Buddhism

 

Buddhism

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Buddhism is indisputably a separate religion and philosophy, which has excreted immense influence over the religious and philosophical thinking of the world. Buddhism has a definite origin in a definite founder , Gotama who was born in a royal hindu family. Buddhism is thus, at least in its original form, a practical religion of pure ethical discipline, it does not believe in any god and therefore no ritualistic acts find any place in it.  Although Buddhism does not believe in any god until later on Buddha himself was begun to be venerated like god Buddhists form the very beginning have entertained and shown a sence of veneration towards Buddha as a teacher.

Here we are sometime wonder why Buddha himself remained silent on metaphysical questions but later on his followers began to develop metaphysical theories on the basis of the hints imbibed in Buddha’s thoughts and idea. There are two mean reason talking basic features of Buddhism as a religion.

1.     Early Buddhism is purely ethical religion free from all sorts of ritualism but later Buddhism, at least in the form of the Mahayana gives vent to ritualism, monasticism.

2.     Belief in the for nobel truths ( chtvari arya satyani ) and the pursuit of the eightfold discipline ( astangika marga) seem to be essence of Buddhism. The four noble truths 1. Dhukkha arya stya –suffering, 2. Duhkha samudaya arya satya-origin of sufferings, 3. Duhkha nirodha arya staya – removal of suffering, and duhkha nirodha gamini pratipad arya satya-  the noble truth concerning the path Leading to removal of suffering and the attainment of the state of nivana. 

There are another tow of the very characteristic beliefs of Buddhism are its belief in the theory of monmentariness ( kshanikavad) and in the doctrine of no-soul ( anatmavada).  Is a very important part of Buddhist faith Buddhism believes that nothing is permanent, nothing endures for more than a moment. Its theory of momentariness is based on a more comprehensive theory of dependent origination.

As stated earlier, Buddhism is primarily atheistic in nature. Buddha never spoke of any god. His only concern was the suffering man. Later Buddhism accepts Buddha himself as God and believes in his various earlier incarnations, modern Buddhism has place for various buddhist temples in which there are images of Buddha, which are worshipped and adored more or less in fashion of the hindu God.

Here  the Buddhists famous theory of dependent origination ( pralityasamutpad) comes in. in fact, the above theory of momentariness is corollary of his more comprehensive theory of pratiyasamutpda which is really the buddhistic theory of causation.  Buddhists have tried to make their theory of universal momentariness clear by employing the simile of the fame of a lamp.  The concept of idea about world, Buddhism does not deny the reality of the world but so paints the nature of its objects that it proves foolish to be attached to it. Everything is evanescent and fleeting and therefore it is sheer foolishness to run after material objets.

According to hinayana, man, is a sanghala ( aggregate) of five skandhana-rupa ( matter), vedana ( sensation of feeling), samjna ( perception), samskara ( disposition)  and vijnana ( consciousness) . Buddhism is essentially a humanistic religion which takes man as highest being. There is not God and therefore man is inferior to none, he himself is the central object of religion. He can himself attain Godhood.

Buddha explained the four noble truths concerning the origin of suffering and Buddhists approach to the problem of human suffering is purely practical. Here the first noble truth is concerned with the nature of human suffering. Human life as a whole is full of suffering and suffering alone ( savam duhkham), birth , different diseases, old age and earth constitute the nature of human suffering. Evil and suffering, thus according to Buddhism are in the main products of human ignorance.

Buddhism believes that human life does not end with the physical death it has story even be young death. According to Buddha whatever actions one performs with a sense of attachment generate force ( samskaras) which cause rebirth. But actions performed without attachment are like fried seeds which do not generate any plant. What is the sense then in saying that a man is either reborn or liberated in accordance with his deeds in the present life? It seems , therefore that the entire eschatological belief of Buddhism is simply fictional and unfounded but Buddhism does not allow the whole thing to be a mere fiction and presents a very cogent explanation in support of the rationality of its belief in rebirth and nivana even in the absence of a permanent soul-substance.

The ultimate destiny of man according to Buddhism is  nivana the nature of which is contained in the third noble truth of lord Buddha. Similarly, nivana stands not merely for the negative side of the blowing out of passions but also for the positive side of being which is attained after the extinction of the passions.

The Buddhist discipline leads to the complete cessation of suffering and attainment of nivana is contained in the fourth noble truth of Buddha and noble eightfold path. There are most exactly the same between Theravada and Mahayana basic on teaching principal rule. Hinayana ( Theravada)  sect of Buddhism has reminded more loyal to the original teaching of lord Buddha. It has remained atheistic to a great extent and has taken the eightfold path of attaining nivana. The Mahayana sect , although not forsaking the essentials of lord Buddha’s original teachings , has lapsed into a kind of theism, even a kind of polytheism giving place to elaborate rites and rituals. Besides the worship of lord Buddha it has a bounded in the worship of many bodhisattvas more or less in the fashion of the worship of hindu god . it has also not maintained the antimetaphysical attitude of lord Buddha.

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