Idolatry, Magic, Soul and God

Chinese philosopher, Li Zekou, made an astounding statement about the roots of Chinese culture. He said that shamanism lies at the core of Chinese culture. That is not too surprising to me. After all, if you have visited Hong Kong or Taiwan, you will know that these traditional Chinese societies are rampant with superstition and magical thinking. That is one of the reasons why China never had a transcendent form of religion. The Chinese people go to religion primarily for utilitarian purposes.

In the current issue of our Buddhist magazine, I published an article on the superstitious elements of Chinese Buddhism. One unique feature of the Chinese religion is its syncretic nature. It is common to find Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist statues all housed under one roof in a temple. The Chinese devotees do not find it necessary to erect walls between the different religions. Why? It is because the vast majority of the Chinese people go to temples to ask for the fulfillment of personal wishes. It really does not matter that much which deity or bodhisattva could grant their wishes. What matters is whether their prayers are answered.

Many people think that Buddhism teaches the existence of deities, spirits and the soul. They are quite sure that the Buddha taught that there is an afterlife. That is why many Chinese families hire monks to chant and perform various rituals to…