"Dangerous Buddhism"

It feels like there’s something definitely lacking in our culture.  

Maybe it’s because we don’t really have a culture.  Many of the customs of our ancestors have been lost in the shuffle of immigration, so we don’t really have old traditions to rely on.  Maybe it’s because our family structure has deteriorated so much that we eat all of our meals in front of the television to give us the illusion of togetherness.  Maybe technology is poisoning us and making us disconnect from our fellow human beings.  

I don’t know.  

But sometimes it seems like we’re all just floating around aimlessly, clutching onto whatever we think will make us happy RIGHT THIS SECOND!

Whether it’s:

Turning up the volume on our iPod so fucking high that it’s liable to bust our ear drums,

salivating over free Asian porn on the internet when we think our wives aren’t watching,

or obsessively watching TMZ until our brains rot our of our skulls,

It’s all instant gratification in it’s highest form

The purpose of religion is to provide its followers with a sense of belonging and give them a formalized belief structure to comfort them in life.  Since as Americans, we are without a strong sense of religious identity, we are left to search frantically for something to qualify our innate desire to connect to spirituality.  That’s where Buddhism comes in.  

Many Americans are first exposed to Buddhism through mainstream pop culture and mass media.  Buddhism is everywhere!  The Dalai Lama has become a household name.  The image of the Buddha is now synonymous with a higher, more interesting, sexier state of consciousness that the most elite members of our society possess:  

Celebrities 

Sometimes it seems like every famous actor or musician has some kind of connection to Buddhism.  We worship celebrities because they represent the “best of the best” of us... especially when it comes to physicality.  So, if the most famous people in the world are into Buddhism... shouldn’t we all be?  

Although I do personally believe that Buddhism has something to offer each and every one of us, the perception of Buddhism as this mystical "Religion of the Celebrities" can be damaging because it gives the impression that it’s a cure-all or instant method for happiness and FAME.

Buddhism in Popular Culture

To prove my point, here are a few recent stories from US Weekly:

Apparently, the name “Bodhi” has become a popular choice for celebrities to name their children: 

“Goldie Hawn's third grandson, Bodhi Hawn Hudson, was born on March 23 to son Oliver Hudson and wife Erinn Bartlett.
This choice was diametrically different from the names of the previous two boys in the family: Oliver's son, Wilder, and sister Kate Hudson's, Ryder, a matched pair of energetic, macho names. Bodhi is soft and spiritual.
Bodhi is a Sanskrit name translated as "enlightenment" or "awakening" and is associated with Buddhism. In early times, it was synonymous with the state of nirvana, being freed from hate, greed and ego.  The Bodhi tree is a large fig tree under which the founder of Buddhism received enlightenment.
One of the first public figures in the U.S. to bear the name was Bodhi Elfman, husband of Jenna, who starred in another sitcom with a Buddhism-related name, Dharma & Greg.  Since then it has been used by Amy Brenneman for her son, and by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio as the middle name for his boy, Luka.  And Goldie Hawn isn't the only Bodhi grandparent -- she joins Carly Simon and James Taylor, who also have a grandson named Bodhi via daughter Sally Taylor.”

Jessica Simpson - A "Wish-Fulfilling Gem?"

Here’s a video from Jessica Simpson’s new show, “The Price of Beauty.”  I guess she was chosen to host this show because she is so fucking “beautiful” herself, right?  

In her search to find “beauty,” the producers of this show thought it would be a good idea to send her to a Buddhist temple.  Everyone knows that beauty comes from “within,” but apparently Simpson didn’t think it would take quite so long to find it in there.  Here’s a quote:  “It ended up being a longer process than I expected... for some reason I couldn’t be at peace with myself, so I guess I have a little more work to do.” 

Here’s the video:  

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebritynews/news/jessica-simpson-loses-it-in-buddhist-temple-2010123?page=2

I love how the monk is looking at them like, “What the fuck are these white people doing in my temple” as they walk in.  I wonder if when he said, “Inner peace equals outward beauty,” he meant “Inner peace equals bigger tits?”  What do you think?

Buddhism: the cure for crappy sex and... AIDS?

Buddhism is by far the most “famous” religion.  In addition to it’s “coolness” factor though, it’s also perceived by many as the ultimate source of “alternative medicine.”  Buddhist meditation and the more general term “eastern medicine” has been touted to be able to heal everything from general stress to sexual disfunction.  

Oprah Winfrey, the queen of self-discovery herself, uses her super-Celebrity magic to harness the power of Buddhism on her show.  Aided by the “All-Stars” of Buddhism: Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, the Dalai Lama and Lama Surya Das, Winfrey shares tips for exciting topics such as:

"How freedom and happiness 
can be found in a single cup of tea"

I wonder if tea sales spiked the week 
that show aired?  

In a column called “Buddhism RX,” Winfrey explains how we can apply the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism to modern life in an effort to cope with things like: fear, anxiety and hardship... oh, and weight loss too:

Mindful Eating - Losing Weight with Thich Nhat Hanh  

Websites like “Sex For Enlightenment” offer “manuals for practitioners of enlightenment,” that claim to use ancient Buddhist techniques to generate greater ORGASMS.  I mean, come on!  It’s almost hilarious.  

Some claim that Buddhism holds the secret to curing fatal diseases!

Here’s an article from BuddhaNet, - The Worldwide Buddhist Information and Education Network:

In addition to explaining the general healing benefits of meditation, it eludes to the idea that meditation can be a potential cure for cancer and AIDS:

http://www.buddhanet.net/sangha-metta/medhealth.html

Of course I believe that meditation can have enormous potential as a tool for “healing.”  But to simplify the practices and teachings of Buddhism and take them completely out of context is dangerous.  For someone new to Buddhism, the misperception that a few meditation sessions will cure them of cancer is a gross oversimplification.  

Anyone even remotely familiar with the processes involved in meditation knows that it can take a lifetime to achieve true quantifiable results.  Such claims of “healing” should be made with extreme caution, as they could lead to harm.  

Don’t Be a Sucker

Look, Buddhism is good stuff... I wouldn’t be writing this blog if I didn’t think so.  There are a lot of  really smart people out there working really hard to bring Buddhism to America in a positive way... you just have to find them.  

In the meantime, if you get bored, check out the “Ultimate Stress Reduction Plan” on the Dr. Oz Show website.  Apparently it doesn’t matter what mantra you use... they’re all good if you want to eliminate stress from your life.  Remember that the next time you’re slamming down on your horn in the middle of rush hour.  (In case you couldn’t tell... I’m being sarcastic.)

Many of us have three thoughts about stress: it stinks, it stinks bad, or it stinks so bad that if you don’t get me a massage this instant, I’m gonna freak on this entire office.

In fact, most of us believe that you either have to eliminate it or live with it. But the truth is that stress management isn’t about eliminating all types of stress; after all, stress can be good for you. (The only time you aren’t stressed is when you’re 6-ft. under.) It’s actually all about regulation – turning the dials of your emotions so you can best handle what life tosses at you.

Next Post:  Buddhism is cooler than you.