.
On Good Friday 2008, I met a Brazilian couple who's touring Singapore, and we had an exchange.
.
They are Christians. And I, a Buddhist.
.
The interesting thing was I met them in a "so-called" Buddhist temple ( 'so-called' because there's nothing Buddhist in and/or about it ), and they were keen and open to know about Buddhism.
.
In the course of our conversation, I mentioned briefly about The Kalama Sutta - Not believing blindly in what's being taught/said, rather, through our own observation and investigation.
That's when the husband commented, "That's the thing about Buddhism - To be able to question and not having to accept and believe blindly. It's very good."
.
That night, and the next morning, I thought about my exchange with them, and realised there are obvious differences between Buddhism (i.e. The Buddha's Teachings) and other religions.
And I supposed that's also why despite spending 12 of my growing (school) years in a Catholic/Christian environment, I remain steadfast as a Buddhist. i.e. a practitioner of The Buddha's Teachings.
.
1) No God / Supreme Creator etc. Only ourselves. We're responsible, in-charge. We take responsibility for our thoughts, speech and actions - all our deeds.
.
.
2) The Buddha - The Buddha is a human being who became enlightened, free from all bonds and fetters, from samsara, from suffering. He himself said he's no God, nor angel, nor anybody's messenger.
.
He's someone who became 'awake' through his own effort.
.
I remember when I was in college, a good friend and classmate who's a Christian mentioned to me how we can pray to The Buddha when he's not even a God but just a normal human being.
.
I didn't answer him then cos' to me, harmony of the relationship was more important.
.
But precisely so - The Buddha is not a God yet he was able to free himself.
.
And he taught his path/method of liberation freely and tirelessly throughout his lifetime so as to free others as well.
.
That's why we worship (not pray) and pay respect to him, our Teacher, who guide and show us the way, and also for all his wonderful qualities and virtues and what he represents :
.
Truth, Morality, Purity, Loving-Kindness, Wisdom, Light.
.
.
3) The Kalama Sutta - We do not have to agree/accept/believe what the Buddha say or taught. He was the most liberal teacher.
.
He encourage and told us we have the right to question and investigate His teachings.
.
And only upon careful observation, analysis and investigation, if we find that the teaching agrees with reason, and is for the good and benefit of one and all, and does no harm, then we accept it, adopt it and abide by it.
.
(Read The Kalama Sutta - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2006/12/kalama-sutta-karma.html )
.
.
4) Kamma (Volitional acts, intentional deeds) - Contrary to some misconceptions, this is not some theory created or invented by The Buddha.
.
Kamma is a universal nature law of justice.
.
The Buddha realised through his Enlightenment that such a nature law exist, and thus taught it to us to inform us the existence of such a law of justice -
.
That we reap what we sow : Do good, good results; do evil, evil results.
.
He taught it out of compassion for us so that we'll avoid evil, cultivate good so that we'll not meet with evil/woeful consequences.
.
In addition, he also taught that, contrary to popular belief, kamma can be changed - that it's not fixed or fatalistic.
.
If you've done wrong/evil, dilute it with good.
If you're suffering now, humble yourself down and do more good.
AND, if you're enjoying now, continue to do good.
.
.
5) No Unforgivable sin, only lessons to be learnt - The Buddha is the most Compassionate and Forgiving Teacher to date.
.
As He said so aptly, "Evil doers are not wicked by nature. They do evil out of ignorance." and, "Acknowledge, forgive, and learn never to do it again."
.
These are the Teachings of the All-knowing One, who knows that as long as we're in samsara, we all make mistakes cos' no one is perfect (pure) as long as they're not enlightened yet cos' we all have defilements and the 3 poisons of anger, greed and delusion, and also deluded by ignorance (avija).
.
Important thing is we feel remorse/regret/sorry for the deed (i.e. thoughts, speech and action) done, forgive (ourselves and others) and learn never to repeat/do it again.
.
6) Rebirth - Many lives, many realms for us to learn our mistakes, and experience. A chance for us to make good of our mistakes and to purify our minds until we become enlightened. No eternal life nor condemnation to eternal hell.
.
.
7) No commandments or rules to follow - Only precepts/guidelines based on logic and sense : Just as we do not want others to hurt or harm us, we also refrain/avoid/abstain from hurting/harming others.
(Read Should We Gamble - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/11/should-we-gamble.html)
.
8) Buddhism does NOT convert people. People convert themselves to Buddhism.
Just as The Buddha taught the monks,
"Monks! This holy life is NOT practised for the sake of deceiving the public; Nor for the sake of gaining their respect; Nor for the sake of gains, offerings, and fame; Nor for the sake of defeating other sectarians.
This holy life is lived for the sake of Restraint, Abandoning, Dispassion, and the Cessation of Suffering."
And as He also said to Malunkyaputta, "Truth need no followers/support."
(Read Man and His Questions Part 1 : The Origin of the Universe - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/05/man-and-his-questions-part-1-origin-of.html )
Likewise, as Ajahn Maha Boowa said, "Truth is true based on immutable natural principles."
.
.
9) Buddhism is not by/through blind faith/devotion/belief in teacher, teachings, or scriptures or books, but by/through our own observation, investigation, analysis, experimentation and experience.
.
The Buddha specifically discouraged blind faith/devotion to a teacher or teaching.
.
As He said,
"The Tathagatas (Teachers) only show the way", and
"Paccattam Veditabbo Vinnuhiti" i.e. to be self-realised and attained only by the wise, each for himself.
.
And, "He who sees The Dhamma, sees The Buddha", that all the teachings are NOT found in books, scriptures (or the Tipitaka), but in our fathom long body :
.
"In this very one fathom long body along with all its perceptions and thoughts, I proclaim to you The World, The Origin of the World, The Cessation of the World, and The Path leading to the Cessation of the World." - The Buddha
.
.
10) Real Happiness can be found in the here and now. We can experience it Now.
.
We don't have to wait for some future time or place.
.
As long as we truly understand and realised the 4 Noble Truths, walk the Noble Eightfold Path, we can be happy and free (i.e. enlightened) this very lifetime.
As The Buddha taught, "Dhamma is Sanditthiko" i.e. seen by oneself, in the Here and Now.
.
.
.
* To Miriella and Christian, this one is for you. Cheers, pals !
"As a student of comparative religions, Buddhism is the most perfect one the world has seen."
.
- Dr Carl Jung
"Of the great religions of the world, I prefer Buddhism,
.
Especially in its earliest form."
.
- Lord Bertrand Russell
"If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism."
.
- Albert Einstein
"Buddhism - The Buddha's Teachings - The Dhamma, is the most comprehensive and complete teaching that the world has ever seen, and will ever need."
.
.
"Buddhism - The Buddha's Teachings, The Dhamma, The Truth, does not belong to Buddhism, the religion, alone.
.
It belongs to All."
.
.
.
.
"Dhamma belongs to everybody who practises in the right way."
.
- Ajahn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno
"The Path that the Buddha showed us is, I believe, the only path humanity must tread if it is to escape disaster."
.
- Jawaharla Nehru .
"Lord Buddha's message of truth, peace, compassion and tolerance is as relevant (today) as it was many centuries ago.
.
Rampant materialism and the pursuit of individual success at all costs, have eroded the ties of brotherhood and community.
.
In these circumstances, it is necessary to remember and propagate the message of compassion of Lord Buddha so that hatred can be replaced by love, strife by peace, and confrontation by cooperation."
.
- Dr Amadou - Mahtar M'Bow .
.
.
"Buddha's message of compassion and devotion to the service of humanity is more relevant today than at any other time in history.
.
Peace, understanding and a vision that transcends purely national boundaries are imperatives of our insecure nuclear age."
.
- Javier Purez De Cuullar .
.
.
"It is Buddhism as we find it actually recorded, not a hypothetical primitive system, which still forms a challenge to other religions."
.
- Bishop Gore, "Buddha and The Christ" .
.
.
.
.
"All monotheistic religions start with certain assumptions, and when these assumption are contradicted by the growth of knowledge, it increases sorrow.
.
BUT Buddhism starts with no assumptions.
.
It stands on the firm rock of facts, and can therefore never shun the dry light of knowledge."
.
- Prof. Lakshimi Narasu .
.
.
.
"I was never on the point of embracing Buddhism, but I found, and still find, it infinitely more satisfying than the Judeo - Christian philosophy."
.
- Robert J Hawke
.
.
"The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal God and avoid dogmas and theology.
.
Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.
.
Buddhism answers this description."
.
- Albert Einstein .
.
.
"One of the 1st scholars to begin the work of translating the Pali literature into English, was the son of a well-known clergyman.
.
His object in undertaking the work was to prove the superiority of Christianity over Buddhism.
He failed in this task but he achieved a greater victory than he expected.
.
He became a Buddhist.
.
We must never forget the happy chance which prompted him to undertake this work and thereby make the precious Dhamma available to thousands in the West.
.
The name of this great scholar was Dr Rhys Davids."
.
- Venerable A Mahinda .
.
.
"Buddhist or not Buddhist, I have examined every one of the great religious systems of the world, and in none of them have I found anything to surpass, in beauty and comprehensiveness, the Noble Eightfold Path and the 4 Noble Truths of the Buddha.
.
I am content to shape my life according to that path."
.
- Prof. Rhys Davids .
.
.
"If I knew the Buddha would be speaking here tomorrow, nothing in the world could stop me from going to listen to him.
.
And I would follow him to the very end."
.
- J. Krishnamurti .
.
.
.
.
"The most striking thing about the Buddha is almost a unique combination of a cool scientific head and profound sympathy of a warm and loving heart.
.
The world turns more and more towards the Buddha, for He alone represents the conscience of humanity."
.
- Moni Bagghee, "Our Buddha" .
.
.
"For Asia to be not for Asia but for the whole world, it has to relearn the message of the Buddha and deliver it to the whole world.
.
His love, his boundless love went out as much to the lower animal, to the lowest life as to human beings.
And he insisted upon purity of life."
.
- Mahatma Gandhi .
.
"In the Buddha you see clearly a man, simple, devout, alone, battling for light, a vivid human personality, NOT a myth.
He too gave a message to mankind universal in character. Many of our best modern ideas are in closest harmony with it.
All the miseries and discontents of life are due, he taught, to selfishness.
Before a man can become serene, he must cease to live for his senses or himself. Then he merges into a greater being.
Buddhism in a different language called men to self-forgetfulness 500 years before Christ.
In some ways, he was nearer to us and our needs.
He was more lucid upon our individual importance in service than Christ and less ambiguous upon the question of personal immortality."
- H G Wells.
.
"The Buddha has only shown the way to salvation and it is left to each individual to decide for himself if he would follow it."
.
- Prof. Lakshimi Narasu
To The Buddha
.
I will follow Him
.
Follow Him wherever He may go
.
There isn't an ocean too deep
.
A Mountain so high
.
That it keeps me away ........
.
I will follow Him.
