Uniqueness of buddhism
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Buddhism differes from religions because,
(i) we do not believe in a Creator or an Almighty God who is responsible for all our actions.
(ii) Buddhism, in actual sense, is not a religion, though people generally call it so, because there is no belief in, recognition of, or of a higher unseen authority, or a controlling power, but emotions and morality connected therewith.
(iii) Is a moral philosophy in pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, norms and laws, and all other things connected therewith.
(iv)In Buddhist reasoning the modern reader will find many familiar logical operations from the calculus of propositions. But Buddhism also employs a fourfold scheme that is not found in Aristotelian logic.
The famous philosopher and mathematician, who was a Christian, says:
"Of the great religions of history, I prefer Buddhism, especially in its orthodox form, because it has had the smallest element of persecution". The intellectuals of the West have agreed that for the first time in the history of the world, Buddha proclaimed a salvation, which each man could gain for himself, and by himself in this world, during his life, without the least help from God or Gods."
- Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) -
In the wake of the remarkable development of modern Science, the monotheistic and polytheistic religions of the world are open to scientists' attack rather helplessly, but Buddhism stands out as unique exception to this. It is because the more advanced is Science, the more and the better is Buddhism understood. In the meantime, in parallel to the stupendous scientific achievements of this age, Buddhism spreads more and more to the world. All over the world many philosophers, scientists and others turn to Buddhism as a result of logical theories of modern world.
For example, Dr. Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Albert Einstein, Prof. Huxley is couple of people who prefer Buddhism because of its profound teachings. Today, the Law of Karma and Universal Law of Rebirth become laws that applied to everyone regardless of their faith, race, ethnicity or cultural background. This is an eloquent proof that Buddhist theories can be tested and corroborated by science. In reality, the more learned the scientist is, the easier and the better can he comprehend the difficult Buddhist terms and the profound theories of Buddhism. Thus he would come to realize that whatever phenomena, physical or psychical, as explained by Buddha, far from being superstitious, are all based on Reason and reality only.
"The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. "Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism."
-Albert Einstein [1954, from Albert Einstein:The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press] -
The existence and disappearing of the universe and the biosphere (life) is processing (cycling) over billions of years. Search for a definite beginning or ending of this is never going to be success. (Ask from NASA) According to modern science world, today no one can believe that God create this world nor he has the power to do so. Even though modern science proved that there is no or there is such creator, it is first used to teach by the Buddha 2601 years ago. When he used to teach the "CREATOR CONCEPT" he use his clairvoyance and clairaudience, which is more advance and powerful proof than any modern scientists or idealists. However keep in mind Buddhists dose not care about god or creator in terms of Buddhist infrastructure. Keep in mind we are not atheists.
When people are weak to face the changes of nature such as tsunami, when people are weak to face the changes of the society such as violence and when people are weak to face the changes of mental energy such as depression, they lookup to anything and everything that available to them. These insecure feelings of mankind lead him (her) to create unrealistic belief systems such as almighty god. These beliefs will provide comfort to him (her) in good times and courage or strength in times of danger while it gives consolation when things went wrong. Over time the concept of god became a faith, a religion or a system of beliefs due to the weaknesses mankind. Even though it became popular, a belief system without a strong base is like a tall building without proper foundation. When people are weak they need a religion, when they are strong they do not. Hence the strong Buddhists do not believe in god or gods. -
Religions, it is often observed, are products of fear. This fear is in turn based on ignorance. With the dawn of wisdom and the ever-expanding horizons of knowledge, faith and confidence in religions begin to evaporate, like morning mist under the rising sun.
As William Macquitty puts it, "With the advance of science and psychology many of the older faiths have suffered. Their beliefs went against the new knowledge and the new knowledge won."
Not so with Buddhism. Buddhism is a result of the human quest for the ultimate truth, an aspiration for that which is the highest and noblest in life. It is based on the Buddha's wisdom, on his enlightenment, attained through the complete eradication of ignorance, fear and all other defilements from his mind. His teachings, called the Dhamma (Sanskrit: Dharma), have stood the test of time for more than twenty-five centuries. It is with deep faith and conviction in the Buddha's teachings that Francis Story, a British scholar, asserts:
"The doctrines of Buddha Dhamma stand today, as unaffected by the march of time and the expansion of knowledge as when they were first enunciated. No matter to what lengths increased scientific knowledge can extend man's mental horizon, within the framework of the Dhamma there is room for the acceptance and assimilation of further discovery."
One of the most outstanding features of Buddhism is its total independence of divine elements. It is a religion of self-help. According to Buddhism, human beings should learn to be self-reliant and to have faith in their own ability. Buddhist philosophy is anthropocentric in its outlook and practical implementation, placing man at the center of its metaphysical and ethical systems. It is a religion that insists primarily on man's own effort and perseverance to achieve his goals, be they material or spiritual, rather than prayer or wishful thinking. -
Blind faith is anathema to Buddhism, which clearly urges us to think freely and not to accept things blindly.In Buddhism, free thought is upheld, questions are welcome, and positive doubt is considered the first stepping stone to wisdom. Buddhism believes in human potential. It also asserts human equality, emphasizing personal and social responsibilities, based on the doctrine of kamma (Sanskrit: karma -- action and result).
Kindness, compassion, and tolerance are some of the virtues that Buddhism strongly encourages. This explains why Buddhists are generally peace-loving people and why religious war is unknown in the long history of Buddhism. Much of the suffering in the world today is a direct result of the lack of these qualities. Religions that should be serving to unite people and maintain harmony are instead being used to divide and alienate them from each other. The history of some religions is full of bloodshed and violence. Against this unfortunate background, Buddhism stands out as the most tolerant religion in the annals of human civilization.
"Alone of all the great world religions," observes Aldous Huxley, "Buddhism made its way without persecution, censorship or inquisition." -
Buddhism is a religion of self-help, the first and foremost duty of a Buddhist is to understand the supreme position of the human being and one's responsibility toward both oneself and fellow sentient beings. The Buddha did not claim any divine affinity. His enlightenment was a result of his own efforts, unaided by teachers or divine providence. There was no need for him to base his teachings on divine revelation, as is usually done by religious teachers and prophets. The Dhamma that he expounded is the Truth itself -- to introduce divine elements into it would be a superfluous exercise. His realization of the Dhamma and the validity of the teaching itself are the strength of his teachings, and this has rendered so-called divine inspiration or intervention irrelevant in the Buddhist context.
According to Buddhism, humanity's position is supreme. Human beings are their own masters, endowed with great potential, from mundane material concerns up to the highest spiritual achievements. This position is clearly exemplified by the Buddha's own struggles and successes. He attributed his enlightenment and all his achievements to human effort, not to divine grace. It is encouraging to know that, according to the Buddha, only a human being can become a Buddha, a position to which even gods and deities cannot aspire. Every human being possesses the seed of Buddha-nature, the potential to become a Buddha, and that potential can only be actualized through human endeavor.
The Buddha's assertion, unique and unparalleled in the history of religions, presupposes the principle of individual responsibility. Because man is supreme, a master of his own destiny, it follows that he must also be responsible for his own action and inaction.
"You must walk the path yourself," says the Buddha, "the Tathagata (Buddha) only points the way." -
Buddhists do not regard man as sinful by nature or 'in rebellion against god'. Every human being is a person of great worth who has within himself a vast store of good as well as evil habits. The good in a person is always waiting for a suitable opportunity to flower and to ripen. Remember the saying, 'There is so much that is good in the worst of us and so much that is bad in the best of us'.
Buddhism teaches that everyone is responsible for his own good and bad deeds, and that each individual can mould his own destiny. Says the Buddha, 'these evil deeds were only done by you, not by your parents, friends, or relatives; and you yourself will reap the painful results.' (Dhammapada165)
Man's sorrow is his own making and is not handed down by a family curse or an original sin of a mythical primeval ancestor. Buddhist do not accept the belief that this world is merely a place of trial and testing. this world can be made a place where we can attain the highest perfection. And perfection is synonymous with happiness. to the Buddha, man is not an experiment in life created by somebody which can be done away with when unwanted. If a sin could be forgiven, people might take advantage and commit more and more sins. the Buddhist has no reason to believe that the sinner can escape the consequences by the grace of an external power. If a man thrusts his hand into a furnance, his hand will be burnt, aand all the prayer in the world will not remove the scars. The same is with the man who walks into the fires of evil action. The Buddha's approach to the problems of suffering is not imaginary, speculative or metaphysical, but essentially empirical -
According to Buddhism, there is no such thing as sin as explained by other religions. To the Buddhists, sin is unskillful or unwholesome action - Akusala Kamma, which creates Papa - the downfall of man. The wicked man is an ignorant man. He needs instruction more than he needs punishment and condemnation. He is not regarded as violating god's will or as a person who must beg for divine mercy and forgiveness. He needs only guidance for his enlightenment.
All that is necessary is for someone to help him use his reason to realize that he is responsible for his wrong action and that he must pay for the consequences. Therefore the belief in confession is foreign to Buddhism.
The purpose of the Buddha's appearance in this world is not to wash away the sins committed by human beings nor to punish or to destroy the wicked people, but to make the people understand how foolish it is to commit evil and to point out the reaction of such evil deeds. Consequently there are no commandments in Buddhism, since no one can command another for his spiritual upliftment. The Buddha has encouraged us to develop and use our understanding. He has shown us the path for our liberation from suffering. The precepts that we undertake to observe are not commandments: they are observed voluntarily. The Buddha's Teaching is thus: 'Please pay attention; take this advice and think it over. If you think it is suitable for you to practise my advice, then try to practise it. You can see the results through your own experience.' There is no religious value in blindly observing any commandment without proper conviction and understanding. However, we should not take advantage of the liberty given by the Buddha to do anything we like. It is our duty to behave as cultured, civilized and understanding human beings to lead a religious life. If we can understand this, commandments are not important. As an enlightened teacher, the Buddha advised us on how to lead a pure life without imposing commandments and using the fear of punishment.
Serenity of spirit and love for all sentient creation are enjoined by the Buddha. He does not speak of sin, but only of ignorance and foolishness which could be cured by enlightenment and sympathy.
-- Dr. S Radhakrisnan -
Buddhism is a gentle religion where equality, justice and peace reign supreme. To depend on others for salvation is negative, but to depend on oneself is positive. Dependence on others means surrendering one's intelligence and efforts.
Everything which has improved and uplifted humanity has been done by man himself. Man's improvement must come from his own knowledge, understanding, effort and experience and not from heaven. Man should not be a slave even to the great forces of nature because even though he is crushed by them he remains superior by virtue of his understanding of them. Buddhism carries the Truth further: it shows that by means of understanding, man can also control his environment and circumstances. He can cease to be crushed by them and use their power to raise himself to great heights of spirituality and nobility.
Buddhism gives due credit to man's intelligence and effort for his achievements rather than to supernatural beings. True religion means faith in the good of man rather than faith in unknown forces. In that respect, Buddhism is not merely a religion, but a noble method to gain peace and eternal salvation through living a respectable way of life. From the very outset, Buddhism appeals to the cultured and the intellectual minds. Every cultured man in the world today respects the Buddha as a rational Teacher. The Buddha taught that what man needs for his happiness is not a religion with a mass of dogmas and theories but knowledge of the cosmic nature and its relationship to the law of cause and effect. Until this principle that life is merely an imperfect manifestation of nature is fully understood, no man can be fully emancipated.
The Buddha has given a new explanation of the universe. It is a new vision of eternal happiness, the achievement of perfection. The winning of the human goal in Buddhism is the permanent state beyond impermanency, the attainment of Nibbana beyond all the worlds of change, and the final deliverance form the miseries of existence.
A Buddhist is not a slave to a book or to any person. Nor does he sacrifice his freedom of thought by becoming a follower of the Buddha. He can exercise his own free will and develop his knowledge even to the extent of attaining Buddhahood himself, for all are potential Buddhas.
- Ven. Narada Maha Thera -
In other religions, the words spoken by the founder are "orders" that cannot be refused, and "gospel truth" that cannot be doubted. Anyone who doubts or does not follow the gospel will be "punished" by God. There were stories in other religion's "holy book" that men were punished severely by God because they did not follow God's orders.
In Buddhism scriptures, there is no record of any anger expressed by the Buddha. There was no punishment exercised by the Buddha. In the forty-five years of the Buddha's teaching life, He had always been kind, calm, and peaceful, to both good and bad people.
The Buddha never forced His disciples to accept His teachings. He constantly encouraged them to doubt and to question. He said "small doubts result in small realization, only great doubts result in great realization, no doubt results in no realization.";
In His last days, the Buddha said to His followers: "I never think of you as my students or my disciples, I am just one of you, being with you frequently. I never force anyone to listen to me, and I do not want anyone to obey me." How kind and touching!
People cannot be forced to accept true faith. They cannot be persuaded to accept what they do not understand, or what they do not like. That is politics, not religion. True faith will only flourish under democracy and total freedom. After careful thoughts and repeated differentiation, the spirit and value of a true faith will truly shine. -
i find this statement very striaght to the point for this topic.
Buddhadharma is something that the more you study it, the deeper it becomes, the more profound you find it to be. This is a quality unique to Buddhadharma. With other teachings, the more you study them, the lighter they become. ---Khunu Lama Rinpoche
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Yes thats right..Originally posted by sinweiy:i find this statement very striaght to the point for this topic.
Buddhadharma is something that the more you study it, the deeper it becomes, the more profound you find it to be. This is a quality unique to Buddhadharma. With other teachings, the more you study them, the lighter they become. ---Khunu Lama Rinpoche
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I dont think Bertrand Russell was ever a Christian. In fact, he penned an article call "Why I am not a Christian" (www.users.drew.edu/~jlenz/whynot.html )
That little artricle is a very good read by the way. Given that that speech was delivered back in 1927 (where Christianity was far more dominant in Western society than it is today), it shows the open-mindedness of Russell, and his courage to question long accepted religious dogmas. -
actually when u think abt it buddhism is abt daily life wad....think carefully....
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is a veri interesting articleOriginally posted by Beyond Religion:I dont think Bertrand Russell was ever a Christian. In fact, he penned an article call "Why I am not a Christian" (www.users.drew.edu/~jlenz/whynot.html )
That little artricle is a very good read by the way. Given that that speech was delivered back in 1927 (where Christianity was far more dominant in Western society than it is today), it shows the open-mindedness of Russell, and his courage to question long accepted religious dogmas.
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Originally posted by AE86tofu:actually when u think abt it buddhism is abt daily life wad....think carefully....
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Buddhism is a gentle religion where equality, justice and peace reign supreme. To depend on others for salvation is negative, but to depend on oneself is positive. Dependence on others means surrendering one's intelligence and efforts
Everything which has improved and uplifted humanity has been done by man himself. Man's improvement must come from hi own knowledge, understanding, effort and experience and not from heaven. Man should not be a slave even to the great forces of nature because even though he is crushed by them he remains superior by virtue of his understanding of them. Buddhism carries the Truth further: it shows that by means of understanding, man can also control his environment and circumstances. He can cease to be crushed by them and use their power to raise himself to great heights of spirituality and nobility.
Buddhism gives due credit to man's intelligence and effort for his achievements rather than to supernatural beings. True religion means faith in the good of man rather than faith in unknown forces. In that respect, Buddhism is not merely a religion, but a noble method to gain peace and eternal salvation through living a respectable way of life. From the very outset, Buddhism appeals to the cultured and the intellectual minds. Every cultured man in the world today respects the Buddha as a rational Teacher. The Buddha taught that what man needs for his happiness is not a religion with a mass of dogmas and theories but knowledge of the cosmic nature and its relationship to the law of cause and effect. Until this principle that life is merely an imperfect manifestation of nature is fully understood, no man can be fully emancipated
The Buddha has given a new explanation of the universe. It is a new vision of eternal happiness, the achievement of perfection. The winning of the human goal in Buddhism is the permanent state beyond impermanency, the attainment of Nibbana beyond all the worlds of change, and the final deliverance form the miseries of existence. -
What amazing to me is that buddhism teachings explaining our reality with astounding clarity and logical than other religion teachings
Dhamma = Happiness to me.
" i use me cos it how i feel but it does not represent buddhism. To truly find out what buddhism is mean to you, is to experience it yourself.. my 2 cent of worth " -
Neutra_onliner, all ur recent articles are interesting and enlightening...
i notice u phrase them out urself... must have a very good understanding in buddhism to do there.. -
Indeed. My applause to Neutral_onlinerOriginally posted by Isis:Neutra_onliner, all ur recent articles are interesting and enlightening...
i notice u phrase them out urself... must have a very good understanding in buddhism to do there.. -
Greeting to all,
Actually i do not consider myself any better than any of you.Infact some of u dharma bro & sis are much better than me.I think it will be meaningful and productive to discuss and learn at the same time.We are all in the learning path .Hope tat such practise in tis forum will oso awaken in Buddhists a deeper appreciation for their own religion -
We are encouraged to think for ourselves. Buddhism is not dogmatic, depends on reason, does not expect blind faith, does not contradict science.
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/AudioLibrary/audio_OtherArticles/WhyBuddhism_1-4_19.ram
We are encouraged to integrate the teachings into our life. Buddhism provides a step-by-step method for working with our mind to achieve internal peace.
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/AudioLibrary/audio_OtherArticles/WhyBuddhism_2-4_21.ram
We have the power and ability to change our lives - we create the causes for what we experience. Everybody is equal; nobody is inherently evil. Emphasizes respect for all religions and their followers. Shows how to go beyond the happiness and suffering of this life.
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/AudioLibrary/audio_OtherArticles/WhyBuddhism_3-4_24.ram
Questions asked:
Buddhism is more demanding and requires more effort from its followers compared to some other religions where if one accepts the dogma, one will be guaranteed a place in heaven. Please comment.
- Is there a God?
- Do Buddhists believe in miracles?
- How does Buddhism help a person who suffers from anxiety disorder?
- Is there discrimination against women in Buddhism?
- You mentioned in last night's talk that karma is not cast in stone. What do you mean? How does one change or purify one's karma?
- What is the Buddhist view on financial planning, retirement planning, and financial freedom?
- When we go to the temple and pay respect to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, instead of asking for something like wealth, what state of mind should we have?
- What's the difference between reasoning and realizations? Do the two come together?
- Buddhism seems quite dogmatic, because as Buddhists, we believe in the Three Jewels, law of cause and effect, emptiness and dependent origination.
Could you explain why you said it's not dogmatic?
- What should be the right motivation for taking refuge?
- If we do not have a teacher, are books on Buddhism enough to guide us?
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/AudioLibrary/audio_OtherArticles/WhyBuddhism_4-4_25.ram -
Originally posted by neutral_onliner:
We are [b]encouraged to think for ourselves. Buddhism is not dogmatic, depends on reason, does not expect blind faith, does not contradict science.
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/AudioLibrary/audio_OtherArticles/WhyBuddhism_1-4_19.ram
We are encouraged to integrate the teachings into our life. Buddhism provides a step-by-step method for working with our mind to achieve internal peace.
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/AudioLibrary/audio_OtherArticles/WhyBuddhism_2-4_21.ram
We have the power and ability to change our lives - we create the causes for what we experience. Everybody is equal; nobody is inherently evil. Emphasizes respect for all religions and their followers. Shows how to go beyond the happiness and suffering of this life.
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/AudioLibrary/audio_OtherArticles/WhyBuddhism_3-4_24.ram
thubten chodron in Singapore
Questions asked:
Buddhism is more demanding and requires more effort from its followers compared to some other religions where if one accepts the dogma, one will be guaranteed a place in heaven. Please comment.
- Is there a God?
- Do Buddhists believe in miracles?
- How does Buddhism help a person who suffers from anxiety disorder?
- Is there discrimination against women in Buddhism?
- You mentioned in last night's talk that karma is not cast in stone. What do you mean? How does one change or purify one's karma?
- What is the Buddhist view on financial planning, retirement planning, and financial freedom?
- When we go to the temple and pay respect to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, instead of asking for something like wealth, what state of mind should we have?
- What's the difference between reasoning and realizations? Do the two come together?
- Buddhism seems quite dogmatic, because as Buddhists, we believe in the Three Jewels, law of cause and effect, emptiness and dependent origination.
Could you explain why you said it's not dogmatic?
- What should be the right motivation for taking refuge?
- If we do not have a teacher, are books on Buddhism enough to guide us?
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/AudioLibrary/audio_OtherArticles/WhyBuddhism_4-4_25.ram[/b]