History UsefulNotes / Buddhism

%%* MessianicArchetype: Bodhisattvas. (missing context)

There is also [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navayana Navayana]] ("New Vehicle."), which refers to two largely unrelated traditions that began in the last century or so - the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit_Buddhist_movement Dalit Buddhist movement]] in India, and various forms of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_the_West Western]] or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_modernism Modernist Buddhism]]. Dalit Buddhism was founded in the mid-20th century by Untouchables in India. Influenced by rationalism and Marxism, it rejects all supernatural powers and emphasizes reason and empirical truth. It also explicitly rejects the idea of rebirth, and inheriting karma from a previous birth. In addition to these theological differences, Dalit Buddhism opposes Hinduism, which it sees as responsible for the propagation of the caste system and the Dalit position at the bottom of the social totem pole. While Dalit Buddhists take their teachings from all three schools, they tend to emphasize what they see as the Buddha's role as a political and social reformer, rather than as a spiritual teacher. In this sense, it has much in common with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theology Liberation theology]], a form of Christianity that heavily emphasizes political and social justice for the poor. Modern "reinterpretations" of Buddhism, mostly found in the West, tend to be benign forms of "spirituality" and "self-improvement," often jettisoning much of the cosmological and theological baggage of Buddhism found in Asia, and refocusing attention from Nirvana on to how one can improve one's life here on Earth.

%%* EvilIsSexy / EvilMakesYouUgly: Female Asuras and male Asuras respectively.

* AllJustADream: See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_in_Buddhism Reality in Buddhism]].

* FireAndBrimstoneHell: The Hot [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naraka_%28Buddhism%29 Narakas]], especially [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Av%C4%ABci Avici]].

* {{Karma}}: See above. When {{Flanderiz|ation}}ed and simplified for dramatic effect, you get CallItKarma.

* MessianicArchetype: Bodhisattvas.

* {{Reincarnation}}: See above.

* EvilIsSexy / EvilMakesYouUgly: Female Asuras and male Asuras respectively.

* ForeignRemake / HijackedByJesus: Believe it or not, the story of Siddhartha Gautama. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barlaam_and_Josaphat Seriously.]] One of the reasons Buddhism declined in India is because Hinduism co-opted it into its own religion, making the Buddha an avatar of Vishnu. Then when the story of Buddha spread, it came to Medieval Europe and Buddha became the Christian [[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02297a.htm St Josaphat]].

** An interesting note is how matter of fact the treatment of the supernatural can be in some Buddhist traditions. For example, in many Tibetan monasteries, part of the oath you take when you become a monk is that you are not a spirit disguised as a human being. Other monasteries are placed specifically to be bindings for demons, oracles and divination are fairly common practice for lamas, and there are many lamas who have repeatedly reincarnated and continued their teaching. Part of the reason China's destruction of monasteries and abuse of monks during the Cultural Revolution was so devastating was the way knowledge of the spiritual landscape and the whereabouts of reincarnated lamas was lost.

* That life is suffering. [[note]]Not necessarily in a pessimistic manner. By this it is meant that to exist in any form is to eventually feel suffering and loss, no matter how happy one may be at the moment. Even gods can suffer and must eventually die and be reincarnated. The Abrahamic idea of a permanent heaven is not generally recognized in Buddhism. Even Nirvana is more akin to a state of pure knowing than a true afterlife.[[/note]]

Buddhism is almost entirely dead in the land of its birth, comprising less than 1% of the population of India. Various theories have been proposed for why Buddhism declined over the centuries and gradually disappeared, ranging from persecutions by hostile rulers to degeneration of the monasteries. Even as early as the 5th century, visiting Chinese monks commented on the sorry state of Buddhism in India. Ultimately what did Buddhism in was religious syncretism. Over the centuries Hinduism and Buddhism grew closer and closer in religious practice, such that by the Middle Ages it was hard for a layperson to tell them apart. Hindu mystics took the good parts of Buddhism and incorporated them into their belief system. Eventually Buddhism had nothing of its own left to teach. When Indian sages proclaimed that Buddha was an avatar of Vishnu, that was the end for Buddhism. With many Buddhists already worshipping Hindu gods, there wasn't any point in remaining a Buddhist anymore. In the end, it wasn't so much "destroyed" as simply (re)absorbed into Hinduism.

* Paperworkaholic: As an old joke says, "Christians love [[GodIsGood God]], Buddhists love [[LongList lists]]." The canon is packed with them.

* No form of Buddhism explicitly teaches the existence of a ''creator'' god, and some believe that even wondering about it is useless, even harmful. Some schools believe in the existence of gods and demons simply as other forms of life and no better than humans, while others reject the existence of all godlike beings. On top of that, some schools have practices that call on higher powers (including the Buddha). Sometimes this is symbolic, while other times it is in earnest prayer. In all cases, however, whether one believes in gods or not, or whether one worships them or not, they are considered irrelevant to the actual point of Buddhism -- the attainment of Enlightenment, which even gods must strive for.

There is also [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navayana Navayana]] ("New Vehicle."), which refers to two largely unrelated traditions that began in the last century or so - the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit_Buddhist_movement Dalit Buddhist movement]] in India, and various forms of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_the_West Western]] or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_modernism Modernist Buddhism]]. Dalit Buddhism was founded in the mid-20th century, by Untouchables in India. Influenced by rationalism and Marxism, it rejects all supernatural powers and emphasises reason and empirical truth. It also explicitly rejects the idea of rebirth, and inheriting karma from a previous birth. In addition to these theoretical differences, Dalit Buddhism opposes Hinduism, which it sees as responsible for the propagation of the caste system and the Dalit position at the bottom of the social totem pole. While Dalit Buddhists take their teachings from all three schools, they tend to emphasize what they see as the Buddha's role as a political and social reformer, rather than as a spiritual teacher. In this sense, it has much in common with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theology Liberation theology]], a form of Christianity that heavily emphasizes political and social justice for the poor. Modern "reinterpretations" of Buddhism, mostly found in the West, tend to be benign forms of "spirituality" and "self-improvement," often jettisoning much of the cosmological and theological baggage of Buddhism found in Asia, and refocusing attention from Nirvana on to how one can improve one's life here on Earth.