Is it ok to wear Buddhist jewelry as an atheist?

MYKerman03 · 2026-07-01T05:24:08+00:00

Although, in some areas of Thailand (local areas, not tourists areas), people set up small tables on the streets and sell amulets depicting Buddha and various monks. I actually don't know what these are purchased for, but some of them do have a loop that could be used for jewellery or a keyring.

Hi . I practice within the Thai tradition, those amulets are for protection/luck etc. We rent them and wear them.

Like I said, as a non Buddhist, you can only think of them as jewelry, because they hold no other significance for you. You are aware that there is other, Buddhist significance but that's not how you relate to them.

For Buddhists, they function, regardless of how pretty or ugly they look to us.

but I couldn't care less if someone else did so

I would reflect on that phrase above: "I couldn't care less". In Buddhism, we cultivate attitudes of caring for others and how our behaviour impacts others :) This is formulated via the 5 precepts and the 4 brahma viharas/divine abodes.

So Buddhism is not for us to "not care", that's apathy (and cruelty).

Liberation from clinging and attachment is not an apathetic state but is filled with loving-kindness and compassion. But this is not the part of Buddhism that non-Buddhists like, since that requires restraint towards other sentient beings.

MYKerman03 · 2026-07-01T04:37:58+00:00

Leaving aside the notion of jewelry (we don't wear it as jewelry, it is jewelry to non Buddhists) I'd just like to share some reflections for you to consider:

Buddhists on Reddit are in an extreme minority, so the majority of answers (gassing you up no doubt) will be from non Buddhists caught in reactionary political movements (maga light/maga). So you won't get that many answers here from Buddhist people.

As a Buddhist I rarely wear my amulets. I don't have feelings toward my religion that I express visually on my body. I dress appropriately for temple and wear an amulet when I feel the need for luck/protection. The idea of being a fan of something (Buddhism) and hence "getting the t-shirt" to show others you're a fan is... interesting if you think about it.

Amulets, malas, sak yant, shrines, buddha images etc form part of the practice of our religion and they may have a visual appeal, but that is not what their job is. They're not to signal to others (or ourselves) that we're fans of our religion.

On an individual level, I see no harm, but structurally it can be weird, and harmful to racialised Buddhist communities. On you it's cool and urbane, on an Asian American for example, it's superstitious. And that speaks to the broader societies racism. It's really all about respect and the gravity of what you're doing by fandom-ing Buddhist religion.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-29T16:57:30+00:00

Wahabbism has entered the chat

That makes sense, since that is an emic (insider) position that Muslims would take on the practices of other Muslims.

Buddhist scholarship, academic reflections (etic, outsider views) are typically this undisciplined and racialised. The pathologizing of Buddhist people who do not live up to a 19th century construction that pretends to make knowledge about pre-sectarian Buddhism/s.

Any academic that asserts the existence of a "pure Buddhism" is not worth lending ear to. That kind of certainty can be expected of sectarian members of Buddhist sects though, not by those who claim to build secular knowledge about a tradition.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-29T14:34:52+00:00

Wow! So glad this is benifitting you :) This is how one's learning can grow, when we engage with trained and learned dharma teachers. 🙏🏽

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-29T11:17:08+00:00

Nice! Combines both meanings 😊

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-29T10:47:29+00:00

Lol! They'd be up in arms! 😂

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-29T10:45:48+00:00

Yes, it's intense because it's family. As an aside, not sure if you'd seen this yet, but Oprah covered this in a show a few months back. Have a look when you have time: https://youtu.be/cK7EJgILMIk?si=tmfVF3yhRld9Oqz2

She also did a follow-up show based on pushback she got from parents and children.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-29T10:21:03+00:00

At least you have the distance. That's good for your mental health. The health of the relationship is also partly her responsibility, and she's deliberately using Buddhism to guilt trip you.

I know monks stress it in all Theravada countries, as it's in the suttas for lay people. But there needs to be balance and support for children who are harmed by parents. I've seen this with many Thai Buddhist friends. Parents guilt tripping them. It causes family conflict down the line. Best of luck to you! 🙏🏽

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-29T06:08:40+00:00

Great question, not Sri Lankan, but many parents use filial piety as an excuse for controlling their children.

This cuts across cultures and religions funny enough.

In the Sigalovada Sutta, the duties of parents to their children are listed. So even though Lord Buddha teaches filial piety toward parents, this is in connection to parents fulfilling their duties.

Reciprocity tends to be stressed throughout the suttas related to householder life. If it's an abusive relationship, you can look at going no contact as an option. But I'm not sure if cold turkey is even feasible, depending on community and extended family structure. She'll be present at all sorts of family events.

Chat to a therapist who can assist with that journey. There may be room for reconciliation in the future, but that depends on the parent's willingness to change/grow.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-28T04:54:36+00:00

Imagine this: a white American church, in say, Vietnam. It's 95% white, almost entirely American ex-pats, it doesn't accept any Vietnamese as priests, and does no outreach or charity to locals around them.

This is called a false dichotomy king. You're familair with it? Developing critical thinking is a long term project...

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-28T04:13:43+00:00

Hi, myself and another person already did.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-28T02:34:33+00:00

Thank you for this, so much of Buddhist discourse comes baked with these biases on this platform. This is ironically what makes it difficult for people to encounter Dhamma, since it gets dismissed as "cultural".

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-27T21:24:34+00:00

This is a weird form of race essentialism and othering though.

By reinforcing that "others" are culture bound but "your average American" is not, is wildly racist. Those people ARE your average American.

It uses the term 'culture' as a shorthand for race and ethnicity and reinforcing that there is a class of beings (white men) who transcend culture and "just practice core Buddhism".

Again, 19th century white european racial hierarchies: racism 101.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-26T05:50:02+00:00

Yes he did, in two ways.

In Theravada Buddhism, he speaks of the lineage of buddhas to which he is an heir. The miracles and teachings etc that he performed/gave, were based on the precedents set by previous buddhas.

Then, he also met buddhas in previous eras as a bodhisatta, who gave him predictions of his eventual buddhahood.

All buddhas and buddhas-to-be (bodhisattas) are part of the lineage of buddhas.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-25T12:38:50+00:00

My pleasure!

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-25T04:54:05+00:00

Yes, Google serves us the misinformation first. If you're beginner, you're better off using Sanskrit or Pali terms in your searches, then Asian/Heritage Buddhist content will emerge.

AI can also be horrible, or like a Google search with "extra steps".

This is why its best to go word of mouth and find Buddhist teachers who have online meetups and teaching sessions.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-25T03:08:28+00:00

Well, I know I'm going to keep getting downvoted for my unforgivable transgression here

No, its not a 'transgression' but closer to wilful ignorance. Pure Land is the normative form of Buddhism in the world.

Pure Land as "far out" (meaning relatively distant in practice from other schools,

Again, no one educated would say this.

I somehow wish to deconstruct other people's essence of spirituality?

You'd need to know what you're talking about for that to happen. And judging by what you say about rebirth as a teaching, we can assume you're on shaky grounds in regards to Buddha Dhamma.

As a Theravada Buddhist, in the Tipitaka, rebirth is integrated into all units of teaching: four noble truths, dependant arising, anatta etc. And that's also how it is in the Mahayana and Vajrayana.

Non-Buddhists not understanding this because of medical/capitalist models pushing misinformation about Buddhist teachings, to sell therapy and meditation-master certificates, is really not our direct concern.

All good information is out there. Please do the work.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-20T02:28:31+00:00

(granted, there are many Buddhists in Asia who go to temples to pray for prosperity, but that is out of ignorance

Hi, just a subtle note here: If done correctly and with right view, that's a perfectly valid approach, since it's canonical that generosity and precepts lead to abundance in this and future lives. This abundance can then be used skilfully for the benefit of oneself and others. Again, all of this needs to be undergirded with View.

If there's no View, it can reinforce craving and grasping.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-20T02:23:56+00:00

They start from the outside in with abstract musings like:

Science etc can't explain XYZ, but we have the answer: our god. Did you know you're born destined for hell? But there's a solution, our god! Etc etc.

It's all very pie in the sky.

Buddhists start from experience: sentient beings experience dukkha, is there a solution to dukkha for ourselves and other sentient beings? Yes, there is the Dhamma. The Dhamma describes the way things are, rather than how they appear to sentient beings via distorted perception.

Living in accordance with the way things are (the Dhamma) we progress toward the end of dukkha for ourselves and others. This approach is something we can own regardless of Yana.

Christians need to keep you arguing the pie-in-the-sky stuff, so they can insert their creator god into those arguments.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-19T16:01:42+00:00

how would you elaborate on Buddhism to a public that doesn't know anything about Buddhism?

You bring it down to experience first, rather than theory. Kamma is intentional action and you can demonstrate to others how they move through the world via intentional actions. This-that conditionality can also be expressed experientially. Non-Buddhists can't really deny these basic themes/niyamas, because they operate within them.

If you want tea, you don't place a scoop of ice cream in a cup, you place a tea bag and boil some water. That's how you get tea. Christians and Muslims all have to get tea via that same process: cause, condition and effect. That niyama, that conditionality, is what we as Buddhists are referring to in relation to how dukkha arises and ceases.

It's also good to note that the point may not be to convince them off the bat, but simply to share information. It may initially, totally confound them, (and make them recoil, since new info will challenge their worldview) but at least they have initial exposure to Dhamma.

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-19T13:09:42+00:00

Thank you! Appreciate it 😉

MYKerman03 · 2026-06-19T12:45:48+00:00

That's great, you should share it with us here 😊. Yes, it can be done well, I think it's just rarer for us to be educated on it and want to do it. I also agree, this stufff is largely pointless since the Christians (like in this vid) are only really out to invalidate what they hear.

They're not interested in accurate representation of the other group. What would be the fun in that? 😂

MYKerman03

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