Unmasking Buddhism

Can we talk of Buddhism as a unified religion or are there many Buddhisms? Is Buddhism a religion of tolerance and pacifism as many people think? Is Buddhism a religion without god(s)? Or is it more of a philosophy than a religion? Renowned Buddhist scholar Bernard Faure answers these and other questions about the basic history, beliefs and nature of Buddhism in easy–to–understand language. It is an ideal introduction for anyone who has unanswered questions about one of the world s largest and most popular religions.

Introduction 1

Part I Buddhism in History 5

Buddhism is both one and many 7

The Buddha is only a man who achieved Awakening 11

Buddhism is an Indian religion 18

Buddhism is the cult of nothingness 23

Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion 27

All Buddhists are seeking to achieve Awakening 34

Buddhism teaches the impermanence of all things 39

The belief in karma leads to fatalism 44

Buddhism denies the existence of a self 49

Buddhism teaches reincarnation 52

Part II Buddhism and Local Cultures 57

Buddhism is an atheistic religion 59

Buddhism is above all a spirituality 66

  The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Buddhism 71

To be Buddhist is to be Zen 76

Part III Buddhism and Society 83

Buddhism is a tolerant religion 85

Buddhism teaches compassion 89

Buddhism is a peaceful religion 93

Buddhism affirms that we are all equal 99

Buddhism is compatible with science 104

Buddhism is a kind of therapy 112

Buddhism advocates a strict vegetarianism 118

Buddhism is a universalist teaching 122

Buddhism is a religion of monks 129

Conclusion: Buddhism or Neo–Buddhism? 139

Glossary 143

A Short Bibliography 151

Index 153

Bernard Faure is Kao Professor in Japanese Religion at Columbia University. He has published a number of books in French and English, including: The Rhetoric of Immediacy: A Cultural Critique of Chan/Zen Buddhism (1991); Chan Insights and Oversights: An Epistemological Critique of the Chan Tradition (1993); Visions of Power: Imagining Medieval Japanese Buddhism (1996); The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality (1998); The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender (2003); and Double Exposure (2004). He is presently working on a book on Japanese Gods and Demons.