Question

How do Buddhist regard the religious part of their culture?

Answer 1

For many, or even most people who consider themselves Buddhist worldwide, Buddhism very much looks like a religion. Buddhists often have a great many beliefs that are supernatural in nature and are held to be true as a matter of doctrine or faith.

Paradoxically, it is often those who have monastic training and years of meditation who are less superstitious and in some respects less religious. For example many Buddhists make intercessory prayers - petitioning spirits, gods or the Buddha to fix problems in their everyday lives. This is hard to justify from a reading of the words of Buddha but it is hard to claim it is ‘un-Buddhist’ when this is what millions of Buddhists do! (And I would make the same comments about Nichern Buddhists chanting for outcomes they want in life).

I think there is a very reasonable argument that the better you understand Buddhism and the closer to the core teachings of Buddha, the less like a religion it looks. A serious practice of meditation within the Buddhist tradition tends to lead you away from magical thinking and superstition.

In the West, we have the luxury of learning about Buddhism without so many centuries of ‘cultural acretions’ such as the layer upon layer of myth and supernatural beliefs.

Many Western Buddhists are deeply committed to the walking the path of Dharma but find the supernatural bits unbelievable, or at least unhelpful distractions - and not supported by the original words of the Buddha.

Others, step a little further and regard themselves as ‘secular buddhists’ to emphasise that they do not see it as a religious path.

An excellent exposition of a profound engagement with Buddhism shorn of the supernatural is Stephen Batchelor’s ‘Buddhism without belief’. An even more secular critique - not Buddhist but on the same territory is the ‘Waking Up’ by Sam Harris - the neuroscientist and prominent atheist. I was impressed by the Dalai Lama saying “When science and Buddhism contradict, science wins”.

So the answer to the question must be that Buddhism can be all of these things.

My personal view is that if the Buddha walked the earth today he would still be promoting meditation and ethical conduct - but would also be trying to strip away the delusions of superstition with rational arguments; these arguments would be not unlike those put forward by the new atheist movement!

$<Marquee =>Plz Mark As Brainliest</Marquee>$

Answer 2

Explanation:

Buddhist are not forbidden to give due respect to other religious teachers , nor are they restricted from visiting places of worship and attending religious services , other than Buddhism . They can show their full respect for other belief systems while maintaining their basic Buddhist principles.