Studying a religion that is completely new is very interesting as one gets to learn very new things that they never knew before. It is a whole new experience more especially when it comes to studying beliefs that other people hold dear. In the case of Buddhism, one will be at awe at the very many lessons learnt more especially from the Dhammapada, the teachings that Buddhists believe in.
“Attention leads to immortality. Carelessness leads to death. Those who pay attention will not die, while the careless are as good as dead already. 21”
It is indeed a sad reality that this is the plain truth and it does not beat around the bush, it is clear and concise that indeed, if one fails to pay attention then their aftermath is death, but lucky are those who pay attention for it leads to immortality. Another very interesting one is from “the wise man” and it states that,
“Like a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so the wise are not moved by praise or blame. 81”
This one is equally weighty because it in a way sounds like a warning, that if one is wise, then he or she will not drown in praise neither will he or she carried away by blame.
Buddhism from this point of reasoning happens to be a religion that is full of warnings and lessons about the realities of life. It does not majorly rely on what the holy books say but rather draws lessons even from other writings such as Dhammapada. It therefore goes without saying that many of its teachings are drawn from day to day living of not only its members but life in general. Buddhism is therefore not just religion but can be regarded as a lifestyle.
Reference
Richards, J. The Dhammapada. Retrieved on 17th June, 2013. http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/dhammapada.htm
