For a guy who is so into Buddhism in 2026, I had a pretty surprising childhood: I actually grew up Catholic. I was just speaking to a French friend about this, how you can experience a cultural influence of a religion growing up while not necessarily taking on that religion.

Many French holidays are Christian days. Many Korean holidays are Buddhist days. But not every French person is Christian and not all Koreans are Buddhists. Nevertheless we cannot discount the cultural influence the religion had in our upbringing and experience of the world.

I see many people intrigued by Buddhism, Buddhist philosophy, or even Buddhist practices. Then there is a reservation that keeps them from engaging deeper: I already have a religion. Well, I have good news for you: there's nothing in Buddhism that interferes with your religion.

Worshipping

If you come from Abrahamic roots, worshipping may have a specific emotional charge. It is through and towards God. In religions like Islam, directing worship towards anyone other than God is a major transgression. In Christianity, the first commandment is having no other gods before God.

And you may see Buddhists bowing in front of a golden Buddha statue and think: that's worshipping a false idol.

But here's the thing — the Buddha isn't a god. Siddhartha Gautama was a human being, born in what is now Nepal around 500 BCE. He didn't claim divinity. He didn't ask anyone to worship him. He said, essentially: "I found a way out of suffering, and I'm going to teach it to you."

When Buddhists bow before a Buddha statue, what's happening internally is closer to what you feel when you stand at a war memorial. It's reverence. It's gratitude. It's a physical act of humility — not submission to a deity, but a willingness to let go of the ego, even for a moment.

Key Distinction

Bowing in Buddhism isn't worshipping a god. It's practicing humility. The statue is a mirror — a reminder that the capacity to wake up exists inside you, not inside the bronze.

So when my Korean Catholic grandmother visited temples — which she did — she wasn't betraying her faith. She was paying respect to a tradition that shaped the culture she lived in. There was no contradiction.

Philosophy vs. Religion

The question of whether Buddhism is a religion or a philosophy is genuinely debated, and the answer is: it depends on which Buddhism you're talking about.

Traditional Buddhism — as practiced in temples across Thailand, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan — has all the features of an organized religion: monks, rituals, chanting, festivals, cosmologies involving rebirth and karma across lifetimes, and community structures centered around a temple.

Secular Buddhism strips those elements away. What remains is the philosophy: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the practice of mindfulness, and the inquiry into the nature of suffering. No supernatural claims required.

You don't have to believe in rebirth to notice that you're suffering. And you don't need a monastery to practice paying attention.

For people coming from another faith tradition, secular Buddhism is an open door. You can meditate without converting. You can study the nature of attachment without abandoning your theology. You can practice 108 bows as a physical act of humility without it meaning anything about your relationship with God.

And for people coming from no faith tradition at all, secular Buddhism offers something that most philosophies don't: a daily practice. Not just ideas to think about, but things to do with your body and mind, every day, that measurably change your relationship with suffering.

What I Actually Practice

People sometimes ask me what kind of Buddhist I am. I don't identify with a specific school, but my practice is deeply influenced by Korean Buddhism — which is a lineage of Seon (Zen) that includes chanting, bowing, seated meditation, and community practice.

At the same time, I don't hold supernatural beliefs. I don't claim to know what happens after death. I don't practice because I'm trying to get a better rebirth. I practice because practice makes me a better human today.

When I do 108 bows, I'm not worshipping. I'm training my body and mind to be humble. When I sit in meditation, I'm not reaching toward enlightenment — I'm learning to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. When I chant, I'm not praying to a god — I'm using sound as a technology for focus.

My Practical Position

I take the practices seriously without taking the cosmology literally. This lets me use Buddhist tools without religious conflict — and it's the same approach I recommend to anyone who's curious but hesitant.

The Real Question

In my experience, the question "Do I need to be Buddhist to practice Buddhism?" is usually a surface question. The real question underneath is: "Am I allowed to do this?"

And the answer is yes.

You're allowed to meditate even if you go to church on Sunday. You're allowed to examine your thoughts without it threatening your relationship with God. You're allowed to borrow tools from a tradition that has been offering them freely for 2,500 years.

The Buddha himself said: "Don't believe something just because I said it. Test it against your own experience." That's not the posture of someone trying to start a competing religion. That's a teacher telling you to think for yourself.

Buddhism doesn't ask you to believe anything. It asks you to look clearly at your own mind. If you're willing to do that, you already have everything you need to begin.

So — secular or traditional? The distinction is less important than the question it points to: are you willing to practice?

Not believe. Not convert. Not worship. Just practice.

If the answer is yes, there's a morning routine waiting for you. There are 108 bows you can try. There are frameworks for seeing the world differently. None of them require you to give up anything you already hold dear.

You just need to show up.