Buddhism is a religion that emphasises on non-violence and peace. As it began to spread people of varied religions began to turn to Buddhism in a bid to find peace in the midst of a stressful spell. To the Buddhist the whole universe is connected whether we feel it or not as everything depends on another and nothing happens in isolation. The way the Buddhist sees the world can be seen through the opinion of Johan Galtung who stated that his peace theory was a precise process based on diversity in a mutually influential interaction. To him, peace was not a stable state but rather an interactive process involving a series of changing and balancing acts between our actions and the world (Der-lan yeh). This view of peace seen as a collection of actions and reactions is similar to how the Buddhists view peace, choosing instead to see peace as a holistic list rather than being separate.
These Four Noble Truths determine all the Buddhist’s practices. They teach men to be able to undergo suffering while maintaining immense peace – one that is maintained at all levels whether it is intra or inter personal, in group or inter group. The Buddhist does not pretend to be oblivious to the goings on in their environment but rather honestly and carefully call things for what they are. As Buddha teaches
This is a guide to the people in their pursuit of peace and the attitude, response and comprehension they give to that peace. Peace then no longer becomes what happens to people but rather but rather what they do with those happenings. As Buddha himself sad, “Once I dwell in peace, in adversity I react with no anger; living among angry people I act with no anger.” (Dhammapada, Taisho 4: 210) This approach of inner transformation has been lauded as the path to peace. This kind of peace now transcends looking out for just ourselves but rather it now begins to show concern for everything else that constitutes their world. This now aids the cultivation of the four positive emotional faculties.
- Loving Kindness
- Compassion
- Sympathetic Joy
- Equanimity
Although these qualities are generated internally, they do contain an outward orientation. “The one who dwells in compassion would not have a conflicting volition; the one who dwells in loving-kindness would always act most appropriately.” (Dhammapada, Taisho 4: 210) Therefore now the Buddhist understands that his path will lead towards the eight divisions of right understanding, right action, right thought, right speech, right concentration, right effort, right livelihood and right mindfulness. While Buddha gives the path to rightful living to his followers, he does claim that even lay followers who do not join the sangha should follow the Five Precepts that would help them live in a secular society harmoniously when they abstain from
- the taking of life
- taking what has not been given
- sensual misconduct
- false speech
- toxicants that can cloud the mind
Obeying and living according to these precepts would lead to our living in a more controlled and peaceful world: one that would prevent violence on oneself and other via economic, familial or verbal means. These precepts are universally true to the point that they have been inculcated into schools in different variations and lauded as a blueprint to prevention of conflict.
We live in a world where conflict is real and this is not any different with the Buddhists. In a bid to prevent suffering or harm to be brought about through conflicts and disputes, Buddha taught on the six principles of cordiality. These principles would create love and respect and they asked that one should endeavour to maintain them in public or even in private. They were
- maintaining bodily acts
- maintaining verbal acts
- maintaining mental acts that veered towards loving kindness to other members
- endeavour to share material possessions and rewards with others
- following codes of conduct that would lead to destruction of suffering
- holding views that would lead to destruction of suffering
Religions began and aimed to demonstrate peace even though today most religions are synonymous with warfare. It is therefore imperative that human culture be viewed through the lens of religious traditions and beliefs. Buddhism is one of those religions that vigorously stress non-violence and kindness through her interdependence and codes of behaviour. Whether it is the principles of cordiality or other aspects of their worldview as it relates to peace, it has been shown that the secular world can take these principles and apply it to their circumstances and more often than not receive a favourable peaceful result. As people we sometimes forget our interdependence but the fact remains that we contribute directly or indirectly to violence in war, exploitation or conflict as these events can never take place in isolation but they must have been triggered by man in some way, shape or form. Buddhism teaches that violence and peace are always interrelated and all together influential. It therefore urges us to rather walk the path of peace.
Buddhism and the Self
A very complex and perplexing concept in the philosophy of Buddhism has to do with doctrine and what it says about the not-self or anatta. Buddha always discouraged the reverence of dogma but rather encouraged that people sought to gain insight through enquiry, reasoning and experience (Maung, Buddhism and the Self). Many texts have shown him encouraging that people seek and know the truths for themselves irrespective of what that truth was about. That same admonition should be used with respect the self and its existence as there has been a lot said about it or its absence. But it was said that when we leave the world, we return the only thing belonging to it - our corpse – to the glory of our self. What is the correlation therefore between my consciousness and myself? The fact that the whole experience of the Buddhist could not take place in a vacuum but instead through a body does not take anything away from the fact that the soul and intellect are the more enlightened spheres.
Anatta therefore does not deny that self exists but rather showing that the conditioned phenomena are not the real self. This therefore teaches that we avoid thinking of ourselves as conditioned phenomena. This feeling frees the Buddhist from the clutches of greed as greed has no power over the one who realises that his body and mind do not really belong to him. Then you can’t amass material possessions for what does not belong to you. Knowing this also promotes a respect and compassion towards others as we begin to encourage and respect others as been equal since we no longer equate ourselves with our possessions. And when viewed in this light the doctrine of anatta takes on a very different and profound meaning.
Buddhism and Death
Buddhism teaches the people to have no adverse fear of death. To them the universe is a living entity but one that has life and death cycles repeated without ceasing. Death therefore plays the role of renewal and becomes a necessary part of the life cycle. The philosophy of Buddhism has always taught that the reality of death be squarely confronted. Illness, aging and death play a fundamental role in Buddhism and all people have been made in a way that they will at some point or the other face each of the stages of death and illness and aging. This Zen outlook on death has made many outsiders see Buddhism as a very pessimistic view on life. The truth however lies in the fact that denying the presence of death does not make it any less real. Death is inevitable and ignoring this basic truth will only result in some superficial outlook of life. Buddhism aims to equip the people with the truth about death and the part it plays in life. This knowledge then makes it possible to live a life of strength and clarity.
Life is all around us and is experienced every day whether in the cycle of life or death. Death therefore acts as a recycling process where our lives may be returned to the ocean of life. It is a period of rest; the type that a rejuvenated sleep can give to the exertions of the day before. This perfect enlightenment therefore shows that just like birth has no beginning marking it so does death. This now brings us to karma and what part it plays in the life of a human being. To the Buddhist karma is not a fixed force that cannot be changed but it has rather been called a raging current. A current that interacts with the different realms of consciousness through which humans can exert influence on their surroundings, on life and one another. At this level the cycles of life and death are maintained. The questions of life and death will always remain as they are fundamental and shapes views on everything. This therefore sheds some light on the importance of its understanding.
Buddhism and Compassion
Many have wondered the relationship between the law in Buddhism and humans. Buddhism has always placed emphasis on relationships and how our lives and the way we live these lives can bring about for better relationships. Buddhism therefore encourages that we let go of the illusions of the world and the attachments that come with them but rather to have compassion for all the things that live as we help them grow by protecting them. During the Second World War Josei Toda was imprisoned and persecuted in Japan. During his study there he came upon what is now called the thirty four negations where the life of Buddha was described through listing what it was not (Young, et al). After much prayer he realised that our world had life and this reality was espoused by Buddha as he expressed the Buddha as life.
Compassion should move the universe and preserve harmony among all things. Compassion comes from an impersonal reality and Buddhists take compassionate action on their own and not led to. Compassion has become a part of life with the Buddhist irrespective of what sphere they may be or what area they may occupy.
Many people have claimed that Buddhism should not be considered a religion but rather a philosophy. One of the arguments used for this debate is the fact that as a religion there is no deity that the Buddhists are pointed to emulate but rather an enlightened man shares his thoughts of how life can be lived in peace. Islam and Christianity preach that salvation comes from grace given by an absolute deity. Buddhism on the other hand points at a different approach to salvation. Salvation could be achieved when one uses his power to emancipate himself from worldly desires.
Buddhism and Humanity
Buddhism teaches that all beings possess the nature of Buddha. To the Buddhist the human body is seen as a vessel of the law. While life expresses cosmic life, only human beings can become its subjective agents. If this is true then the Buddhist claims that a compassionate action towards all forms of life in a way that it leads to happiness and nurturing is the mission the cosmos gave to humans who carry the life. In essence all living beings as they all possess life. They should therefore bestow dignity on all as they practice equality. Human beings therefore need to show compassion to all living things as they all possess the life the cosmos makes available to all. The value we place on life should transcend humans and other living creatures. Buddhism places importance on subjectivity because man due to his inherent nature has the liability to be good or evil. The enlightened man is the one who has learnt to suppress the evil while realizing and utilizing the good. Self-discipline therefore is the cornerstone of subjective human beings as they learn to express humanity in all they do and respecting the world they possess. It has been said that “to not do good is the same as doing evil.”
It is common with monotheistic religions like Christianity and Islam to separate good and evil into two distinct entities, Buddhism and other pantheistic religions view them as a concept that is hard to separate. It is expected that this view shows a lovelier environment where people who are seen to do bad are not excommunicated as they may have been in monotheistic religions but rather made to receive enlightenment. Unfortunately history tells us this is not so as the Sinhala Urumaya of Sri Lanka showed that extremist movements do also exist in Buddhism (Matsouka). Buddhism however sees humanity as a social service and the human as the active agent.
Conclusion
Whether people will place Buddhism on the same pedestal that they do other monotheistic religions or if it will ever be considered a religion does not take anything away from the fact that the individual perceives Buddhism as a way of life. One that emphasizes peace and teaches on how it could be achieved, while not accruing for yourself treasures as you don’t own yourself that may have benefitted from those treasures. Buddhism teaches boldness and discourages fear, especially of death as that in itself is a fact of life. Buddhism in its years on earth have taught and inculcated many of their ways on mankind. Many things could be said about Buddhism, but one thing is true and that is the fact that their views on life is being accepted as valid and helpful in our world today.
References
Der-lan Yeh, Theresa. The Way to Peace: A Buddhist Perspective.”
International Journal of Peace Studies. 11 (1), 2006. 91 – 112. http://www.gmu.edu/programs/icar/ijps/vol11_1/11n1Yeh.pdf
Maung, Hanu Htut. “Buddhism and the Self.” n.d. Web. 20 Jun. 2013. http://www.buddhanet.net/buddhism-self.htm
Matsouka, Mikio. “The Buddhist Concept of the Human Being: From the Viewpoint of the Philosophy of the Soka Gakkai.” The Journal of Oriental Studies, 15. 2005.
http://www.sgi.org/resource-center/study-materials/the-buddhist-concept-of-the-human-being-from-the-viewpoint-of-the-philosophy-of-the-soka-gakkai.html
Young, et al. “The Buddhist’s Perspective of the Soka Gakkai.” n.d. Web. 20 Jun. 2013. http://www.g-e-a.org/docs/Young.pdf
n.p. “A Buddhist Perspective on Ecological Crisis and Individual Social Responsibility.”
7 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Jun. 2013. http://newlotus.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/31783
