Buddhism For Sale

By Shyamon Jayasinghe -May 30, 2014

Shyamon Jayasinghe

Buddhism is the world’s most fashionable religion. Men and women of the affluent West are seen seeking relief from their living anxieties, in Buddhist practices like meditation and Zen craft. This trend goes along with an increasing decline in Christian Church attendances in these parts of the world.

The popularity of Buddhism in the West is observed across social strata. The intellectual types have abandoned creation theories and beliefs in a supervising God. They cannot make sense of the prevalence of evil, deprivation and acute injustice in the world on the assumption of the old dogma of a compassionate God.  The more angst-ridden lower classes look to Buddhism with a different emphasis. Overall, the appeal of Buddhism in the West is not so much for the religion’s metaphysic or its philosophy as defined by the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path nor to the religion’s myriad rituals like worship of Bo trees, transference of merit and Pirith but to the facets mentioned above. In the Buddhist portfolio of the West broader Indian practices like Yoga are also incorporated.

The sight of a monk in saffron robes walking elegantly with head downcast has optional appeal to the run down sense of spirituality in the West.  Consequently in the West, Buddhism sells like skin care products and perfumes. The Age newspaper of May 26^th this year carried an interesting story about fake monks who have entered the army of salespeople and who were seen in the streets of the busy Melbourne CBD. For the benefit of readers who have missed this story I reproduce it as follows:

“Dodgy Buddhist monks wearing robes that hide tracksuit pants and runners are scamming Melburnians and visitors to the CBD, Consumer Affairs says.

Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Buddhist Council of Victoria warned on Monday of conmen dressing as Buddhist monks and asking for money in exchange for prayer beads, amulets and spiritual guidebooks.

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