Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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Kusala
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Re: Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Post by Kusala »

pulga wrote:I'm just curious -- and a little disconcerted -- about just what sort of society Pepper would have in store for us.
Perhaps...a utopian society? :thinking:
"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "

--------------------------------------------
"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation,
Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "
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Kim OHara
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Re: Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Post by Kim OHara »

Kusala wrote:
pulga wrote:I'm just curious -- and a little disconcerted -- about just what sort of society Pepper would have in store for us.
Perhaps...a utopian society? :thinking:
Or a rational one? :thinking:

:namaste:
Kim
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Alex123
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Re: Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Post by Alex123 »

It seems that any religion that promises better life after this one if one behaves well in this life (and of course, submits to authority) is opiate for the masses.

Religion is great way to make someone feel better about mortality and suffering in this life and hell to hedonists and others who live life more fully.

Religion can be great tool for ambitious people to use to exploit the gullible masses who are taught that evil doers will go to hell and their passivity and austerity will be rewarded...
People possessing the functions that religion provides are likely to adopt atheism, people lacking these very functions (e.g., the poor, the helpless) are likely to adopt theism,” the researchers wrote.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/religious-peop ... 50723.html
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Kamran
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Re: Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Post by Kamran »

Pepper disputes Thanisarro's interpretation of the Buddha's awakening. But even if that's a valid criticism, it does not support his argument that people should "engage, judge, and change" the world instead of developing detachment.

It also does not negate Thanissaro's teaching of the actual practice or the usefulness of the huge wealth of resources he provides.

Thanissaro is not dogmatic and does not demand his students to agree with everything he says. For example, he acknowledges in a very congenial manner that most of his students don't believe in literal rebirth.

Pepper implies that Thanissaro teaches "pure self" but Thanissaro points out that the BUddha did not teach anything like Buddha Nature.

Last but not least, Pepper's points are obscured by an extremely arrogant tone. Hopefully, he continues to practice and develops an alternative source of happiness than thinking about how smart he his :)
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lyndon taylor
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Re: Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Post by lyndon taylor »

I suppose by the same criteria, education would be the opiate of the masses, anything that promises a better life by completion of its programme(education) would have to be an opiate. Or maybe our criteria are completely wrong and Buddhism is not the opiate, or education......
18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community, sincerely former monk John

http://trickleupeconomictheory.blogspot.com/
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Kim OHara
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Re: Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Post by Kim OHara »

lyndon taylor wrote:I suppose by the same criteria, education would be the opiate of the masses, anything that promises a better life by completion of its programme(education) would have to be an opiate. Or maybe our criteria are completely wrong and Buddhism is not the opiate, or education......
I've gotta disagree.
Anything that promises a better life by completion of its programme (education) but does not deliver improvements would have to be an opiate. That's what opiates do - offer a period in la-la land but drop you back in exactly the same dukkha afterwards ... with maybe less money and poorer health.
Education demonstrably does deliver benefits. So does the dhamma. In both cases, the more you put into them, the more you get out of them.
The original quote is from Marx: "Religion is the opium of the people". The wikipedia page about it - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people - is thought-provoking, especially Charles Kingsley's take on it, "We have used the Bible as if it were a mere special constable's hand book, an opium dose for keeping beasts of burden patient while they were being overloaded, a mere book to keep the poor in order," which is actually a critique of the way religion was being abused and perverted by the Establishment of the time.

:reading:
Kim
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lyndon taylor
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Re: Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Post by lyndon taylor »

Some would argue that here in America that's exactly what education can do !!!!
18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community, sincerely former monk John

http://trickleupeconomictheory.blogspot.com/
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Kim OHara
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Re: Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?

Post by Kim OHara »

lyndon taylor wrote:Some would argue that here in America that's exactly what education can do !!!!
Sad but true. As I said, "the more you put into them, the more you get out of them." Both education and religion can be used poorly, or subverted outright and become "opiates" or, in the worst case, instruments of oppression. That still doesn't mean that the thread's question, "Is Buddhism an Opiate for the People?" should be answered in the affirmative.

:namaste:
Kim
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