Q: If China has a majority Buddhist population, then why is Buddhism not the biggest religion?
A:
Buddhism is the biggest religion in the world. People in the world simply ignore the fact because Chinese Buddhism is not a violent religion. Chinese Buddhism does not claim it is the only truth. Chinese Buddhists consider religion just one way of enlightenment. Chinese Buddhists respect other religions and consider they are other ways of enlightenment.
If a religion considers itself as the only true and others are evil, it grows hate against other religions and other schools of its own religion. That’s the root cause of terrorism. Terrorist rationalized their cause in the name of monotheist religions: I am the only true, all others are evil.
Freedom of religion is possible only if all religions embrace the doctrine of Chinese Buddhism that no religion or faith is the only true. Every religion is a way of enlightenment.
Buddhism influences the majority of Chinese not by force, nor by power, but by the wisdom of a better attitude towards life. I like Chinese Buddhism. Chinese Buddhism is a truly peaceful religion. It never used force, violence, or government power to advance itself. It has no agenda to advance itself. It just saves the Human soul in their daily life. Chinese Buddhism saves people not by waiting for the end of the world. It saves people here and now. The moment you are doing the right thing without any intention for the interest of yourself, you are a Buddha at that moment. This is the Chinese Buddhism manifested in Platform Sutra.
Chinese Buddhism respects everyone, as it has the doctrine that Everyone is a potential Buddha. Chinese Buddhism does not need toleration, it views everyone as an equal. Chinese Buddhism views people in two categories: Enlightened and not enlightened yet. Buddha is the enlightened who loves and helps the not-enlightened yet.
