Buddhism: Conflicting Visions

I am in the middle of writing my last chapter of my book, which is on Buddhism’s encounter with modernity. An old anecdote resurfaces in my mind. Over thirty years ago, when I returned to Hong Kong for a visit, I had an interesting conversation with an old classmate and close friend, Alfred. Alfred and I went to the same secondary school in Hong Kong. I told Alfred that I had become a Buddhist. Alfred said that he felt sorry for me.

Alfred’s remark did not surprise me. Among the young and educated, there seems to be a conflict of vision. While the educated young people in the West tend to have a favorable vision of Buddhism, their counterparts in Asia often have an opposite vision–they see Buddhism more as a remnant of the past and a symbol of backwardness and superstition.

In regard to Christianity, there is a similar conflict of vision between East and West. In East Asia, Christianity is often associated with modernity and a much welcome break from the past. In the West, however, Christianity is often seen as an embarrassing remnant of the past. The atrocities committed in the name of Christianity are well-known among the young and educated. The trend in the West is towards atheism and secularism. Adding to the embarrassment is the fact that many conservative Christian groups tend to defy modern science. This is particularly true for issues related to evolution…