By
Viewed
56,151
Please choose the correct answer for each question below:
Questions: 0/142
Correct: 0
Translate:
Do you need to be religious to become a
Buddhist? Well, that depends on what you
mean by becoming religious. For many
people becoming religious or the word
religion brings the memories of rigid
traditions and unquestionable faith and
also imposed beliefs and a set of rules
that are made not because they they make
sense but because they're coming from an
ancient scripture, ancient text. In that
approach, Buddhism is different. Buddha
did not claim himself to be a god.
Buddha never asked for worship from
people and also Buddha never demanded
blind faith from people. Instead he
offered a path of self-realization and
self-exloration and a path that everyone
must follow by themsel right in one of
his most famous sutras kalama sutra with
the meets a group of people who was
confused that they met a lot of
spiritual teachers and everyone they
meet they claim themselves to be to know
the ultimate truth and then they ask
this question from the Buddha. Who
should we believe? What spiritual leader
and what spiritual teaching should we
believe?
The Buddha's answer was quite
surprising. The Buddha said, "Do not
just reject an idea or believe in an
idea just because it is coming from an
ancient scripture."
And also do not reject an idea or
believe an idea just because it is your
tradition. And also remember that do not
believe and reject an idea just because
your teacher said it so. Instead test
it, live it, observe it and see it for
yourself.
Is this idea brings happiness to my
life? Is this idea is bringing happiness
to my life and to the others? Is this
idea works for well-being and for the
benefit of myself and to the others? If
it is a yes, then by all means hold on
to that practice. Hold on to that idea
and do it. But if an idea brings
suffering and unhappiness and pain and
suffering to your life and to the
others, then the Buddha said, "Let it
go." So understand Buddhism doesn't need
blind faith. What Buddhism need is the
confidence to practice it. So you may
ask if Buddhism isn't about blind faith.
What is it about? Call it a religion,
call it a philosophy, call it
spirituality,
labels don't matter. What matters the
most is what you practice.
If you're practicing love and kindness
that is unbound and unconditional for
every sentient being in this world,
you're practicing the Buddhist path. If
you're practicing the mindfulness and
awareness to seek the truth within
yourself, then you are practicing the
Buddhist path. So Buddhism is not about
whether you call yourself a Buddhist. It
is about whether you are choosing your
life to live, choosing to live your life
with wisdom and compassion and kindness
and with more clarity. Right? Just keep
in mind that even the Buddha started
this journey not as someone who was
enlightened. First the Buddha was before
becoming the Buddha, he was living in a
palace. He was living in a royal life.
He he lived a a luxurious life. He was
born for the to wealth. Right? And then
he understood that living within these
material pleasures, becoming busy with
these material pleasures doesn't help me
to seek the truth, doesn't help me to
seek the peace that I'm looking for. So
what he did was he renounced his life
and he fell into the other extreme where
he practiced the self-denial,
right? He tortured his body. He starved
his body. And then he understood that
even self-denial, this extreme doesn't
help to practice and to find the peace
within myself. And then only he found
out this middle path, this balanced life
where you you do not indulge yourself in
the sensual pleasure and also you do not
deny anything. You do not you do not
deny yourself. Right? So this is the
essence of Buddhism. Not falling into
any kind of extremes. Not falling into
any kind of extreme beliefs. And it is
more about finding what works for you.
Finding what brings the peace and
happiness to yourself and to the others.
If Buddhism brings the peace and
happiness to your life, you have to
practice it. You can practice it. You're
free to practice it. Right? And also the
Buddha said everyone is open to come and
see it for yourself. This is the most
important thing in Buddhism. The Buddha
says see it for yourself. Put it into
practice and understand and then you
will realize the peace of this practice
and the value of this practice. So keep
it in your mind. In Buddhism you don't
need to believe anything blindly. You
don't need to accept any traditions or
dogmas. What you need to do is try to be
more kind. Try to practice more kindness
and compassion within your heart and
also try to be aware of your thoughts
and try to live with intentions rather
than being carried away with the habits
and emotions. Right? So if if it works
for you, if it helps for you and if it
brings the happiness to your life, then
practice it. If it doesn't, let it go.
All right? So this is the difference in
Buddhist practice. So in the end the
question is not whether you call
yourself a Buddhist or not whether you
call yourself religious. It is about are
you willing to practice? Are you ready
to practice? Right? And how are you
ready to say it by yourself? So keep
this valuable idea in your mind and then
you'll be able to understand Buddhism
more clearly. I wish you all may you be
happy and may you be healthy and may you
be able to live in peace in this life.
side.
Related Songs