keeping with this, people might be swayed from their normal religious beliefs because it appears exotic or foreign and therefore attractive.It is also important to ask what exactly is Buddhist fundamentalism? There is an important distinction to be made regarding what the true practice of Buddhism actually is and the perception of it as portrayed by the media perhaps the deep, transcendent nature of Buddhism appeals to people who have lost faith in Western Societys pursuit of material wealth. However, the religion of Buddhism fills other needs as well. Marx says that religion is created as an opium of the people, to dull their senses of the world and industry. By this theory people practice Buddhism because it was given to them as a temporary escape from the every day rat race. Perhaps Eliade was right when he said that to fully understand a religion we must view it from the perspective of that particular religion. According to Eliade someone with a Christian upbringing cannot fully understand the concepts that Buddhism presents.If we accept these ideas that God is a human construct and fulfils human needs then it seems like it has been said that Buddhism is not a true religion in that it rejects the notion of God. However, it does endorse an ultimate reality, so in this sense it is not really all that different. Also, Buddhism sets forth precepts regarding a specific lifestyle and ideals so Buddhism can actually be seen as a true religion. Therefore Buddhism probably serves the same function to its followers as any other religion.Until recently Buddhism only existed within Eastern culture. It has gained such popularity that it is now recognised as a major world religion. This speaks volumes about how much western society has changed. It also shows Buddhism is evolving in the global spectrum. At first glance it is hard to imagine the world of western society and the Buddhist religion colliding. The language and ideology ar...
