism's growing fundamentalist streak". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 October 2019. ^ Buddhist Warfare by Michael Jerryson and Mark Juergensmeyer / Oxford University Press 2010, p.3 ISBN 978-0-19-539484-9 ^ Jerryson, Michael (2010). Buddhist Warfare. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-19-539483-2. ^ "Buddhism and Nietzsche". Retrieved 25 April 2015. ^ Rupert Gethin (1998), Foundations of Buddhism (PDF), Oxford University Press, p. 62 ^ Walpola Rahula (2014), What the Buddha Taught, Oneworld Publications, pp. 525–541, ISBN 9781780740003 ^ "BBC - Religions - Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths". Retrieved 25 April 2015. ^ Surya Das (2009), Awakening the Buddha Within, Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony, ISBN 9780385530989 ^ https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/wings/part1.html ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2016-07-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) ^ Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and Daniel Dennett have been described as the "Four Horsemen" of the "New Atheism". See 'THE FOUR HORSEMEN,' Discussions with Richard Dawkins: Episode 1, RDFRS - RichardDawkins.net and » Blog Archive » The Four Horsemen of the New Atheism Archived 2010-07-30 at the Wayback Machine ^ Killing the Buddha by Sam Harris ^ https://samharris.org/killing-the-buddha/ ^ http://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-issues-for-2010/october/distorted-visions-of-buddhism-agnostic-and-atheist/ Further reading[edit] Baskind, James; Bowring, Richard (2015). The Myōtei Dialogues: A Japanese Christian Critique of Native Traditions. Brill Publishers. ISBN 978-90-04-30729-2. v t e Criticism of religion By religion Bahá'í Faith Buddhism Christianity Catholic Jehovah's Witnesses Latter Day Saint movement Protestantism Seventh-day Adventist Unification movement Westboro Baptist Church Hinduism Swaminarayan sect Islam Islamism Twelver Shia Islam Wahhabism Jainism Judaism Monotheism New religious movement Scientology Sikhism Yazdânism Zoroastrianism Religious texts Bible Quran Hadith Mormon sacred texts Book of Mormon Talmud Religious figures Aisha Charles Taze Russell Ellen White Jesus Moses Muhammad Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Saul Religious violence Buddhism Christianity Mormonism Judaism Islam Terrorism Christian Hindu Islamic Jewish Persecution Christian thought on persecution and tolerance War In Islam In Judaism Sectarian violence By country India Anti-Christian violence In Odisha Nigeria Pakistan Books Atheist Manifesto Breaking the Spell Christianity Unveiled God in the Age of Science? God Is Not Great God: The Failed Hypothesis Letter to a Christian Nation The Age of Reason The Blind Watchmaker The Caged Virgin The End of Faith The God Delusion The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Why I Am Not a Christian Why I Am Not a Muslim Books critical of Christianity Books critical of Islam Movements Agnosticism Antitheism Atheism Criticism Cārvāka New Atheism Nontheistic religions Parody religion Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Buddhism&oldid=999039627" Categories: Criticism of Buddhism Anti-Buddhism Criticism of religion Buddhism-related controversies Buddhism and politics Buddhist nationalism Hidden categories: Webarchive template wayback links CS1 maint: archived copy as title Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Articles needing additional references from June 2015 All articles needing additional references Wikipedia introduction cleanup from September 2016 All pages needing cleanup Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from September 2016 All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify Articles with multiple maintenance issues All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from May 2018 Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Namespaces Article Talk Variants Views Read Edit View history More Search Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version Languages العربية Català Español Français Magyar Русский Simple English Suomi Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 8 January 2021, at 05:36 (UTC). 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