Buddhism: religion or worldwide lifestyle?

It is really common to confuse any lifestyle, philosophy or belief that includes Supreme Being with a religion. Buddhism in particularly has this problem, given that there is a misunderstanding between the meaning of it in western civilizations and in eastern civilizations. Sadly, we have not been able to understand that a lifestyle with spiritual beliefs does not necessarily have to be a religion. Once this is clear, we can now suggest that, because of the flexibility Buddhism includes, it is not a religion itself, as much as a lifestyle. In the place where Buddhism was born and its surroundings it is known Buddhism as a lifestyle, which anyone can follow; Buddhism does not impose a god or a goal, it just suggest and shows a variety of steps and instructions a person should follow in order to reach happiness in life and tranquility. On western civilizations it is sadly and wrongly considered a religion which follows a god called Buddha, and any follower must leave all its material possessions.

The history of western world proposes a theory of this behavior. Through all western history, kingdoms and people have been submitted to different religious dictatorships; reason why we always need to classify or catalogue everything around us, particularly what includes our faith. According to this, it is acceptable to declare that, is not that Buddhism is one religion among all the ones that exist, but it is considered like that for us. It is our historical and social trauma which does not let us understand anything beyond the concept of religion; and at the same time, catalogue everything spiritual under this category.

On modern societies, religion is a tabu topic, given the sensitivity of it in society. But, young generations have established a mark between the traditional behavior related to religion, and a new way to see, understand and apply them. A really discussed issue about religion is their strictness in what it is accepted or rejected within the same. Most religions set up a number of rules anyone must follow in order to reach a reward after this life. This matter has made young people skeptic about this topic because it is not enjoyable to follow a lot of rules. Therefore, youngsters have looked up for ways to substitute that spiritual need with beliefs that does not punish them or threat them with hell after this life; reason why Buddhism has been well accepted in our societies.

To conclude, we can say that Buddhism could be the routine someday we reach or set as goal in our societies or families. It does not need to believe in Buddha, it does not require reading a bible, it just demands a deep love for life, and the common idea of reaching happiness. All of this makes Buddhism a really flexible lifestyle which anyone could enjoy it, and one of the reasons why Buddhism has not extinct, instead of it, it keeps growing and adapting everyday to different lifestyles.