DotaThaosen

In SEA Buddhists worship and celebrate many Hindu deities and festivals. Also the cultures, writing and architectures are similar to India (which is greatly influenced by Hinduism).

He was brought up in India and did all his studies and preaching there.

The main reason buddhism is not more popular in Nepal is because Buddhism is just an offshoot of Sanatana Dharma — a way of life. 'Religion' is a very narrow western concept of what we are, and what we should believe in; Eastern religions are a lot different and tolerant.

Buddhism was greatly (GREATLY!) influenced by Sanatana Dharma (you can call it hinduism). Hinduism is not a rigid religion, we welcome any change and beliefs in our DHARMA. Moreover, Buddha was believed to be a reincarnation of some HINDU God (IDK name, I'm an atheist HINDU), so people still see him as Hindu, other than the ignorant ones who can't seem to understand evolving is part of our DHARMA.

Note: Hinduism and Buddhism is not about believing in gods. It's about rationality, peace, acceptance and making our understanding more broad.

You can follow Hinduism along with any other religion — we won't call you sinner, or unholy, or incompetent to be called a Hindu, since we don't see our own religion as a religion.

You dont have to go temples, not even once in your life, to be Hindu.

You can loathe idols, but still you can be HINDU.

You can be anything. That bud chose to do so, and people started calling it Buddhism.

Our DHARMA can encompass anything.

I know its adherents have strayed far from its goal. But we need to understand that people need education to learn anything, even if it's some philosophy.

Do you wanna bring some changes in DHARMA and abrogate some rituals because it's of no use and instead harm people? YESYESYES, YOU CAN. That's the point of it.

BUDDHA did exactly that (AND so did MANY MANY MANY OTHERS — he was just more popular).

We didn't persecute them. We helped to erect them.

Speaking about racial stereotypes:

Indians know more about Nepal than they do about North-East India. We get called Nepali and Chinki (derogatory term for people who look Chinese) considering there are more than 8 (9, if you include parts of West Bengal) states in India with prominent mongoloid features.

We get asked, "Are you Nepali?" and we even have to show passports on several occasions because they don't believe us. And we hear racial slurs all the time.

So on a happy note, you can say that you get more recognition from Indians than North-East Indians get from Indians.

For people who doesn't know what I'm speaking of: https://youtu.be/KhMVjEVD6aI

Been to India?

Welcome.

• from a Hindu who follows animism and a traditional religion.