In Western culture, especially among so-called “woke” circles and Hollywood elites, there’s an odd obsession with Buddhism. For many, it’s romanticized as a peaceful, philosophical alternative to organized religion.
But here’s the thing: Buddhism is a religion—just like Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism. The Dalai Lama’s celebrity status in the West, for example, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the Buddhist world and its complexities. Many act like saying you’re heading to Tibet is akin to achieving enlightenment itself, whereas places like Hell, well, barely raise an eyebrow.
What these enthusiasts often overlook is that Buddhism, like any major religion, has its own intricacies, rituals, and, yes, a dark side. People often paint it as this peaceful, serene way of life, but Buddhist-majority nations don’t exactly fit this rose-tinted image. Cambodia? Khmer Rouge? Genocide. Japan? War crimes. Even the mess that is Tibet today had its roots in a harsh feudal society before Chinese control—complete with serfs and slaves.
And then there is Myanmar do not see Buddhism as some abstract “concept”.
The West’s Dalai Lama Fetish
In the U.S. and Europe, people lose their minds over the Dalai Lama as if he’s some kind of global guru for peace and harmony. Yes, he’s a major figure in Tibetan Buddhism, but many forget that Tibet was no utopia before Chinese occupation. It was a brutal, hierarchical society with powerful lamas lording over the masses. The West’s obsession with Tibet and the Dalai Lama is driven more by their disillusionment with their own societies than any true understanding of Buddhism itself. People equate Tibet with some kind of spiritual haven, but often ignore the history of exploitation.
A Religion with Its Own “Hell”
Westerners also love to say Buddhism is more philosophy than religion. That’s completely misguided. Buddhism has temples, monks, prayers, rituals, and yes, its own version of hell (Naraka). Buddhists go through extensive rituals to atone for sins, pray for favorable reincarnations, and even accumulate good karma. You know, like in any other religion. A bearded beatnik sitting in a café in LA might tell you that Buddhism isn’t a religion, but by denying its religious roots, aren’t they guilty of cultural appropriation?
Buddhist hell is not some metaphorical construct either—it’s a multi-layered place where sinners face torturous punishments for their misdeeds, ranging from being boiled in oil to walking on fiery ground. This hardly screams “philosophy” or some new-age peaceful contemplation. Sounds more like religious dogma to me.
Temples, Prayers, and Rituals
Take a stroll through any predominantly Buddhist country, and the evidence of its religious nature is undeniable. Temples dominate the landscapes of Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar. People offer incense, food, and flowers as a form of worship. In temples, you’ll find Buddhist statues adorned with gold, revered as divine. Monks chant prayers, and festivals revolve around Buddha’s teachings and reincarnation cycles.
So why do we, in the West, feel the need to detach Buddhism from its religious core? The answer lies in the selective nature of cultural obsession. Westerners take the parts of Buddhism that appeal to their sensibilities—mindfulness, meditation, reincarnation—and discard the rest.
The Not-So-Peaceful History of Buddhist Nations
Another point often ignored is the violence associated with many Buddhist-majority countries. Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime, for example, was responsible for mass atrocities, genocide, and forced labor. Japan, which has a large Buddhist population, was infamous for its war crimes during World War II. China, although primarily a Confucian state, also has deep Buddhist roots, and Tibet is embroiled in ongoing political and military conflict. These aren’t exactly bastions of peace, so why does Buddhism get a free pass?
The answer is simple: people like to cherry-pick aspects of religions they find convenient or romantic. For some reason, the Western interpretation of Buddhism as purely peaceful and philosophical persists, despite ample historical and contemporary evidence to the contrary.
Time to Accept: Buddhism is a Religion
It’s time for bearded beatniks and hairy-legged white women to accept that Buddhism is a religion. Not some free-floating philosophy or lifestyle. It has all the hallmarks of a traditional faith: temples, prayers, saints, rituals, and yes, even its own version of hell. The irony is that the same people who preach cultural sensitivity are condescendingly dismissing an entire religion by calling it something it’s not.
Buddhism deserves the same respect given to other faiths. It has centuries of deep-rooted traditions, followers who devote their lives to it, and a complex doctrine. If you wouldn’t tell a Catholic that Catholicism is just a “way of life,” then you shouldn’t say that about Buddhists either. The selective interpretation of Buddhism in the West is just another example of cultural appropriation masked as admiration.
Conclusion
And so I say this as a foreigner that lives in a Buddhist country and respects the religion! So, I say to you fellow westerners – You need to stop cherry-picking what you like about Buddhism and misrepresenting it as something it isn’t. Buddhism is a religion—an ancient, complex one at that.
Whether it’s the rituals, temples, or the Naraka (Buddhist hell), the evidence is everywhere. Just because it appeals to your modern sensibilities doesn’t give you the right to strip it of its identity. In the end, denying that Buddhism is a religion is not only condescending but hypocritical—especially in a world that claims to value cultural integrity.
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