Quote:
Originally Posted by tore
As far as I know, buddhism has some pretty nasty large scale moral implications today. It could for example be the assumption that someone who has a miserable life in a low caste has somehow earned it because they were bad in a previous life. Buddhism is also often criticized for being and perpetuating sexism as the belief that women are morally flawed compared to men and are not able to reach the same levels of enlightenment or do as well in the cycle of life and death is common.
I'm no expert on buddhism, but to me as a westerner, I believe it is almost always heavily romanticized here.
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You're half-right. Buddhism DOES NOT promote sexism. I'm not sure where you got that, but it never has. Now, there may be sexist Buddhists, but they do not directly reflect the religion (philosophy?) of Buddhism. Buddha even appointed bhikkhuni monks, or female monks. Buddha thought all women were equal to men, and he sometimes even pointed our how women could be morally superior in certain instances (and this was around 500 BC). As for the caste dilemma, there is, unfortunately, that in the world. And that DOES reflect Buddhism. They even believe that children with mental problems are born with them because of their negative karma. Of course, if these people were REAL Buddhists, then they would see that instead of neglecting them that they should help them and show them kindness. Thank you for not being blunt and antagonizing, though. Down where I live, people can give... hateful comments about Buddhism.
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