Rabbi Ari Shvat
Question
What is the proper Jewish view on Buddhism and the Dalai Lama? Is it idolatry, why or why not?
Answer
Buddhism worships through idols, and accordingly, it's idolatry and forbidden, as is Dalai Lama, a branch of Buddhism. Not only is their idolatry problematic, but so is their lack of faith in the goodness of this world that the Perfect God created. They believe that one can only find happiness in the next world or through connecting with the world-to-come, while we say that this world is also good and Godly, only that man sometimes chooses to misuse or overdue things which turn the positive into negative.
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