Buddhism is not merely to be preserved in books, nor is it a subject to be studied only from an histor ical or literary point of view; on the contrary, it is to be learned and put into practice in the course of one’s daily life, for without actual practice one cannot appreciate truth. Study and practice come first, but above all it is realization, self-realization, which is its ultimate goal. As such Buddhism is comparable to a raft which is meant for the sole purpose of escaping from the ocean of samsara; Buddhism, therefore, cannot strictly be called a philosophy. Is it then a religion? Neither is it a religion in the sense in which that word is commonly understood, for it is not system of faith and worship. Buddhism does not demand blind faith from its adherents; here mere belief is dethroned and replaced by confidence, saddha, as it is known in Pali, based on knowledge of truth. The confidence placed by a follower in the Buddha is like that of a sick man towards the physician, or that of a student towards his teacher.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:55:41 +0000
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