No need to bait the hook for Buddhism

I’m not a Buddhist, but I can sympathise with Thai Buddhists’ concern that young people are bored with their religion. But deploying a “new hook” to catch them is hardly the way to go. I would hope Buddhists would rise above such low tricks. What religion wants believers who have to be “hooked”?

We know from the scriptures that, after his enlightenment, the Buddha was not inclined to preach his religion at all. He thought it was too abstruse, profound and subtle for people to comprehend. But the deity Brahma Sahampati begged him to try, arguing that at least a few people might be found to understand it. So the Buddha reluctantly complied.

Now we are stuck in an age pervaded by shallow consumerism and animated by a crass lust for novelty and constant entertainment. Small wonder that people whose brains have been scrambled by Facebook, Twitter and the antics of the Kardashians should feel bored by the Buddha’s stern message of the transience of phenomena and the futility of craving.

But why should Buddhists want to attract young people at all? To swell the ranks of the faithful? To ensure Buddhism’s survival after the current generation has passed away? To make sure that the future will bring in sufficient donations to keep the temples going? These are all cravings. And unless I’ve missed something, the whole point of the Buddha’s teaching is to stop craving.

When I was a lad, my peers and I weren’t particularly interested in religion. Is there any reason to believe that the current generation is any different? It requires a certain degree of maturity to appreciate those aspects of Buddhism that are subtle and abstruse. I don’t recall that the Buddha was particularly eager to recruit immature minds. 

So it might be best to leave the hooks alone and give the young people a little time. Some of them are bound to grow in their faith. Those that don’t, you don’t need.

William Page