PERSONAL ESSAYS ON BUDDHISM
On Buddhist pessimism:
Buddhism never was a pessimistic religion. In fact, it encouraged and pursued
happiness in a realistic manner like no other religion had, or did, afterwards.
But, the Buddha encouraged long-term gratification over short-term gratification.
He did not mean to make people contemplate on the sad things in life, but wanted
them to realize that happy and sad things were equally fleeting and impermanent.
Therefore, He wanted them to take a "middle path" which was as detached
from the sad things as much as from the happy things. Stressing the importance
of the mind and intelligence ("Buddhism is not a religion for fools, but
for the wise"), He wanted us to know that all feelings were a concept of
the mind. If not so, He argued, the same act of sitting down, which is considered
a comfort at the beginning, cannot become a discomfort after being seated continuously
for three consecutive days. The act has remained the same. What has changed
is the perception it creates in our minds.
Likewise, all feelings can be conditioned by our minds to be whatever they want
to be. But, the Buddha wanted us to be more realistic and courageous than that.
He wanted us to perceive feelings as painful, or pleasing, or as neither but
in-between. And thus perceiving feelings, to take them as they are, and not
be disappointed and discouraged, nor elated. This meant that one does not have
to go in pursuit of happiness or be taking pains to avoid sad events, because
both types of events are inevitable in one's life. If one wants to avoid sad
events from taking place permanently, one needs to end one's unceasing cycle
of lives by practicing "The Noble Eight-Fold Path". Now, this eight-fold
path is not something that can be successfully pursued by Buddhists only, but
by any person who does so willingly. What is important to note here is that
He did not say that people who do not believe in Him are going to be eternally
damned, but that one does not have to believe in a Buddha or in Buddhism to
gain salvation. "Salvation" is not a very appropriate term to be used
in a Buddhist context because it implies the gain of a thing that the Buddha
promises not. But then again, the Buddha does not promise anything.
What He did say was that if you use your head wisely, you will be free and happy.
If you do not, and measure your happiness by worldly things and cling to them
blindly, you will never find true and supreme happiness. Isn't it wonderful
to know that you don't have to be rich, nor powerful, nor beautiful to be happy?
Is Buddhism fatalistic (and encourage apathy)?
These are sayings in Buddhism that I've found to be inspiring, and are selfishly
collected here for personal reference.
" Not to do any evil, to cultivate good, to purify one's mind, this is
the Teaching of the Buddhas.
" Gauging others as one's equal, superior, or inferior is itself a form
of ignorance.
" He for whom there exists neither this shore nor the other, nor both,
he who is undistressed and unbound, him I call a brahman (a person of high birth).
" All conditioned things are impermanent. When one sees this in wisdom,
then he becomes dispassionate towards the painful. This is the path to purity.
" He who holds back arisen anger as one checks a whirling chariot, him
I call a charioteer; other folk only hold the reins.
" He who has transcended both merit (good) and demerit (evil), he who leads
a pure life, he who lives with understanding in this world, he, indeed, is called
a bhikku (a monk).
" By degrees, little by little, from moment to moment, a wise man removes
his own impurities, as a smith removes the dross of silver.
" He who, seeking his own happiness, torments with the rod creatures that
are desirous of happiness, shall not obtain happines hereafter.
" The most excellent ascetic practice is patience and forbearance. Nibbana
is supreme, says the Buddhas. He indeed is no recluse who harms another; nor
is he an ascetic who hurts others.
" To speak no ill, to do no harm, to practise restraint according to the
fundamental precepts, to be moderate in eating, to live in seclusion, to devote
oneself to higher consciousness, this is the Teaching of the Buddhas.
" Happy indeed we live without hate among the hateful. We live free from
hate amidst hateful men.
" The conqueror begets enemity; the defeated lie down in distress. The
peaceful rest in happiness, giving up both victory and defeat.
" Having tasted of the flavor of solitude and tranquility, one becomes
woeless and stainless, drinking the essence of the joy of Truth.
" As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, even so the wise are not ruffled
by praise or blame.
" Happy in this world is non-attachment.
" This body of flesh and blood I bear, all for the world's good and welfare.
" By self is one defiled, by self is one purified.