Buddhism is Not Buddhism

Myth: Buddhism is Buddhism

TLDR: You mostly only know a part of Buddhism. This comes in various forms from only knowing about renunciation, monk Buddhism to having an understanding of Buddhism in the West that has mixed a lot of Western ideas together with Buddhism. Buddhism is vast, complex, diverse and at times contradictory.

Myth: Buddhism is "The Current Thing"

In the West Buddhism has been hijacked by different groups and altered to fit their narrative. While many things may be true, others are simply not or specific aspects are emphasized to fit their narrative. Inherently Buddhism longterm resists such hijacking as the most important aspect is if the method leads to awakening or not.

Myth: Buddhism is the "Left"

Just like Christianity or other religions you may have encountered, Buddhism doesn't fit well into the Right Left modality and holds beliefs from both sides.

Myth: Buddhism is Fair and Compatible With Social Justice

The circumstances you are born in and experience are a direct result of karma. The actions you've taken in the past and in previous lifetimes are the direct cause of your circumstances now and help forge your subsequent rebirths. "Engaged Buddhism" ie social justice Buddhism is largely a recent phenomena and not widespread within Buddhism. It's validity is debated as a big teaching within Buddhism is that you mostly are incapable of helping others until you yourself have achieved enlightenment.

Myth: Buddhists Can't Kill

Mahayana Buddhism contains what are called vehicles or Yana or different paths/methods to attain awakening. In renunciation Buddhism one is prohibited from killing absolutely. In some other types of Buddhism one may take specific vows to kill under the proper circumstances along with violating other lower vehicle prohibitions.

Myth: Buddhism is Vegetarian

Some forms of Buddhism prohibit eating meat. In others it is allowed as long as you don't kill the animal yourself. There is a prohibition on taking life as mentioned above, but it's more complicated when someone else is taking that life. Human life is generally regarded as more important than other beings.

Myth: Buddhism is Pro Abortion

A fetus is a human life and taking or being involved in the taking of a human life is in general a pretty bad thing. Buddhism generally is anti abortion. As mentioned above exceptions may occur, but for an innocent human there will be very few.

Myth: Buddhism is Meditation

This idea deemphasizes the deep philosophical, argumentative traditions, the rituals and rules used to change the character of the person and also deemphasizes the idea that "meditation" is just a method. Buddhism is more fundamentally about the view or wisdom of how reality really is. Awakening can theoretically be achieved without meditation as long as you realize the true nature of reality.

Myth: Buddhism is Not Intellectual

A Tibetan monastery in southern Indian offers a masters in philosophy degree that takes 19 years to complete. There is a version of the Prajna Paramita Sutra which is 100,000 lines of text. You can reach enlightenment by studying alone.

Myth: Buddhist Meditation is Mindfulness

There are countless types and styles of meditation. Summing up meditation as following your breathing detracts from the variety and depth of the practices.

Myth: The Buddha is like Jesus

While the Buddha is arguably the founder of Buddhism, Buddhism is very much alive in certain parts of the world with new, divine revelations still being revealed. See the Terton tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Myth: Buddhism is Moderation

Ideas such as sex in a loving relationship, drinking alcohol as long as nobody is harmed and other moderate positions are the antithesis of Monk Buddhism's idea of renunciation. All sex is prohibited. All alcohol consumption is prohibited etc. Of course lay people can and do practice differently, but they will not attain awakening through these means*. (see Varjrayana)

Myth: Buddhism is Idolatry

It's complicated but common people may practice forms of idolatry, idolatry may be used as a method and at higher levels statues, gods, entities, gurus etc are all seen as being an aspect of yourself and your Buddha potential.

Myth: Buddhism is World Renouncing

The highest calling in Mahayana Buddhism is helping other beings escape suffering. Monk Buddhism calls for renouncing the world until one is strong enough to confront it without viewing it and interacting with it incorrectly. There are other types of Buddhism that encourage interacting with the world and even embracing the things monks renounce.

Myth: Buddhism Believes in Karma

Mostly yes, but some versions of Buddhism purport that you're already awakened which means there is no positive or negative accumulation of karma happening, no rebirth, no nothing. This is a controversial idea within Buddhism.

Myth: There is a Pure Buddhism and There is Everything Else

No pure Buddhism exists. It has always mixed and intertwined itself with the existing culture. In the West Buddhists try to extract a lot of those things they think are extra, but in reality they're putting in their own Christian and scientific belief system and thus creating their own localized version of Buddhism.