So I'm answering piles of e-mail that have accumulated since I've been out of Internet reach. One of them was from a woman whose mom is a hardcore fundamentalist Christian. She wanted to know how to tell her mom about Buddhism. Here's what I wrote (slightly modified):
I never know what to say about Buddhism to people who have very fixed ideas about religion. Sometimes it seems like no matter what you say it's going to be shoved into some pre-ordained slot in their mind.
A few tried and true lines that sometimes get me out of trouble are: Buddhism isn't a religion, it's a philosophy. Buddhists don't worship Buddha or believe he was a God or a supernatural being of any kind. Buddha was an ordinary man who Buddhists regard as a kind of genius the way we think of Einstein or Beethoven as geniuses. The statues of Buddha are kind of like statues of Aristotle or Plato. Buddhists bow to these statues to show their respect, not to worship them.
It's perfectly acceptable to Buddhists if you're a Christian and a Buddhist at the same time. I know Christians often have a hard time accepting that, but Buddhists don't. Buddha's philosophy emphasizes compassion, kindness and physical and mental stability. We do our meditation practice to try and develop these qualities, not to go into some kind of spiritual trance or experience some kind of altered mental state. The very still and quiet feeling of meditation helps you become more stable and calm so that you are more able to act with kindness and compassion.
Just keep emphasizing that it's not a religion and that it is compatible with Christian beliefs. If she tries to research Buddhism she might find that other people do describe it as a religion (especially Christians who fear Buddhism, and even some Buddhists themselves). If she has studied it and holds some of these beliefs, I'd tell her that it is true some sects of Buddhism are more religious. It's even true there are Buddhists who think of Buddha as some kind of God. But tell her that Zen Buddhists are not like that, especially the ones who follow the philosophy of Dogen. Though it may be going too "deep" to try and explain Dogen to her. You could just say he was a 13th century Japanese Buddhist who tried to strip away all the religious aspects of Buddhism because he thought those religious aspects were not true to Buddha's original intention. This is arguable, of course. Some scholars regard Dogen as very religious. It really depends on how you define "religious." But it's one legitimate way to explain Dogen when you're talking to someone who's not going to listen to all the other details anyway.
Or just point out the window and yell, "Look! It's Big Foot!" And when she turns around to look outside, run away. That works too.
Man, I'm wasting time not finishing my third book. Gotta go do that.
Bye!
