More Thoughts on World Views (Buddhism)

Around 450 BC, a man by the name of Siddhārtha Gautama lived in India. He was from a royal family and was very rich. He participated in the Hindu religion but was dissatisfied. He felt that Hinduism offered great spiritual answers but nothing for the practical details of life. So he set out on a quest to find answers. His journey was very similar to Solomon’s journey detailed in the book of Ecclesiastes. He tried buying stuff, giving stuff away, gluttony and starvation. He traveled and played the life of a hermit. He spent most of his time living a life of asceticism. After years of searching he sat down under a bodhi tree and claims that enlightenment came to him and he became the buddha and formed buddhism

Buddhism has four noble truths:

1. All existence is suffering
2. All suffering comes from desire
3. There is a fix for this problem
4. The fix is known as the middle way

Siddhartha’s enlightenment was the pattern for what became known as the middle way. The goal of buddhism, therefore is to remove desire, thereby ending suffering. The middle way means to do everything down the middle. Don’t work too hard and don’t be too lazy. Don’t eat too much food, but don’t eat too little.

Buddhism came out of Hinduism, so it also believes in reincarnation. Buddhist reincarnation is not a way to pay for past sins, like Hinduism. Buddhist reincarnation is seen as steps on a ladder to enlightenment. Every life gets one or more steps closer to enlightenment. No where in buddhist teaching is enlightenment defined.

Siddhartha believed that we need to focus on this life, right here, right now. Supernatural things, gods and the afterlife are inconsequential. Humans are spiritual beings, however, so in Asia, buddhists are also ancestor worshippers and people will see Guan Yu  in Chinese restaurants. He is a red guy with a beard. He is the farmer god to bring prosperity. Some buddhists also worship images of buddha, which buddha would strictly forbid.  Most Buddhist merge the practice daily activities of buddhism with the spiritual beliefs of an other religion.

Buddhism has no book of revelation or authoritative writings to follow. Each generation builds on the previous generation's experience and figures buddhism out for themselves. So buddhist practices vary widely in each country, over time. Graduate level buddhism is known as Zen Buddhism. Zen teaches people to ignore reality and create a new reality in their mind. This is the ultimate way to remove all desire and live a life of pure nothingness. Modern people see Zen Buddhism as a way to gain calmness amidst the stress of life.  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is an attempt to meld Zen Buddhism, psychology and quality of life.

Buddhism offers nothing in the way of hope. There is no teaching about the afterlife and all a buddhist has to look forward to is a simple life and being reborn again and again for all eternity. Speculation concerning enlightenment and nirvana vary wildly from author to author. There is no authoritative teaching on what it means or how to get it. Of all the modern religious systems, buddhism is the most depressing, offering nothing to its adherents.


#Thoughts on World Views#