Analytical Essay

An Atheist’s
response on
Buddhism
Abstract – Buddhism a religion where the individual takes refuge with
the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha (+Parents & Teachers of faith), in
which all are united with the goal of overcoming suffering (dukha)
caused by existential desire [craving, greed, anger,] and ignorance of
reality's true nature [Four Noble Truths], including impermanence
(anicca) and the ultimate non-existence of the self (anatta), in which
the individual self transcends that aim by attaining Nirvana or pursuing
the path of Buddhahood [via Eightfold Path], therefore terminating the
Saṃsāra reincarnation cycle of death and rebirth, as well as karma by
the karma of these deeds; and in which the self is selfless-emptily
nonexistent. The philosophy was founded by a philosopher Siddhārtha
Gautama, in India which historically propagated into Southeast Asia
until the religion was challenged by the western colonization with their
science and enlightenment, resulting in the recreation of the Buddhist
Modernism. This had led to see whether or not Buddhism is a friend or
foe of Rationality, which it seeks to evaluate in this following essay.

Zaw Ye Htike
12-2-2021
 An Atheist’s response on Buddhism

Buddhism is widely recognized as the religion most compatible with science, with
some scientists strongly supporting it, seeing it as less superstitious and irrational
than most other religions, and potentially even sensible enough to adopt—with some
atheists sympathizing with its doctrines (Cline, 2020).
However, if one examines Buddhism's history, it becomes clear that the concept of
Buddhism was originated on East Asian religious foundations, and that the view of
Buddhism as an atheistic lifestyle with relaxful meditation was a later romanticized
adaption of the West (Schwartz, 2021).
The truth was that the original Buddhism was polytranstheistic, having a far
superstitious ideology containing fantastical elements:
• Reincarnation
o Where one is in a constant cycle of life and death (Saṃsāra), repeated
in connected events of their karma that makes them.
o The problem with reincarnation is that not only there is a lack of
evidence with many assertions that it exists, but the main issue is there
is not yet of proper way to verify it prospectively in an objective manner
and no proper mechanism to explain how reincarnation might occur,
with varied explanations within its divided religious sects.
o Furthermore, because Buddhists do not see death as a final and
permanent end to our existence, where all consciousness and
memories vanish, as Atheists do, their emphasis on reincarnation can
delude them from learning life's harshest lessons, being in an illusion
that they’ll see each other later by choice, when it’s that nature shows
that they’ll be gone forever, being the harshest reality of nature that
living beings such as humans must face, and this coping mechanism of
comfort in wishful thinking only will delay such crucial preparation of it.
• Karma
o The hyper-spiritual cosmological justice system of cause-and-effect
deeds by one person affecting themselves to another life, albeit good
or bad, in its birth, lifetime to death, in which it currently is at faults for
those being born as sinners [craving, greed, anger,] in the previous
life(s) as a cause that created this current life in effect.
 o Karma is used as both the causing problem and a solution for suffering
by the religious doctrines for salvation and often condemns those alive
as bound to this material world as slaves trapped in a cycle of death
and rebirth (Saṃsāra).
o The problem with supernatural karma is that there is no supporting evidence
for it, only assertions and tragically, it leads people to not focus on having
better earth lives—true life, instead, seeing living as inferior whilst salvation to
Nirvana is superior, only longing for spiritual dimensions as “real treasures”
which likely is of wishful thinking. It also conflicts with natural selection,
hence, incompatible.
o Another issue with karma is how the LGBT+, mentally ill, birth defects,
disabled, sometimes women (sometimes denied of their Buddhahood or
Nirvana), are unfortunately seen as people who have bad karma, hence,
rightfully deserves this inferiorly, instead of referring to biological, genetic,
natural, sociological, or other scientific studies causing these things, hence,
are unresolving the problem of evil or of justice. Life in reality is unfair unless
one resolves to make it fair, to make the unjust just, not by karma which
establishes superior-inferior positions that appear “just” on the surface but is
instead reinforcer of prejudices through discrimination and social shunning, in
which only through the judicial system through objective means shall this end.
o Additionally, since karma’s mechanism is clearly unclear just as reincarnation
which its tied by, its likely an adept attempt to avoid physical material scrutiny
by positioning themselves in a metaphysical immaterial world that is
inaccessible to attempts of science.
• Spiritual worlds, realms, and spirits

FIGURE 1: BUDDHIST COSMOLOGY (LEFT) CONTRA SCIENTIFIC COSMOLOGY (RIGHT)

(DB, 2021; WikiKiddle, 2021)

o Which includes otherworldly metaphysical dimensions such as

Heavens and Hells, with the Saṃsāra Buddhist Cosmology adopting
an ancient Āryan conception of the world having three strata or layers
(earth, atmosphere, and sky) and renames these as the Desire Realm
(kāma-loka), the Form Realm (rūpa-loka), and the Formless Realm
(ārūpya-loka), all having supernatural creationism (Aggañña Sutta).
 o Among the three main realms, are comprised of further sub-realms
such as the six realms of rebirth and existence: gods (deva), demi-
gods (asura), human beings (manuṣa) —the only ones salvationable—,
animals (tiryak), hungry ghosts (preta) and hell denizens (naraka). The
former includes the highest degree of free will, compassion and
happiness one feels caused by the good karma while the latter is of the
lowest due to bad karma.
o Again, we have no way of accessing these supernatural worlds, and
despite the fact that religious summoning is utilized because its holy
scriptures promises that these acts can bring supernatural spirits into
the physical human world, no supernatural beings mentioned in these
stories have ever been successful to collect such data. The division of
the realms by various sects made it difficult to establish which was the
correct one or if there were variations in the cosmic multiverses, with
some scriptures adding extra sub-realms, such as (7) voice-hearers,
(8) cause-awakened ones, (9) bodhisattvas, and (10) Buddhas.
o All of these are inaccessible and often is used as a tool to enforce
religious morality in this cosmic Wheel of Life, driven by karma and
reincarnation which itself like this cannot be demonstrated scientifically.
All that can be said is that natural universe runs perfectly without them.
• Astrology
o Which includes the zodiac signs found by looking at the stars (just as
by looking at the hands in Palmistry) to determine one’s predetermined
destiny and fate, shaped by karma and read by the religious devout.
o According to Jotoski (2019), the Buddha disliked of Astrology in the
same way that he disapproved of Music & studying of the physical
world (Cūḷamālukya Sutta), criticizing it for causing attachment
longing on Earth and destroying the ultimate objective of entering
Nirvana for salvation. Besides, the truth is something the Buddha has
already discovered (with his Four Noble Truths) and would not answer
to anything outside this—hence, weary of innovation and deviation,
completely different from the scientific worldview, which is in complete
truth that the universe has not been fully discovered yet. However, his
followers wanted to record his actions in which astrology’s role to
tracking lunar phrases, marking auspicious occasions, death
ceremonies and other means of theosophical proto-scientific practices
with thought experiments foretelling to advise on future actions, hence
becomes prominent later in Buddhism despite his warnings.
o Interestingly for this one, the case for against Astrology was a right
thing done for the wrong reason (as the truth is that Astrology itself is
pseudoscience), whilst for Music, depends entirely on the music itself
which can be used as a means to have attachment or detachment by
its meaning, plus, his prohibition against natural philosophy already
makes it antagonistic to science—with its followers both traditional and
demystified modern versions, trying to make it fit its religious narrative.
• Pseudohistory
o Which converses of many Buddhas serving from different Earths in
different universes who possess of all-knowing, all-powerful abilities
among the existence of things—natural or supernatural, who all have a
messiah complex to become a savior for all lives, bringing back lost
Dharma teachings in cyclical time, which they attempted in previous
incarnations before they finally become the bodhi; the awakened one in
historical Sanskrit Pali—{a concept similarly used by the Christian
Metaphors like ‘in the light of God and Jesus Christ’}, which was to be
modernized to be the “enlightened one” like its protestants.
o The problem of this is that we know very little of the historical Buddha
just as Jesus Christ, due to the lack of archaeological findings and of
the religious interpretations that followed thereafter suite solely by its
followers, who made various changes from time to time. Some later
sects even claim all other later religious deities (from Islam, Christians,
Jews) all worship the supreme ūrṇā Shakyamuni Buddha or that he is
their incarnations, with Buddhism being the true cosmic religion of the
entire universe.
o Also, the Buddhist Calendar is as controversial as the Christian
Calendar, as no one for sure knows exactly of when he is born with
various interpretations.
• Supernatural cosmology
o The idea that the universe is comprised of “great elements”
(Mahābhūtas) in which there are four main elements Earth Element
(pruṭhavī-dhātu), Water Element (āpa-dhātu), Fire Element (teja-dhātu),
Air/Wind Element (vāyu-dhātu), sometimes accoupled with later Space
Elements (ākāsa-dhātu) and Conscious Elements (viññāṇa-dhātu).
o This archaic attempt to explain how the world works had remained
unprogressed in the communities except for pseudo-scientific practices
like Alchemy and Palmistry, but never enough in leading to the
Scientific Revolution, or lead to other discoveries like the Atoms, or
matter (Solid, Liquid, Gas, Fire or Plasma) which are what later
Buddhist scholars attempted to reconcile and adopt with science after
being challenged to merge it as a resolution.
o The Buddhas from other Earths playing the fabric of the supernatural
cosmology to liberate all life is another claim difficult to accept, due to
the sheer impossibility of having exact human copies which is to
happen before this Earth and after this Earth. Additionally, the ideas of
a human Buddha being able to fly across the universe, clone himself,
downright at this antiquity time is already making such claims logically
dubious.
• Dogmatic chanting & worship of Dharmas and Suttas
o Where the use of consistent prayers is used as a means to create good
karma, to pray the gay away, and exorcism to those of the possessed
that are mentally ill and unstable to be free of inner demons that control
them.
 o Some chanting includes teachings like the Three Marks of Existence
(trilakṣaṇa), the Five Aggregates/Bodies (khandhas), Dependent
Origination (Pratītyasamutpāda), interplaying with Four Noble Truths
{how suffering (dukkha) causes existence & attachment (samudaya),
in which the methods to end it (nirodha) leads to the Eightfold Path
(magga)—where must practice to have (1) right view, (2) right resolve,
(3) right speech, (4) right conduct, (5) right livelihood, (6) right effort, (7)
right mindfulness, and (8) right meditation, for liberation}.
o Again, the use of prayers is an ancient prescience attempt on explaining
how to resolve physical and mental health which has no scientific merits
as such, particularly in the supernatural karmic systems and
reincarnations of the Saṃsāra, as well as to the path to Nirvana.
o While some aspects of Buddhism, such as the Four Noble Truths and the
Eightfold Path, may have societal merits—some Buddhists claim it is what
Buddhism only discovered in exceptionalism—it is important to note that
these were adapted in part from other religions, such as Hinduism and
Jainism, which existed before, around, and after it. Other religious
doctrines were widely known to the Buddha, and he decided to correct
them by making his own. However, it does not excuse the fact that religion
(like this one) forces people to rely on outside authority (Three Gems—
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—accoupled with Parents and Teachers of
faith in some other sects), rather than becoming self-reliant, which itself
can impose irrational rules of good or bad behavior, dividing people,
causing conflict, war, and the offense of basic Human Rights. Besides, it is
considered a sin to challenge these authorities as these enlightened
individuals are morally infallible—excusable to any abusive acts, hence,
very questionable.
• Faith-healing and Meditations
o Physical healing through prayer incantations and mental healing through
concentrative meditations (like Śamantha and Vipassanā which itself is a
later modern reinvention after going through Jhāna Wars, as its not in the
earlier ancient yogic texts), for ultimately gaining Abhijñā Enlightenment,
to resolve sins of one’s bad karma as well as possible dangers.
o While there is scientific evidence to prove that the westernized
mindfulness meditation can stabilize the mind from stress in some way by
psychological demonstration as it values “thoughts to oneself” [originated
from the western philosopher; Marcus Aurelius which was mashed up by
mistranslation towards eastern Buddhist texts; hence, made Mindfulness],
the traditional eastern practices by jhāna meditation [that the Buddha
philosophically endorsed] with its cross-legged sitting positions, “aiming to
tear up desire by its roots” by self-obliteration of its senses to bodies and
constriction of the mind, focusing only in-and-out airflow by the nostrils,
aiming to destroy the ability to enjoy life for liberation from this world, is
shown to be harmful; stopping blood flow in certain area, lead to poor
posture which excessively can lead to strain, stress, spinal deformities
including scoliosis, muscular tingles, dizziness, hallucination and
transcendental experience, where the fallacy of having faith in this
“supernatural” feeling begins after releasing, feeling lightened liberation.
 o Additionally, faith-based aspect like gaining enlightenment to another
plane to existence to the supernatural karma system fails as it uses strain,
stress, and release, in which this liberation experience is meaningless.
The experience fails to validate the ideology and the ideology itself fails to
provide the experience. Also, one’s faith simply cannot save one from
being infected by the virus through prayer or meditation, as simply it’s a
Placebo Effect as its actually done by one’s own immune system or
medical help that determines life or death.
• Relics and Buildings
o Which includes mortal remains of the saints, such as the Buddha’s
remains as well as his Sangha followers (Dhātu) —alleged to have some
of his body parts like tooth, hair, eyes after cremation, as well as spiritual
crafts (Śarīras) like Amulets, Talismans, Boons, Beads which has inherent
abilities that grants luck, superpowers, divine protection to the user.
o Additionally, the same is also said of its religious buildings {temples,
shrines, pagodas, and monasteries} and religious symbols {which include
a white parasol, a conch shell, a treasure vase, a victory banner, a
dharma wheel, a pair of golden fish, an unending knot, and a lotus flower},
which are utilized in furniture, metalwork, carpets, pottery, statuary, and
literature in Buddhist traditions.
o Again, because there are prohibition laws on scientists retrieving such
relics and doing scientific testing being banned by the Sanghas in religious
institutions, it becomes rather difficult, even though photographic evidence
reveals that some of these relics could be animal remains—but are certain
that there is a sense of anachronism in some items.
o For the supernatural abilities, the laws of physics simply cannot allow it
and the usage of these Buddhist relics in the East is similar to that of
Abrahamic religions in the West.
• Conformity to a particular ‘clergy’ or ‘creed’
o In the Kalama Sutta —the charter of free inquiry that is free only if a
particular wise authority agrees with it— which is aimed to accept or reject
truth as it believes one's own logic can't be used entirely, as ultimately, the
experience of feelings is required in which blamelessness, skillfulness,
praised by the wise people within it and leading to welfare and happiness
are the only means to validation. Reason therefore in instance, is not
sufficiently treated as a basis for accepting something as true or false by
one’s own thinking but of others, who can have such abilities to disregard
unto logical conjecture and inference simply because it destroys their
feelings of welfare and happiness by the harsh cold facts, therefore
blameful for challenging them, hence, be rejected (Bodhipaksa, 2017).
o In some sects, challenging the creed by thought, speech or action is seen
as offensive, hence, is sinful and endorses excessive control on
questioning and criticism.
o Some branches see those leaving its faith as well as other differing beliefs
as threats to destroying Buddhism, as such non-Buddhist peoples are
seen as demolishers who deprive people from the opportunity to be
liberated of suffering—hence, sinful, must be defended territorially and
 sacrifice anything for it to survive, radically by force if necessary to save
the world that otherwise would be barbaric without it.
The irony of this is that it had led the world to have ultranationalistic
buddhist groups intolerant to change, old versus new in its indifference.
• Negation of Life
o Where one detach/quit this existence of life to stop suffering by having
"enlightenment" for the way to Nirvana full of emptiness non-existence
through severe focus on nihilism (negation of life) via world escapism of
Saṃsāra. To think of life to live, by rooting in Taṇhā/desire creates
attachment and suffering, therefore, must be sabotaged with such
antagonism on practices like Eudaemonia which fared progress in West.
o Nirvana has been a matter of debate among Buddhist communities, both
traditional and modern, with some thinking it to be a supernatural region of
nothingness where people from the physical world would go to be
released, while others believe it to be an abstract state of mindfulness
liberation. There are a few proposals with most Buddhist Theologians
asserting about the process in which the oneself (anatta) is an energy
traveling under the karma system that after going through Nirvana, will be
destroyed with its existence being in non-existence, but fundamentally
violates the discovered natural Laws of Thermodynamics of the Universe,
such as the first law, that “energy cannot be created or destroyed.” Some
claim that this dividing metaphysics do not matter, that Nirvana is
obsoletely independent, and all others are ultimately nothing like how self
is an illusion (despite objective refutes from scientific studies), and that all
is one operating through mystical divinity that is simply out of our reach
where these attaching doubts must be cleared to achieve inner peace –
the ignorance is bliss fallacy. Either way, the appeal to supernaturalism,
which they invented with an argument based on personal incredulity, is not
only illogical due to a lack of evidence, but also concerning because its
adherents are taking a leap of faith, devoting their entire lives to following
whatever mystics have led them in their conducts, acting as if they were
Vikings on their way to Valhalla, with little regard for actual reality, which
can be far more meaningful without it. For why follow things by blind faith
in the supernatural in preparation for this uncertain Nirvana liberation,
when one can use reason in this natural world to pursue Eudaimonia
through reason, without any superstitious elements or worship, as the
pursuit of science helping human flourishing to live well in conviction to
stop problems is indeed evident as history indeed shows?
I say this because as someone born in a Buddhist country; Myanmar, known for having
a reputation for being the closest purest branch in the sects of Buddhism in its
Theravada originality, which was what was occurring there by these various elements
previously aforementioned with conservative groups in its heritage sites, still practicing
these ancestral customs. These traditions continue to influence Myanmar's modern
politics, particularly now, where Rohingyas and other non-believers have been
massacred as part of various ethnic cleansing campaigns led by Buddhist extremists
fearful of losing their faith, like what the Burmese monarchs did to Shans, Mons, and
other Thais, especially during the historical Sacking of Ayutthaya in their holy wars.
Besides, Buddhist nations have had armies, monks have trained warriors, and both
Japan and China have a heritage of military monks, so calling Buddhism a religion of
peace would be an irony (Vishvapani, 2017). There have been conflicts between
Buddhist sects and wars between Buddhist kingdoms, some of which were fought by
previous Dalai Lamas as well as battles in the Southeast Asia for the true royal
bloodlines of the Buddha who ought to rule the world as a Chakravarti and remove
the misbelievers/heretics, under the Divine Right of Kings. There have been violent
forced conversions, and Buddhists have used and justified torture, in addition to
persecuting followers of other beliefs (Jerryson & Juergensmeyer, 2010; Victoria,
2006). i.e., 12th-century Buddhist Inquisition by Sangha against local Shan folk religion;
Satsana Phi/Phism during the Bagan Dynasty with trail, genocide, and exile till its extinction.

Figure 2: A feudal caste system used in Myanmar during the Konbaung Dynasty, which existed
since the Taungoo to the Bagan Dynasty times.(Source:
https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Konbaung_dynasty)

The monks also known as the Sanghas, have a privileged status like of medieval
clergymen and popes, often revered for wisdom, with some even advising their
Buddhist kings on administrative social affairs aided with Brahmins under a feudal
caste system, but there is no denying they have influence over the society. Also,
kings used Buddhism to justify their legitimacy in governing the society, claiming to
be the descendants of the Buddha’s Śākya Clan, preserving the religious traditions,
hence, revolutionaries were discouraged to overthrow the monarchy.
This is emphasized in the Cakkavatti-Sihanada Sutta, which insists that society must
be led the Buddhist Sangha who has sacred authority whereas the kings uphold
state authority, in which their kingdom must propagate through the power of
the Three Jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha —which will
establish and protect the religious Śāsana, for the world otherwise would be immoral
without them and needs their divine liberation (Hidas, 2020). This notion is
comparable to the Caliphate, which argues for the rule or reign of a caliph or chief
Muslim ruler in Islam world, contra Śāsana, which argues for the rule or reign of a
Sangha or Buddhist ruler in Buddhism world.
While there are indeed monks in the Buddhist Sangha that are detached from the
governances to simply continue their way of life, living in isolation, the damage it
creates to the society must mentioned because men and women who left their
families and becoming nuns/monks who did not do anything but meditate and preach
all day, begging for food and not working towards the support for the society
becomes destructive, particularly if the Sangha clergymen had a larger population in
which the smaller population such as the poorest laymen are exploited to give away
little food, money, medical care, and possessions they have all to help those leaving
this Earth, because they are afraid of bad karma they acquire for not doing so.
This was the case during Myanmar's Bagan Empire period, when the Buddhist
Sangha dominated control over two-thirds of the land, spending most of its
cumulative donation funds on mass-building religious monasteries all over the place
for their Śāsana rather than social welfare until it collapsed aided by the invading
Mongol Empire that took opportunity of its already weaking state and pillaging it
(Hybernator, 2002), as well as in Ancient China where Buddhists are criticized by
Confucianists for gaining excessive tax-exempt religious land, of which much was
not even used for religious purposes but for political power with corrupt parasitic
clergymen accumulating wealth of the poor until the two are to be merged in
syncretism (Cultural China, 2016) and Japan of pre-WW2 for the exploitative nature
the monks also did in reaping the hard-earned money of the people aided by the
Imperial Government of Japan, endorsing killing of Koreans so those with good
karma will become the Japanese and how when Japanese soldiers died, they will be
recycled until being challenged by Christian missionaries that aid the poor, bring
food, love bombing, and medical care the society supported; increasing its
conversions, that Buddhists got nervous and started doing the same (Victoria, 2006).
And so far, no Buddhist society despite claiming to have the Buddha’s enlightenment
had ever achieved social change like of the Western Enlightenment, done by rational
folks who took culture over scripture, and valued reason over superstition—Scientific
Method over Religious Method. The fact that many latter Buddhists in colonized
countries adapted/modified/reshaped their religion to become less “threatening” and
more compatible with the “rational” and “scientific” worldview, challenged by the
works of the European Colonizers in the 18th-20th century, reimagined themselves to
have, to secure its continuation and avoid needless confrontations, makes this rather
evident (Albin Johansson, 2021).
Other evidence includes the misattribution of the Buddha’s Teachings ‘i.e., Kalama
Sutta,’ twisting of historical events, and further alternations to its tenants
(Bodhipaksa, 2017). Some traditional tenants fundamentally even conflicted with the
modern science, such as how desire does not cause suffering, but resolves it, as
well as the concept of anatta (non-self) which is scientifically disproven.
In the recent New Age Movement for instance, Buddhist scholars try to avoid the
situation by taking what was taken literally back in the past, to become rather of a
metaphorical one instead, with various interpretations that splintered the Buddhist
scholarship, each divided sects claiming themselves to be the truth (Rationality
Rules, 2019; à-bas-le-ciel, 2021).
In the world finally dominated by Science, united by verifiable data that has
progressed in the decades in its methodology, with the natural world in its grasp, this
was the final stand of the Religions to save themselves in their retreat. Buddhism is
one of these, in which its guise to be a rational religion, tries to embed its
supernatural aspects into the scientific papers to suit their narratives.
Sam Harris (2006) argues that Buddhism "needs to be saved from Buddhists". It's
enough to simply follow the precepts and live a good life rationally; why believe in
things that ignorant people from the past superstitiously believed?
To have faithless dharma, free from the chains of religion and corrected in the hands
of science where humanity can receive better wisdom.
However, Evan Thompson (2020) notes that this combining act would obliterate its
original roots, resulting in a new Buddhist Modernist branch that tries to dishonestly
denounce faith-based elements such as the three jewels —Buddha, Dharma, and
Sangha—, which are already sources of authority defining fundamentals of
Buddhism. One simply cannot become a Buddhist without an adherence to these
tenants, and when Buddhist Modernists cherry-pick and make bolder claims of how
Buddhism can explain everything, asserting of its superiority by turning it and
claiming it as science, forming Buddhist Exceptionalism; it already tarnishes and
proves what it already is—a superstitious religion so strong in faith that tries to
preserve itself by destroying itself of its originality.
Whatever Buddhism is to become either because this, likely will be up to its followers
to decide, but for atheists, its best that its abandoned and instead let the upcoming
scientific disciplines like psychology, ethics, laws, etc.… to take its place as a
substitute for buddha, dharma and sangha. Sometimes, its best to leave things as
they are, as it is already indeed a philosophical mess gilded in disagreements and
mysticism.
For Buddhism inherently is a religion built on faith in its philosophical premise and
any religion acting in a guise of rationality is a dangerous one, as those that are led
to believe in it will be misled with dishonesty and even if it is built with good
intentions, the end of that does not justify the means.
*Therefore, with these following points made in depth, due to Buddhism having the conflict
with science, curtailing freedoms, delusion, claims of having the exclusive truth that’s in
burden of proof, fear of punishment, feeling guilt, immutability, instilling fear, internal
conflicts, irrationality, justification of violence, limitation on the rights of women,
outdatedness, perpetuation of division, persecution, prejudice, rebuffing of broader
perspective, social constructs, strange customs, strained relationships for partners of
different beliefs, the structure, the suppression of curiosity, its use as a tool for control,
unsophisticatedness in its faith…
I argue it to be the foes of rationality so entrenched in mysticism and superstitions.
Sources:
About Buddhism
[1] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Buddhism.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion with the goal of overcoming suffering (dukha) caused by desire
[craving, greed, anger,] and ignorance of reality's true nature, including impermanence
(anicca) and the non-existence of the self (anatta), in which the individual self is to transcend
that end through the attainment of Nirvana or by following the path of Buddhahood, ending
the reincarnation cycle of death and rebirth, as well as karma by the karma of these deeds;
where the self is selfless-emptily nonexistent.
*According to Mitchell (2002), certain basic teachings appear in many places throughout the
early texts, which has led most scholars to conclude that Gautama Buddha must have taught
something similar to the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, Nirvana, the three
marks of existence, the five aggregates, dependent
origination, karma and reincarnation/rebirth due to its historical consistency.
[2] PBS Online. (2021, November 6). Buddhism: An Introduction. PBS
Online. https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm
[3] Bodhi, B. (2005, November 19). A Look At The Kalama Sutta. Buddhist Publication
Society. https://web.archive.org/web/20051119094429/http:/www.accesstoinsight.org/l
ib/authors/bodhi/bps-essay_09.html
An analysis on the Kalama Sutta
This interpretation of the sutta, on the other hand, overlooks the fact that the Buddha's advice
to the Kalamas was conditional on their understanding that they were not yet ready to put
their faith in him and his doctrine; it also overlooks the fact that the sutta omits all mention of
right view and the entire perspective that opens up when right view is acquired for the same
reason.
Faith in the Buddha's teachings is never seen as a goal in and of itself, nor as a sufficient
guarantee of liberation; rather, it is seen as the beginning of an ongoing process of inner
transformation that culminates in personal enlightenment. But, in order for this revelation to
be truly liberating, it must be accompanied by a thorough understanding of the fundamental
truths about our condition in the world and the area in which deliverance is sought.
These truths have been imparted to us by the Buddha out of his own profound comprehension
of the human condition. To accept them in trust after careful consideration is to set foot on a
journey which transforms faith into wisdom, confidence into certainty, and culminates in
liberation from suffering.
[4] BBC Bitesize. (n.d.). Sources Of Authority - Buddhist Perspectives - Sources Of
Authority. BBC Bitesize. Retrieved November 20, 2021,
from https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zvnv87h/revision/2
During worship, Buddhists will bow three times to reflect their dedication to the Three
Refuges, also known as the Triple Gem or the Three Treasures. The Three Refuges consist of
the following sources of authority:
[1] the Buddha
[2] the Dharma, his teaching (Pali cannon, such as the Tripitaka scriptures, consisting of sutras
{i.e., 38 works of Prajnaparamita} and pitakas {Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma
Pitaka}.
[3] the Sangha, the community of Buddhist practitioners (such as monks and other followers)
[5] SOTOZEN.COM. (2021, February 28). What Are The
Sutras? SOTOZEN.COM. https://www.sotozen.com/eng/practice/sutra/what.html
[6] Encyclopedia Britannica, Stefon, M., & Rodriguez, E. (2016, April 14). Sutra.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/sutra
Sutra, (Sanskrit: “thread” or “string”)
Pali sutta, in Hinduism, a brief aphoristic composition;
in Buddhism, a more extended exposition, the basic form of the scriptures of both the
Theravada (Way of Elders) and Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) traditions. ... In Mahayana
Buddhism the name sutra is applied to expository texts.
[7] Mark, J. J. (2020, October 14). Sutra. World History
Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Sutra/
[8] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Pāli Canon.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81li_Canon
The Canon is traditionally described by the Theravada as the Word of the Buddha
(buddhavacana), though this is not intended in a literal sense, since it includes teachings by
disciples. Additionally, the writing took later a few hundred years after his death.
[9] Encyclopedia Britannica, Duignan, B., Young, G., Stefon, M., & Tikkanen, A. (2019,
March 22). Pali Canon. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tipitaka
[10] Clark, W. E. (n.d.). Some Problems in the Criticism of the Sources for Early Buddhist
History. The Harvard Theological Review, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Apr. 1930), pp. 121–
147. https://doi.org/10.2307/1507639
Buddhist literature is not complete in any one language. The primary sources for the study of Buddhism consist of
texts in Pali, in Sanskrit (with some fragments in Prakrit and a few texts in a mixed dialect — as if composed by
men trying to turn Prakrit into Sanskrit but with a very poor knowledge of Sanskrit grammar), Chinese, Tibetan,
and several of the languages spoken in Chinese Turkestan are the primary sources for studying Buddhism. There
are manuscripts in Mongolian as well, although they appear to be Tibetan adaptations and are not of fundamental
interest.
These various texts do not represent the translation of one common tradition into different languages. They give
various divergent versions and amplified reworkings of a primitive
nucleus. All of them must be studied and compared critically if we are to understand Buddhism as a whole. It is only
through a critical comparison of these variant versions that we may be able ultimately to reach back beyond
canonical Buddhism in the two forms which have been preserved.
[11] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Mahābhūta.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah%C4%81bh%C5%ABta#Four_primary_el
ements
Pre-scientific attempt to explain how the world works.
[12] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Soteriology.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soteriology
Study of Savior/Preservation, used by Religious sects to offer salvation from suffering, which
includes *Buddhism, Hinduism, Hellenism, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Judaism,
Christianity, Islam, Sikhism…)
[13] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Nirvana.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana
Practiced not only by Buddhists, but of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs which it adopted as a means
as a soteriology, to attract for its followers with a promise of being given freedom, liberation,
destruction of desire, lifelessness, nonexistence, emptiness and selfless from suffering; despite
there is no validity but much emotional appeal of its salvation.
It is simply a soteriology, an invented religious doctrine that is effective in bringing people into
its beliefs because it affects what they care about the most in which their lives will be safe, but
yet fails to admit the fact that there is no guarantee of afterlife or such supernatural places.
[14] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Nirvana (Buddhism).
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(Buddhism)
[15] Dorno. (n.d.). Buddhist Prayer For Peace. Dorno. Retrieved November 21, 2021,
from https://www.pm365.ga/ProductDetail.aspx?iid=49187681&pr=24.88
Buddhist Prayer for Peace-
May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from
their illness/suffering. May those frightened cased to be afraid, and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another. May those
who find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness ~the children, the age, the unprotected~
be guarded by beneficial celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood & Nirvana.
[16] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Gautama Buddha.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha
[17] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Dharma.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma
In Buddhism, dharma is the doctrine, the universal truth common to all individuals at all times 'to
uphold', as proclaimed by the Buddha in his teachings. This linguistic feature is that dharma is
prominently used in compounds with other words.
When it appears as the [1] first member, it can refer to something being “virtuous,” “lawful,” “just,”
or “righteous,” as with dharma-yuddha, a “just war,” or dharma-rāja, a “righteous king.”
When it appears as the [2] second member, it can refer to the “law” or “duty” that pertains to the
person or group mentioned before it, as with sva-dharma, “one’s own duty,” or vara-dharma, “the
laws of class” or “caste.” You will also hear of “the laws of life-stages,” called āśramas as well as the
‘universal laws of nature’, ‘cosmic law and order’ to ‘fundamental reality’.
[18] Wikipedia. (2021, December 28). Dependent Origination / Pratītyasamutpāda.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prat%C4%ABtyasamutp%C4%81da
It states that all dharmas (phenomena) develop as a result of other dharmas: "if this exists, so does
that; if this ceases to exist, so does that." The fundamental premise is that everything (dharmas,
phenomena, and principles) is dependent on everything else, able characterize the process of a sentient
being's rebirth in saṃsāra and the resulting duḥkha (suffering, pain, unsatisfactoriness), and they
provide an account of rebirth and suffering that avoids positing an atman (unchanging self or eternal
soul). The reversal of the causal chain is explained as leading to the cessation of reincarnation (and
consequently the cessation of pain), some of which can be traced to taking inspiration from the Vedas.
[19] Wikipedia. (2021, December 28). Three Marks Of Existence / Trilakṣaṇa.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_marks_of_existence
[1] impermanence (aniccā), [2] non-self (anattā), [3] suffering (duḥkha)
[20] Wikipedia. (2021, December 28). Five Aggregates / Skandha.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandha
[1] Form, [2] Feeling, [3] Perception, [4] Formation, [5] Consciousness)
[21] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Four Noble Truths.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths
[22] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Noble Eightfold Path.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path
[23] Rahula, W. S. (2016, April 12). The Noble Eightfold Path: Meaning And Practice.
Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. https://tricycle.org/magazine/noble-eightfold-path/
[24] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Sangha.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangha
[25] Wikipedia. (2022, June 15). Dīgha Nikāya.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C4%ABgha_Nik%C4%81ya
The Digha Nikaya (dīghanikāya; "Collection of Long Discourses") is a Buddhist scripture, the
first of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets"
that compose the Pali Tipitaka of (Theravada) Buddhism.
[26] 2013-09-13T16:16:19+05:30. (2013, September 13). Rude Travel: Down The Sages.
Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/rude-travel-down-the-
sages/story-SYVGGDouZrOTgJogiul6IN.html
Jainism is an ancient religion and eternal with 24 Tirthankaras. Of the 24, the last two
tirthankaras – are generally accepted as historical persons, with the 23rd Tirthankara pre-
dating the Buddha and the Mahavira by probably some 250 years. Going by the legends, if
there was a great Jain teacher in 877 BC, then Jainism is a much older religion than Buddhism
and additional Buddhist texts refer to Jainism as a flourishing religion that already existed
long before the Buddha began preaching, further verified by chronological carbon-dating in
archaeology which verifies such existence.
[27] Thomas, E. (1877, August 16). Jainism; Or, The Early Faith Of Asoka.
Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/016329a0
This article challenges the usual opinion that Jainism is a late corrupt form of Buddhism and
seeks to prove that Buddhism itself was originally a Jainist sect and that Asoka, the
Constantine of India, was a Jainist before he was a Buddhist. His grandfather, Chandra Gupta
or Sandracottus, is claimed by the Jainists, and their claim is supported by the testimony of
Megasthenes; according to Abúl Fazl, Asoka himself introduced Jainism into Kashmir, and the
gradual passage of his belief from Jainism to Buddhism may be detected in his rock and pillar
edicts.
[28] Brehm, D. (2003, January 11). Buddhist Relics Are Full Of Spirit. MIT News |
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology. https://news.mit.edu/2003/relics
[29] Navarro, H. (2013, April 1). No April Fools‘: Followers Claim Rare Buddha’s Tooth
With Healing Powers Continues To Grow. NBC Los
Angeles. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/not-april-fools-day-prank-
supernatural-rare-buddhas-tooth-healing-powers-continues-grow/2059018/
[30] Kim, M. (2014). Claims Of Buddhist Relics In The Eastern Han Tomb Murals At
Horinger: Issues In The Historiography Of The Introduction Of Buddhism To China.
Experts@Minnesota. https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/claims-of-buddhist-
relics-in-the-eastern-han-tomb-murals-at-horin
Scientists found historical misidentifications of Buddhist relics by its followers which are cited
in general historical treatments, thus distorting the picture of early Buddhism and its material
culture in China.
[31] Sharf, R. H. (n.d.). On the Allure of Buddhist Relics. Representations, No. 66 (Spring,
1999), pp. 75–99. https://doi.org/10.2307/2902880
Problems with Buddhist Relics causing people to be illusioned with mysticism, where scientists
and religionists are having a clash between faith and reason.
[32] ArcGIS StoryMaps. (2019, December 3). Symbolism In Buddhism. ArcGIS
StoryMaps. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/897249eaaa174f5187e07abd08a114
21
How Buddha’s features were exaggerated and evolved across civilizations.
[33] Bigham, L. (n.d.). Buddhist Proverbs. Pinterest. Retrieved November 21, 2021,
from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/173599760611107617/
The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with what the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting passions.
 The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
-Adapted from Dharma
[34] Wikipedia. (2021, November 22). Saṃsāra.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra
[35] Ikeda, P. (n.d.). Changing Karma. Pinterest. Retrieved November 21, 2021,
from https://in.pinterest.com/pin/341147740518544847/
"When a hose is turned on that has been out of use for a long time, initially, all the dirt and scum that was
inside is flushed out. But if you keep the hose on, eventually clean fresh water will flow forth." "Changing
karma is a similar concept. Because you started practicing, the karma that had been clogging up your life has
come out. This is the law of life. You can definitely transform your karma and attain happiness, so please
continue to carry out faith until the very end, no matter what." – President Ikeda
[36] Bunardzic, A. (2017). Dharma in Buddhism means two things, the cosmic law and
order, and also the teachings of the Buddha, but how do Buddhists distinguish bet...
Quora. https://www.quora.com/Dharma-in-Buddhism-means-two-things-the-cosmic-
law-and-order-and-also-the-teachings-of-the-Buddha-but-how-do-Buddhists-
distinguish-between-the-meanings-of-the-same-word
The Buddha was adept at using skillful means (upaya) in order to assist aspiring practitioners
to reach deeper understanding.
But the Buddha also taught that all those skillful means are to be viewed as merely being a
raft that enables us to navigate troubled waters of samsara and reach the other shore — also
known as nirvana, with the raft of Dharma paddling through the paddle-rowing of karma.
Once we reach the other shore, the raft becomes useless; it is therefore nothing but a scaffold,
something that helps us achieve a lofty goal.
In that respect, concepts such as dharma, samsara, nirvana etc. are fundamental concepts
describing the processes meant to accumulate a body of knowledge, in seeking to achieve
freedom from suffering.

Dharma literally means reality, the way things are, and thus includes
(1) the knowledge of reality, i.e., philosophy, metaphysics, ontology, etc., and
(2) action based on reality, i.e., ethics, morality.
The first thing one notes about this is that Indian philosophy links “is” and “ought,” the
connexion being karma, unlike Western philosophy, which suggests that the “ought” cannot
be derived from the “is,” which has led to Western nihilism. In referring to the Buddhist
teachings as dharma Buddhists are simply affirming that Buddhism is true and is therefore the
proper guide to right action, including spiritual or religious conduct, i,.e, the work of following
the true path that leads to emancipation. Thus, dharma also includes soteriology. Finally,
because it is reality, dharma is effective, i.e., energetic, kinetic. It has the inertia of the
universe behind it. Thus, the wheel of dharma rolls on (and also flies, interestingly).
[37] Oxford Reference. (2021). Triloka. Oxford
Reference. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.201108031057
21221
Buddhist cosmology adopts an ancient Āryan conception of the world having three strata or
layers (earth, atmosphere, and sky) and renames these as the Desire Realm (kāma-loka), the
Form Realm (rūpa-loka), and the Formless Realm (ārūpya-loka).
[38] Oxford Reference. (2021). Six Realms Of Rebirth. Oxford
Reference. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.201108031005
09423
These are the realms of the gods (deva), the demi-gods (asura), humans (manuṣa), animals
(tiryak), hungry ghosts (preta) and hell denizens (naraka). Generally, Buddhism tends to teach
that these levels are real modes of existence although some forms of Buddhism, especially
within Mahāyāna.
[39] Soka Gakkai. (2020). Ten Worlds. Soka
Gakkai. https://www.sokaglobal.org/resources/study-materials/buddhist-concepts/ten-
worlds.html
[40] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Palmistry.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmistry
[41] Handreading :: Palmistry :: Cheirology. (2019). Buddhist Handreading. Moon
Media. https://www.handreading.nz/buddhist-handreading/
[42] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Supernatural.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernatural
[43] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Astrology.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology
Astrology is a pseudoscience that claims to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial
events by studying the movements and relative positions of celestial objects.
[44] Jothishi. (2019). Buddha On Astrology And Those Who Practiced It.
Jothishi. https://jothishi.com/buddha-on-astrology/
According to Buddha, astrology, enchantments, etc. were lowly arts. Additionally, he was definitely
against the natural studies and practice of astrology as it distracts followers from taking responsibility
for their own destiny and stay on the path of spiritual quest. He wanted his followers to take
responsibility for their own destiny and stay on the path of spiritual quest. Despite Buddha’s negative
view on the matter, such studies like astrology later became integrated into Buddhism for various
reasons. The practice, long entrenched in the minds of people, cut across geographical and cultural
divides. Moreover, Buddha’s own life was filled with special events that occurred on the Full Moon Day.
These include his birth, his death, and his first discourse. In certain sects of Buddhism, Full Moon Day is
significant as Amitabha Buddha Day, the Day of the Celestial Limitless Buddha.
[45] Wikipedia. (2021, December 23). Buddhist Calendar. Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_calendar
[46] Kham, K. A. (2020, December 12). Burmese Theravada Buddhist Calendar Sample.
Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1231940483967803&set=pcb.1231
941557301029
[47] Shaneman, J., Angel, J., & Dalai Lama, H. H. (2013, September 1). Buddhist
Astrology: Chart Interpretation From A Buddhist Perspective.
Amazon.Com. https://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Astrology-Chart-Interpretation-
Perspective/dp/1896559190
[48] Wikipedia. (2021, November 23). Shakya.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakya
[49] Wikipedia. (2021, December 28). Aggañña Sutta.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agga%C3%B1%C3%B1a_Sutta
The Sutta begins when the Buddha starts a discourse with the two brahmins who are insulted and
maligned by their own caste for their intention to become members of the Sangha.

In the second part of the Sutta, the Buddha tells the story of how human beings came to dwell on Earth,
by the supernatural deva mortal Abhassara Brahma that is sexless and has the power to create this
world while alive in the universe's expansion and contraction saṃsāra cycles. They flew above and
around the Earth, inspecting it until it was found to be fertile for sentient life, not just non-sentient life.
Such Abhassara Brahma would die at this time in order to exist as sentient beings. The Moon and the
Sun had not yet been seen, Night and Day had not yet been established, names and identities for
female and male had not yet been established. The creatures there are the forerunners of humans, who
are simply known as creatures since, unlike humans, they were perfect soft celestial bodies with the
power to change genders.
“At that period, […] there was just one mass of water, and all was darkness, blinding darkness.... And
sooner or later, after a very long period of time, savory earth spread itself over the waters where
those beings were. It looked just like the skin that forms itself over hot milk as it cools. It was
endowed with color, smell, and taste. It was the color of fine ghee or heated butter and it was very
sweet, like pure wild honey
[…].
Curiosity and greed drove some of the light beings (the Abbhasaras) to dive and sample the
delectable Earth's essence. At that point, the creature discovered how good it tasted. As a result,
appetite set in, and it ate the substance voraciously and eagerly, inviting its comerades (who were
flying above and below the earth) to participate in the feast. Soon after, the creatures began to
consume voraciously, and because of the large amount of mud substance available, they were able
to do so for an extended period of time. Their light bodies were covered in dirt over time, then
transformed into the Sun and the Moon, resulting in night and day, seasons, and years...
[…]
Other creatures that ate honey developed more hardened bodies, and when the honey was gone,
mushroom-like plants grew, which tasted the same; then cassava or turnip-like plants grew, which
turned their bodies of beauty and ugliness in different ways, followed by male and female sexes, in
which humans will appear later. The man got fascinated with women, and the woman became
preoccupied with the man. Then, because they were so strongly drawn to each other, passion and
desire arose, and they began the sexual relationships. People who witnessed a couple engaging in
sexual behavior chastised them, and the couple was usually barred from entering the village for a
period of time. As a result, the indulgent couples constructed closed houses in which they engaged in
sexual activity. Lust, rage, greed, and karmic sins all make an appearance.

In the third chapter, Buddha explains the Birth of Social Order; from the origin of Castes, their titles, and
their order in the society system which were still rigidly effective in Buddha's time that humanity
eventually volunteered.
[1] The Khattiya Class (Rulers) “Lord of the ricefields” who controls the land, rice and keeps sinners in
check such as feudal kings, enforcing feudalism.
[2] The Brahmin Class (Prophets) “Possessor of Brahma” who wished to return back to the Abhassara
Brahma, back to a time and place where it was perfect, ending evil deeds.
[3] The Vessa (Traders) and the [4] Sudda (Hunters) “‘They Are Base Who Live By The Chase’, starting
families and creating trades to function the human race.

All of these castes, from Brahmin, Khattiya, Vessa, and Sudda originated from these people, and not
from others; in accordance to the Dhamma and not by others. Those who do good deeds will get to the
higher castes whereas bad deeds will get to the lower castes in the overworld. Others can end up in hell
or heavens, all trapped in the Samsara, unless they head to Nirvana, in which…
[5] The Ascetics
The true peoples who see actual liberation to not exist in this world, practiced by various clans from
laymen that became the clergymen, in which out of various groups of the Śramaṇa movement; a group
known as Sangha, starting Buddhist Monastic Order/Śāsana, in the path to salvation to gain
Buddhahood or Nirvana, are truly free from this Saṃsāra for they found & practiced the actual Dharma
(Truth) and not Adharma (Not Truth).
Those monks who already gained such freedom become arahant, who had eradicated stains of Mind,
had done what must be done, what needed to be done, already gaining the needed knowledge, having
all the levels, being powerful in life and ultimately will head to Nirvana after death.
[50] Wikipedia. (2022, June 11). Buddhist Cosmology.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cosmology
Buddhist cosmology describes the planes and realms in which beings can be reborn. The
spatial cosmology consists of a [1] vertical cosmology, the various planes of beings, into which
beings are reborn due to their merits and development; and [2] a horizontal cosmology, the
distribution of these world-systems into an "apparently" infinite sheet of “worlds." The
temporal cosmology describes the timespan of the creation and dissolvement of universes in
aeons. Buddhist cosmology is also intwined with the belief of karma, and explains that the
world around us is the product of past actions.

As a result, some ages are filled with prosperity and peace due to common goodness, whereas
other eras are filled with suffering, dishonesty, and short lifespans.
[51] Kalpavriksha. (2019, December 26). The Borobudur Temple: A Cosmic Stupa.
Medium. https://medium.com/@Kalpavriksha/the-borobudur-temple-a-cosmic-stupa-
9a2ad95fbd53
[52] Wikipedia. (2022, June 11). Buddhist Temple.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_temple
[53] Wikipedia. (2021, November 23). List Of Early And Legendary Monarchs Of Burma.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_early_and_legendary_monarchs_of
_Burma
This is a list of Burma's early and legendary monarchs (Myanmar). According to the Royal
Chronicles, it covers the monarchs of the early polities that gave origin to the Bagan Kingdom.
There are two types of lists on the list.
[1] To relate the Burmese monarchy to the Buddha, some of the dynasties were likely adapted
from "Indian stories acquired from Sanskrit or Pali originals."
[2] Many others that were real historical characters who were shrouded in pre-Buddhist tales
and lived during a time period other than that which is altered in the chronicles.
[54] Peto, A. (2021, August 30). Is There Superstition In Buddhism? Understanding
Rituals, Ceremonies, Beliefs, And Practices. YouTube. https://youtu.be/MibX5deD8F4
[55] Wikipedia. (2022, January 4). Sigālovāda Sutta.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sig%C4%81lov%C4%81da_Sutta
The idea that the Buddha said to be critical of worship is a modernist reinvention, as in historical
sources advocated the worship of Four Compass Directions as: parents (East), teachers (South),
spouse (West), and friends/colleagues (North), and the two vertical directions as: ascetics (Up) and the
Servants (Down) must be praised to honor tradition and have sacredness. He elaborated on how to
respect and support them, and how in turn the Six will return the kindness and support by their good
karma, found in Dīgha Nikāya.
[56] Green, A. (2014, October 2). Pilgrims, Healers, And Wizards: Buddhism And
Religious Practices In Burma And Thailand. British Museum
Blog. https://britishmuseumblog.wordpress.com/category/exhibitions/pilgrims-healers-
and-wizards-buddhism-and-religious-practices-in-burma-and-thailand/
[57] Brien, B. O. (2019, January 21). Dragons In Buddhist Iconography: Mighty Symbols
Of Enlightenment. Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/dragons-449955
Nagas are snake-like creatures that appear in the Pali Canon. They are sometimes identified as
dragons, but they have a slightly different origin. Naga is the Sanskrit word for cobra. In ancient Indian
art, nagas are depicted as human from the waist up and snakes from the waist down. They also
sometimes appear as giant cobras. In some Hindu and Buddhist literature, they can change appearance
from human to snake. As Buddhism spread through China and on to Japan and Korea, nagas came to
be identified as a kind of dragon. Some stories told in China and Japan about dragons originated as
stories about nagas.
In Tibetan Buddhist mythology, however, dragons and nagas are distinctively different creatures. In
Tibet, nagas usually are nasty water-dwelling spirits that cause disease and misfortune. But Tibetan
dragons are protectors of Buddhism whose thunderous voices awaken us from delusion.
[58] Deleanu, F. (2015). Buddhist “Ethology” in the Pali Canon: Between Symbol and
Observation. Core Ac UK. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/267922562.pdf
[59] Jones, D. T. (2019, December 23). Pali Canon – Mettā for Plants. A Blue
Chasm. https://dhivanthomasjones.wordpress.com/category/pali-canon-2/
Theravādin Buddhist tradition excludes plants from the category of sentient beings; it takes
the Mettasutta to teach that one should develop kindness towards sentient beings, hence not towards
plants. In this post I will argue two things: first, that the original intention of the Mettasutta was to
recommend the development of mettā towards all living beings, including plants; and second, that the
development of mettā towards plants ought to be an important part of the practice of
developing mettā.
 As seen in the original text, it is uncontroversial that the class of ‘living beings’ (pāṇābhūta) should
include living beings that are both ‘moving’ (tasa) and ‘still’ (thāvara), and that these Pāli words
referred to animals and plants.
[60] Ferrari, F. (2022, June 10). 5. The Bodhi Tree and Other Plants in the Pali Tipitaka.
Equinox Publishing. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=1845-1711-
2
[61] Igunma, J. (2020, May 3). Illustrations: The Many Lives Of Gautama Buddha In 18th
And 19th Century Manuscripts.
Scroll.In. https://amp.scroll.in/article/960776/illustrations-the-many-lives-of-gautama-
buddha-in-18th-and-19th-century-manuscripts
[62] Wikipedia. (2022, June 15). Miracles Of Gautama Buddha.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracles_of_Gautama_Buddha
[63] Brown, K. S. (2003, October 3). Life of the Buddha. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/hd_buda.htm
[64] Victoria and Albert Museum. (2016, March 4). Drawings From The Burmese Court At
Mandalay. Victoria and Albert
Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/d/drawings-from-the-burmese-court-
at-mandalay/
[65] Myanmar Mix. (2019, August 21). 36 Stereoscopic Views Of Early 1900s Burma.
Myanmar Mix. https://myanmarmix.com/en/articles/36-stereoscopic-views-of-early-
1900s-burma
[66] Khaosod English. (2013, July 30). Ang Thong Locals Angered By Report Of ‘Crying
Buddha.’ Khaosod
English. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2013/07/30/1375177310/
[67] Post, B., & Limited, C. (2022b, May 30). Buddhism’s Future Called Into Question.
Https://Www.Bangkokpost.Com. https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-
lifestyle/2318090/buddhisms-future-called-into-question
Problems (*Facts)
[68] Wikipedia. (2021, November 21). Criticism Of Buddhism.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Buddhism
Buddhism has been criticized in many forms, spanning form things like how its adherents conduct in
ways that contradict Buddhist teachings or how those principles systemically exclude women. There are
numerous ancient and present sources of criticism, including those from other religions, the non-
religious, and other Buddhists.
[69] Genetically Modified Skeptic. (2018, March 31). An Atheist’s Thoughts On Eastern
Religion. YouTube. https://youtu.be/UQrrFYkI8Ec
[70] Cline, A. (2018, August 7). An Atheist‘s View On What’s Wrong With Buddhism.
Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/whats-wrong-with-buddhism-3975210
[71] Vishvapani. (2017, January 18). The Dark Side Of Buddhist History.
Wordpress. https://www.wiseattention.org/blog/2017/01/18/the-dark-side-of-buddhist-
history/
[72] Haviland, C. (2015, May 30). The Darker Side Of Buddhism. BBC
News. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-
32929855#:~:text=The%20principle%20of%20non%2Dviolence,suburbs%20of%20Co
lombo%20is%20quiet
[73] DeBakcsy, D. (2013, January 23). The Dark Side Of Buddhism. New
Humanist. https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4021/the-dark-side-of-buddhism
[74] Bodhipaksa. (2013, February 17). “Do Not Believe In Anything Simply Because You
Have Heard It…”. Fake Buddha Quotes. https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/do-not-
believe-in-anything-simply-because-you-have-heard-it/
Historical scriptures show the Buddha teaches that one can determine the validity of a tradition [subjectively] if
"These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these
qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in
them."
The misunderstanding of this sutta has become popular in part by reliance on a fake quote attributed to the
Buddha and this sutta that includes "when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the
good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it [objectively]," which is in part the opposite of
what the sutta actually states. Sayagyi U Ba Khin changed the wording of the Kalama Sutta in order to make it
appear more rationalistic, or that he uses an altered version created by someone else.
[75] Zhao, D. (2014, January 5). Buddhism, Nationalism and War: A Comparative
Evaluation of Chinese and Japanese Buddhists‘ Reactions to the Second Sino-
Japanese War [1937~1945]. IJSSH. http://www.ijssh.org/papers/381-C10004.pdf
[76] Wangchuk*, T. (1958). CHANGE IN THE LAND USE SYSTEM IN BHUTAN:
ECOLOGY, HISTORY, CULTURE, AND POWER.
BSO. https://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/publicationFiles/JBS/JBS_Vol2No1/3.landusec
hange.pdf
[77] Larson J, et. al, (2011, August 12). Buddhism on Peace & War – Where Ahiṃsā non-
violence applies violence. Aeon Essays. https://aeon.co/essays/where-ahimsa-non-
voilence-applies-violence
Ahiṃsā (meaning 'non-injury' and 'non-killing') is an ancient Indian principle
of nonviolence which applies to all living beings, inspired by the premise that all living beings
have the spark of the divine spiritual energy; therefore, to hurt another being by one's deeds,
words, and thoughts is to hurt oneself, having karmic consequences. It is a key virtue in
the Dhārmic religions: Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Principles of Ahiṃsā percepts when
one is faced with war and situations requiring self-defence, has paved historical Indian
literature into contributing to modern theories of just war and self-defence likewise to the
East Asian civilizations which it followed suite.
 In Buddhism, contrary to popular belief, Ahiṃsā is not of a stance for inactive pacificism but of
active non-violence at a certain context, whereas exception to the rules apply for the use of
violence against Non-Buddhists through the conquest of the minds…to make the impurities
pure to enlighten/bodhi them with violence only being the last resort for self-defense of its
faith against adharma. This deliberate self-defense is known as Dharma-yuddha “just war,”
which is actually permitted in these grounds for the defense of faith and Buddhists are in fact
in this specific ground, given freedom to act with ethicization being predicated upon intent.
That is to say, as long as the means to it remain pure in order to survive, it justifies the ends by
killing adharma people [i.e., non-Buddhists, lawbreakers, bystanders] who have the most
negative karmic repercussions for their “ignorance” threatening the righteous religion,
whereas Buddhists who follow the enlightened Buddha will gain short-term minimal negative
karmic repercussions combined with long-term positive karmic repercussions for saving such
dharma people.
[78] Sharma, R. S. (1980), Sudras in Ancient India, Delhi: Motilal Banarasi Dass
(published 1990), ISBN 9788120807068
[79] Wikipedia. (2021, November 20). Slavery And Religion.
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_and_religion
[80] Victoria, B. D. (2006, June 22). Zen At War (2nd Edition).
Amazon.Com. https://www.amazon.com/Zen-War-Brian-Daizen-
Victoria/dp/0742539261
[81] Jerryson, M., & Juergensmeyer, M. (2010, January 8). Buddhist Warfare.
Amazon.Com. https://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Warfare-Michael-
Jerryson/dp/0195394844
[82] Jerryson, M. (2018, January 1). If You Meet The Buddha On The Road: Essays On
Buddhism, Politics, And Violence.
Academia. https://www.academia.edu/36280600/If_You_Meet_the_Buddha_on_the_
Road_Essays_on_Buddhism_Politics_and_Violence
[83] Jerryson, M. (2018, March 31). Buddhism can be as violent as any other religion.
YouTube. https://aeon.co/essays/buddhism-can-be-as-violent-as-any-other-religion
[84] Harris J., Elizabeth, “Violence and Disruption in Society. A Study of the Early
Buddhist Texts,” http://enlight.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-AN/an141599.pdf
To understand Early Buddhism's analysis of violence, this conditionality is important. When the Buddha speaks
about the causes and the remedies of violence, his approach is dependent on the conditions prevalent in a
particular situation. For instance, psychological factors are not emphasized when the Buddha is speaking to those
in power about societal disruption; social and economic causes are stressed instead. [28] Yet, in other contexts,
particularly when monks are addressed, it is the psychological factor which is given prominence. [29] In contrast
again, with King Pasenadi, the Buddha does not condemn violence in defense of the realm but places it within the
larger context of impermanence and death to encourage reflection.

The texts suggest Buddhism would here insist on discrimination. The Cakkavatti Sihanada Sutta gives this advice to
the righteous king:
“This, dear son, that you, leaning on the Dharma, honoring, respecting and revering it, doing homage to it,
hallowing it, being yourself a Dharma-banner, a Dharma-signal, having the Dharma as your master, should
provide the right watch, ward and protection for your own folk, for the army, for the nobles, for vassals and
brahmins and householders, for town and country dwellers, for the religious world and for beasts and birds.
[40]”

This passage implies that the need for an army and consequently for the use of force in defense is accepted as a
worldly necessity.

It means that it gives Buddhists freedom to act so long as it’s based on context for the conscious intent for Dharma
and self-defense in the protection of its faith, to end such opponents causing that violence and suffering as a last
resort when mental consultation fails in a self-righteous complex against Adharma in the world.
[85] Clive, E. (2018, August 7). Buddhism and its negative implications on Society.
INSTITUTE OF SOICIOLOGICAL STUDIES [ISS]. https://www.iss.com/buddhism-
and-its-negative-implications-on-society
Due to Buddhism being a religion composed of faith and escapist spiritual journeys across
samsara to leave the world heading to its ultimate destination of nirvana; further codified
through deeds of karma guided by dharma whilst clashing out the adharma dualistically, the
ideology has gained social problems even when being developed by the Buddha himself.

SECTIONS ON THE PARADOX OF AMIHISA – WHEN AHIṂSĀ ASSUALTS

[1] Discrimination and Persecution to those perceived as committing ‘Adharma’
An issue it has espoused is of social rejection of hunter-gatherers for killing sentient
tiraacchan/animals and thāvara/plants, dubbed ' Pāṇātipāta-saviggaha/sinned-murderer’, ‘nout
Naraka/hell-goers’ or ‘buraku/impure’ for their occupation [*as it goes against the dharmic
teachings of Ahiṃsā percept, thus adharma], despite the fact that it is necessary for organisms to
survive in ecosystems in foodchains and foodwebs by nature (Kasahara, 1996).

Ultimately, this karmic status social hierarchy structure began to base discrimination of people’s
decisions by preconceived notions of superstitions by Karuṇā/compassion that such hunter-
gatherers/animal-killers, are viewed to be reborn as animals because of these past misdeeds,
unable to make conscious acts of self-improvement experiencing a serious spiritual setback for
nirvana liberation and even religiously excommunicated to socially expelled as a sinned outcaste.

Figure 4: Naraka / Hell depicted by a mural temple in northern Thailand, in which unclothed
spirits of the dead are brought before Yama [henchman/king of hell] for judgement, with
hunters & gatherers in particular are to be dismembered and disemboweled through hell
guards, spiked trees, and birds like what they did of previous life as a payback to their
karma. Depending on the negative karma, one can fall either into the Eight Cold Narakas
and Eight Hot Narakas which can last incomprehensibly long, from hundreds of millions to
sextillions (1021) of years until it runs out. (Source: ntennis,1998).

In this regard, Buddhism became antagonistic to the natural order that society’s productivity
crumbled, causing the ban on killing animals leading to malnutrition issues that it had to be
addressed by earlier Buddhists to justify it through using the cosmological karmic system, that the
animals were spiritually inferior as a justification meant for the exploitation and mistreatment
which was itself inevitably fated due to its own past actions, with killing by the laymen seen as a
means to liberate the suffering animal to offer another better life in reincarnation, especially if
such sacrifice is of donating itself to pure clergymen – unto Sangha’s alms bowl as an charitable
giving, offering blessing ‘tadu’ sustenance which is regarded as good karma due to the selfless acts
of altruism (Suttacentral, 2005; BBC, 2009) whereas egoism is strongly opposed, seeing it as
selfish, thus, bad karma, causing suffering that must be liberated by putting it out of such
existence for anattā ‘non-self’.

Additionally, the monastic disciplinary texts also order Buddhist monastic members to be
prohibited from accepting “gold and silver,” and arguably, by extension, any type of money as it
creates greed/adharma in the society. Thus, those working in monetary economies are seen as
causing dukkha/suffering, and often are pressured to convert from laymen to clergymen for
liberation, although the economic inactivity of unproductiveness becomes inevitable (Chiu, 2014).

There is also a misogynist aspect leading to discrimination against women in Buddhism, seeing
such gender of females as being blamed for birthing life that brings suffering into the world,
enslaving men from going on nirvana and it also includes queers (pandakas) seen as defiled and
impure alongside them, for family and sex must be abandoned to them due to attachment, thus,
must be releashed all for a “higher purpose”. (Pattanaik, 2016)

[2] Malnutrition through Ahiṃsā Anaśana Fasting

During the early development of Buddhism by the Buddha, the percepts of Ahiṃsā / non-
violence included non-killing of both plants (thāvara) and animals (tiraacchan), with merciful
sparing by fasting seen as generating good karma needed for nirvana. Ironically, this practice
of not killing living beings in strict adherence has resulted in malnutrition among living beings
who rely on food when its dietary rule was enforced through a strict religious fasting regimen,
leading to nutritional inadequacies due to excessive restriction demanding self-sacrifice,
creating shortage of protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 deficiencies to chronic
renal failure as a health consequence (Sitprija et, al, 1983).

The worst form of Ahiṃsā was when he practiced under the influence from his Hindu
Brahmins and Jainist teachers of yoga, concentration, and meditation discipline for liberation,
where he could not find enlightenment/bodhi due to self-harm leading to his emaciation. With
his failure, he had to try a lesser extreme version for his Great Awakening/Bodhi by following
a Middle Way/Madhyamāpratipada (a spiritual practice steering clear of extreme asceticism
and sensual indulgence/hedonism). Ultimately, he instituted a monastic discipline known as
the prātimokṣa rules, where followers must not eat after the noon meal/midday meal, with
meditation and sutra chanting taken in its absence. Conscious eating is then followed among
all Buddhists.

Figure 3: A depiction of the Buddha during his period of extreme fasting/anaśana, Pakistan.
Circa 2nd/3rd century AD, historical Gandhara style recovered from SWAT, 1960s.
Buddha then changed his rules of Ahiṃsā to be lenient, advising monks to avoid eating 10
kinds of meat for self-respect and protection: humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions,
tigers, boars, and hyenas as well as certain plant species, with anything beyond the bounds
accepted (Framingham State College, 2009). Historically, earlier Buddhist monastic code
banned clergyman from eating meat if the animal had been killed specifically to feed by
themselves, but otherwise instructed them to eat anything they were given by the laymen,
although later sects that followed made changes by opening more dietary consumption types
of plants & animals in supportation permitted to kill by both, as well as other opposition
movements to both, viewing consumption by scavenging dead meat as still unethical due to
the cells counting as living things with additional transferable bad karma caused by
consumption of it that kills…an issue in ongoing debate that majority of theologians resolve
the dispute by concluding that it remains not a matter of rule, but suggested it as a matter of
principle (Ambedkar, 2011).
While the Buddha’s amended practice may seem beneficial as well as the others that
followed, the consequences of common standardization can negatively impact the individual’s
own unique biodiet, bioclock, and circadian rhythm of the biological body systems, with sects
such as Theravada Buddhism enabling meat diet whereas the Mahayana Buddhism is strictly
vegan.

[3] Religious Censorship through Ahiṃsā

Ahiṃsā concept of 'cause no injury' which includes one's actions, words, and thoughts
maintaining a basic premise that all living beings have the spark of the divine spiritual energy;
therefore, to hurt another being is to hurt oneself…even leading to hell as a punishment, is
used as a tool of censorship to opponents that criticize its religion, seeing it as harming &
creating bad karma.

PT-1 – CENSORSHIP OF WORDS & ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

Historically, Buddhism has been a huge antagonist of arts with dancing and music in particular
being distractive, giving rises of emotions which are not encouraged, and that it is forbidden. With
the historical Pāli canonical texts describing Buddha and his followers, as appasaddakāma
meaning “lovers of quietness,” for they see silence to be a noble quality per se: with anything
against the spiritual journey to be regarded as causing Ahiṃsā – harm to their faith, for sincerely
those who want to develop their mind to deeper levels such as jhāna, are keen to develop powerful
samādhi, the eight precepts are observed, which include refraining from enjoying music in
meditation retreats, are necessary if one is to head to Nirvana, an ultimate goal. (Edvard. T, 2020)

The orthodox Theravada Buddhism and early Mahayana Buddhism rejects music as being
decadent as it disrupts the spiritual journey causing attachment of the crafts, but despite this
cultural backdrop, the non-Buddhist culture prevailed and infused into its faith as humans
themselves being social species, naturally need music as an means to communicate, reflect moods
and emotions of the people, facing extreme difficulty in its removal. Thus, some later Buddhists
sects use music in religious ceremonies or rituals, but that is a different story. If we try to
understand the original teachings of the Buddha, anyone who is serious about cultivating the mind
is advised to refrain from enjoying music.

In Myanmar, the Burmese monarchy along with the infusion of different regional music styles,
created several classical traditions of Burmese music, influenced by China, Mon and from
the Ayutthaya kingdom (modern-day Thailand), ultimately breaking the loyalty of its faith that
originally forbode {*and interestingly of all, bringing in the temporary Tradition of Drinking Siy
(Se)/alcoholic beverage in the Bagan Period, before getting banned again for breaking the original
doctrine of Surāmeraya by the reorganizing Sangha}. However, illegitimate audio arts are still
considered to be forbidden, creating bad karma as those that takes away from its faith in its
teachings including satire, humor, jokes, criticism, or any logical genre, and if applied
orthodoxically as much as unorthodoxically of this historical tenant, it still violates the freedom of
expression as it clashes with the religious view that prohibits it.

PT-2 – CENSORSHIP OF ACTIONS & THOUGHTS

There is a culture in Buddhism that regards those who challenge its ancient sacred texts to be
taboo even if it meant for skepticism and rational enquiry, seeing it as a heinous sin known
as “anantarika-karma” that causes the agent to be reborn in hell immediately after death due to
the harm it brings unto the religion. Anything that causing a division or deconversion in the
Buddhist community is regarded as a massive sin as they fall into Adharma. Thus, Buddhists are
compelled to not be bystanders as that too includes negative karmic consequences as a divine
punishment and the role of them is to ensure that Dharma wins for positive consequences with
their Śāsana saviors still in existence as Armageddon will come without them.

For example, when criticizing Buddhist practices of religious experience that the Buddha claimed
on having meditation offering miraculous healing in health such as fastening and divine power to
be sham, actually being a dream and hallucination that causes transcendent states and so-called
supernatural powers (abhiññā), including remembrance of past lives, telepathy, clairaudience,
clairvoyance, telekinesis, revelation of future prophecies, various other “supernatural” powers all
being illusions of altered mindstates, not the actuality as shown by refuting psychological studies,
is seen as taboo or are suppressed when bought up as an topic of discussion due to divisions it
brought in the religious hierarchies in a cult mentality, establishing personal authority.

There is this view in modern western academia passed by theologians that originally the
Pescetarian Buddhism [developed by the divine Sakkamuni Buddha] started off as flawless verse
as he’s the “enlightened one” whereas the later that followed is as of corrupted version, notably of
Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, which is as erroneous as it gets evidently due to
the faulty former faith not actually written by the Buddha himself but of his scholars passing to
modifying his words leading schisms of the latter faiths which too followed suite. There were
disagreements before, during and after him, thus, it was inevitable that the faith had flaws since
its philosophical development. Modern interpreters are aware of its weakness, thus, invented
Vipassana Movement (which is not included in the historical texts) and even cover up mythology
through historical reinvention to misdirect followers in obscurantism. A process lied through
religiously driven academic scholarly professors and Buddhists either knowingly through intent to
save Buddhism or those unknowingly through received rumors or both. Thus, it is evident that the
faith censors thoughts it regards as “unthinkable” that challenge it as well as actions justifying
deconversion it to protect itself, exercising religious authority over its challengers of rational
enquiry by suppression of what is “thinkable”, hence, leading to the detriment of it in social
discourse and the weakness of itself, by doing unethical means of misinformation while
prosecuting whistleblowers for their ahiṃsā. Not only is this immoral, untruthful, unwise, and
wrong, it sends a dangerous message of how unfairly they are willing to commit societally in
destroying any progress as the religion does not want to make itself vulnerable to valid criticism,
seeing itself as the “dharma” people have a high ground, with religious privileges to subjugate,
twist and disrespectfully destroy its original texts and audience, ironically destroying itself.
 VERDICT:
Due to Buddhism’s roots having both the historical to ongoing cases of East-Asian prejudices,
with issues of its practices leading to malnutrition, discrimination to persecution via
superstition, leading to oppression of rational thought with the desperate attempt to rewrite
its historical narrative via obscurantisms to censorship of actions, thoughts, and words, it has
negative implications on social developments and rather stunted progress which would’ve
fared without it. The fear of being a bystander due to receiving negative karmic punishment,
was what let Buddhists to be compelled to do terrible things with themselves believing to be
doing the right thing in perception, thus, a destructive ideology to exist in society which such
aspects like these are underlooked and remains inexcusable.
[86] Shriparna, & Williams. (2017, January 18). Why Buddha was not a SUPERHUMAN.
PyschoANALYSED. https://www.psychoanalysed.org/blog/2017/01/18/why-the-
buddha-is-not-a-superhuman/
Despite there are religious claims that the Buddha was morally infallible, divinely powerful as
an Aryan and capable of miracles, starting off how he walked immediately after Gautama's
birth, he stood up, took seven steps north, and uttered: "I am chief of the world, Eldest in the
world. This is the last birth.” and the Theravādin Buddhist Tradition attributing this speech…
”In this world, I am the most greatest, most knowledgeable and destined to the highest.”
& “his opponents who harm or accuse him immediately going to hell” all pointing to an
unquestionable level of ultimate spiritual power…
Growing evidence show despite this mysticism, with further dramatizations to mythologize it,
that he remains as ordinary as anyone living around the time, inheriting ideas, remained ill,
was a talented man capable of various arts to magic, always made mistakes even when
gaining his “enlightened” bohi state of abhiññā, wth his six higher knowledges: psychic
abilities, clairaudience, telepathy, recollection of one's own past lives, seeing the past lives
and rebirths of others, and the extinction of mental intoxicants.
Even though he claimed to be omniscient, having universal knowledge and able to perform
such miracles, such claims likewise are existent in various Indian philosophers of the time. And
with this strongly invigorated mystical environment; it is no surprise such spirituality-seeking
people consequently fall into mental psychosis due to the influence of the India syndrome,
similar to that of what is happening to the tourists, followers, and Westerners of the
uncritical. It stirs up aesthetic emotions bringing in anxiety in travelers depending on the
person’s personal history, their past traumas and impulse to travel that were buried in their
subconscious and are suddenly brought to the surface while visiting India. India somewhat
provokes it with their Dharmic Religions designed for this cause, and makes them overflow,
with promises of spiritual revelation when followed to resolve it which strongly appeals them
like a drug of holiness destinated to resolve the very insecurities of humanity.
[87] Chen, T. S. N., & Chen, P. S. Y. (2005). The Death of Buddha: A Medical Enquiry. J
Med Biogr, 13(2), 100–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/096777200501300208
The death of the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) has been depicted widely in Buddhist
iconography. The Buddha is generally shown with a serene or smiling expression, lying on his
right side and resting his head on his right hand. The dates of Buddha's life traditionally are
given as 566-486 BC. Buddha died from an illness, the nature of which remains unsettled. The
present paper examines a variety of sources and concludes that it was tainted pork that led to
his demise. He succumbed to the disease pig-bel, a necrotizing enteritis caused by the toxins
of Clostridium perfringens infection.
[88] Mazard, E. (2014, February 2). The Buddha was Bald …but is Everywhere Depicted
with a Full Head of Hair. Medium. https://medium.com/@eiselmazard/the-buddha-
was-bald-a25589c26ebe
It is needless to say that the Pali canon does not contain photographic evidence, but it does
contain evidence of another kind, and this article tries to answer the question (that almost
nobody dares to ask) in as few words as possible, by working from the primary sources.
Throughout the Pali canon, the same term, muṇḍaka, is used to describe both the Buddha and
the monks who were his contemporaries and followers. The meaning of this word is no
mystery: it means “a bald-shaven man”, and it has a disparaging nuance. In the following
examples, it is used in a somewhat insulting way. In the Ambaṭṭha-sutta [DN #3] the Buddha
debates with a Brahmin who is openly contemptuous of him; the Brahmin describes the
Buddha as a bald-shaven man (…gotama muṇḍakā samaṇakā…) and as “black” like other
members of the vassal social class, i.e., in reference to India’s caste hierarchy (…ibbhā kaṇhā
bandhupādāpaccā…). [Cambodian canon vol. 14, p. 222–3; cf. PTS DN 1, p. 90; the passage is
quoted in full in the boxed text, provided as an illustration.] as well as similarly, in the
Sundarika-sutta [SN §7:1:9, PTS vol. 1, p. 167] a Brahmin responds negatively to the sight of
the Buddha’s baldness, on account of its implications for his caste status.

The cultural association of being bald-shaven with banishment from one’s clan (and loss of
caste status) makes this an unsurprising trio of insults, thus, the statues were made aniconic
to avoid it, where in retrospect, we seem to have a very casually adopted heresy: the notion
that the Buddha had hair (after becoming a monk) seems to have become a normal
assumption among many Buddhists in the 5th century —despite the fact that it was blatantly
contradicted by the most ancient (and most sacred) of Buddhist texts.

For our current purposes, it is only important that we keep in mind that many centuries after
the origin of the Pali canon, dramatist Aśvaghoṣa wrote (in Sanskrit) lamenting the loss of
Buddha’s supernatural hair, and followed by Nidānakathā (although written in Pali)
originates several centuries later who confidently asserts that the Buddha did not have a
clean-shaven head, but instead possessed a set of supernatural curls that remained in the
same shape (i.e., neither growing in length nor falling out) after this episode with the sword
and the gods collecting his severed locks out of the air. This is not explained at length in the
Nidānakathā, but is presented in passing; presumably, the authors did not think that this was
anything surprising, and that it did not require explanation. At the time of authorship, it
seems likely that this reflected an assumption that was already widespread amongst the
audience and patrons for a new work of popular literature of this kind; in religion, innovation
requires careful justification, whereas the affirmation of crass assumption requires none at all.
An ideology that passed not just to the Mahāyāna Buddhists (Sanskrit-influenced), but also to
of the Hīnayāna Buddhists (Pali-influenced), the predecessors of the Theravāda Buddhists.
Clearly, people continued to make new statues and tell new stories, regardless of this
contradiction.
[89] Hewamanage, W. (2016, May 5). BUDDHIST NOTION OF FOOD AND ITS
IMPLICATION WITH HYGIENE. University of
Colombo. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306358667_BUDDHIST_NOTION
_OF_FOOD_AND_ITS_IMPLICATION_WITH_HYGIENE
Growing evidence suggests more harm is being done leading to malnutrition especially with
standardization that negatively can impact their unique biodiet, bioclock, and circadian
rhythm of the biological body systems, with meditations in particular harmful when
 excessively done which most monks did out of fear of being punished by a pācittika offense for
bad karma resulting in hell and bad fates. Additional issues also include excessive preaching of
the same texts constantly, to further progress on their spiritual journey, which when done in
long periods of time, that results in dry mouth or xerostomia as well as bodily exhaustion
which is further worsened when monks prohibit followers from taking breaks, further
agonizing the situation in torture and torment.
[90] Duncan, A. (2015, April 19). Cakkavatti-Sihanada Sutta (DN 26).
Dharmata. https://palisuttas.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/cakkavatti-sihanada-sutta-dn-
26/
The Role of the Aryan Wheel Turning Monarch
The duty of a wheel-turning monarch is fivefold: to (1) honor the Dharma by maintaining the
state based on the legal, ethical, and political philosophy of the Buddhas, (2) establish the
security of the state, including protecting the environment, (3) establish justice, (4) provide
welfare for those in need, and (5) advise the sangha on matters of practical policy.
[91] Hidas, G. (2020, July 28). Chapter 10 Buddhism, Kingship And The Protection Of
The State: The Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra And Dhāraṇī Literature.
Brill. https://brill.com/view/book/edcoll/9789004432802/BP000014.xml
[92] Cioffi, M. (2013, July 16). Venn Diagram: Buddhism Vs. Hinduism.
SlideShowes. https://slideshowes.com/doc/1606847/venn-diagram--buddhism-vs.-
hinduism---mr.-cioffi
[93] Difference Between. (2017, February 20). Difference Between Confucianism And
Buddhism | Confucianism Vs Buddhism. Difference
Between. http://www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-confucianism-and-
buddhism
[94] Cultural China. (2016, March 21). Confucian Responses To Buddhism Throughout
Chinese History - China Culture. Cultural
China. https://web.archive.org/web/20160321175102/http://history.cultural-
china.com/en/165History5834.html
[95] Muller, A. C. (1994, November 20). The Buddhist-Confucian Conflict In The Early
Chosŏn And Kihwa’s Syncretic Response: The Hyon Chong Non. Toyo Gakuen
University. http://www.acmuller.net/kor-bud/aar-hcn.html
Chŏng was a bright scholar who in his youth had the opportunity to study with the important Korean
Neo-Confucian thinkers of his time. In 1383 he became an advisor to Yi Sŏnggye, and from that time
until his assassination in 1398, held a major influence on Yi's policies. Chŏng's antipathy toward
Buddhism was somewhat different from that of his predecessors in the one-pointedness with which he
focused his polemic in terms of criticisms of Buddhism's philosophy and practice. Chŏng's anti-Buddhist
philosophy was heavily influenced by the writings of the Ch'eng brothers and Chu Hsi, all three of whom
had expressed in detailed treatises their opposition to Ch'an Buddhism's escapist, antinomian, and
nihilistic tendencies. Chŏng wrote a number of essays in which Buddhist ideas and practices were
criticized, but his most systematic and comprehensive refutation of Buddhism was contained in
his Pulssi chappyŏn (Arguments Against Mr. Buddha).

The first of the charges made by Chŏng in the Pulssi chappyŏn was that Buddhism encouraged people
to abandon their family and society. Thus, Buddhist teaching was destructive to the five Confucian
eternal relationships. Closely related to this argument was the charge that Buddhists regarded material
existence as illusory and that only mind was real. Everyday affairs and human relationships were
scorned and only quiet meditational inner cultivation was valued. This perception of Buddhism as a
religion which regards the world as illusory and valueless and of Buddhists as people who absorb
themselves in escapist meditation was the strongest unifying thread throughout the history of Neo-
Confucian criticisms of Buddhism, and is the main theme of Tojŏn's argument in his treatise.
 He attacked the Buddhist lack of external cultivation through human relationships by citing Ch'eng-hao,
who said, "the method of Buddhism includes the use of mindfulness to correct the internal, but does
not include righteousness in order to correct the external.'"
Along with this central religious reproach, Chŏng also included in his essay the whole gamut of
criticisms that had been leveled against Buddhism since the beginning of its conflict with Confucianism
in third century China. For instance, Chŏng revived the ancient argument of Buddhism being a "foreign"
religion. He also accused Buddhism of being a harbinger of misfortune, supplying an arrangement of
historical facts which imply that natural calamities necessarily follow the appearance of Buddhism. He
also criticized the practice of begging for food, labeling Buddhists as parasites.
[96] Dasiburi, & Connor. (2018). Can Buddhism And Atheism Be Used
Together? Debate.Org. https://www.debate.org/opinions/can-buddhism-and-atheism-
be-used-together
[97] Daskalo юпитер. (n.d.). ATHEISM - Religions Of 21st Century. WordPress.
Retrieved November 19, 2021,
from http://www.daskalo.com/astrology/%D1%8E%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%
B5%D1%80/
[98] 2015-09-21T21:59:37Z. (1970, January 1). 3 Unique Contributions: The Worlds Of
Jainism, Buddhism, And Hinduism. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jainism-
buddhism-and-hinduism_b_8153890
[99] BBC. (2009, October 22). Religions - Atheism: Atheist Criticisms Of Religion.
BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/atheism/beliefs/criticisms.shtml
[100] Davies, J. (2018, July 25). Religion Does Not Determine Your Morality. The
Conversation. https://theconversation.com/religion-does-not-determine-your-morality-
97895
[101] Quraishi, S. Y. (2015, January 23). India - The Wonder Republic @65.
MEA. https://mea.gov.in/in-focus-
article.htm?24720/India++The+Wonder+Republic+65#:~:text=We%20had%20republic
s%20in%20India,the%20times%20of%20Lord%20Buddha
[102] Chris, D. (n.d.). Is Buddhism Just As Irrational As Other Beliefs? Dharma
Wheel. Retrieved November 19, 2021,
from https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=11069
[103] Scoverski, J. (2017, December 12). Does reincarnation make sense
logically? Quora. https://www.quora.com/Does-reincarnation-make-sense-logically
[104] Lickerman, A. (2012, October 14). The Problem With Reincarnation.
Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-in-
world/201210/the-problem-reincarnation
[105] Liusuwan, N. (2016, January 5). Is Buddhism A Philosophy Or A
Religion? HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/is-buddhism-a-philosophy-
_b_10176992
[106] Mambrol, N. (2019, April 21). The Philosophy Of Buddha. Literary Theory And
Criticism. https://literariness.org/2019/04/21/the-philosophy-of-buddha/
[107] Nolcfj, U. (2020, June 17). Buddhist, Buddhism, Nihilism and Extra Steps.
Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/nihilism/comments/hapg72/maybe_im_wrong_but_id
k/
Buddhism historically follows a rather nihilistic view that the material world is illusory and
that only mind was real, destined to become the antta (non-self) if followed on the Eightfold
Paths and other teachings of his Dharma, enabling one to be free from the cycles of Samsara
and head ultimately to Nirvana.
[108] McGowan, W. (2012, September 17). Aung San Suu Kyi’s Buddhism
Problem. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/09/17/aung-san-suu-kyis-
buddhism-problem/
[109] Loy, D. (2012). How Buddhist Is Modern Buddhism? Tricycle: The Buddhist
Review. https://tricycle.org/magazine/how-buddhist-modern-buddhism/
INTRODUCTION TO MODERNIST BUDDHISM OR BUDDHIST MODERNISM.
THE BUDDHISM THAT NON-BUDDHISTS KNOW TODAY IS LESS AN ACCURATE VISION OF ITS HISTORY THAN A
CREATION OF THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES. IN THAT TIME PERIOD, BUDDHISTS AND THEIR
SYMPATHIZERS CREATED THIS MODERNIZED BUDDHISM. THEY DISCARDED FROM IT THE ELEMENTS OF
BUDDHIST HISTORY THAT DIDN’T FIT THE RATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC WORLDVIEW THAT ACCOMPANIED
COLONIZATION AND MODERNIZATION. IN A REMARKABLE FEAT OF HISTORICAL REINVENTION, BUDDHISM WENT
FROM DEGRADED OTHER TO UPLIFTED SAVIOR IN A MATTER OF DECADES.
[110] Steinfels, P. (2002, October 26). Beliefs; The Development Of Modern
Buddhism Is Traced To A Mix Of Eastern And Western Influences. (Published 2002).
The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/26/us/beliefs-development-
modern-buddhism-traced-mix-eastern-western-influences.html
PROFESSOR LOPEZ, WHO TEACHES BUDDHIST AND TIBETAN STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN,
DESCRIBES HOW A HANDFUL OF COSMOPOLITAN BUDDHIST INTELLECTUALS FROM CEYLON (NOW SRI LANKA),
THAILAND, BURMA (NOW MYANMAR), CHINA AND JAPAN CREATED THIS MODERN BUDDHISM. THEY WERE
AIDED, CURIOUSLY ENOUGH, BY AN AMERICAN, COL. HENRY STEEL OLCOTT.
IN 1875, OLCOTT CO-FOUNDED, WITH HELENA BLAVATSKY, THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY AND
PROPAGATION OF AN ESOTERIC RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE DRAWING ON SPIRITUALISM , EASTERN RELIGIONS,
AND 19TH-CENTURY SCIENCE. FIVE YEARS LATER, OLCOTT AND BLAVATSKY WENT TO CEYLON WHERE HE
EMBRACED BUDDHISM AND WAS SOON FOUNDING A YOUNG MEN'S BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION, PUBLISHING THE
FIRST ''BUDDHIST CATECHISM,'' TRYING TO UNITE ALL THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF ASIAN BUDDHISM AROUND A
COMMON DENOMINATOR OF BELIEFS AND ENCOURAGING THE LEADERS AND INTELLECTUALS WHO WOULD
RESHAPE BUDDHISM FOR THEIR TIME.
NATURALLY, THIS NEW BUDDHISM PRESENTED ITSELF AS A RETURN TO THE AUTHENTIC TEACHINGS OF THE
BUDDHA. THE BUDDHISM OF THE BUDDHA'S EXPERIENCE OF ENLIGHTENMENT WAS SEEN, PROFESSOR LOPEZ
WRITES, AS ''MOST COMPATIBLE WITH THE IDEALS OF THE EUROPEAN ENLIGHTENMENT, IDEALS SUCH AS
REASON, EMPIRICISM, SCIENCE, UNIVERSALISM, INDIVIDUALISM, TOLERANCE, FREEDOM, AND THE REJECTION
OF RELIGIOUS ORTHODOXY -- PRECISELY THOSE NOTIONS THAT HAVE APPEALED SO MUCH TO WESTERN
CONVERTS.''
[111] Budi Utomo, Ven. (2013, February 28). Buddhist And Modern Science.
SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/thitis78/buddhist-and-modern-science
Example of Buddhist Modernism at work.
When Buddhism tries to reinvent itself to make it “compatible” with modern science.
[112] Mahidol University. (2002). Faith in Science and Buddhism. Mahidol
University.
A site from a religious institute preaching of Buddhist Modernism
“Science is not interested in, and in fact is ignorant of, human nature, and as a result has
become an instrument of industry and its selfish advances on the environment. This ignorance
of human nature is ignorance of the fact that pandering to the five senses is incapable of
making mankind happy or contented. This kind of desire has no end, and so the search for
material wealth has no end. Because this abundance of material goods is obtained through
exploitation of nature, it follows that the manipulation of nature is also without end and
without check. Ultimately, nature will not have enough to satisfy human desires. Even if
human beings completely destroy nature, it won't be enough to satisfy human desire. It would
probably be more correct to say that this exploitation of nature in itself gives man more
misery than happiness.”
 [113] Wikipedia. (2021, November 23). Buddhism And Science.
Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_science
In traditional Buddhism, the truth is something that the Buddha has already discovered,
making Buddhism a deeply conservative tradition which is weary of innovation and deviation.
This is different from the scientific worldview, in which the complete truth of the universe has
not been fully discovered yet. […] However, when traditions so divided in sects are challenged
with modern progressive science that’s so united in studies, it simply becomes a matter of
increasing sophistication in the dialogue between science and Buddhism where the religion’s
own buddhist studies are ought to be in adapted in the way that it illudes a “false dichotomy”.
It becomes the case that it’s not Science that needs Buddhism, but Buddhism that needed
Science for it which it uses to alter with to survive that otherwise would fall.
[114] imgur. (n.d.). Dali Lama Quote. Pinterest. Retrieved November 22, 2021,
from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/9640586677394128/
“If science proves some belief of Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism will have to change.”
– His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
[115] Lopez, D. S. Jr. (2008). First There Is A Mountain (Then There Is No Mountain).
Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. https://tricycle.org/magazine/first-there-mountain-then-
there-no-mountain/
How science brought down the Buddha’s Mount Meru also known as Sumeru, Sineru or
Mahāmeru, known as the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology
and is considered to be the centre of all the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual universes.

According to Buddhist cosmology, Mount Meru (or Sumeru) is at the centre of the world,
and Jambūdvīpa is south of it. It is 80,000 yojanas wide and 80,000 yojanas high according to
the Abhidharmakośabhāṣyam and 84,000 yojanas high according to the Long Āgama
Sutra. Trāyastriṃśa is on its peak, where Śakra resides. The Sun and the Moon revolve around
Mount Meru, and as the Sun passes behind it, it becomes nighttime. The mountain has four
faces — each one made of a different material; the northern face is made of gold, the eastern
one is made of crystal, the southern one is made of lapis lazuli, and the western one is made
of ruby. In Vajrayāna, maṇḍala offerings often include Mount Meru, as they in part represent
the entire universe. It is also believed that Mount Meru is the home of
the buddha Cakrasaṃvara.

It was the ancient geographical understanding that claimed the Earth has four continents with
Mount Meru being in the middle of it being able to reach the heavens as the Buddha claimed in
his two-dimensional metaphysics, which unfortunately was wrong due to the planet Earth
having seven continents and there is no mountain or geocentricism, only heliocentrism in the
cosmos. In 1938, the Tibetan intellectual Gendun Chopel wrote a newspaper article explaining
to his compatriots that the world is round, rather than flat, chiding his fellow Tibetans for being
the last Buddhists to deny the planet’s true shape and asserting that Buddha himself knew that
the world is round but withheld this fact from his disciples because they would not have
believed it, despite evidence shows otherwise.
[116] Kurum, M. (2019, November 27). What were Einstein’s evaluations of
Buddhism? Quora. https://www.quora.com/What-were-Einstein%E2%80%99s-
evaluations-of-Buddhism
AN HYPOTHESIS THAT ALBERT EINSTEIN HEARING THE BUDDHIST MODERNISM INSTEAD OF THE ORIGINALS,
WHICH LEAD TO HIS CONCLUSION THAT IT CAN BE INTEGRATED WITH SCIENCE THE MOST IN ITS COMPATIBILITY .
 [117] Lopez Jr., D. S. (2008). Six Episodes In Buddhism And Science. Chicago
Publishing. https://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/493121.html
*A scholar who found out Einstein Praising Buddhism to be the right religion/ideology to be a
misattribution hoax, done by someone to fit their agenda. He was a substance monist...contradicting
pantheist/atheist Spinozaist never believing in a personal god, ritual to worship, only of impersonal
Deus sive natura: God or Nature and never praised it as such, being extremely skeptical.
Although the statement is widely attributed to him, Albert Einstein, NEVER said,
” The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid
dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious
sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. If there is
any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism.”
Einstein appears to have occasionally made passing references to the Buddha in conversation
alongside many other religious figures which he considers “all other religions is an incarnation of the
most childish superstitions” and his support being “a lie which is being systematically repeated”. Yet
something compelled someone to concoct this statement and attribute it to Einstein, the Buddha of the
Modern Age. And since the time when Einstein didn’t say this, intimations of deep connections between
Buddhism and science have continued, right up until today.
*He also talked about other notorious events concerning with this religion, such as how Buddhism
also played a role in the science of race during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries such
as in where 1914, the Sinhalese Buddhist Anagarika Dharmapala described the Buddha as ”the great
Aryan Savior,” while explaining that ”the life of the Nazarene Jew was not of cosmic usefulness” and
also such as the 1937 incident, where the Chinese Buddhist monk Taixu wrote a letter to Adolf Hitler,
recommending Buddhism as the ideal religion for the Aryan race.
[118] Winston, K. (2014, September 10). Sam Harris wants atheists_ and everyone
else_to get spirtuality. The Washing Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/sam-harris-wants-atheists-_-and-
everyone-else-_-to-get-spirituality/2014/09/10/9872e244-3922-11e4-a023-
1d61f7f31a05_story.html
Sam Harris’s anti-religious stance in the end-of-faiths, in which philosophies such as Buddhism
are radicalized with Science to produce Buddhist Modernism—a movement that continues
under his New Atheism Movement. His presentation, ironically, polarized both the Buddhist
and Atheist communities, with some considering the movement as philosophically defective
and others accepting the movement's alterations [AKA Secular/Atheistic Buddhism].
[119] Big Think (2014, October 1). Sam Harris: Mindfulness is Powerful, But Keep Religion
Out of It | https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwac6Uk-zyk
[120] Harris, S. (2006, March 19). KILLING THE BUDDHA. Sam
Harris. https://www.samharris.org/blog/killing-the-buddha
[121] Harris, S. (2005, January 17). The End Of Faith: Religion, Terror, And The Future Of
Reason. Amazon.Com. https://www.amazon.com/End-Faith-Religion-Terror-
Future/dp/0393327655
[122] Vernon, M. (2010, March 10). The New Buddhist Atheism. The
Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/mar/10/buddhism-
atheism-hitchens
[123] Purser, R., & Cooper, A. (2014, December 6). Mindfulness’ “truthiness” Problem:
Sam Harris, Science And The Truth About Buddhist Tradition.
Salon. https://www.salon.com/2014/12/06/mindfulness_truthiness_problem_sam_harris
_science_and_the_truth_about_buddhist_tradition/
An article showing how a group of academics are concerned with Sam Harris’s New Atheism
Movements, with his stance on Buddhism turning eerily similar to a pseudoscience religion by
his own narratives.
[124] Wilkinson, W. (2012, May 24). The Self Is Not An Illusion. Big
Think. https://bigthink.com/articles/the-self-is-not-an-illusion/
[125] Dierkes, C. (2014, October 16). Sam Harris’ Buddhist Bullshit. Chris
Dierkes. https://chrisdierkes.com/sam-harris-buddhist-bullshit/
Disapproval by an atheist scientist who finds the religion mixing up with science, as Sam Harris
is forming some misconceptions due to his Buddhist-Bias.
[126] à-bas-le-ciel. (2016, January 28). Sam Harris, “Waking Up”, Book
Review. YouTube. https://youtu.be/h6oIf1kz-Y4
What Harris is doing is more like simultaneously claiming all of the contradictory benefits (birth-
control and shiny hair) for a number of contradictory reasons: he characterizes orthodoxy as if
he had authoritative opinions on what it is (and means) --e.g., just making up his own
definitions of nirvana & the philosophy-of-self out of thin air-- and he uses orthodoxy to stamp
legitimacy on "modern" methods (from Vipassana meditation to getting high on party drugs,
etc.). In short: it's a complete mess. It's worse than the blind leading the blind. It's a flaky, true-
believer, cult-member pretending to be a skeptic and an atheist and pretending to be an expert
on Buddhism at the same time. He makes dogmatic claims, as in that short quotation about
Buddhist scripture providing a completely scientific (and "empirical") description of
consciousness and what to do with it (not a "myth"); he isn't skeptical even in establishing what
the scriptures say in the first place, about meditation really is a sort of mythology, heavily
magical, and reflecting an ancient world-view (e.g., meditation can cause earthquakes, and this
is explained because the world is believed to be a flat mass floating in a rather unstable
situation, cosmologically speaking… any comment on how empirical and scientific this is, S.H.?).
In his book, S.H. does not even show a familiarity with the range of already-existing attempts to
"scientize" Buddhism, and their critics; he seems to be genuinely writing out of complete
ignorance of Buddhist scholarship of any kind --even of scholarship in exactly the niche he's
trying to occupy.
[127] à-bas-le-ciel. (2015, December 18). Buddhist Meditation, Pseudoscience & Sam
Harris. YouTube. https://youtu.be/MmH-tma1upY
[128] Scrimenti, N. (2017, November 27). Sam Harris, Buddhism Doesn’t Want You Either.
Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World
Affairs. https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/responses/sam-harris-buddhism-doesn-t-
want-you-either
DISAPPROVAL BY A RELIGIOUS ACTIVIST WHO WANTS TO PRESERVE THE ORIGINALITY OF RELIGIONS, SUCH AS
BUDDHISM.
[129] Alpert, A. (2020, December 7). Why Modern Buddhists Should Take Reincarnation
Seriously | Aeon Essays. Aeon. https://aeon.co/essays/why-modern-buddhists-should-
take-reincarnation-seriously
A BUDDHIST DEVOTEE CONCERNED WITH BUDDHIST MODERNISM DESTROYING THE ORIGINAL BUDDHISM,
MENTIONING HOW IT LEADS TO ITS IGNORANCE OF HISTORY AND ITS POLITICS OF THE PRESENT WITH
MISCHARACTERIZATION THAT IT OUGHT TO BE STOPPED AND RETURNED BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL.
[130] ArtReview. (2020, April 21). Burmese Street Artists Arrested Over COVID-19 Mural.
ArtReview. https://artreview.com/burmese-street-artists-arrested-over-covid-19-mural/
STREET ARTISTS IN MYANMAR ARE GIVEN CRIMINAL CHARGES BY THE RELIGIOUS BUDDHIST COMMUNITY FOR DRAWING A
STREET ART THAT RAISES AWARENESS IN THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS; WHERE THE MURAL PORTRAYING A GRIM REAPER FIGURE
SPREADING THE CORONAVIRUS THAT LOOKED LIKE A BUDDHIST MONK, WAS BEING COMPLAINED BY ITS DEVOUT FOLLOWERS.
THERE ARE OF COURSE, SOME REPORTS OF BUDDHIST MONKS WHO DIED BELIEVING IN THE FAITH-HEALING OVER THE SCIENCE
IN THE PANDEMIC, HENCE, THE ART REMAINS A VALID CRITICISM. TO AVOID FURTHER PERSECUTION DUE TO INEQUITABLE
PROTECTION LAWS AND LACK OF HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN THE COUNTRY, THE ARTISTS HAD TO DENY THAT THEIR
ARTWORK BEING RELIGIOUS OR WILL FACE FURTHER PUNISHMENTS AS ENDORSED BY THE STATE.
[131] Kumbum, J. (2019, December 18). When Ultranationalism Triumphs Over The Truth.
The Irrawaddy. https://www.irrawaddy.com/opinion/guest-column/ultranationalism-
triumphs-truth.html
[132] à-bas-le-ciel. (2021, October 3). The Decline And Fall Of Buddhist Scholarship (&
“The Q Hypothesis”). YouTube. https://youtu.be/D2cJEwVDuUQ
[133] Rationality Rules. (2019, April 30). The Peterson Phenomenon (New Age Religion)
Ft. Genetically Modified Skeptic. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Iwq1QVnj4gc
[134] Horgan, J. (2011, December 2). Why I Don’t Dig Buddhism. Scientific American Blog
Network. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/why-i-dont-dig-buddhism/
[135] Samurai and Ninja History. (2020, April 29). My Problem With Buddhism - Part 1.
YouTube. https://youtu.be/GESgREC2giM
[136] Noah. (2014, May 18). Noah Smith: Buddha Was Wrong About Desire —
Confessions Of A Supply-Side Liberal. Confessions Of A Supply-Side
Liberal. https://blog.supplysideliberal.com/post/86075953200/noah-smith-buddha-was-
wrong-about-desire
The Buddha simply did not understand how human desire works. Now, with the help of modern
science, we know a few things. For example, we’ve learned that the nucleus accumbens is
responsible for many of our feelings of pleasure and happiness. But it’s also responsible for our
feelings of desire! From Wikipedia:

The activation of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens is central to forming desire for
something. Dopamine release in the accumbens occurs in anticipation of reward, and
facilitates many kinds of approach and goal-oriented behaviors like exploration, affiliation,
aggression, sexual behavior, and food hoarding. Lesions to the nucleus accumbens reduce
the motivation to work for reward.

This sort of desire is exactly the “tanha” that Buddhism tells us we should get rid of. But in
experiments, this kind of desire is essentially indistinguishable from pleasure:

Rats in Skinner boxes with metal electrodes implanted into their nucleus accumbens will
repeatedly press a lever which activates this region, and will do so in preference over food
and water, eventually dying from exhaustion.

In other words, desire is not the cause of suffering; it is the opposite of suffering. Desire is what
feels good. And so it’s no surprise that stimulating the nucleus accumbens is an incredibly
effective treatment for depression. Anyone who has been depressed will not be surprised in the
slightest to hear that result.
The truth is, desire is good. Desire is what keeps us going in life. It’s not getting stuff that
makes us happy, it's wanting stuff, hoping for stuff, dreaming of stuff - stuff like love, success,
adventure, or meaning. Desire itself is the payoff!

Sure, sometimes we’re frustrated. Sometimes we get what we want, only to find out that it’s
not as great as we thought. But to try to eliminate the central feature of a good human life just
because of these stumbling blocks is to throw the baby out with the bathwater. These
stumbling blocks are a necessary cost of leading a good human life.
So, I think that the main tenet of classic Buddhism is totally wrongheaded, and reflects a deep
lack of understanding of what constitutes human happiness.
[137] Basu, B. (2021). Desire is the root for all suffering. Do you
agree? Quora. https://www.quora.com/Desire-is-the-root-for-all-suffering-Do-you-
agree/answer/Bitan-
Basu?ch=15&oid=242762915&share=310b6c22&srid=eigvX&target_type=answer
No, I do not agree with the statement “Desire is the root of all suffering”. One who has no
desire can not enjoy his life. To lead a life, one should have desire.

As Safwan pointed out that it should be “Attachment to desire causes suffering.” I do not agree
with this statement too. Attachment to desire can make us feel happy too. Yes, it can also lead
to sorrow. For example, one wishes to be a doctor(desire) and he gets attached to books and
he later cracked Med School which brought joy, and it is very much possible that he would be
sorry if he won’t have cracked it. Thus, it may bring both. Now, coming to the central point, I do
not think “sorrow” in itself is an evil emotion. Sorrow help us evolve, make us mature and we
learn out of our negative emotions often. For example, one loses his/her spouse by cancer and
upon grief, he donated his fortune to poor people who are in dire need of treatment for cancer.
Thus, sorrow or any negative feeling is not necessarily bad for us. All emotions are result of
evolution, some of them may not be suitable at particular situation.

Lastly, I do think religious texts should be taken as an adage/principle which are thumb-rules.
They are not inherently right, use your judgement to decide whether it works for you in your
situation.
[138] Thompson, E. (2020, January 28). Why I Am Not A Buddhist.
Amazon.Com. https://www.amazon.com/Why-I-Am-Not-Buddhist/dp/0300226551
[139] Littlefair, S. (2020, January 31). Why Evan Thompson Isn’t A Buddhist. Lion’s
Roar. https://www.lionsroar.com/evan-thompson-not-buddhist/
[140] Crimmins, T. (2020, July 10). Is Buddhism Science? Washington
Examiner. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/is-buddhism-science-on-
why-i-am-not-a-buddhist-by-evan-thompson
[141] YaleUniversity. (2014, December 11). The Scientific Buddha: Past, Present, Future -
“The Problem With
Karma.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVnEYpcYRFU
Professor of Buddhist & Tibetian Studies from the University of Michigan and Chair of the
Department of Asian Language & Cultures (2008); Donald Lopez on the conflict and
relationship between Religion and Science, which is to be paraphrased below:
[1] Even though Buddhism is mostly compatible with Science due to its followers modifying it,
Buddhism originally is pseudo-science, with historical texts mentioning of divine dharma
bringing the cosmic order, natural order, manifest order of the universe and how the Buddha
has a divine mind that could telepathically read the lives of the people reincarnating in the
universe quite endlessly in its ability to its creation & destruction of the universe by mortal
devas trapped in the samara system being its mythology. And how he is the rediscoverer from
past Buddhas and the liberator of humanity. This reality or truth, is something that will be
found and lost again, cycling in samsara as an epistemology which itself is logically impossible.
And that after the previous Buddha’s teachings disappears in the world, a new Buddha will
appear in this or the new world in the future; when no more monks, monasteries, nuns,
teachings and Sasana -again and again, over eons. There is no new knowledge, just the
remembrance of the forgotten old which answers everything, which already conflicts with
science which states its study for truths of the world is ongoing, with the old being challenged
by the new, its gaps filled by studies that is still incomplete. Therefore, its Anti-Science and is
incompatible.
 [2] Another problem is how karma is in odds with natural selection, as the former works by
intent but the latter is random, in which the latter is true as there are no divine karmic deeds
rolling the dice and destiny as far as studies show; only the Natural Laws of Universe
discovered by the standard model of particle physics.
[3] Also, Buddhism sees Consciousness being non-physical and physical Matter as separate
independent things, being substance dualists that the two combine to create life that will live
on past their deterioration of bodies when scientific studies show property dualism to be true
due to its mental properties emerging out dependently of the physical properties of the
physical substance material, being linked and thus will end in death. The religion tries to avoid
answering the starting point of Consciousness, claiming it to be endless, unknowable, with no
beginnings like the universe with non-sentient to the sentient being impossible unless with
supernatural causes, but studies disprove showing that it starts off gradually in the abiogenesis
era of the Earth 3.5 billion years ago; after the Big Bounce of the Universe, all naturally from
non-life to life; then simplicity to complexity in its functions and consciousness by evolution.
[4] In the Buddhist Cosmology, it also states how humans are devolving due to “pollution of the
mind”, with shorter lifespans, low intellect, deeply barbarically warlike, after the Buddha’s
death after each passing decade and how humanity will face the end of the world unless they
follow his teachings into Nirvana and not be ignorant. When compared nowadays, the data is
the opposite with humans prospering due to scientific progress with longer lifespans, with the
pursuit for Eudaimonia, learning form the mistakes from history, and education helping them,
with this horrifying end of the world/Armageddon being a failure as like of the Mayans’
predictions. It appears that the religion is far more ignorant after being poked by the scientific
research, never stating of Climate Change and of how humanity can exist independently
without this religion, still contributing acts to prosper the world and survive with an open mind.
[142] Sheehy, M. (2020, August 13). The Problem With Calling Buddhism A Science. Lion’s
Roar. https://www.lionsroar.com/the-problem-with-calling-buddhism-a-science/
[143] Horgan, J. (2018, November 12). Don’t Make Me One With Everything. Scientific
American Blog Network. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/dont-make-me-
one-with-everything/
[144] Stang, C., Wallis, G., & Hallisey, C. (2019, March 11). Video: The Case Against
Buddhism. Harvard Review. https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/2019/03/11/case-against-
buddhism
[145] Chapman, D. (2008). Buddhist Morality Is Medieval.
Vividness. https://vividness.live/buddhist-morality-is-medieval
Traditional Buddhist morality developed in feudal theocratic cultures. Mostly, it is typical for
such societies: similar to what you’d find in Medieval Europe or the nastier parts of the
contemporary Islamic world. It is crude, arbitrary, patriarchal, and often cruel.
Buddhist modernizers replaced traditional morality with Victorian Christian morality in the late
1800s, and with leftish secular morality in the 1980s. (The two pages after this one discusses
that.) The result is that modern “Buddhist ethics” has no similarity to traditional Buddhist
morality, much of which would horrify Western Buddhists.

The Buddhist belief in karma and reincarnation has been used to justify slavery, reasoning
that a person's enslavement must be a result of punishable actions in a previous life. According
to scripture, the Buddha himself (after bodhi enlightenment) accepted slaves as gifts to the
sangha, and he did not free them, seeing as a divine order of things. Reforming society or its
system of morality/ethics on a large scale was not something the Buddha was interested in
doing to even try and was aware that it might destroy the early community if he too overtly
criticized many of the people who they were LITERALLY dependent upon to even be able to eat.
 He was primarily concerned with helping people find freedom in Nirvana, not making this Samsara world
a nicer place to live which he sees as an impermanence pointless ongoing cycle of sufferage where the
former is the ultimate answer to all problems. Slavery (including “servant” or “serf) has existed in
all Buddhist countries, as it has everywhere else in the world with some extending to clergyman but
mostly historically of laymen for lifetime servitude. It was considered normal in the Medieval Buddhist
eras and despite such Ahimsa teachings in the Pali Cannon for Right Livelihood is modernly interpreted
to be opposed to slavedom, this simply isn’t the case, as old texts only forbade monks accepting gifts of
slaves as individuals. That was not a statement of opposition to slavery, but an application of the
general rule that clergymen monks as individuals cannot accept personal gifts of most sorts of
property, whereas this bondage applies to the laymen more where monasteries must accept slaves as
institutional gifts to the monastery due to karma (as opposed to personal gifts causing attachment). It
was practice so normalized in the past likewise to monogamy, polyandry, and polygamy marriages of
the laymen during the time in the ancient Asian societies, as they aid the anti-sexual abstinence celibate
monks heading out into the edges of the society practicing Dharma, to also get good karma for their
assistance.

Another issue is the lack of sex education, which is dehumanized and tabooed in Buddhism, regarded
as a sin that neither monks nor lay Buddhists is allowed to talk about masturbation, oral, anal sex, sex
between men, sex during daytime and sex with a woman who is pregnant causing bad karma. Ultimately
destroying natural evolutionary reasons and against human flourishing.

A third case is the suppression of rational enquiry, as Buddhism tends to with its superstitious nature,
tends to regard itself as righteous “dharma” ideology and disregards non-buddhist ideas as adharma
“wrong”/ evil. It villainizes different beliefs, seeing itself to be the saviors, and stifles criticism, especially
after causing division of sects during the Theravada and Mahayana branch schisms as a means to
defend itself after learning of their transparency vulnerable to it, thus, made new means to censor it
with imposed taboo blasphemy laws, threatening with bad karma of hell or bad omen to those that fail
to comply otherwise, for thinking the unthinkable. This includes intentionally misinforming people of its
past through countless obscurantism, deliberate restriction of knowledge via historical reinventions,
alterations, and miseducating the public, in which knowingly or unknowingly, caused various
misunderstandings of the actual historical texts and authentic facts.
[146] à-bas-le-ciel. (2017, September 23). Debating Meditation With Buddhists: The Fallacy Of
Having Faith In A Feeling…. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Dnz1m0o17ok
[147] Dreyfus, G., & Pol, S. van der. (2019). Is Mindfulness
Buddhist? Slideplayer. https://slideplayer.com/slide/17796538/
[148] à-bas-le-ciel. (2014, March 14). Buddhist Meditation Is NOT A Science Of The Mind.
YouTube. https://youtu.be/EZZZFk3pYa0
[149] à-bas-le-ciel. (2017, September 30). Sam Harris Is Lying: Cognitive Science, Buddhism &
Meditation. YouTube. https://youtu.be/fa3Kl1pcHQQ
[150] à-bas-le-ciel. (2016, November 20). Buddhism: Ancient Meditation & Modern
Misrepresentation. YouTube. https://youtu.be/JEb30DEk7dg
[151] à-bas-le-ciel. (2017, September 27). Autobiographical: Buddhist Meditation, Superstition
& Philosophy. YouTube. https://youtu.be/7FV-AjXrImo
[152] à-bas-le-ciel. (2020, April 17). Meditation: The Madness At The Core Of Buddhism,
Ancient And Modern. YouTube. https://youtu.be/jnc6gqDXNCw
[153] à-bas-le-ciel. (2016, November 15). Buddhist Philosophy, The Fundamental Flaw.
YouTube. https://youtu.be/7sGXtqJmTbU
[154] à-bas-le-ciel. (2014, February 17). Why I Am Not A Buddhist.
YouTube. https://youtu.be/aOx95uYACuk
[155] Horgan, J. (2003, February 12). Why I Ditched Buddhism. Slate
Magazine. https://slate.com/culture/2003/02/why-i-ditched-buddhism.html