Does Buddhism needs marketing ?

[Sam Vara]

Me and you came from different background. I live in a Muslim country, and this kind of behavior is not understood except among Sufists.

Indeed. It's all relative, isn't it? Buddhism can look distinctly odd and counter-cultural in countries where people don't know about it. But so can any religion. For someone who is not used to Islam, Muslim beliefs and practices can also appear odd and not always conducive to all types of human flourishing.

[User1249x]

I got inspired quite a lot by the Goenka extraordinaire and the criticism of Goenka threads. I think it would be great if there was a group that adopted the adjusted model.

[mikenz66]

I got inspired quite a lot by the Goenka extraordinaire ...

What's a "Goenka extraordinaire"?


Mike

[Bundokji]

Indeed. It's all relative, isn't it? Buddhism can look distinctly odd and counter-cultural in countries where people don't know about it. But so can any religion. For someone who is not used to Islam, Muslim beliefs and practices can also appear odd and not always conducive to all types of human flourishing.

I totally agree. My input in this thread is discussing Buddhism, but can be extended to all other religions. If i remember correctly, Freud looked upon religious beliefs as fantasy conducive to the development of psychosis. I don't take what he says as authority, but from my personal observations of myself and others, i don't take what he said lightly. At the end of the day, enlightenment for the vast majority of us is a fantasy, and fantasies can be dangerous, something i try to remind myself of from time to time.

[User1249x]

I got inspired quite a lot by the Goenka extraordinaire ...

What's a "Goenka extraordinaire"?


Mike

SN Goenka - Theravada Dhammaduta extraordinaire
i looked briefly for the criticism thread but could not find it, it had some nice suggested adjustments

[User1249x]

Indeed. It's all relative, isn't it? Buddhism can look distinctly odd and counter-cultural in countries where people don't know about it. But so can any religion. For someone who is not used to Islam, Muslim beliefs and practices can also appear odd and not always conducive to all types of human flourishing.

I totally agree. My input in this thread is discussing Buddhism, but can be extended to all other religions. If i remember correctly, Freud looked upon religious beliefs as fantasy conducive to the development of psychosis. I don't take what he says as authority, but from my personal observations of myself and others, i don't take what he said lightly. At the end of the day, enlightenment for the vast majority of us is a fantasy, and fantasies can be dangerous, something i try to remind myself of from time to time.

I will just comment saying that i think it is crucial to find out exactly what kind of enlightenment one is looking for, for me i wanted to figure out how to rewire what they call OCD and addiction. I think looking for something undefined is quite dangerous actually. Also i am sorry my posts made you think bad of Buddhism i can assure you i was actually seriously considering suicide before i learned the Dhamma, the only reason i did not hero was probably that i was not sure about the rebirth thing. Existential depression, addiction, OCD, stress and heartbroke was why i wanted to sign out, i just decided to figure out the rebirth thing to make sure before i did anything stupid:)

[Bundokji]

I will just comment saying that i think it is crucial to find out exactly what kind of enlightenment one is looking for, for me i wanted to figure out how to rewire what they call OCD and addiction. I think looking for something undefined is quite dangerous actually. Also i am sorry my posts made you think bad of Buddhism i can assure you i was actually seriously considering suicide before i learned the Dhamma, the only reason i did not hero was probably that i was not sure about the rebirth thing. Existential depression, addiction, OCD, stress and heartbroke was why i wanted to sign out, i just decided to figure out the rebirth thing to make sure before i did anything stupid:)

I totally agree with you, and i can relate to what you are saying because i experienced existential crisis which i am not even sure if it will ever end. Your posts did not make me think bad of Buddhism, but quite the opposite.

In the world we live in, admitting our limitations and questioning our sanity is not the norm, and very few people are capable of doing it. The other day i sent an email to my managers about an issue related to work in which i stated that i lack certainty to be promotive of a project we work on, then i was lectured that i should show more confidence (when in fact, my statement was an attempt to be honest and has nothing to do with confidence)

I was raised in a Muslim country which led me to become a non believer at a young age. I left the country and engaged in hedonism for a long period of time (which i am still not completely free from). With the lack of meaning, i acted carelessly (and i still do).

The Dhamma of the lord Buddha improved my relationship with my family. I also began to question my ways, that my carelessness does not solve the problem of the lack of meaning. At least, even when i continue to act in a stupid way, i stopped blaming the wold for my state of being, which i consider a huge improvement.

The road for wisdom is difficult, and as the lord Buddha said: A fool who knows his foolishness is wise at least to that extent. A fool who thinks himself wise is a fool indeed.

Peace

[Modus.Ponens]

We need some catchy slogans, like

"It's the best religion in the world. Just sit."

"Come for the jhana, stay for nibbana."

[mikenz66]

I got inspired quite a lot by the Goenka extraordinaire ...

What's a "Goenka extraordinaire"?


Mike

SN Goenka - Theravada Dhammaduta extraordinaire
i looked briefly for the criticism thread but could not find it, it had some nice suggested adjustments

Oh, OK...

Here's the thread you are thinking of:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=28041&p=400256


Mike

[mikenz66]

Perhaps, "promoting strategy" to make it easier to understand and applying in daily life ?

Of course, this depends on what you mean. I know a lot of Thai and Chinese people who apply it in their daily life in various ways, and most of those people are definitely not "elite".

For the sake of argument ( ) I might say that one of the problems with propagating Dhamma is that most of the would-be promoters and would-be recipients are focussed on quite advanced ideas (noble truths, meditation etc), rather than the more basic issues such as how to build a community of like-minded people, how to build their basic practice of dana and sila, and so on.

This is, of ccourse, the same problem that the secular mindfulness movement suffers from: Dhamma snippets and techniques marketed as a quick-fix tool.

Continuing my sake-of-argument approach, I'd say that the most successful proponents of Buddhism in my city is Fo Guang Shan. They run community help programmes (particualrly notably during emergencies), they have excellent relations with the local government, police, and community (the Mayor, local members of parliament, and the local police chief are happy to turn up on festival occasions). They have demonstrated by their actions that they are a relevant and positive part of the community. The police and government people who turn up know almost no details about Buddhism, but they have certainly got the message that it is a valuable spiritual path. I suspect that that will have a very positive long-term impact.

"My" Thai monastery does get people in for festivals, but really is really not particularly successful advertising Dhamma.

The Abbot of our local Sri Lankan monastery has sometimes (privately) expressed his dismay that the Sri Lankan and Thai community is very enthusiastic about generating funding for building projects at their monasteries, but has almost zero community engagement.


Mike

[DooDoot]

Buddhism seems to be reserved for the Elite ?!

Buddhism is for those who can realise it (although these are not an "Elite"). The idea of an "Elite", similar to "Non-Gender", appears to be more Cultural Marxism you have learned from SC. It is reviling those selfless, gentle & pure ones called Arahants.

That's mean only very few can really get benefitted from it ultimately . Many could approach Buddhism but only on the surface level . Why is it so ? Simply because dhamma is going against the stream of the world . And also it's too profound for many to comprehend.

Yes, as the Buddha taught (MN 26).

Is it necessary or does it take something more to attract more people to embrace Buddhism ie the dhamma ?

No. Imo, the opposite is required. Probably more need to be encouraged to lose interest in Buddhism because wrong interest harms themself, others & Buddhism (MN 22). People tie themselves in knots believing they can attain a happiness through meditation they have not made the karma to attain.

[Dhammarakkhito]

"Released am I, monks, from all ties whether human or divine. You also are delivered from all fetters whether human or divine. Go now and wander for the welfare and happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the gain, welfare, and happiness of gods and men. Let not two of you proceed in the same direction. Proclaim the Dhamma that is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end, possessed of meaning and the letter and utterly perfect. Proclaim the life of purity, the holy life consummate and pure. There are beings with little dust in their eyes who will be lost through not hearing the Dhamma, there are beings who will understand the Dhamma. I also shall go to Uruvelâ, to Senânigama, to teach the Dhamma."
- Vin.I,21
https://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/bu ... d_lt16.htm

keep the dhamma alive by being heedful
For one who desires long life, health, beauty, heaven, & noble birth, — lavish delights, one after another — the wise praise heedfulness in performing deeds of merit. When heedful, wise, you achieve both kinds of benefit: benefits in this life, & benefits in lives to come. By breaking through to your benefit, you're called enlightened, wise.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

[LG2V]

We here in the States could use some additional Buddhist marketing. I feel like millennials are agnostic and atheist in surprisingly high numbers, and are ready for something new to take hold in their hearts. I'm looking forward to helping spread it.

[pilgrim]

We here in the States could use some additional Buddhist marketing. I feel like millennials are agnostic and atheist in surprisingly high numbers, and are ready for something new to take hold in their hearts. I'm looking forward to helping spread it.

Don't look to the Asian immigrant temples to do this ( with perhaps the exception of a few Sri Lankan temples) as they are all little more than cultural greenhouses desperately clinging on to the languages, kings and customs of the old country. The most successful messengers of the Dhamma in the west in terms of numbers are, ironically, the Goenka centres which throw their nets far and wide. Secondly, with more targeted precision would be the Thai Forest groups. In Malaysia the most successful model for Dhamma dissemination are the Community temples, but there has been very little initiative in replicating these in the west.

[binocular]

Perhaps, "promoting strategy" to make it easier to understand and applying in daily life ?

Then the advertisement should go something like this, in order to be honest:

Buddhism in the West: How to lose friends and alienate people

Become that nice enough weirdo that people at first believe to be a harmless, naive moron. Utter a few Pali words, don't swat mosquitoes, don't gossip, and if the cashier makes a mistake and gives you back too much change, return it: and then people will begin to seriously suspect that there is something seriously wrong with you. They will shun you. Your fellow Western Buddhists will keep a distance to you too, because they've read the same suttas as you and they know what to be wary of in people. And they, too, don't want to be friends with losers.

There, that's an introduction to how to lose friends and alienate people, a.k.a. a promoting strategy to make it easier to understand and apply Buddhism in daily life in the West.