When assessing Buddhism with other religions it is visible that Buddhism isn’t a religion which doesn’t require devotion. One can attain ‘Nibbāna’ by practicing the ‘threefold trainin’: ‘Sīla’ [virtue], ‘Samādhi’[concentration] and ‘Paññā’ [wisdom]. Buddhism is neither a philosophy nor a religion based on a belief. It is a way to achieve physical and mental discipline that enhances knowledge to attain ‘Nibbāna’.
The main goal of Buddhism is to build a society with moral values, not only to prosper the way of spiritual happiness but also to make living in this world with worldly happiness. Humans need merits to live through ‘Saṃsāra’. For that ‘Bodhisattva’ rejected self-indulgence and self-mortification and followed the ‘Middle Path’. That was because of his free thinking. The core of the Buddha’s first preaching is the ‘Four Noble Truths’: ‘Dhukka’, ‘Samudhaya’, ‘Nirodha’ and ‘Magga’.
Buddha preached that when living beings wander the ‘Samsara’, it is with wisdom that they should it. All sentient beings should understand The Four Noble Truths through their wisdom.
It is mentioned in the ‘Dvadasakara’ description of the ‘Dhammachakka’ that we should acknowledge, understand and expand the eternal truth in this world, which is ‘Chathurarya Sathya’.
Buddhism is a religion that prioritizes free thinking. At the beginning of the ‘Arya Ashtangika Magga,’ [Noble Eight Fold Path] it is mentioned that ‘Samma Dittiya’ (Seeing the good) and ‘Samma Sankappa’ are essential facts when it comes to living a good life. Admittedly, that concept being mentioned as ‘Nekkamma’, ‘Avyapaada’, and ‘Avihinsa’ proves that moral thinking is the foundation of Buddhism.
Apparently, in the 6th Century BCE numerous religio-philosophies generated based on spiritual liberation in India. It is mentioned that there were 62 types of views just in India. Teachers like ‘Mahavira’, ‘Paribrajakas’ like Sakuludai, ‘Jatilas’ like Uruwelai, ‘Nigantas’ like ‘Shevethambara’ and ‘Nigambara’ ‘Achelakas, ‘Jambukajivakas’ and Confucianism are examples for this. Looking at the time period when the ‘Bodhisattva’ was ascetic and performed self – mortification it is fair to say that he was manipulated by his contemporary society to do such a thing.
Brahminism segmented the society introducing the caste system based on aspects such as economy and living. Brahmans were priests, ‘Kshatriyas’ were rulers, ‘Vaishyas’ were sellers, and people who engaged in different industries and cleaning were ‘Shudras’.
Vedas like ‘Rig’, ‘Yajur’, ‘Sama’, and ‘Arthavan’ was used and the society comprised beliefs such as creation of life, existence of soul and many rituals. This situation motivated people to find the truth beyond these beliefs.
People blindly believed many preaching because they were preached by their religious leaders, because they were believed by generations, to show obedience to their teachers and rulers and because they were afraid of being subject to wrath of God or any other power. They thought it was a great sin.
However, the Buddha preached a Dhamma that is completely different from it. Formerly, there was a village named ‘Kesapaththu’ in the Kosol; there was a man named Kalama, Buddha once told him,
“Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in scripture; nor upon surmise, nor an axiom; nor specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another’s seeming ability; nor upon the consideration. Ask your intelligence and accept only if you understand that it is true.” This explains how much freedom Buddha has given for free thinking and questioning his Dhamma.
They believed in the souls, Buddha preached that there is no soul. Buddhism made a thinking revolution in a society in which people believed in God and soul. There is neither a creator nor a savior.
Only you can help your suffering. Buddha only guides you on the path for liberation but he is not anyone’s savior; the Buddha defined himself as a guide who is willing to help all living beings to cross the ocean of sins and reach eternal liberation. ‘attāhi attano nātho-kohinātho parosiya’ [Dhammapada].
The Buddha preached people who always seek help and favor from others, people who have no confidence, people who have no moral values and do not know the value in their own intelligence and energy; he said, “One should approach liberation by independent thinking, with morality and understanding the truth. One who live according to the dhamma you will be protected by the dhamma.”
It is mentioned in the ‘Alagaddupama Sutta’ in ‘Majjima Nikāya’ that it is very dangerous if someone misunderstands or misinterpret the Buddha’s Dhamma. If you catch a snake by its tail, it could still turn and bite you; just like that, if you catch the dhamma in the wrong way it could harm your life. Acknowledging Dhamma should be done critically and mindfully. One should not act without investigating.
Buddhism mainly appreciates a person’s self-discipline. One should control one’s own thoughts, physical actions, and speech. For that one should develop free thinking in understanding the Dhamma. Buddha once advised monks and said, “you shouldn’t depend on me, help yourself, be your own support, do not take anyone else’s refuge. It is mentioned in the ‘Parinibbana Sutta’ in ‘Deega Nikāya’, “Having established dhamma and take refuge in dhamma”.
Even though the concept of ‘Karma’ is mentioned in Hinduism, Vedic, Jainism, Brahminism and Ājīwaka; the concept of ‘Karma’ mentioned in Buddhism is different. “Cetanāhaṅ bhikkhave kammaṅ vadāmi; Cetayitvā kammaṅ karoti kāyena, vācāya, manasā” is mentioned in the ‘Nibbedita sutta’ in ‘Anguttara Nikaya’ which means “Intention, I tell you, is karma. Intending, one does karma by way of body, speech, & intellect.” Karma is inborn in every living being. Karma is relative. It can be divided as high and low. Committing Murder of any kind shortens your life span. Hurting animals can make you sick often. Just like that, the results of all sins and merits come to us. We should accept that and live a moral life.
According to the ‘Kammanidāna Sutta’, there are six mental qualities related to ‘Karma’. They are ‘Loba’ [greed], ‘Dōsa’ [aversion], ‘Moha’ [delusion] and ‘Aloba’ [lack of greed], ‘Adosha’ [lack of aversion], ‘Amoha’ [lack of delusion]. ‘Loba’, ‘Dosha’, ‘Moha’ brings prejudice while ‘aloba’, ‘adosha’, ‘amoha’ brings progress. We should make our mind in order to avoid the wrong doing ‘Agati’: ‘chanda’, ‘dosa’, ‘bhaya’, and ‘moha’. Nothing happens without a reason. Everything has a reason. We should question all of this with a disciplined mind.
At present it can be tried to reduce the effect of past activity. That energy can bring ‘Kala’, ‘Gathi’, ‘Upadi’, and ‘Payoga’. Through all of these the Buddha has allowed people to think and act freely. It is proved that humans’ sovereignty and independence depend on the causality. Therefore, we should understand them with a free mind.
‘Maithree’, ‘Karuna’, ‘Upekka’, ‘Muditha’ mentioned in the ‘Sathara Brahman Viharana’, occurs in human mind. These thoughts control the human mind. Human activities and mentality are controlled by them. One can show ‘Maithree’ [loving kindness] to friends, enemies, and also to all beings that they like and dislike from their mind. By developing spirituality. ‘Karuna’ [compassion] is the quality of seeing others’ sorrows, feeling with them and wish for every sentient being to be free from sorrow. ‘Maitree’ [loving kindness] also generates from kindness. ‘Muditha’ is being able to be happy by seeing others do well. A person with ‘Muditha’ would never be jealous of other people’s success. Stability in the face of the fluctuations of worldly fortune [Ashtaloka dhamma -eight worldly concerns] is ‘Upekkhā’. If one is able to tolerate gain-loss, fame and obscurity, praise and blame, happiness – suffering equally, that person has a developed mind.
By practicing Patience and tolerance one can get rid of craving. ‘Adhivasana’ is tolerating what can be tolerated. It can be done by controlling the mind. There are so many things happening in this world that we can not control. Natural consequences of the environment, and other human activities, physical disabilities and sicknesses make life intolerable. A person who has controlled the mind towards ‘Ashta Loka Dhrama’, can control born craving, unborn craving and work with tolerance. We can control craving by avoiding situations that put us in difficult situations. We should not let any defilement enter our mind. This is very well explained in the ‘Sabbāsawa Sutta’ in ‘Majjama Nikaya’.
When any ‘kleshas’ [Defilements] occur in our mind, knowing that it could be anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire and depression, we should try to change our mind. But if it is unsuccessful and the defilement keeps coming up, we should think about the consequences of that sinful thought. Even if it doesn’t work, we should try our best to forget it.
Failing furtehre, we must try to analyze the reality of that thought. In the ‘Vithakka Santana Sutta’ of Majjama Nikaya, practical methods of controlling your own thoughts are mentioned. You can get closer to the four ascensions, ‘Sovan’, ‘Skrudagami’, ‘Anagami’, ‘Arahat’ by acknowledging the dhamma.
A human who is practically witnessing every detail that is mentioned in Buddhism should focus the mind on moral values and conduct a moral life. Buddhism has given freedom to investigate the phenomena encounter in the society, go against and reject without accepting at once.
© Satipatthana Magazine