Being critical of Buddhism is not easy.

Buddhism is the most agreeable of the major religions, and Buddhists are the perennial good guys of modern spirituality. Beautiful traditions, beautiful architecture, inspiring statues, ancient history, the Dalai Lama, what can’t you like?

Everything about Buddhsim is so … nice. No fatwahs or jihads, no inquisitions or crusades, no terrorists or pedophiles, just kind people being nice. In fact, Buddhism means kindness. Nice-ism.

At least it should.

Buddha means the Awakened, so Buddhism can be interpreted as awakening. Awakism. Therefore, it would be natural to think that if you were seeking to awaken, then Buddhism, that is, Awakism, would be the place to seek.

::: Light is better here

However, such a thought would reveal a dangerous lack of respect for the opposition. Maya, goddess of deception, has been doing her job with supreme mastery since the first spark of self-awareness flickered in some chimpanzee’s head, and the idea that the neophyte truth seeker can simply register with Buddhists, read some books , embracing some new concepts and slamming her against the mat might be a bit naive.

On the other hand, why not? How is this changed so much? It’s just the truth. Shouldn’t the truth be, like, the simplest thing? Shouldn’t someone who wants to find something as ubiquitous as the truth be able to do it? And here is this venerable organization supposedly dedicated to that very thing, even with its name, so what is the problem?

::: Why doesn’t Buddhism produce Buddhas?

The problem arises from the fact that Buddhists, like everyone else, insist on reconciling the irreconcilable. They not only want to awaken to the truth, they also want to make sense of the false. They want to have their cake and eat it too, so they end up with nonsensical theories, divergent schools, shrewd double talk, and zero Buddhas.

Typical of the Buddhist insistence on reconciling the irreconcilable is the concept of Two Truths, a poignant two-word joke that they don’t seem to understand and yet this wickedly irrational kind of thinking is at the very heart of the failed search for truth. We don’t want the truth, we want a particular truth; one that does not threaten the ego, one that does not exist. We insist on a truth that makes sense given what we know, without knowing that we know nothing.

Nothing about Buddhism is more revealing than the Four Noble Truths which, being untrue, are of rather dubious nobility. They form the foundation of Buddhism, so it is clear from the outset that Buddhists have crafted a proprietary version of the truth shaped more by market forces than any particular concern for the less consumer-friendly, albeit true, truth.

Yes, Buddhism can fill us spiritually, even nourish us, but when it comes to truth, it is junk food. You can eat it every day of your life and die exactly as Awakened as the day you signed up.

::: Bait & Switch

Buddhism is a classic bait and switch operation. We are drawn to the lighting in the window, but as soon as we are at the door, they begin to lead us into the hall of compassion. Buddhists could be honest and change their name to Compassion, but who wants that?

There is the problem. They cannot sell compassion and they cannot provide enlightenment.

This advertising lie is the kind of game you must play if you want to be successful in a business where the customer is always wrong. You can go out of business honestly or prosper by giving people what they want. However, what they say they want and what they really want are two very different things.

::: I i i

To the outside observer, much of Buddhist knowledge and practice seems focused on spiritual self-improvement. It is also difficult to speak out against this … except in the context of awakening from deception. So it’s easy.

The true self does not exist, so any quest aimed at its aggrandizement, improvement, elevation, elevation, evolution, glorification, salvation, etc., is total madness. How much more any effort undertaken simply to increase one’s own happiness or satisfaction or, I am ashamed to say it, bliss?

The self is ego and the ego is the realm of the dream state. If you want to free yourself from the dream state, you must free yourself from yourself, not stroking it to make it purr or preparing it for a brighter future imagined.

::: House of the Illustration of Maya

The trick to being critical of such an esteemed and beloved institution is not to get sucked into the quagmire of details and debate. It’s very simple: if Buddhism is about enlightenment, people should enlighten themselves. If it’s not about lighting, they should change the sign.

Of course, Buddhism is not completely unique in its survival tactics. This same gulf between promise and performance is found in all systems of human spirituality. We are seeing it in Buddhism because that is where it is most pronounced. It is not intended to disrespect the Buddha. If there was a Buddha and he was enlightened, then it is Buddhism that insults his memory, not healthy skepticism. Blame the naked emperor’s entourage of tailors and trinkets, not the guy who just says the obvious.

Buddhism is possibly the highest of the great belief systems of man. If you want to enjoy the many valuable benefits it has to offer, then I would not presume to speak a syllable against it. But if you want to escape the clutches of Maya, I suggest you look very closely at the serene face of all those golden statues to see if it really is not hers.