Each of the world religions has its distinguishing features and its own followers. But, essentially, they share a number of common aims and objectives. Consequently, they have been a source of benefit for millions of people throughout the centuries. There is no denying that through sincere practice, followers of religion gain peace of mind and become more disciplined, civilized, and better people. They do themselves good, and many are of great service to humanity. However, many social and political problems also arise from the abuse of religion. People fight those of other faiths, sometimes even to the point of full-scale war. Nevertheless, we should respect the variety of religions because people have different mental dispositions and inclinations, different tastes and interests. One religion, therefore, cannot satisfy everyone. From this point of view, variety is to be admired.
Each religion is useful in its own way. It is futile to imagine there should be one religion for the whole world. It is not as if every Indian embraced Buddhism even during the life of the Buddha himself. This is true of other religions and their founders, too. Therefore, I believe in a harmony of religions, which is practical, applicable, and can produce positive results. I admire the good deeds of those who belong to other faiths. This is a very good way to make friends. I have many good Christian, Muslim, and Hindu friends. In this context, engaging in philosophical disputes and arguments seems meaningless to me. What good does challenging the theoretical positions of other faiths do?
Instead of fostering mutual rivalry and dispute among religious people, I suggest that we learn from other faiths. Tibetan Buddhist monks can follow the example of Christians engaged in social service. Many of them dedicate their lives to the service of the poor, needy, and downtrodden. In Calcutta, there is Mother Teresa, for example. Many Christians care for lepers with a total disregard for their own lives. Is there any Tibetan monk doing that? Nearly a thousand years ago, the great Tibetan master Drom-tön-pa actually did such great work and lost his limbs. More recently, Te-hor Kyor-pön Rinpoche also took care of people suffering from leprosy. Therefore, rather than being confrontational, it would be wiser and more meaningful to learn from each other. In this way, religious people can play a positive role in creating peace and harmony in our world.
Because people are different and their mental inclinations vary, the Buddha taught a variety of philosophical views. The whole purpose of his teaching is to benefit sentient beings, ultimately to lead them to peace and enlightenment. The Buddhas teaching is not a rigid doctrine that requires all adherents to follow one and the same philosophical theory. On the contrary, the Buddha gave various levels of explanation to suit his disciples’ varying degrees of intelligence and mental disposition. Consequently, in India, four major schools of thought came about. Even among the four major schools of thought, there are numerous sub-schools.
It is important to remember that all the Buddha taught was meant to help sentient beings and guide them on the spiritual path. His philosophical teachings were not just abstract speculation but part of the processes and techniques for combating disturbing emotions. We can appreciate the appropriateness of the antidotes for different disturbing emotions from our own experience. The Buddha taught that to counter anger and hatred we should meditate on loving-kindness. Paying attention to an object’s repulsive side serves to deflect attachment to the object. There is much logical reasoning to show that the appearance of true existence is a mistake. The conception of true existence is an ignorant one, and the wisdom realizing emptiness is its direct opponent.
From such teachings, we can infer that the disturbing emotions are only temporary afflictions of the mind and that they can be completely eradicated. When the mind is free of defilements, the potential of its true nature—clarity and awareness—is fully revealed. As understanding of these is enriched, the practitioner comes to appreciate the possibility of attaining nirvana and Buddhahood. This comes as a wonderful revelation.
We do not have to regard the Buddha’s words as something sacred that we cannot investigate. On the contrary, we are free to examine and verify his teachings. The practitioner is able to taste the flavor of the Buddha’s teachings by putting them into practice. As a result of personal experience, an individual gains conviction and faith in the teachings. This, I think, is unique to Buddhism. In other religions the word of God or the creator is considered absolute.
There are two major goals of the spiritual path in the Buddhist context. These are higher rebirth and what is known as definite goodness, which refers to liberation from rebirth and reaching complete enlightenment. It is fascinating to listen to an explanation of the detailed methods for achieving these goals. The disciple is not asked to worship the Buddha in order to attain higher rebirth. It is explained that higher rebirth can be achieved by the ethical practice of abandoning unwholesome actions. Such an instruction is realistic and logically sound. Therefore, an individual who wants to attain higher rebirth, such as birth as a human being, must avoid unwholesome deeds.
Now to be reborn as a prosperous, good-looking person who enjoys a long life, there are further sound instructions. To become wealthy in the future, we need to practice generosity in this life. If you want to be handsome with an attractive personality, you are advised to practice patience and tolerance. In order to enjoy a long life, you are instructed not to harm other living beings but to do what you can to help them. These causes and consequences are logically tied together.
With due respect to other religions, I believe that only Buddhism instructs its followers to develop faith and conviction on the basis of logic and reasoning. There is absolutely no coercion or compulsion to believe. In fact, a rational approach is highly respected. The Buddha has said that an individual attains a higher rebirth by creating positive actions and abandoning negative actions like killing, stealing, and so forth, not just by offering a thousand butter lamps to the Buddha. It is not just faith that gives rise to wonderful results, but paying attention to the right causes.
Let us examine one particular instance. The Buddha has instructed us to practice patience so that we will be reborn as beautiful people. The indications are obvious. When a person is angry, his red eyes bulge and his face is disgusting, whether or not he usually has a nice face. Nobody wants to be around someone who is angry, whereas when someone smiles, we are attracted, even if it is a stranger.
The fundamentals of the Buddha’s teaching concern observing the law of cause and effect and practicing the Four Noble Truths. Therefore, those who desire happiness, prosperity, and ultimately liberation need to adhere to these fundamentals. If we want positive results, we must attend to their proper causes. This can be simply illustrated as follows. When we want to improve our financial circumstances, it would be stupid to hold onto our capital and hide it under our belts. It will not increase by itself; we have to invest it. This means that initially we have to part with our money. We can, therefore, understand the Buddha’s logic when he says that it is important to practice generosity if we want to become wealthy in future lives. From examples like this, we can infer that we can trust the words of the Buddha. What he taught out of his own experience and knowledge is relevant and useful for each of us.
CHAPTER 2 SOURCE AND QUALITIES OF THE INSTRUCTION
What the Buddha has taught to make our lives meaningful and happy is wonderful. We all share common desires to be happy and not to be miserable. But how people go about fulfilling these aims can be very different. It largely depends on the individual’s mode of thinking. This in turn depends on the kind of instruction he or she has received as well as the person’s