Bernard Faure 
Unmasking Buddhism 

UNMASKING BUDDHISM

Can we talk of Buddhism as a unified religion or are there many Buddhisms? Is Buddhism a religion of tolerance and pacifism as many people think? Is Buddhism a religion without god(s)? Or is it more of a philosophy than a religion? Renowned Buddhist scholar Bernard Faure answers these and other questions about the basic history, beliefs and nature of Buddhism in easy-to-understand language. It is an ideal introduction for anyone who has unanswered questions about one of the world’s largest and most popular religions.

Tabla de materias

Introduction 1

Part I Buddhism in History 5

‘Buddhism is both one and many’ 7

‘The Buddha is only a man who achieved Awakening’ 11

‘Buddhism is an Indian religion’ 18

‘Buddhism is the cult of nothingness’ 23

‘Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion’ 27

‘All Buddhists are seeking to achieve Awakening’ 34

‘Buddhism teaches the impermanence of all things’ 39

‘The belief in karma leads to fatalism’ 44

‘Buddhism denies the existence of a self’ 49

‘Buddhism teaches reincarnation’ 52

Part II Buddhism and Local Cultures 57

‘Buddhism is an atheistic religion’ 59

‘Buddhism is above all a spirituality’ 66

‘The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Buddhism’ 71

‘To be Buddhist is to be Zen’ 76

Part III Buddhism and Society 83

‘Buddhism is a tolerant religion’ 85

‘Buddhism teaches compassion’ 89

‘Buddhism is a peaceful religion’ 93

‘Buddhism affirms that we are all equal’ 99

‘Buddhism is compatible with science’ 104

‘Buddhism is a kind of therapy’ 112

‘Buddhism advocates a strict vegetarianism’ 118

‘Buddhism is a universalist teaching’ 122

‘Buddhism is a religion of monks’ 129

Conclusion: Buddhism or Neo-Buddhism? 139

Glossary 143

A Short Bibliography 151

Index 153

Sobre el autor

Bernard Faure is Kao Professor in Japanese Religion at Columbia University. He has published a number of books in French and English, including: The Rhetoric of Immediacy: A Cultural Critique of Chan/Zen Buddhism (1991); Chan Insights and Oversights: An Epistemological Critique of the Chan Tradition (1993); Visions of Power: Imagining Medieval Japanese Buddhism (1996); The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality (1998); The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and Gender (2003); and Double Exposure (2004). He is presently working on a book on Japanese Gods and Demons.