Beliefs

Secular Buddhism

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It’s no secret that mindfulness meditation and other Buddhist-based cognitive studies are gaining in popularity in the West, particularly in the U.S. But in bringing mindfulness to the masses, is something lost in translation? That is to say, are Westerners gradually stripping Buddhism of its religious roots? Vince Horn, of the podcast “Buddhist Geeks,” ponders […]

  • I very much appreciate Vince Horn’s words about this, but also appreciate the other side, too.

    Being a Buddhist woman from Thailand, it makes me so happy to see so many people learning about Buddhism. However, I also get sad to see that much of the religion has been removed from the faith.

    I think it is important that people realize that Buddhism has always been a religion, not a philosophy, and that the moral codes are paramount to salvation. Meditation and mindfulness HELP us on our journey to salvation by giving us the discipline to behave morally. But they are not the end to Buddhism. They are just the beginning.

    I really hope that people will look for, say, a Thai Temple in America, and go in and ask the monks to tell them about Buddhism. Maybe they will like it less, but they will understand it more.