Is Buddhism Monotheistic or Polytheistic?

I see this question ‘Is Buddhism Monotheistic or Polytheistic?’ cropping up a lot as I explore Buddhism, so I thought I’d explore this idea in more detail. It’s one of those questions that new practitioners use to attempt to map out a Buddhist practice against a more widely accepted western religious framework. The question that’s often really being asked is ‘Who is the object of worship in Buddhism?’, or ‘Can I practice Buddhism if I belong to another religion?’

Monotheistic or Polytheistic

Monotheistic is the belief in a single, worshippable creator God. Polytheistic is the belief in multiple Gods. There is a clear divide between the monotheistic tendencies of the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) and the polytheistic tendencies of the eastern, and ancient religions (Hinduism, Hellenism, Roman, Norse). The former believe in a single God that is responsible for all of creation, the latter believe that creation happened across a millennia by the hands of a pantheon of Gods.

So where does Buddhism fit into this spectrum? Buddhism grew out of a largely Brahamic society — the religious framework that eventually became what we know today as Hinduism, which is Polytheistic. That being said, The Buddha openly rejected the concept of a God or Gods — and he is not a God himself, just a man who became a teacher of this specific Buddhist doctrine. This means, that Buddhism is Atheistic — neither Monotheistic nor Polytheistic.

Theistic Utility

It’s important to note, that The Buddha did not deny the existence of a God — it was not his intention to deny others of the essential characteristics of their worship. This is simply a question of utility. The Buddha just didn’t believe that the existence of a God, or the non-existence of a God, was important to the cessation of suffering as he prescribed it. Buddhism is Agnostic, in this sense.

He certainly wouldn’t have considered the western, Abrahamic notion of a creator God, since his lifetime pre-dated the introduction and proliferation of those religions.

Buddhist Compatibility with Theistic Traditions

There is a popular school of thought that Buddhist practice does not conflict with theistic traditions. For the most part, this is true. Buddhist practice isn’t regarded as evil in the contexts of most religions — you’re not prevented from having a Buddhist practice. I will point out here, that there is a separation between ‘being Buddhist’ and ‘having a Buddhist practice’.

‘Being Buddhist’ and ‘being Christian’ (for argument’s sake) are incompatible ideals. They have conflicting ideas and mutually exclusive thought throughout their entire doctrines. As this Christian-focused article by Luke Wayne so eloquently puts “…the most central teachings of Buddhism and Christianity [are] by no means exhaustive of the differences, but should suffice to show that these two religions are utterly incompatible.”

So what do I mean when I say ‘Buddhist Practice’? The practice of Buddhism, separated from the religious trappings and the eastern soil that cultivated it, doesn’t provide quite so much conflict with other belief systems. The Eightfold Path, Concentration/Mindfulness practice, or bringing Compassion into our lives, are all intrinsically Buddhist; none will conflict with Christian teachings. In this respect, you can be both a Christian and maintain a Buddhist practice — in the same vein that I consider myself an Atheist, with a Buddhist practice.