Buddhism as a Religion

Buddhism as a Religion

The God-concept

Religion is defined as the belief in the existence of one god or multiple gods; it also refers to the activities of worshipping the gods. In some religions, God is believed to possess supernatural powers and control all beings in the universe.

Although Buddhism is known as one of the great religions of mankind, it is not truly a religion on the basis of “belief and worship of a supernatural god”.

The Buddha, founder of Buddhism, never claimed that he was a god, the child of a god or even the messenger of a god. He was a man who perfected himself; he taught that all conscious beings possess Buddhahood, and if we follow his example, we can also perfect ourselves and become a Buddha.

The primitive man created the god-idea to give him comfort when he was in fear of wild animals, disease, and natural disasters like storm, lightning, volcanoes, and flood. Until this day, people pray to their god and ask for help in time of need, or when they are in fear and frustration. The Buddha taught us to restrain our fear, to reduce our desires, and to accept the things we cannot change.

Human beings in Buddhism

Buddhists do not believe in gods but in mankind. Buddhists believe that each human being is precious and important, that all have the ability to develop into a Buddha, a perfected human being.

The Buddha taught us that human beings can outgrow ignorance, and see things as they really are, and that each of us can replace hatred, anger, spite, and jealousy with love, patience, generosity, and kindness.

In teaching us to cultivate the wisdom, which is the knowledge and understanding of all things in our world according to the natural law,[1] the Buddha shifted the emphasis from a god’s power to human ability. Man is capable of perfecting himself and controlling his own destiny without pleading for help from a supernatural power. The Buddha’s enlightenment is a solid demonstration and a conclusive proof of man’s potential.

Worship

There are different types of worship. When people worship a god, they praise the god, offer gifts, and ask for favors. They believe that the god will hear their praise, receive their gifts, and answer their prayers.

Another way of worship is to show respect to someone or something we admire. For example, when a teacher walks into a room, the students stand up; when we meet an honorable person we bow or shake hands; when the national anthem is played we salute. These gestures of respect and worship express our admiration. This is the type of worship Buddhists practice.

A statue or image of the Buddha with his hands resting in his lap, half-closed eyes, and gentle smile reminds us to develop peace and love within ourselves. When we bow to the Buddha statue or image, we express our gratitude to the Buddha for his teachings and guidance.

Blind Faith and Punishments

Buddhism does not require blind faith from its followers. The Buddha never forces anyone to listen to or obey him. He encourages us to make our own judgments. Unlike in other religions, Buddhists are free to doubt, question, and explore the teachings of the founder. The following teachings of the Buddha symbolize the central principle of Buddhism:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it.

Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored 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 contributing to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”[2]

In other religions, the words of the founder are “orders”. The followers of a religion must neither refuse these orders nor doubt the principles in the holy book. Anyone who doubts or does not follow that basis will be “punished” by god. Other religious holy books often told the stories of men who were severely punished by god, because they did not follow his orders.

According to Buddhist books, the Buddha never showed anger, nor punished anyone. In his forty-five years of teaching, the Buddha was always kind, calm, and peaceful, to both good and bad people.

The Buddha’s teachings are not orders. His teachings center upon the Truths. He never claimed to be the author of those Truths; they existed before his time, the Buddha only discovered them and showed us the way to enlightenment.

Buddhists are also free to choose their way of practice. We are not required to go to any temple, attend any worship session, or join any Buddhist group. Although we learn easily when we participate in the Buddhist community, there are many other ways to perfect ourselves and help others through charitable work.

Confession in Buddhism

In our daily practice to purify ourselves, we must first recognize our bad deeds; we express this recognition with Confession.

Like the water seeks its own level, bad consequences will seek to equal bad deeds we created in the past. The Buddha cannot remove bad consequences for us or wash away our impurities. The Buddha, as a teacher, gives us guidance, but we are responsible for our deeds. Thus, in Buddhism, a plain confession to our religious leader is not effective unless practical and positive actions follow it. Above all, a firm commitment to prevent repeating immoral behaviors and a strong will to cultivate good deeds must be the result of Confession.

Conversion to Buddhism

Buddhists do not intend to convert others.

Once there was a reputable man named Upali; he was a follower of another religion and tried to convert the Buddha. However, after talking to the Buddha, he was enlightened and decided to become a disciple of the Buddha. The Buddha then said,

“Make a proper investigation first. Proper investigation is beneficial for a well-known person like you.”

In Buddhism, understanding is essential and thorough understanding takes time. So Buddhism does not require anyone to impulsively rush to become a follower, nor convert anyone without one taking time to ask questions and make decision. The Buddha was more concerned that people should follow his teachings as a result of a careful investigation of the facts.

Most religions in the world claim to be the only “true faith” and reject other religions as “superstition”. Buddhism does not reject any religion. In the twenty-five centuries of its history, it always existed peacefully with other religions, and no bloodshed conflicts with other religions ever occurred.

Buddhists encourage every person to practice his own religion properly if he can find truth, happiness, and peace.

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

“Temple and cherry blossoms” in watercolors by Du Yen

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[1] Natural law, or the Law of Nature, is a law whose content is set by nature and that therefore is valid everywhere, for examples, gravity, seasonal changes, causes of winds and rains, renewal of human cells, and physical similarity of twins.

[2] Reference: The Anguttara Nikaya, Kalama Sutra.