I have to confess that I thought that Buddha was the fat guy that seems to be ever present every time someone shows an image that is related to buddhism. I also thought that Buddha was believed to be a God. It's not my fault, because that was what I was conditioned to believe without any further research. So, when I was thinking about common misconceptions about Buddhism, the "fat buddha" was first on my list.
I am happy to denounce any misconceptions that deem buddha as an oversized God. The fat guy that is always depicted as Buddha was just some Chinese monk who lived circa 9th CE. The buddha is not a God, but as mortal as any of us. He attained enlightenment but he was born a human.
A classic misconception is the stereotype that buddhist teachers are all bald and serene and spend their time sitting in their mountain temples, sipping tea and as Brad Warner puts it "dispensing cosmic wisdom". This is not always true because not all zen teachers live in isolated temples in Asia.
There are lay zen teachers who dress in regular dress and sport unshaven heads. However, followers tend to view their zen teachers as supernatural beings that should be looked upon as if they are God-like figures. When they find out exactly how human they actually are, followers resent their masters and feel duped. Zen masters, as Warner said "are no more supernatural than any catholic priest, rabbi, minister, shoe salesman, or fishmonger." We've all heard of all the news surrounding horrific accusations and trials against these types of religious figures. Yet, people continue to believe that their is someone out there who is divine and free of any human flaws that would help them reach enligtenment without any disappointments.
I like that you mention the fat Buddha stereotype. I always knew it was a stereotype, but I never know where it came from, why it developed into such an iconic image, or what it represented to the people who knew what it really was. I can't say I'm too sure of any of that still, but I'm glad I get the general gist of where it originated and who he was now.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were given this assignment, this is one of the first stereotypes that came to my mind. I'm glad someone chose to do it, since I had a difficult time relating it to the text. I feel you did a good job of doing so, especially in your conclusion, as you wind down the misconception with a proposal of Warner's viewpoint. It's interesting to hear a bit of background on the fat Buddha, as I myself was once subject to this stereotype, wondering how the Buddha could be said to be so skinny and portrayed as so fat at the same time. Thanks for the information and cool read!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you did this stereotype and actually did some research as to where it came from because I honestly had no idea. I also used to think just as you did and that this is what Buddha is supposed to look like, I even have some of these fat man statues, although I'm still not entirely sure why he's so darn popular.
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