Buddhism and the challenges of secularisation: Is Buddhism a religion? Batchelor Vs Brazier

 

Buddhism and the Challenges of Secularisation

·        Society in Britain has become increasingly secular (not associated with faith) – fewer people worship or claim to have beliefs; the Church in Britain/religious institutions have less say over people’s lives. Secularisation has roots in the Enlightenment, as people began to accept scientific rationalism/empiricism rather than religion.

·        One challenge to religion is that moral truths and values have been replaced (for British Buddhists, with science and rationalism). If people feel that they already have answers to ultimate questions, they are less likely to turn to religion. Buddhism relies on belief in the supernatural but science is based in evidence. The view of Humanism suggests people can live good lives without religious belief.

·        Another challenge is that religion has been relegated to the personal sphere. In 1555, it was agreed that the English King could decide on the religion of his whole state; in 1648, it was decreed that if one’s religion was different to the state religion you could practice it in private. In today’s society, British people have a right to decide if they want to belong to a religion.

·        Religion has become consumeristic: people choose to follow it based on personal benefits.

·        A final challenge of secularization on religion is the rise of militant atheism. They are very hostile to religion and see it as something that they must fight against. It is irrational to believe in supernatural religious claims. Richard Dawkins views religious claims as equivalent to a belief in fairies or Santa. They blame religion for wars and for making humanity believe the ridiculous.

·        A new form of Buddhism is Triratna Buddhism. Established in the UK in 1967, it considers contemporary ideals. It is not identified with any particular strand or school of Buddhism; there is an underlying unity to all schools (hence, it is ecumenical). The aims of the movement include: upholding traditional practices such as meditation (samatha), and the “metta bhavana,” translated from Pali as “the cultivation of loving kindness.” It fits with modern society because it considers contemporary ideas including Western philosophy, psychotherapy and art. More than 100 groups worldwide are affiliated with the community. The London Buddhist Centre helps the local community by hosting activities such as drop-in lunchtime meditation centers, and it runs addiction counselling and yoga. Someone who regularly attends community activities is considered to be a “friend” (who can be of any faith), whereas a “mitra” is a “friend” (in Sanskrit) who considers themselves Buddhist. Those who wish to join the order must request this in writing: they therefore show a welcoming attitude to people of other faiths.

·        Another form of Buddhism is Secular Buddhism. The 14^th Dalai Lama says, “Do not try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist, use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are.” Secular Buddhism focuses on discovering personal truths and using Eastern Buddhist practices to help those living in Western societies. Focused mostly on meditation, stress reduction, mindfulness. It is not seen as a religion, but as a philosophy. Noah Rasheta (a Secular Buddhist scholar) says that Buddhist teachings are something we DO; the implication is important because believers should focus on themselves. Thich Nhat Hanh says, “The secret of Buddhism is to remove all ideas, all concepts, in order for the truth to have a chance to penetrate, to reveal itself.”

·        Stephen Batchelor is a supporter of Secular Buddhism – he disrobed from the Sangha in 1985 after becoming disillusioned with the supernatural aspects of Buddhism. He considers Buddhism as a constantly evolving culture of awakening. He rejects karma and rebirth because it is not intrinsic to the Buddha’s teachings. He says in “Buddhism without Beliefs” that the Buddha was not a mystic but a man who challenged us to acknowledge and then overcome anguish. Buddhism has survived for the past 2500 years as it is capable of adapting and reinventing itself. Batchelor argues that the 4NT are not something to have a belief in; instead, they are the 4 tasks which were lost over time as mystical and supernatural aspects became more of a priority. “Dharma practice” suggests a course of action; they are “challenges to act.” We should treat the 4NT as injunctions to act upon “before habitual reactions incapacitate us.”

·        For Batchelor, Buddhism becomes about action, rather than supernatural spiritual beliefs. He advises people to take from Buddhism what works and use that. It is important to see the value in mythic material in Buddhism (such as the story of the Buddha’s upbringing and seeing the Four Sights) without taking these ideas as history. Myths are valuable as they allow people to imaginatively engage with the dharma.

·        Meanwhile, David Brazier is a Cyprus-born Buddhist follower. Despite practicing a mix of Zen and Pureland (Mahayana) Buddhism, he refers to himself only as "a Buddhist." He is the founder of Buddhist spiritual community Amida Shu, which focuses on perfecting a consciousness of spiritual love and truth – Amida is a spiritual presence that binds people together. He rejects secular Buddhism.

·        In his work “The New Buddhism” - a more active, compassionate manifesto - asserts that the Buddha was a radical critic of society, and that his vision of a new social order transcended racial and economic divisions. Brazier takes a new look at the many aspects of Buddhism and re-interprets them in light of the Buddha’s social aims. He clearly states that Buddhism should be – and originally was – about engagement with the world. In “Buddhism is a Religion: You Can Believe It,” Brazier warns that we are in danger of gravely misunderstanding the Buddha when we overlook the metaphysical, religious foundations of his teachings.

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY: Batchelor vs Brazier
Reasons why Batchelor says Buddhism is secular	Reasons why Brazier says Buddhism is a religion
·        Buddhism should be about “belief that” we should do something practical rather than “belief in” spiritual doctrines. ·        The practical thing that we should strive for is the ending of suffering, which is key in Secular Buddhism – this is shown by his view that the 4 Noble Truths were originally meant to be seen as 4 tasks which people must do to overcome suffering in their lives. ·        He removes the supernatural parts of the religion, seeing them as stemming from the context of the time rather than the Buddha himself. ·        Buddhism is also an evolving tradition, so in his view it is completely acceptable to evolve to be non-supernatural in the C21st. ·        His book, “Buddhism without beliefs”, argues that Buddhism is a moral philosophy, not a religion. ·        He still upholds some practices, such as meditation and mindfulness, for their practical benefits, however he does not see this as being connected to supernatural experiences.	·        Buddhism is a religion, and to get rid of spiritual aspects is to remove its “heart”. ·        Brazier views the texts of Buddhism to contain true doctrines that one should have “belief in”. ·        His book “Buddhism is a religion: you can believe it!” counters the view of Secular Buddhism that Buddhism is not a religion. ·        However, he argues that Buddhism should still be focused on practical action – he is an Engaged Buddhist, and believes that it is possible to care for the world and strive to end suffering whilst simultaneously believing in the supernatural aspects of Buddhism. ·        He is a member of the Mahayana tradition.