Problems with Western Buddhism

[Jodistrict]

This is an interesting and well written article written by a young person raised by American Buddhist parents.  She explains why Western Buddhism is not so benign as people think and why she left.

For those here who were raised by Buddhist parents, do you agree with this?
 

https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/02/what-it-was-like-to-be-raised-by-american-buddhists.html

 

[Tanz]

@Jodistrict lol the part with the monk kissing them on the lips was funny.  At least he didn't try to molest them.  

Sounds to me like the parents were probably well-intentioned but a bit crazy.  The parents had a problem embodying the teachings and probably tried to inject and project too much onto them.  
Kids don't listen to you; they observe how you act and become both your light and your shadow if you don't address them.  

I grew up in a Buddhist household that wasn't too much into it.  All of my siblings were never into it.  I was the only one interested and read books because I wanted to.  I took the saying, "If you see the Buddha, Kill him" literally and stopped reading books, and listening to lectures, and strived towards obtaining the thing no monk, no teacher, no anything can give you.  Eventually, I killed the Buddha.  

[Patang]

Buddhism in the United States takes on the characteristics of a religion. It cannot be a cult, as it supports love and brotherhood, peace and tranquility. It is the nature of religion that it loses the primary narrative, and turns out to be a framework for accumulating power and respect and controlling the masses. Karl Heinrich Marx said that "religion [...] is the opium of the masses"

[Rahra]

Islam is the closest to Truth.

[r0ckyreed]

6 hours ago, Rahra said:

Islam is the closest to Truth.

How do you know? That assumes you already know what the Truth is. 

All of a religion is a fool following a fool. All of religion is an authority game of making you believe there are other enlightened beings. There is only the Experiential field of consciousness right now.

All religions have their assumptions. No Buddhist ever seriously considers that the Buddha and Enlightenment is a hallucination of their own mind.

Edited February 24, 2023 by r0ckyreed