[Ven.MasterChinKung]BuddhismisanEducation,NotaReligionoraPhilosophy

德遵普贤

BUDDHISMISANEDUCATION,
NOTARELIGIONORAPHILOSOPHY.BuddhismisNotaReligion
AccordingtotheWebster’sDictionary,thedefinitionofreligionisasfollows,“Anorganizedsystemofbeliefs,rites,andcelebrationscenteredonasupernaturalbeingpower;beliefpursuedwithdevotion.”Buddhismisnotareligionbecause:First,theBuddhaisnota‘supernaturalbeingpower’.TheBuddhaissimplyapersonwhohasreachedCompleteUnderstandingoftherealityoflifeandtheuniverse.Lifereferstoourselves,anduniversereferstoourlivingenvironment.TheBuddhataughtthatallbeingspossessthesameabilitytoreachCompleteUnderstandingofthemselvesandtheirenvironment,andrelievethemselvesfromallsufferingstoattainutmosthappiness.AllbeingscanbecomeBuddhas,andallbeingsandtheBuddhaareequalbynature.TheBuddhaisnotaGod,butateacher,whoteachusthewaytorestoreWisdomandUnderstandingbyconqueringthegreed,hatred,andignorancewhichblindusatthepresentmoment.Theword‘Buddha’isaSanskritword,whentranslateditmeans,“Wisdom,Awareness/Understanding”.WecallthefounderofBuddhismShakyamuniBuddhabecauseHehasattainedCompleteUnderstandingandWisdomoflifeandtheuniverse.BuddhismisHiseducationtous,itisHisteachingwhichshinethewaytoBuddhahood.
Buddhismisnotareligionbecause:Second,the‘belief’intheBuddha’steachingsisnotblindbelief,orblindfaith.ShakyamuniBuddhataughtusnottoblindlybelievewhathetellsus,hewantsustotrytheteachingsandprovethemforourselves.TheBuddhawantsustoknow,notmerelybelieve.TheBuddha’steachingsflowfromhisownexperienceandunderstandingofthetruth,andshowsusapathofourowntotastethetruthforourselves.TheBuddhausesaperfectlyscientificwayofshowingusrealityinitstrueform.
Third,Buddhismisnotareligionbecauseallthe‘ritesandcelebrations’arenotcenteredonasupernaturalbeing,butratherthepeopleattendingtheassemblies.TheceremoniesandcelebrationsinBuddhismallserveaneducationalpurpose,areminderoftheBuddha’steachingsandencouragementtoallstudentswhopracticeit.ThepointoftheceremoniesistohelpothersawakenfromdelusionandreturntoWisdomandUnderstanding.
Finally,Buddhismisnotareligionbecausethe‘devotion’usedinBuddhismisnotonebasedonemotion,butonebasedonreason.StudentsoftheBuddhaaredevotedtotheirpracticeofmaintainingPurityofMindbecausethispracticebringstruehappiness.WearedevotedtohelpingbothourselvesandothersattainCompleteUnderstandingandWisdom.OurdevotionistobecomeBuddha.