"... relegated to secluded mountaintop temples.... ... Buddhism faces a particularly steep challenge in South Korea, where Protestantism, a branch of Christianity, overtook it to become the most popular religion for the first time in the latest census. In South Korea and some other Asian countries,
Christianity tends to be associated with modernity and rationality, while Buddhism and folk religions are often seen as more old-fashioned, Professor Chia said. Some young people at the Busan expo said they were trying to shake that idea. South Koreans tend to see the religion as one that is for older people and can only be encountered at 'temples deep in the mountains,' said Ju Yeo-jin, 30, a vendor selling casual streetwear style clothing and accessories, wearing a pageboy cap over her short bleached hair. 'The Buddhism I’ve experienced is fun and cool. I want to convey that feeling.'"
I'm reading
"Is South Korea’s 'Buddhistcore' Aesthetic a Fad or a Spiritual Awakening? Young South Koreans are buying Buddhist merch. Monks and experts hope the buzz will translate into deeper engagement" (NYT).
I think Americans associate Buddhism with modernity and rationality — but not because of expos and "merch"! To me, it seems modern and rational to retreat to a temple deep in the mountains. Maybe to young people the religion of one's own region will always seem "old-fashioned" and based in tradition. Just imagine people from elsewhere looking over and perhaps it will seem newly modern. Or what the hell, buy a "red heart-shaped magnet reading, 'Sentient beings I love you'" or "key chains of the Buddha in neon and with hearts for eyes, and streetwear-style T-shirts with slogans like 'Shut up and meditate.'" Maybe that will work.
पोस्ट्स
४५ टिप्पण्या:
Buddhist Lives Matter. Incorporated? Maybe, baby.
Many a religion throughout human history has come and gone. If Buddhist merch attracts adherents and converts, then it’s not a bad thing.
Every person has a hole in them. We don’t know why we are here.
Most people cannot deal with uncertainty in general. They fill that hole with something. Anything. Usually the first thing that is put there.
But other people are contrarian by nature and constantly question and cause discomfort. There is really no set pattern on an individual level that people tend to follow.
There are no right answers sometimes.
Because of my upgringing I suppose I find cloisters, crucifixes and candles in the darkness a familiar comfort. They are a bit of home, wherever they may be.
My wife grew up Buddhist, was unhappy until she found a Protestant family. She goes to a lot of different groups and takes the kids.
Buddhism started in the 5 or 6th century BC. Its a very old religion and must seem so those young people raised on it. Koreans probably don't see that christianity is regarded as a loser religion in the USA. No doubt Christian zionists, and Gay flag churches are rare in Korea.
The Japanese have been exposed to American Christianity for a much longer time, and have zero desire to join the losing team.
A Korean co-worker from a Catholic-turned-Presbyterian family would pronounce Buddhism to rhyme with voodooism.
>South Koreans tend to see the religion as one that is for older people and can only be encountered at 'temples deep in the mountains,' said Ju Yeo-jin, 30<
Just make a Buddhism app for their iPhones - the Zs and Millens will flock to Buddha.
"To me, it seems modern and rational to retreat to a temple deep in the mountains."
Amazon will need to improve their drone delivery system first.
Also, I've been to Buddhist temples deep in the mountains of China. It's always a long walk and you'll want to poop before the visit if possible.
The Buddhism he has experienced is fun and cool. Therefore it's a fad, and therefore it has no future. It will go the way of fun and cool Christianities. Traditional Buddhism will probably survive, in spite of not being fun and cool.
“I think Americans associate Buddhism with modernity and rationality”
I associate Buddhism in America with old hippie Boomers, particularly of the California variety. Not exactly embracing modernity or rationality.
Hare Krishna.
Oh, wait, wrong fad..
Buddhism has no guilt. Everything is fate. You are not bad, you just were on the wrong side of the universe that day. Many Christian’s sects are pro guilt, and you need the blood of the lamb to clean you, there is nothing else that will work, no good act helps.
Buddhism in the west is novel and mysterious.
Protestantism is (supposedly) known and boring.
Catholicism to a lesser degree, and Orthodox even more so (unless you're in those communities.).
“ The central message of Buddhism is not every man for himself.”
To Westerners, Buddhism seems like a modern, streamlined version of religion. It's not about the monasteries. It's about the idea of a religious system that doesn't require belief in God.
Young people who grew up in countries where Buddhism was a major part of life and culture are probably looking for something still more streamlined -- or at least something different. That may be unbelief, or some modern secular philosophy.
Christianity has been growing in Korea. Perhaps it appears more "modern" and more in tune with modernity to Koreans, however much Westerners may scoff at the idea, or perhaps Nirvana appears cold and empty compared with Heaven.
Also, Western ideas about Buddhism as an "atheistic" religion without much in the way of restrictions or restraints may not find much approval among actual Buddhist clerics and adherents in some parts of Asia.
Pro-Choice is also a guilt less religion and not even the blood of a baby, a woman, a child, will ever sate their ethical entropy and queens' lust for human rites.
This urge to get South Koreans to turn away from Christianity back to Buddhism is taking place against the background of the new ROK regime's legal actions against some Christian leaders as either a legitimate investigation of the churches' collaboration with the recently-removed president, or as retaliation for supporting that president.
It is very very difficult to find MSM coverage of these arrests. I assert without evidence (ie, without bothering to Google) that the NYT hasn't covered them very much, and that the article at hand doesn't even make casual contextual reference to them in an article about ROK religion. CC, JSM
Making a retreat to a temple deep in the mountains = modern
Living your entire life in a temple deep in the mountains = old-fashioned
A Peanuts devotional key-chain tag had Charlie Brown saying: "I've made an interesting theological discovery. If you hold your hands upside-down when you pray, you get the opposite of what you ask for."
Buddhism isn’t stuffy. Richard Gere practices Buddhism. Maybe I should have avoided any suggestion of the act of stuffing when referencing Richard Gere.
I dont see any Buddhists supporting Genocide in Gaza, or donning Yamaka's and wailing at the wailing wall. Or crying at the sight of an Israeli flag.
Korean's are probably going "we need a piece of that. Lets become Christians."
AI can’t gaze at its navel. It can only gaze at its concept of a navel.
Christianity in Asia is often a very active social religion. You go to church or bible study and meet and talk with people.
You go to the Buddhist temple to pray, make an offering and don't do any activities.
"AI can't gaze at its navel. It can only gaze at its concept of a navel."
I'm stealing that.
First you get down on your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect
Do whatever steps you want if
You have cleared them with the pontiff
Everybody’s got their own bag
Doin' the Vatican Rag
I'm a cradle Catholic and started studying Buddhism, largely the Zen variety, and also some Taoism a couple of years ago. I've kind of lost faith in "organized religion", partly due to a more libertarian bent to my way of thinking (read: don't trust anyone), but also because after a life crisis (or, rather, during it) I found Catholicism and going to Mass, etc., wasn't doing anything for me.
I looked into Buddhism to try to find peace in my own head.
Note that I'm not 'converting' or anything. More of an integration. I don't see too much conflict between Buddhism and Christianity in the basic real-world philosophy of each.
I have gained quite a bit from my foray and it has helped my mental outlook considerably, and even put the ol' Catholic faith into some perspective.
We in the West usually see it presented by attractive celebrities and wealthy people jet-setting with the Dalai Lama. That may be a reason it didn't appeal to me for so long.
There's voodoo in Haiti, if you want modern barbarism.
South Koreans in the U.S. are vigorously Christian. But what's the dif, the important thing to the NYT is to keep the attacks going. No one really cares about Christianity; it sux. Buddhism much cooler, says street vendor of Buddhist merch, as quoted by NYT.
Buddhism is exotic. I have a Buddhist friend, maybe two. Virtue!
Biggest difference between Christianity and Buddhism/Hinduism is the individual. Christianity holds that you maintain your individuality through eternity - in fact your body gets resurrected. There is a 'communion of saints,' but it is a relationship among distinct individuals. The practical lesson is to treat each person as a unique treasure. And socioeconomic systems based on the individual.
Buddhism and its philosophical forbear Hinduism hold that the individual is an illusion. All of us, even the Hindu gods and the Buddhist, er, Buddhas, are parts of a whole. Eventually we will all have our individuality annihilated into a single life force. And that is perceived as a good thing, an end to cycles of suffering. Om mani padme hum - hail, jewel in the lotus - is the way I recognize the common life force hidden by the illusion that you and I are distinct. This also leads to altruistic life practices, but it may also be a root cause of the less individualistic societies and cultures of the East. CC, JSM
For those interested, Amazon has the t-shirts.
Seriously it’s all about scripture…Wm Tyndale’s translation that King James stuck his name on, but is America’s foundation.
Trouble is that actual scripture has been slandered and discredited by the crazy EDU idiots since Darwin and Freud became gods to them. Now they are all ashamed to say they believe it.
As for the Buddhists et al they are circular reasoning cults of no help to their captive audiences.
I prefer stoicism. Sensible and healthy, but without the need for mysticism or faith. I simply can't understand how people can reconcile faith with rationality. I wish that I could because I appreciate the moral teachings of Christianity. I just don't seem to have it in me, and all the CS Lewis and books about St. Francis in the world can't seem to change that.
Bob Boyd said...
AI can’t gaze at its navel. It can only gaze at its concept of a navel.
But the bad part is that these agents are more self aware than most people are.
traditionalguy said...etc...
A classic expression of mindless ideological tribalism, projection and lack of self-awareness, Trad. Accusing others of blind belief while implicitly asserting their own group’s exclusive access to truth. You want circular reasoning - try this: “The Bible is true because it is the Word of God, and we know it is the Word of God because the Bible says so.”
Dogma like that comes in really handy when you don't want to be troubled by thinking very much.
we abided by the Word that served us through at least two centuries, then what has filled the gap,
the Old Gods and so we have descended into the Gyre as Yeats warned a century ago
From the article I gathered this is cosplay.
“ It's about the idea of a religious system that doesn't require belief in God.”
Kind of like Unitarianism.
I hope I don't get trashed for posting a link to my own blogged reaction to this post.
Back before the Red Pope effectively banned the Latin Mass, our local parish offered it once a week. I was amazed at how many young people turned out for it, and how many of the young women wore mantillas.
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