Over
the last century, teachings in the higher levels of Buddhism have been a source
of endless speculation to many Europeans as well as to Asians. Indeed, even today
growing number of Europeans who are interested in the philosophy and their ingenious
advocating concerns over profound Buddhist teachings are indications that empathized
Buddhist philosophy still a complex imperceptible matter to many intellectuals
all over the world. Over the last two years in Canada, I had come across many
people who interrogate Buddhism greatly. This is one of the reasons that made
me to put the world most complex and analytically advanced philosophy, Buddhism
on the net. I hope you will enjoy your visit to my Buddhist pages.
Do not believe
in Buddhism simply...
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard
it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many.
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious
books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and
elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many
generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees
with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept
it and live up to it. - Buddha
Buddhism can only be understood by some; it
cannot always be taught, popularized nor handed over to the next generation just
by teaching. Buddhism is not a hypothetical imagination but a practical theory
each person would need to understand as an individual, not as a member of a group.
Buddhism requires one to believe in reasonable ideas by respecting truth and eliminating
unrealistic theologies. That belief is the fundamental teaching of all Buddhas.
Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator God, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, or gender. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion.
Buddhism, that oldest world religion/philosophy, is generally misconceived to be a blind faith. As seen from its outward appearance, really it is painted with a strong religious colour. To a non-Buddhist, who sees the golden image of Buddha, and hears the chanting of Sanskrit Sutras and the clinking of the bell, Buddhism is nothing but idolatry; in view of their passive life, Buddhists of the Order are said to be "social parasites". However, on the contrary, whatever is expounded in Buddhism, down to every minor matter, is based on the Teaching of Buddha. Indeed, exception to those of high intellect, some of the Buddhist principles are too profound to be easily explained and understood by the lay people. Without making a serious effort to study the issue in question, those who say what others say, and believe what others believe, that Buddhism is a superstitious faith, betray not only their ignorance of its fundamental principles but also their lack of common sense and understanding; therefore, in regard to Buddhism, what they say and what they believe cannot but be blind and untrue.
Depending in what sense Religion is defined; Buddhism may be called Religion or non-Religion. If religion refers to Monotheism or Polytheism, then Buddhism, being non-theological, is no religion at all. If religion, broadly defined, refers to some School of Teaching, Buddhism in that sense may be said to be in the same category as Confucianism and Taoism. (Note: The next article "Is Buddhism a religion?" will explain the depth of this matter.)
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. (from: "The scientific Outlook of Buddhism." Note: I have edited and add some lines on above passage.)
That doses not mean
we are atheist. But we must have a strong reason to believed in an invisible person
rather than believing parents, teachers, and friends. There are no religious faith,
beliefs or boundaries in Buddhism. According to Buddhism, Lord is not the only
one unique, we all unique from each other. We do not believe simply, Lord or creators
without having at least a strong reason. Remember Buddha not a scientist. You
cannot compare modern science with a Philosophy. The following article help you
to understand these concepts in depth.
Most common question from intellectuals
of Europeans and Westerners; Is Buddhism a religion?
"Buddhism is unlike
most other religions in the West or East, and it is often misunderstood."
- Robert Thurman Professor of Religion
To the approximately 300 million practitioners
worldwide, Buddhism is considered their religion and/or philosophy. With the spread
of Buddhism in the European world, we come across numerous common questions that
sometime can be considered significant to Europeans who are interested in Buddhist
teachings. The most common question that I had from resent visitors to my web
page is, whether Buddhism is a religion or not?
It is included in "Theology" - which is the "-ology" (study) of God. But strictly speaking Buddhism is atheistic - does not believe in the existence of an overall controlling God or Gods. Yes there are gods in the Buddhist Cosmology, but they are just as impermanent as any other being and subject to the same universal laws. Like Albert Einstein believed, Gods dogmas and theologies are not important concepts to Buddhist at all.
If "religions" require the belief in "God", "creator" and/or restrictions- then Buddhism is not a religion. As generally Buddhists do not ascribe to the belief in a sentient, all-pervasive Creator, some claim that Buddhism fails to be a religion. Others have called it a philosophy or "way of life". But it's probably more than that, because it does require the belief that there is something bigger and better than our regular selfish existence and placing our trust in the teaching of the Buddha and his followers. And what does "religion" mean; It comes from the Latin word "religare" - "re" meaning again, and "ligare" meaning tie or bind - as in ligature. This implies the re-uniting of things that have been separated. (Though I may be mistaken, here! - a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing!) . If that is so - then perhaps Buddhism is a religion because it could be viewed as leading to the reunification of the individual with something bigger (something that Buddhism prefers not to name)! Also like all major religions Buddhism contains an explanation of the origin of existence, a morality, and a specific set of rituals and behaviours. However, this reflects both an extremely narrow definition of religion and fails to consider what Buddhists would regard as the "nature of god," which is extremely close to the description of God offered by many of the earlier "Fathers" of Christianity. Nevertheless, like the other major religions, Buddhism presents a transformational goal, a desire to improve one's situation, and a distinct moral code.
However it is up to you to decide whatever it is a religion or a philosophy and the way you want to be Buddhist teachings. Due the fact that Buddhists been middle or moderate in many points of views and the way Buddhists should handle problems in the societies, made me to take Buddhism as a moral philosophy rather than a religion. As I mention before, it is you who decide things for yourself. As all Buddhas said, "I am the master of my self", you have opportunity to personalized Buddhism as religion, philosophy or whatever the way you want to be.
This question has been asked and debated many times. I don't know the answer. But for the Buddhist does it matter? No, not at all.
Special
Note: Above believes spectrum, is designed by myself. It is not a commercial theory.
It is just a visual indication of how I view the world believes, ideas and religions.
There is no such thing I am better than the others. If you have concerns about
this, you can contact me. The above spectrum is based upon my personal point of
view. It is not a commercial one. Thank you.
Buddhism, Universal Philosophy,
Ethnic Religion and Social Engineering
Have you ever asked from a Buddhist
about abortion? How about same-sex marriage and/or euthanasia? If yes, was the
answer either "no comment" or "we don't care"? Some of you
may never have asked that question. Well, lets be parsimonious; this article is
about the differences between Buddhism and social engineering. I attempt to explain
these concepts in depth and provide examples where it is necessary.
Before I talk about why Buddhists do not involved in civil matters like abortion, I like to provide background information on ethnic religion and social engineering. The concept of the social engineering has strong connection to ethnic religion. Both of these mostly focus their moral values on civil matters. Indeed, the bases of social engineers are civil problematic ideas and the social interactions of particular groups. For example, all over social engineering you can find so many boundaries on social matters through guidelines filled with don't do this, don't do that and no. If you take religion, that also has the similar kind of infrastructure. Which means that both of these systems have so many guidelines (rules, boundaries, etc, etc.) over civil concepts like marriage. These connections to civil matter in both ideas result in fundamentalisms, which are fragile and always subject to change in any given period of time. As a matter of fact we called these religions "ethnic" due to its manifestations of particular social patterns. For example, there are many social engineering based religious leaders have changed their religious teachings in numerous times throughout the history. They have amend believes and boundaries of those religious concepts according to the changes of particular groups. There are many wonderful examples of this. Like blood transfusion and organ donation was an unethical activity in every single religion except Buddhism. Now it has changed due to new patterns of social interactions. Also theories like "women created by God for men" and "God want you to be a slave." no longer a religious teaching. (Other examples: world is centre of the universe, world is flat, etc, etc.) Some one-day people will not be astonished to hear that there is no such person called creator. These all happen due to the their focus on civil matters. They first came up with this "God want you to be a slave... so live like a slave" to prevent people those who were born in lower class reaching the higher. Religious missionaries used those to made them work under them and their governments in the old days. Believe it or not, this was how actually people in France lived before their revolution. Ethnic religions cannot keep their standards without the aid of social engineering. Today they are debating over the same-sex marriage and what would be tomorrow?
We already talk about social engineering. I hope now you have interest in universal philosophy/religion concept. Well, in simplest form it is not a group of teachings that always depends on social matters. Indeed Buddha is a nightmare to all the social engineers in both the east and the west. He did not make any boundaries over any kind of social matters. Instead of being superficial and giving bunch of "no"s and "don't"s, he thought how to live a pure unselfish life by teaching the depth of human nature. (That includes relationships.) Which make his followers to follow their own consciousness in social matters. Who should you vote? How many children you should have? You better be able to find the answers to these questions by Buddhist way of life. Not by the book, but by the nature of consciousness.
The problem here is that westerners who have connections to Buddhists may have learned that abortion, same-sex marriage and euthanasia is bad in Theravada or Mahayana traditions. If you ask from Sri Lankans they will say that they are against these activities. Unfortunately we should not involve in these matters. I know... That if we use our own consequences we know that abortion is wrong. But Buddha clearly said, your own consequences, do not enforce others. But in a case where people ask our opinion on these, if the person tolerates different social ideas we could percent our personal opinions. But that dose not mean to help ethnic religious missionaries form X or Y religion and lend your hand to Buddhist monks or nuns in civil matters.
The
conclusion of this article is that Buddhism either a special religion or the simplest
definition of all, a philosophy. It is not an ordinary religion in the east or
west where the roots can be found in social engineering.
09th 16th April 2005
Buddhism is beyond the level of science
All the religious ideas are strongly
believe in creator and the followers are always second to God. But the Buddhist
followers are not second to any one. Most magnificent Buddhist teaching is Buddhist
Logics, which are, replace the Aristotle Logics and Calculus Logic. Even though
some people think Buddhism as a philosophical science due to above logics and
no creator theory, you cannot compare Buddhism with modern science. The reason
for this is science laws can be replace by another new law, which is never going
to be happen in Buddhist laws. On other hand science has both intentional and
unintentional sides to their theories and laws. But Buddhists always has the wisdom
to see every fact before he/she act and there is no unintentional result in Buddhism.
Why
Buddhist Philosophy
According to Buddhism, the whole universe is a single,
dynamic web of energy, which can exist in three forms. These three forms of energy
that exist in the universe also exist in the human body. Energy in the universe
can exist are:
1. Free Energy,
2. Forces,
3. Matter.
Free energy is
pure, undifferentiated energy. Therefore, this form cannot be perceived directly
or indirectly. Free, undifferentiated energy exists in the human body as consciousness.
In Buddhism, consciousness is described as Vinnana.
All of the above teachings
are related to study of life. Buddhism is not a religious belief. It is about
your life. Philosophy stands for study of life. And there are lots of logics and
theroies which is powrful then a religious theroy. That is why Buddhism is a Philosophy.
"All we are is the result of what we have thought." ~Buddha
The whole world is combinations of vibrations,
and ever changing phenomena (If you search for a creator, you will lost with universal
science)
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. Please do not compare
Buddhism with modern science.
Concept of God
Christianity is a God centered
religion. It sees God as the focus of meaning in human life and history as the
unfolding of God's plan. It comes as a suprise to most Christians that there are
relgions, such as Buddhism, that are not God centered and have comparitively little
to say about Him. The purpose of this essay is to clarify Buddhist ideas about
God and make them seem reasonable to the non-Buddhist, even if not persuading
him. In this essay instead of talking about "God" I will use the term
"the absolute" to avoid confusion. The word "God" carries
too many asociations that are difficult to lay aside when discussing the subject
from a fresh (Buddhist) perspective. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines the
absolute as "the ultimate source of reality regarded as one and yet the source
of variety; as complete, or perfect, and yet as not divorced from the finite,
imperfect world."
First, Buddhists believe that the absolute is not someting you believe in, or worship, but instead something you experience. The experience of the absolute is called enlightenment. Because of this emphasis on experience, the terminology of Buddhism is often elusive. More attention is given to how to attain the experience of the absolute than to a specific description of its character. Indeed Buddhism teaches that no verbal description of the absolute is possible. That is, Buddhism insists that the absolute is ineffable.
While no positive description of the absolute is possible, Buddhism does teach that the absolute can be defined negatively by refuting false ideas of the absolute. Buddhist philosophy is therefore resolutely critical, showing the contradictions inherent in the concepts of their opponents. But while Buddhist philosophy is a critical philosophy, it is also a rational philosophy in that it believes that no contradiction can exist in the absolute. This is in contrast to those forms of mysticism that teach the nature of the absolute is contradictory and paradoxical.
Finally, Buddhism teaches that the absolute is the true nature of the relative. On the question of the transcendence or immanence of the absolute, Buddhism come down on the side of immanence. Only because we misperceive the true nature of the world do we think of it as relative, when we truly understand the world then we see it as the absolute. But this process of perceiving the relative as the absolute is not one of addition, but one of subtraction. That is, one does not gain a new sixth sense from the practice of meditation enabling one to see everyting as godlike (whatever that might be). Instead one strips away the false concepts about reality which makes the absolute appear as the relative. When one sees the absolute things seem more "ordinary" than before. Thus the enlightened person is not unworldly and impractical, but more grounded in reality and better able to deal with the humdrum details of life than anyone else.
Buddishm
is Unique
Buddhism differes from religions because,
(i)
it does 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.
In other words
"Individual existence impresses
him as a sort of prison and he wants to experience the universe as a single cosmic
whole. The beginnings of cosmic religious feeling already appear at an early stage
of development, as an example in the Psalms of David and in some of the Prophets.
Buddhism, as we have learned especially from the wonderful writings of Schopenhauer,
contains a much stronger element of this." - Albert Einstein, 1905
I believe
that Buddhism is very relevant to the thought of the present day. Basically, its
thought is familiar to us because it is the same kind of thinking as that employed
in science; not perhaps the thinking of Einstein and Heisenburg, but rather that
of Tyndall and Thomas Huxley. - Robert H Thousless [MA., PhD, Sc.D. British. Distinguish
Christian scholar, author, Fellow of the British Psychological Society and Fellow
of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge]
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)
"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" - Albert Einstein [1954, from
Albert Einstein: The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton
University Press]
"If there is any religion that would cope with modern
scientific needs, it would be Buddhism." - Albert Einstein
The
Impact of Buddhism
Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the third century
BC from India, where it had been established by Siddartha Gautama three centuries
earlier. The powerful Indian monarch, Asoka, nurtured the new comprehensive religion-philosophical
system in the third century BC Asoka's conversion to Buddhism marks one of the
turning points in religious history because at that time, Buddhism was elevated
from a minor sect to an official religion enjoying all the advantages of royal
patronage. Asoka's empire, which extended over most vigorous missionary enterprises
in history. The Buddhist tradition of chronicling events has aided the verification
of historical figures. One of most important of these figures was King Devanampiya
Tissa (250-c. 207 BC). According to the Mahavansa, Asoka's son and emissary to
Sri Lanka, Mahinda, introduced the monarch to Buddhism. Devanampiya Tissa became
a powerful patron of Buddhism and established the Monastery of Mahavihara, which
became the historic center of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Subsequent events
also contributed to Sri Lanka's prestige in the Buddhist World. It was on the
island, for example, that the oral teaching of the Buddha-the Triprtaka-was committed
to writing for the first time.Devanampiya Tissa was said to have received Buddha's
right collarbone and his revered alms bowl from Asoka and to have build the Tuparama
Dagaba, or stupa (Buddhist shrine), to honor these highly revered relics. Another
Relic, Buddha's sacred tooth, had arrived in Sri Lanka in the fourth century AD.
The possession of the Tooth Relic came to be regarded as essential for the legitimization
of Sinhalese royalty. Some of the kings even went to the extent of prefixing the
'Datha' to their names. Eg: Dathopathissa, Dhathappabuthi, Dalamugalan etc., which
clearly indicates their close association of the sacred Tooth Relic. The annual
procession Perahera held in honor of the sacred Tooth Relic serves as a powerful
unifying force for the Sinhalese in the twentieth century. Asoka's daughter, Sanghamitta,
is recorded as having brought to The island a branch of the sacred Bo tree under
which the Buddha attained Enlightenment. According to legend, the tree that grew
from this branch is near the ruins of the ancient city of Anuradhapura in the
north of Sri Lanka. The tree is said to be the oldest living thing in the world
and is an object of great veneration. The connections between religion, culture,
language , and education and their combined influence on national identity have
been an age-old pervasive force foe the Sinhalese Buddhists. Devanampiya Tissa
employed Asoka's strategy of merging the political state with Buddhoism, supporting
Buddhist Institutions from the state's coffers, and locating temples close to
the Royal palace for greater control. With such patronage, Buddhism was positioned
to evolve as the highest ethical and philosophical expression of Sinhalese culture
and civilization. Buddhism appealed directly to the Masses, leading to the growth
of a collective Sinhalese cultural Consciousness. In contrast to the theological
exclusivity of Hindu Brahmanism, the Asokan Missionary approach featured preaching
and carried the principles of the Buddha directly to the common people. This proselytizing
had even greater success in Sri Lanka than it had in India and could be said to
be the Island's first experiment in mass education. Buddhism also had a great
effect on the literary development of the island. The Indo-Aryan dialect spoken
by the early Sinhalese was comprehensible to Missionaries from India and facilitated
early attempts at translating the Scriptures. The Sinhalese literati studied Pali,
the language of the Buddhist scriptures, thus influencing the development of Sinhala
as a literary language.
The Original Teachings of the Buddha
"Human
been, who afraid, and scared to face to truth of the real life, are always follow
and believe in unbelievable Loads, faiths, religions, and weak teachings, or invisible
creatures and statures." ~Buddha
The teaching of the Buddha have been
a way of life for millions of people in the East for two thousand six hundred
years. In the West, many are seeking answers in ancient wisdom as an alternative
to a materialistic way of life. Buddhism doesn't not demand blind faith from its
followers and Buddha has invited people to "see for themselves" the
truth of his teachings. It is hoped that this brief introduction to the original
teachings may interest the reader into enquiring further.
Suffering,
impermanence, and no-self-----------It may be said that the Buddha based his entire
teaching on the fact of human suffering. Existence is painful. The conditions
that make an individual are precisely those that also give rise to suffering.
Individuality implies limitation; limitation gives rise to desire; and, inevitably,
desire causes suffering, since what is desired is transitory, changing, and perishing.
It is the impermanence of the object of craving that causes disappointment and
sorrow. By following the "path" taught by the Buddha, the individual
can dispel the "ignorance" that perpetuates this suffering. The Buddha's
doctrine was not one of despair. Living amid the impermanence of everything and
being themselves impermanent, human beings search for the way of deliverance,
for that which shines beyond the transitoriness of human existence--in short,
for enlightenment. According to the Buddha, reality, whether of external things
or the psychophysical totality of human individuals, consists in a succession
and concatenation of microseconds called dhammas (these "components"
of reality are not to be confused with dhamma meaning "law" or "teaching").
The Buddha departed from the main lines of traditional Indian thought in not asserting
an essential or ultimate reality in things. Moreover, contrary to the theories
of the Upanishads, the Buddha did not want to assume the existence of the soul
as a metaphysical substance, but he admitted the existence of the self as the
subject of action in a practical and moral sense. Life is a stream of becoming,
a series of manifestations and extinctions. The concept of the individual ego
is a popular delusion; the objects with which people identify themselves--fortune,
social position, family, body, and even mind--are not their true selves. There
is nothing permanent, and, if only the permanent deserved to be called the self,
or atman, then nothing is self. There can be no individuality without a putting
together of components. This is becoming different, and there can be no way of
becoming different without a dissolution, a passing away.To make clear the concept
of no-self (anatman), Buddhists set forth the theory of the five aggregates or
constituents (khandhas) of human existence:
(1) corporeality or physical forms
(rupa),
(2) feelings or sensations (vedana),
(3) ideations (sañña),
(4)
mental formations or dispositions (sankhara), and
(5) consciousness (viññana).
Human
existence is only a composite of the five aggregates, none of which is the self
or soul. A person is in a process of continuous change, with no fixed underlying
entity.
The Goal of Buddhist
The goal of all Buddhist is enlightenment through
understanding of the reasons and causes of suffering. Awareness of impermanence
and of oneself and compassion toward others are basic and essential elements of
Buddhism.
The Buddha
The man who was to become the Buddha was born into
a royal family named Gothama, in the region of the river Ganges, Northern India.
The young prince, Siddhatta, was given the education and luxuries appropriate
to his royal status. As he matured, his fertile mind began to question many aspects
of life, but he was unable to obtain answers that satisfied him. Eventually, a
deep sense of dissatisfaction made him abandon his royal heritage, and he set
out to become an ascetic in search of solution to the riddles of life. For six
years he wandered in the area of the Ganges, meeting many famous teachers of the
day, and subjecting himself to the rigours of religious practice which they demanded.
These practices made him physically weak, and he realised that the way ahead would
be to discover the truth for himself. Whilst in deep meditation sitting beneath
a tree (which became known as the Bodhi or Bo tree), he attained enlightenment
which enabled him to see the true nature of life. This unique achievement led
him to be called the Buddha, which literally means ' The awakened one'.
The
Spread of Buddhism
Buddhism spread rapidly over countries outside India, particularly
under the leadership of Emperor Asoka, who ruled India in the third century BC.
As it spread, it absorbed many of the local beliefs and traditions, in keeping
with the tolerance inherent in its own teachings. During this period, many schools
of Buddhism arose, the two best known being Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada,
considered to be the original teaching, is practised widely in Sri Lanka, Thailand,
Burma, Cambodia and Laos, while Mahayana is found mostly in China, Japan and Korea.
A further form of Buddhism, known as Vajrayana, is practised in Tibet. The actual
practice of the teachings differ widely among the various schools, with much emphasis
on ritual in some of them.
Buddhism and the theory of no creator or god...
A
belief that every result has a cause leaves no room for the belief that the universe
was created out of nothing. The universe and its components are also subject to
the cyclic law of birth, death and rebirth, therefore an absolute beginning is
inconceivable. The Buddha was more concerned with a solution to the immediate
problem of the predicament of beings and their release, rather than expounding
theories on the origin of the universe.
"Do
not depend on others work on your own salvation." ~Buddha
"One self
is one's own protector." ~Buddha
My
point of view about Buddhism
Most of the above descriptions and main points
are general theories and practical teachings of Buddhist Philosophy. There are
a lots my ideas and others comments. But I like to explain my point of view briefly
to you, and I hope it is helpful to you.
What is Buddhism
-A kind
of philosophy
-A kind of life management
*But some people think it is a
religion while others think that it is a philosophy but not a science.
-I
prefer Buddhism as a philosophy and also as a kind of logic that cannot compare
with modern science.
Why I like Buddhism
-I like Buddhism because
it dose not have any religious faith, beliefs or boundaries. I don't want to depend
on God.
-I can argue Buddhist Philosophy, but not at least a religion even
I believe in that religion.
My ideas of Buddhism and modern world
- "No
individual exact one another" first used to say by Buddha. But today we use
the same words in science as "The First Law of Theory of Evolution"
- "Everything comes within. All we are is the result of what we have thought. No one can measure by their appearances" one of the major teachings of Buddhism today in Weston world use as "The true beauty comes within."
-"Every action we have done, everything we do and going to do, must have a opposite reaction" this used to explain right and wrong in our life style must have a effect on us as equal to what we do. This first came from Buddhism. Today we use in science as "The total energy gain or lose, equal to total energy gain or lose" or "Every action has a opposite reaction"
-"No one create this world. This world exits. Human been who try to explore and observe the universal science or world science lose more than they get" Today USA NASA Cooperation know the answer.
-"Relationship among people better than believing invisible creatures" Now modern societies know this. Ex: "Better the Parents, Teachers, Students understanding each other better the education." Alberta Learning