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Buddhism is Not a Religion
According to the Webster's Dictionary,
the definition of religion is as follows, "An organized system of beliefs,
rites, and celebrations centered on a supernatural being power; belief
pursued with devotion."
Buddhism is not a religion because: First, the Buddha is not a 'supernatural
being power'. The Buddha is simply a person who has reached Complete
Understanding of the reality of life and the universe. Life refers to
ourselves, and universe refers to our living environment. The Buddha taught
that all beings possess the same ability to reach Complete Understanding of
themselves and their environment, and relieve themselves from all sufferings
to attain utmost happiness. All beings can become Buddhas, and all beings
and the Buddha are equal by nature. The Buddha is not a God, but a teacher,
who teach us the way to restore Wisdom and Understanding by conquering the
greed, hatred, and ignorance which blind us at the present moment. The word
'Buddha' is a Sanskrit word, when translated it means, "Wisdom,
Awareness/Understanding". We call the founder of Buddhism Shakyamuni Buddha
because He has attained Complete Understanding and Wisdom of life and the
universe. Buddhism is His education to us, it is His teaching which shine
the way to Buddhahood.
Buddhism is not a religion because: Second, the 'belief' in the Buddha's
teachings is not blind belief, or blind faith. Shakyamuni Buddha taught us
not to blindly believe what he tells us, he wants us to try the teachings
and prove them for ourselves. The Buddha wants us to know, not merely
believe. The Buddha's teachings flow from his own experience and
understanding of the truth, and shows us a path of our own to taste the
truth for ourselves. The Buddha uses a perfectly scientific way of showing
us reality in its true form.
Third, Buddhism is not a religion because all the 'rites and celebrations'
are not centered on a supernatural being, but rather the people attending
the assemblies. The ceremonies and celebrations in Buddhism all serve an
educational purpose, a reminder of the Buddha's teachings and encouragement
to all students who practice it. The point of the ceremonies is to help
others awaken from delusion and return to Wisdom and Understanding.
Finally, Buddhism is not a religion because the 'devotion' used in Buddhism
is not one based on emotion, but one based on reason. Students of the Buddha
are devoted to their practice of maintaining Purity of Mind because this
practice brings true happiness. We are devoted to helping both ourselves and
others attain Complete Understanding and Wisdom. Our devotion is to become
Buddha.
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