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Dictionary of the History of Ideas

Studies of Selected Pivotal Ideas
  
  
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15. Buddhist Attitudes Towards Non-Buddhists.
Tolerance has been an outstanding moral characteristic
of Buddhism from earliest times. Buddhism has at-
tempted to arrive at the truth, not by excluding its
opposites as falsehood, but by including them as an-
other form of the same truth. Buddhists are generally
noted for their liberal attitude toward other religions,
whether polytheistic, monotheistic, or atheistic. Bud-
dhists admit the truth of any moral and philosophical
system, whether primitive or developed, provided only
that it is capable of leading men at least part way
toward their final goal. Although Buddhism has been
predominant in many Asiatic countries, there is no
record of any persecution by Buddhists of the followers
of any other faith. They have waged no religious war.

Buddhism has tolerated the various pagan faiths
native to some countries of Asia which lack any clear
religious doctrine. In South Asiatic countries, many
Hindu gods and goddesses have been included in the
religious ceremonies of the Buddhist community, and
many Buddhists still observe festivals and customs as-
sociated with goblins or demons (nats) and other nature
spirits of each country.

In China, Buddhism had actually been amalgamated
with many Taoist beliefs and practices; many shrines
were semi-Buddhist and semi-Taoist. Chinese legendary
sages were worshipped in temples. The same tolerance
brought about a blending of the various Buddhist sects
in China producing one mixed form of Buddhism. The
situation is similar to the condition of Buddhism in
Korea.

In Tibet, Buddhists assimilated with Bonism, the
native religion of Tibet, by incorporating many of its
gods and goddesses into the lowest grade of Guardian
Deities, without affecting the doctrinal integrity of
Buddhism. The animal sacrifices were replaced with
symbolic worship, and inner purification was taught
in place of black magic.

In Japan, the indigenous gods and goddesses of Shin-
toism were dealt with in the same way. Till the eighth
century they were assigned rather low positions, but
later their positions became gradually higher and
higher; they were regarded as incarnations of Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas. The Japanese people very often do
not distinguish between Buddhistic divine beings and
Shintō gods. In the past in Japan there were very few
shrines that did not have shrine-temples built in their
confines, where Buddhist priests performed the morn-
ing and evening practices of reciting Sutras and served
the shrine gods and goddesses together with Shintō
priests. The majority of the Japanese pray before the
Shintoist shrines and at the same time pay homage in
Buddhist temples, without being conscious of any con-
tradiction. A devout Buddhist is very often a devout
Shintoist at the same time. Buddhist authorities do not
interfere with Buddhists who go to Christian churches
or attend Christian colleges to learn English or Western
culture.

The relation between the Buddhists and the Hindus
is viable insofar as Hindus regard Buddhism as a branch
of Hinduism.