Week 5: Buddhism — 

part 2

LSO216, Religion and Culture in Canada

Summer 2020 — Online

Some portions adapted from course materials by Steven Seman, David Babb, and Lee M. Grenci. Except where otherwise noted, content is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Buddhism

This week, we’re going to continue with Buddhism. There is no additional LearnSmart assignment. Instead, I suggest
that you review the LearnSmart assignments from weeks 1 to 4. Most of the multiple choice questions on next week’s
midterm test will be based on this material. There will also be some questions based on the additional material in the
weekly course notes and the additional readings.

2
Buddhism

The course materials last week introduced you to the diversity within Buddhism. We’re going to explore that diversity
further this week.

In some cases, the diversity within Buddhism includes striking contrasts. Last week, we looked at the case of Pure Land
Buddhism in comparison with Theravada Buddhism, though similar contrasts can be seen between Pure Land
Buddhism and other Mahayana traditions, such as Chan/Zen Buddhism:

The message of Theravada Buddhism is that of freedom from desire, but as portrayed in the video, the message of
Pure Land Buddhism is the fulfillment of desire.

Theravada Buddhism:
● You suffer because you don’t have what you want
● Follow the eightfold path, and you will be free from suffering because you will no longer want things.

Pure Land Buddhism (according to the video):

● You suffer because you don’t have what you want
● If you are devoted to Amitabha Buddha, you will get what you want.

This contrast is one of the most striking differences between Mahayana traditions and Theravada Buddhism, but there
are many others. Many of these differences emerged as Buddhism adapted to different cultures as it moved into China,
Korea, and Japan. Buddhism changed as it became embedded in these new cultural contexts.

3
Buddhism in China

The figure of Pu-tai is distinctive to Chinese Buddhism. Pu-Tai was a Ch’an monk who is believed to be a
manifestation of the Bodhisattva Maitreya — the future Buddha. He is pictured as a jolly, fat man (he is also called
the laughing Buddha). He usually has his belly exposed, and rubbing his belly is said to bring good luck.

To illustrate the contrast with images of Buddha from other cultures, below we see a statue of Pu-tai (the future
Buddha) beside a statue of the future Buddha that is in a museum in Nepal.

Religions are culturally embedded.

4
 Indigenous Chinese Religion

I did not include chapter 6 of the course text as a LearnSmart assignment, but I’m giving a brief overview of some
important aspects of Taoism and Confucianism because they are helpful for understanding Buddhism in China. If you
would like to read chapter 6, you can use the “Self Study” function in LearnSmart to access it. Indigenous beliefs in
China emphasize a number of important concepts. I’ll mention a few of them.

● Spirits: The world is populated by both good and bad spirits, and these spirits have a significant impact on
human life, bringing “health, wealth, long life, and fertility” (good spirits) or “accidents, disease, and death” (bad
spirits) (Malloy, 2018, 201).

● Ancestors: Ancestors are to be remembered and respected like other family members; otherwise they might
torment the living. Ancestors live in the world of spirits, and like spirits, they need to be treated with “cautious
reverence” to ensure that they had a good, rather than a bad, influence on the living (Mallow, 2018, 201).

● Divination: One of the ways of predicting the future and interacting with the spirit world are important in
Chinese religion.

● Qi — Yin and Yang: Qi is understood to be a universal energy that governs the relationships of all things. It
consists of complementary principles: yin and yang.
○ Yin = feminine, soft, receptive
○ Yang = masculine, hard, dynamic
Yin and Yang are in constant movement and interaction, and each contains the seed of its opposite.
● The Tao (or Dao) is a pattern that governs the relationships among all things. The goal of Taoism is to live in
harmony with the Tao, with the natural balance of Yin and Yang.

5
 Buddhism and Taoism

When Buddhism arrived in China, it was thought by some to be a distorted version of Taoism. Buddhists used Taoist
language to describe their beliefs: The Dharma = Tao. This helped the Chinese understand Buddhism, but it also
contributed to changes in Buddhism.

While Buddhist emphasis on wisdom and compassion helped it to spread in China because it echoed traditional
concerns with security and harmony, other Buddhist concepts were very foreign to Chinese ways of thinking. This
included the idea of rebirth and karma — ideas that focus on the individual, in contrast with the Chinese emphasis on
community and ancestors.

One aspect of Taoism is the attempt to achieve harmony with the Tao through meditating upon nature. Harmony would
be achieved through a moment of existential or intuitive insight, rather than through rational understanding. Some
argue that elements of Taoism influenced the beginnings of Ch’an Buddhism.

When comparing Buddhism and Taoism, it’s seems clear that both paths influenced each other. You can see
this in the Buddhist/Taoist temples in China. It would be fair to say that Daoist influence certainly did not distort
or corrupt the Buddha’s teaching — both traditions teach harmonious interconnectedness. Over the centuries,
these cultural exchanges have enriched both the Buddhist tradition and Taoist traditions, a testament to the
inclusiveness and tolerance of both paths (or Ways).

Clarke, “The Dharma and the Tao”

If you are interested in reading further about this, see Taoism in Keown (2004). A Dictionary of Buddhism.

6
 Buddhism and Confucianism

Confucius (c. 551–479 BCE) aimed to produce social harmony through bringing human relationships into proper order.
His thinking is particularly associated with
● Filial piety — respect for elders/ ancestors
● Deep feeling of empathy and respect (ren)
● The person with a perfected moral character (junzi)

Confucian Criticisms of Buddhism

When Buddhism arrived in China, it came into conflict with Confucian ideals:
● Monasticism was seen as failing to fulfil responsibility in society
● Monks shaving their heads was seen as an act of disrespect (harms body given by ancestors)
● They were baffled by Buddhist ideas about the impurities of the body, which was considered good, as it was
given by the ancestors

Over time, a pattern emerged in China where the three religions were understood to complement one another, relating
to different spheres of life:
● Buddhism seen as a medicine for spiritual disorders
● Confucian values for family life and society
● Daoism strengthen by Buddhist monastics

7
 Chinese Buddhism in Canada

The Cham Shan Temple is an example of a Chinese Buddhist temple in the Toronto area.

Initiatives:

1. Establish and develop an education centre to promote Chinese culture and propagate Buddhist virtues of loving-
kindness and compassion.
2. Uphold monastic standards, nurture monks and nuns in the promulgation of Buddhism.
3. Construct the Four Great Sacred Buddhist Gardens in Canada to provide amiable places for cultivation, to purify
the mind and bring about social harmony.

Link: “Learning about Buddhism”

● Dharma
● Discourses
● Sutra

Event: Writing the Heart Sutra on Shingles

8
 Ch’an Buddhism and Martial Arts

The association of Ch’an/Zen Buddhism and martial arts began early on. One of the stories is that Bodhidharma (d 532
CE), a founder of Ch’an Buddhism, found that years of motionless meditation led to physical problems, and so he
introduced martial arts as a way of helping monks take care of their bodies.

Ch’an/Zen was found to make effective soldiers

○ eliminates fear of death;

○ discipline of focusing mind the mind improves concentration and reflexes
○ Picked up by the Samurai class in Japan.

● Why the kung-fu monks are losing their religion

In spite of this historical connection with violence, Buddhism continues to be perceived Religion Encourages violence
as peaceful.
Islam 45%
Here are the results of an 2009 Angus Reid poll that asked Canadians if the Sikhism 26%
mainstream beliefs of religions “encourage violence or are mostly peaceful”. While this
poll is almost 10 years old, a more recent Angus Reid poll shows that Canadians Hinduism 14%
continue to view Buddhism favourably in comparison with other religions.
Judaism 13%

Christianity 10%

Buddhism 4%

9
Buddhism and Violence

However, while many Buddhists are peaceful, there are also examples of Buddhists involved in large-scale violence. For
your discussion this week, you are going to discuss a case study about Buddhism in relation to violence and peace. In this
case study, you will read about Buddhist monks in Myanmar actively encouraging violence. One of the responses to this in
the Buddhist community is to suggest that these Buddhist monks are not “real Buddhists”.

For example, in Buddhists Betray the Teachings: Jack Kornfield on the anti-Muslim violence in Myanmar, Jack Kornfield
writes,

Surprisingly, there is widespread ignorance in Burma [Myanmar] of many core Buddhist teachings. Most of Buddhist
practice in Burma is devotional. Prayers and offerings express a beautiful spirit of generosity and a belief in merit-
making, karma, and rebirth. The elaborately decorated temples are regularly awash with joyful community sharing,
chanting, and support for the monks. In this culture of devotion, the teachings of the noble truths and eightfold path,
of nonviolence, mindfulness, meditation, and virtue, are not emphasized. And the Buddha’s admonition to see and
think for yourself is lost entirely.

However, it is important to remember that this is an insider perspective: As a Buddhist, Kornfield can criticize devotional
Buddhism, and he can accuse other Buddhist monks of betraying Buddhism.

But from an outsider perspective, it would be quite odd to suggest that a Buddhist monk is not a Buddhist — From an
outsider perspective, violent Buddhist monks are simply part of the internal diversity of Buddhism. In the case study, you
will be asked to consider how the situation in Myanmar reflects the fact that Buddhism is internally diverse, changes over
time, and is culturally embedded.

If you are interested in reading further about the situation in Myanmar, you might take a look at
The Face of Buddhist Terror; Time Magazine

10
 A Typology of Violence and Peace

The case study will ask you to consider different forms of violence in the situation in Myanmar, using the following
typology of factors that work together to contribute to violence

● Direct Violence: behaviours that threaten life or a person’s capacity to meet their basic human needs (eg. killing,
maiming, bullying, sexual assault, emotional manipulation).

● Structural Violence: systematic ways in which some do not have equal access to opportunities, goods, and
services that enable fulfillment of basic human needs (eg. apartheid, lack of funding for schools in poorer
neighbourhoods, lack of clean water on Reserves).

● Cultural Violence: social norms that make direct or structural violence seem acceptable (eg. Indigenous people
are lazy and looking for handouts)

To understand this typology further, read Typologies of Violence and Peace.

11
 Engaged Buddhism

At the end of Kornfield’s article, he mentions that he worked with other Buddhist leaders to oppose the violence in
Myanmar, mentioning the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh represents a recent movement within
Buddhism called Engaged Buddhism.

To understand the engaged Buddhism, consider the following perspective on how some Buddhist’s view environmental
concerns.Some Buddhists view concerns about Issues such as the environment and climate change as attachment, a
failure to accept the impermanence of all things.

“Many Buddhists in Asia see activism not as a social exercise, but rather as a personal engagement—one of
internal transformations. Similar to the Confucian view of the junzi (true gentleman) who by his very character can
civilize an unruly village, Asian Buddhists often see peace as a personal cultivation, which ultimately transforms a
community” (Jerryson, 2017, p. 556).

From this perspective, to be engaged in activism for peace or the environment will lead you into suffering, and the
eightfold path is to lead you away from suffering. The way to make the world a better place is for you to focus on your
personal spiritual path.

Engaged Buddhism is a movement within Buddhism that emphasizes concern for social issues, such as the environment
and social justice.

Jerryson, M. (2017, Jan). Buddhism, Conflict, and Peace Building. In Jerryson, M. (ed), The Oxford 12
Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism (pp. 546 - 562). Oxford University Press.
Engaged Buddhism

To illustrate the emphasis of Engaged Buddhism, consider the way that Thich Nhat Hahn’s has rephrased the five
precepts of Buddhism in his “Five Mindfulness Teachings”.

Five Precepts (Traditional) Five Mindfulness Teachings (Thich Nhat Hanh)

1. I undertake the precept to refrain from 1. The first training is to protect life, to decrease violence in
destroying living creatures. oneself, in the family and in society.

2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking 2. The second training is to practice social justice, generosity, not
that which is not given. stealing and not exploiting other living beings.

3. I undertake the precept to refrain from 3. The third is the practice of responsible sexual behavior in
sexual misconduct. order to protect individuals, couples, families and children.

4. I undertake the precept to refrain from 4. The fourth is the practice of deep listening and loving speech
incorrect speech. to restore communication and reconcile.

5. I undertake the precept to refrain from 5. The fifth is about mindful consumption, to help us not bring
intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to toxins and poisons into our body or mind.
carelessness.

● Notice the way that the traditional precepts are focused on what the individual will not do.
● Thich Nhat Hanh five mindfulness teachings all state what the individual will do; and the things they will do are all
focused on the social world, rather than just the individual.

13
Week 5 Group Discussion

Read Buddhism Case Study: Violence and Peace. The group discussion questions are taken from the discussion
questions in this case study.

Create a post in the Week 5 Group Discussion Forum. Your post should include two brief paragraphs.

● In your first paragraph, identify a specific example of structural violence in the case study, and explain what
cultural violence makes this structural violence seem acceptable.
○ Include at least one quote in your paragraph.
○ To review cultural versus structural violence, see slide 10.

● In your second paragraph, explain how the situation in Myanmar makes the statement that Buddhism is a
“religion of peace” problematic.
○ Include at least one quote in your paragraph.

Each paragraph should probably be between 150 and 250 words. It can be a bit longer, but if it is shorter, you probably
have not explained your answers. This is important — explain your answers.

Reply: You will also reply to at least one of the other members of your group. Your reply should be at least 50
words, but it can be longer. Point out where you agree or disagree with the post, and explain why. Please be courteous
and helpful in your reply.

Citation: You must use correct APA citation for all paraphrases or quotes from any source you use. There is no
author given, so the citation for this document is (Harvard Divinity School, 2018).

14