Not Fine

NOT FINE: Another facepalm TV drama scene misportraying Buddhism. A character asks another if she is also there, in the hall with an obvious central Buddha image, to pray to ‘dieties’ (拜神). Yes, that’s the word in the English subtitles. It would be better that Buddhist organisations vet their scripts first, before allowing filming in their premises, to prevent perpetuation of such misconceptions, that equate gods with Buddhas, when Buddhas are properly defined as ‘Teachers of Humans and Gods’ (人天教主), transcending all gods. More on the differences can be seen at http://thedailyenlightenment.com/2011/09/is-the-buddha-just-a-man