Buddhism as a Philosophy

Buddhism as a Philosophy

The word “philosophy” derives from the Greek “philosophia”, literally “love of wisdom”. It is defined as the search for knowledge of the nature and meaning of the universe and human life.

Since Buddhism stresses the importance of wisdom, of gaining knowledge and understanding, it is clearly a philosophy. Furthermore, Buddhism is more than merely a philosophy: it is not only a love of wisdom, but also emphasizes the continuous effort to practice and realize a goal, the goal of enlightenment and liberation.

Knowledge

In the history of mankind, many great philosophers have acquired knowledge of life and the universe. The most notable are: Heraclitus[1] who confirmed that change was central to the universe and that nothing remained still, Pythagoras[2] who believed in transmigration or the reincarnation of the soul again and again until it became immortal, and Aristotle[3]who explained thoroughly the relationships between causes and effects.

The Buddha revealed those Truths before the times of Heraclitus, Pythagoras and Aristotle.[4] In Buddhism, those Truths are respectively the Impermanence of all things, Rebirth, and the workings of Karma.

Practice and Realization

The Buddha not only spoke of those Truths, but also took a further step in offering a plan of practice to realize the goal of liberation from rebirth cycles: he laid out a path, the Noble Eightfold Path that we can follow to perfect ourselves.

While philosophers content themselves with the attained knowledge, the Buddha leads the way to set a goal for all. We should study and practice the philosophical teachings of the Buddha, and ultimately realize our final goal with our own effort and free will.

The final goal in Buddhism also includes the welfare of others. The Buddha taught that generosity is the highest virtue that every Buddhist should practice, as he once said, “Work for the welfare of others.”

* * *

We may conclude that Buddhism is not a religion in the sense related to divine power; it is rather a faith, a strong belief in human potential. Neither is Buddhism a plain philosophy, for it not only embraces a love of wisdom but also requires practice and realization; we may call it a beautiful way of life.

The Buddha had set an example of personal effort and achievement; he taught us:

“No one saves us but ourselves,

No one can and no one may.

We ourselves must walk the path,

But Buddha clearly shows the way.”

An excerpt from But Buddha Clearly Shows the Way, Du Yen, 2011

“Bodhi Leaf” in color pencil by Wolfgang Heidrich,

also used as clip art at the close of all articles in Buddhism Section.

[1] Heraclitus (535 BC – 475 BC), a Greek philosopher, is famous for his utterance: “Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers.”

[2] Pythagoras (570 BC – 495 BC), a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and scientist, is famous for his theorem in geometry, the Pythagorean theorem. The theorem states that, in a right-angle triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

[3] Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC), a Greek philosopher, influenced virtually all Western philosophy that came after his works.

[4] The Buddha spoke of those Truths after he attained enlightenment at the age of thirty-five, circa 589 BC, two decades and five decades before Pythagoras and Heraclitus were born respectively, and two centuries prior to Aristotle’s birth.