Buddhism and the Definition of Religion: One More Time

The belief in and reverence for superhuman beings cannot be understood as the chief distinguishing characteristic of religious phenomena. The consideration of Buddhism has always been central to the discussion of what religion is, and this paper focuses on the limitations of the human-superhuman dichotomy as it might be used to apply to Buddhist traditions. 1.Buddhism and reverence for superhumans. 2.Is atheistic buddhism a religion? 3.Buddhism and nonduality. 4.