In response to Elena Noummano's post "If Everyone was Buddhist" (March 31, 2012):
While I agree that the world would likely be much more peaceful if all people practiced Buddhism, I think that there could also be negative effects of the situation. Most problematically, I think that universal Buddhism might well slow progress in many areas, from science to technological development to space exploration. This is because Buddhism advocates a life of self-reflection and meditation. While it is true that such a life can lead to increased happiness for the individual, it also causes stagnation in the progress of society as a whole.
Perhaps Buddhism does not have to be this extreme in such an ideal society; certainly, not all practitioners of current Buddhism are particularly strict. It certainly seems as though Buddhism is less likely to cause conflict than many other religions.
I'm not sure if I agree with your claim that Buddhism might slow progress in certain areas. Buddhism usually acts to be come compatible with new cultures it becomes a part of. It is all ready significantly compatible with the sciences. And I suppose when it comes down to it, Buddhism, like any other religion, has hardly been fantastically successful in getting it's lay followers to be introspective and peaceful.
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