[klik99]

Using examples from disparate sects of Buddhism as if there is some kind of monolithic “Buddhism” is like saying Judaism, Islam and Christianity, and all their various sects are the same. For instance on reincarnation, Pure Land Buddhists are closer to the Christian heaven view, and many Zen Buddhists don’t believe in reincarnation at all, and that Karma is not permanent.

The big point that Buddhism has been stripped of the metaphysical religious aspects is true though, but the article lays that on the west misunderstanding Buddhism, but in fact it was intentional - Trungpa Rinpoche said Buddhism will come to the West as psychology, and Suzuki had a similar approach.

And the idea that Buddhism of any kind promotes leaving the material world is just wrong - lay practitioners are part of the original writings. Siddhartha leaving his wife and kid isn’t what brought him enlightenment, the whole point is left one extreme where he partied and lived in luxury, to another extreme, aestheticism, fasting and self denial, only to realize that neither way reduced suffering.

Sounds like the author was just shocked that a lot of religious BS is tied up in many types of Buddhism and threw the whole thing out. But it’s hard to find a good group to practice with that matches your outlook, and I sympathize with that