Man is the only living being in this world who has
discovered religion and performs worship and prayer.
Man developed religion in order to satisfy his desire to
understand the life within him and the world outside him. The
earliest religions had animistic origins, and they arose out of
man's fear of the unknown and his desire to placate the forces
which he thought inhabited inanimate objects. Over time these
religions underwent changes, being shaped by the geographical,
historical, socio-economic, political and intellectual environment
existing at that time.
Many of these religions have become organized and are
flourishing to this day, backed by a strong following of devotees.
Many people are drawn to organized religions because of the pomp
and ceremony, while there are some who prefer to practice their own
personal religion, inwardly venerating their religious teachers and
applying moral principles in their daily life. Because of the
importance of practice, every religion claims to be a way of life,
not merely a faith. In view of their various origins and paths of
development which religions undergo, it is hardly surprising that
the religions of man should differ in their approach, the
understanding and interpretation of their followers, their goal and
how it can be achieved, and their concept of reward and punishment
for deeds performed. In terms of approach, religious practices may
be based on faith, fear, rationality or harmlessness: Faith forms
the basis of many religious practises which were developed to
overcome man's fear and to meet his needs. A religion of miraculous
or mystical powers exploits that fear which arises from ignorance
and makes promises of material gain based on greed. A religion of
devotion is based on emotion and the fear of the supernatural
which, it is so believed, can be appeased through rites and
rituals. A religion of faith is based on the desire for gaining
confidence in the face of the uncertainty of human life and
destiny. Some religious practices grew as a result of the
development of man's knowledge, experience and wisdom. The rational
approach to religion had been adopted in this case, incorporating
the principles of human value and natural or universal laws. It is
based on humanism and concentrates on the cultivation of humane
qualities. A religion of cause and effect or kamma is based on the
principle of self-help and assumes that the individual alone is
responsible for his own happiness and suffering as well as
salvation. A religion of wisdom is based on the application of
reason and seeks to understand life and the reality of worldly
conditions through analytical knowledge. Harmlessness and goodwill
are common elements found in religion. A religion of peace is based
on the principle of causing no harm to oneself as well as others,
and its followers are to cultivate a harmonious, liberal and
peaceful life. A religion of goodwill or loving-kindness is based
on the sacrifice and service for the welfare and happiness of
others. Religions differ according to the understanding capacity of
their followers and the interpretation which religious authorities
give to the religious doctrines and practices. In some religions,
codes, while in others they only provide advice on the need and the
way to follow these codes. Every religion will offer reasons to
explain the existing human problems and inequalities and the way to
remedy the situation. By way of explanation, some religions claim
that man has to face these problems because he is on trial in this
world. When such an explanation is given, another may ask, 'For
what purpose? How can a man be judged on the basis of just one life
when human beings generally differ in their experiences of
physical, intellectual, social, economic and environmental factors
and conditions?' Every religion has its own concept of what is
regarded to be the goal of spiritual life. For some religions,
eternal life in heaven or paradise with the Lord is the final goal.
For some the ultimate aim in life is the union of universal
consciousness, because it is believed that life is a unit of
consciousness and it must return to the same original
consciousness. Some religions believe that the ending of suffering
or repeated birth and death is the final goal. For others, even
heavenly bliss or union with Brahma (creator) is secondary to the
uncertainty of existence, no matter, whatever form it takes. And
there are even some who believe that the present life itself is
more than enough to experience the aim of life.
To attain the desired goal, every religion offers a method. Some
religions ask their followers to surrender to God or depend on God
for everything. Others call for stringent asceticism as the means
of purging oneself of all evil through self mortification. Some
others recommend the performance of animal sacrifices and many
kinds of rites and rituals as well as the recital of mantras for
their purification to gain the final goal. There is yet another
which upholds diverse methods and devotions, intellectual
realization of truth, and concentration of the mind through
meditation. Each religion has a different concept of punishment for
evil deeds. According to some religions, man is doomed forever by
God for his transgressions in this one life. Some others say that
action and reaction(cause and effect)operate due to natural laws
and the effect of a deed will only be experienced for a certain
period. Some religions maintain that this life is only one of so
many, and a person will always have chance to reform himself in
stages until he finally evolves to attain the goal of Supreme
Bliss. Given such a wide variety of approaches, interpretations and
goals of different religions adopted by mankind, it is useful for
people not to hold dogmatic views about their religion but to be
open to and tolerant of other religious views. The Buddha said:
'One must not accept my teachings from reverence, but first try
them as gold is tried by fire.' After emphasizing the importance of
maintaining an open mind towards religious doctrines, it is useful
to remember that a religion should be practised for the welfare ,
freedom and happiness of all living beings. That is, religious
principles should be used positively to improve the quality of life
of all beings. Yet today, humankind is corrupted and has gone
astray from basic religious principles. Immoral and evil practices
have become common among many people, and religious-minded people
experience difficulties trying to maintain certain religious
principles in modern life. At the same time, the standard of basic
religious principles is also lowered to pander to the demands of
polluted and selfish minds. Man should not violate universal moral
codes to suit his own greed or indulgence; rather man should try to
adjust himself according to these codes taught by religion.
Religious precepts have been introduced by enlightened religious
teachers who have realized the noble way of life which leads to
peace and happiness. Those who violate these precepts transgress
the universal laws, which, according to Buddhism will bring bad
effects through the working of moral causation.
This does not mean, on the other hand, that a person should
slavishly follow what is found in his religion, regardless of its
applicability to modern times. Religious laws and precepts should
enable people to lead a meaningful life, and are not to be used to
bind them to archaic practices and superstitious rituals and
beliefs. A person who upholds the basic religious principles should
give credit to human intelligence and live respectably with human
dignity. There must be some changes in our religious activities to
correspond to our education and the nature of our changing society,
without at the same time sacrificing the noble universal
principles. But it is recognized that making changes to any
religious practices is always difficult because many conservative
people are opposed to changes, even if they are for the better.
Such conservative views are like a stagnant pool of water, while
fresh ideas are like the waterfall where the water is constantly
being renewed and is, therefore, usable. Distortion of Religion
Despite the value of religion in moral upliftment, it is also true
to say that religion is a fertile soil for the development of
superstitions and devotional hypocrisy, wrapped under the cloak of
religiosity. Many people use religion to escape from the realities
of life and put on the garb of religion and religious symbols. They
may even pray very often in places of worship, yet they are not
sincerely religious minded and have not understood what religion
stands for. When a religion has been debased by ignorance, greed
for power and selfishness, people quickly point an accusing finger
and say that religion is irrational. But 'Religion'(the ritualistic
external practice of any teaching)must be distinguished from the
teaching itself. Before one criticizes, one must study the original
teachings of the founder and see it there is anything intrinsically
wrong with it. Religion advise people to do good and be good, but
they are not interested in acting thus. Instead they prefer to
cling to the other practices which have no real religious values.
Had they tried to culture their minds by eradicating jealousy,
pride, cruelty and selfishness, at least they would have found the
correct way to practise a religion. Unfortunately, they develop
jealousy, pride, cruelty and selfishness instead of eradicating
them. Many people pretend to be religious, but commit the greatest
atrocities in the name of religion. They fight, discriminate and
create unrest for the sake of religion, losing sight of its lofty
purpose. From the increase in the performance of various so-called
religious activities, we may get the impression that religion is
progressing, but the opposite is really the case since very little
mental purity and understanding are actually being practised.
Practising a religion is nothing than the development of one's
inner awareness, goodwill and understanding. Problems would have to
be faced squarely by relying on one's spiritual strength. Running
away from one's problems in the name of spiritualism is not
courageous, much less to be regarded as spiritual. Under today's
chaotic conditions, men and women are rapidly sliding downhill to
their own destruction. They irony is that they imagine they are
progressing towards a glorious civilization that is yet to be
realized.
In the midst of this confusion, imaginary and plastic religious
concepts are propagated to create more temptation and confusion in
man's mind. Religion is being misused for personal gain and power.
Certain immoral practices, such as free sex, have been encouraged
by some irresponsible religious groups to introduce their religion
among youths. By arousing lustful feelings, these groups hope to
seduce boys and girls into following their religion. Today religion
has degenerated into a cheap commodity in the religious market
giving scant regard to moral values and what they stand for. Some
missionaries claim that the practice of morals, ethics and precepts
are not important as long as a person has faith and prays to God,
which is believed to be sufficient to grant him salvation. Having
witnessed how some religious authorities have misled and
blindfolded their followers in Europe, Karl Marx made a caustic
remark: 'Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the
feelings of a heartless world, just as it is the soul of soulless
conditions. It is the opium of the people.' Man needs a religion
not for the reason of giving him a dream for his next life or
providing him with some dogmatic ideas to follow, in such a way
that he surrenders his human intelligence and becomes a nuisance to
his fellow beings. A religion should be a reliable and reasonable
method for people to live 'here and now' as cultured, understanding
beings, while setting a good example for others to follow. Many
religions turn man's thoughts away from himself towards a supreme
being, but Buddhism directs man's search for peace inward to the
potentialities that lie hidden within himself.
'Dhamma'(meaning, to hold on)is not something a person
searches outside himself, because in the final analysis, man is
Dhammaand Dhammais man. Therefore, true religion,
which is Dhamma,is not something outside us that we
acquire, but the cultivation and realization of wisdom, compassion
and purity that we develop within ourselves.
==Which is the Proper Religion? ==
If any religion has the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold
Path, then it can be regarded as a proper religion.
It is a very difficult for a man to find out why there are so
many different religions, and which religion is the true one.
Followers of every religion are trying to show the superiority of
their religion. Diversity has created some uniformity, but in
matters of religion, men took upon each other with jealousy, hatred
and disdain. The most respected religious practices in one religion
are deemed ridiculous to others. To introduce their divine and
peaceful messages some people have to resorted to weapons and wars.
Have they polluted the good name of religion? It seems that certain
religions are responsible for dividing instead of uniting mankind.
To find a true and proper religion, we must weigh with an unbiased
mind what exactly is a false religion. False religion or
philosophies include: materialism which denies survival after
death; amoralism which denies good and evil; any religion which
asserts that man is miraculously saved or doomed; theistic
evolution which holds that everything is preordained and everyone
is destined to attain eventual salvation through mere faith.
Buddhism is free from unsatisfactory and uncertain foundations.
Buddhism is realistic and verifiable. Its Truths have been verified
by the Buddha, verified by His disciples, and always remain open to
be verified by anyone who wishes to do so. And today, the Teachings
of the Buddha, are being verified by the most severe methods of
scientific investigation.
The Buddha advises that any form of religion is proper if it
contains the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. This
clearly shows that the Buddha did not want to form a particular
religion. What He wanted was to reveal the Ultimate Truth of our
life and the world. Although the Buddha expounded the Four Noble
Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path, this method is not the
property of Buddhists alone. This is universal Truth. Most people
find it necessary to put forth arguments to 'prove' the validity of
the religion that they are following. Some claim that their
religion is the oldest and therefore contains the truth. Others
claim that their religion is the latest or newest and therefore
contains the truth. Some claim that their religion has the most
followers and therefore contains the truth. Yet none of these
arguments are valid to establish the truth of a religion. One can
judge the value of a religion by using only common sense and
understanding. Some religious traditions require man to be
subservient to a greater power than himself, a power which controls
his creation, his actions and his final deliverance. The Buddha did
not accept such powers. Rather, He assigned to man that very power
by asserting that each man is his own creator, responsible for his
own salvation. That is why it is said that 'There is none so
godless as the Buddha and yet none so godlike'. The religion of the
Buddhists gives man a great sense of dignity; at the same time it
also gives him great responsibility. A Buddhist cannot put the
blame on an external power when evil befalls him. But he can face
misfortune with equanimity because he knows that he has the power
to extricate himself from all misery. One of the reason why
Buddhism appeals to intellectuals and those with a good education,
is that the Buddha expressly discouraged His followers from
accepting anything they heard(even if it came from Himself)without
first testing its validity. The teachings of the Buddha have
remained and survived precisely because many intellectuals have
challenged every aspect of the teachings and have concluded that
the Buddha had always spoken the undeniable Truth. While other
religionists are trying to 'reassess' their founder's teachings in
the light of modern knowledge about the Universe, the Buddha's
teaching are being verified by scientists.
==Moral and Spiritual Development ==
==
Without a spiritual background man has no moral
responsibility: man without moral responsibility poses a danger to
society.
Buddhism has been an admirable lighthouse for guiding many a
devotee to the salvation of eternal bliss. Buddhism is especially
needed in the world today which is riddled with racial, economic
and ideological misunderstandings. These misunderstandings can
never be effectively cleared until the spirit of benevolent
tolerance is extended towards others. This spirit can be best
cultivated under the guidance of Buddhism which inculcates an
ethical moral co-operation for universal good. We know that it is
easy to learn vice without a master, whereas virtue requires a
tutor. There is a very great need for the teaching of virtue by
precepts and examples.
Without a spiritual background, man has no moral responsibility;
man without moral responsibility poses danger to society. In the
Buddha's Teaching, it is said that the spiritual development of man
is more important than the development of material welfare. History
has taught us that we cannot expect to gain both worldly happiness
and everlasting Happiness at the same time. The lives of most
people are generally regulated by spiritual values and moral
principles which only religion can effectively provide. The
governmental interference in the lives of people is made
comparatively unnecessary if men and women can be made to realize
the value of devotion and can practise the ideals of truth, justice
and service. Virtue is necessary to attain salvation, but virtue
alone is not enough. Virtue must be combined with wisdom. Virtue
and wisdom are like the pair of wings of a bird. Wisdom can also be
compared to the eyes of a man; virtue, to his feet. Virtue can be
likened to a vehicle that brings man up to the gate of salvation.
But wisdom is the actually key that opens the gate. Virtue is a
part of the technique of skillful and noble living. Without any
ethical discipline, there cannot be a purification of the
defilements of sentient existence. Buddhism is not mere
mumbo-jumbo, a myth told to entertain the human mind or to satisfy
the human emotion, but a liberal and noble method for those who
sincerely want to understand and experience the reality of
life.
==The God Idea ==
The reality or validity of belief in God is based on man's
understanding capacity and the maturity of the mind.
The Development of the God-idea To trace the
origin and development of the God-idea, one must go back to the
time when civilization was still in its infancy and modern science
was still unknown. Primitive people, out of fear of and admiration
towards natural phenomena, had believed in different spirits and
gods. They used their belief in spirit and gods to form religions
of their own. According to their respective circumstances and
understanding capacity different people worshipped different gods
and founded different faiths.
At the beginning of the God-idea, people worshipped many
gods--gods of trees, streams, lightning, storm, winds, the sun and
all other terrestrial phenomena. These gods were related to each
and every act of nature. Then gradually man began to attribute to
these gods, sex and form as well as the physical and mental
characteristics of human beings. Human attributes were given to the
gods: love, hate, jealousy, fear, pride, envy and other emotions
found among human beings. From all these gods, there slowly grew a
realization that the phenomena of the universe were not many but
were One. This understanding gave rise to the monotheistic god of
recent ages. In the process of development, the God-idea went
through a variety of changing social and intellectual climates. It
was regarded by different men in different ways. Some idealized god
as the King of Heaven and Earth; they had a conception of god as a
person. Others thought of god as an abstract principle. Some raised
the ideal of Supreme deity to the highest heaven, while others
brought it down to the lowest depths of the earth. Some pictured
god in a paradise, while others made an idol and worshipped it.
Some want so far as to say that there is no salvation without
god?no matter how much good you do, you will not receive the fruits
of your actions unless you act out of a faith in god. The Atheists
said, 'No' and went on to affirm that god did not really exist at
all. The Skeptics or Agnostics said, 'We do not or we cannot know.'
The Positivists say that the God-idea was a meaningless problem
since the idea of the term god 'was not clear'. Thus there grew a
variety of ideas and beliefs and names for the God-idea: pantheism,
idolatry, belief in a formless god, and belief in many gods and
goddesses. Even the monotheistic god of recent times has gone
through a variety of changes as it passed through different nations
and people. The Hindu god is quite different from gods of other
faiths. Thus numerous religions came into existence: each one
differed greatly from the other in the end, and each one says that
'God is One'. The God-idea and Creation As each
religion came into existence and developed around the God-idea,
religion developed its own particular explanation of creation. Thus
the God-idea became associated with various myths. People used the
God-idea as a vehicle for their explanation of the existence of man
and the nature of the universe.
Today, intelligent men, who have carefully reviewed all the
available facts, have come to the conclusion that, like the
God-idea, the creation of myths must be regarded as an evolution of
the human imagination which began with the misunderstanding of the
phenomena of nature. These misunderstandings were rooted in the
fear and ignorance of primitive man. Even today, man still retains
his primitive interpretations of creation. In the light of recent,
scientific thinking, the theological definition of god is vague and
hence has no place in the contemporary creation theories or myths.
If man is created by an external source, then he must belong to
that source and not to himself. According to Buddhism, man is
responsible for everything he does. Thus Buddhists have no reason
to believe that man came into existence in the human form through
any external sources. They believe that man is here today because
of his own action. He is neither punished nor rewarded by anyone
but himself according to his own good and bad action. In the
process of evolution, the human being came into existence. However,
there are no Buddha-words to support the belief that the world was
created by anybody. The scientific discovery of gradual development
of the world-system conforms with the Buddha's Teachings.
Human Weakness and the Concept of God Both the
concept of God and its associated creation myths have been
protected and defended by believers who need these ideas to justify
their existence and usefulness to human society. All the believers
claim to have received their respective scriptures as Revelation;
in other words, they all profess to come directly from the one God.
Each God-religion claims that it stands for Universal Peace and
Universal Brotherhood and other such high ideals. However great the
ideals of the religious might be, the history of the world shows
that the religions up to the present day have also helped in
spreading superstitions. Some have stood against science and the
advancement of knowledge, leading to ill-feelings, murders and
wars. In this respect, the God-religions have failed in their
attempt to enlighten mankind. For example, in certain countries
when people pray for mercy, their hands are stained with the blood
of the morbid sacrifices of innocent animals and sometimes, even
fellow human beings. These poor and helpless creatures were
slaughtered at the desecrated altars of imaginary and imperceptible
gods. It has taken a long time for people to understand the
futility of such cruel practices in the name of religion. The time
has come for them to realize that the path of real purification is
through love and understanding. Dr. G. Dharmasiri in his book
'Buddhist critique of the Christian Concept of God' has mentioned,
'I see that though the notion of God contains sublime moral
strands, it also has certain implications that are extremely
dangerous to the humans as well as to the other beings on this
planet.
'One major threat to humanity is the blindfold called
'authority' imposed on the humans by the concept of God. All
theistic religions consider authority as ultimate and sacred. It
was this danger that the Buddha was pointing at in the Kalama
Sutta. At the moment, human individuality and freedom are
seriously threatened by various forms of authorities. Various
'authorities' have been trying to make 'you' a follower. On top of
all our 'traditional' authorities, a new form of authority has
emerged in the name of 'science'. And lately, the mushrooming new
religions and the menace of the Gurus(as typified by Jim Jones),
have become live threats to the individual's human freedom and
dignity. The Buddha's eternal plea is for you to become a Buddha,
and He showed, in a clearly rational way, that each and every one
of us has the perfect potentiality and capacity to attain that
ideal.' God-religions offer no salvation without God. Thus a man
might conceivably have climbed to the highest pinnacle of virtue,
and he might have led a righteous way of life, and he might even
have climbed to the highest level of holiness, yet he is to be
condemned to eternal hell just because he did not believe in the
existence of God. On the other hand, a man might have sinned deeply
and yet, having made a late repentance, he can be forgiven and
therefore 'saved'. From the Buddhist point of view, there is no
justification in this kind of doctrine. Despite the apparent
contradictions of the God-religions, it is not deemed advisable to
preach a Godless doctrine since the belief in god has also done a
tremendous service to mankind, especially in places where the god
concept is desirable. This belief in god has helped mankind to
control his animal nature. And much help has been granted to others
in the name of god. At the same time, man feels insecure without
the belief in god. He finds protection and inspiration when that
belief is in his mind. The reality or validity of such a belief is
based on man's understanding capacity and spiritual maturity.
However, religion should also concern our practical life. It is to
be used as a guide to regulate our conduct in the world. Religion
tells us what to do and what not to do. If we do not follow a
religion sincerely, mere religious labels or belief in god do not
serve us in our daily life. On the other hand, if the followers of
various religions are going to quarrel and to condemn other beliefs
and practices -- especially to prove or disprove the existence of
God -- and if they are going to harbor anger towards other
religions because of their different religious views, then they are
creating enormous disharmony amongst the various religious
communities. Whatever religious difference we have, it is our duty
to practise tolerance, patience and understanding. It is our duty
to respect the other man's religious belief even if we cannot
accommodate it; tolerance is necessary for the sake of harmonious
and peaceful living.
However, it does not serve any purpose to introduce this concept
of god to those who are not ready to appreciate it. To some people
this belief is not important to lead a righteous life. There are
many who lead a noble life without such belief while amongst
believers there are many who violate the peace and happiness of
innocent people. Buddhists can also co-operate with those who hold
this concept of god, if they use this concept for the peace,
happiness and welfare of mankind but not with those who abuse this
concept by threatening people in order to introduce this belief
just for their own benefit and with ulterior motives. For more than
2,500 years, all over the world, Buddhists have practised and
introduced Buddhism very peacefully without the necessity of
sustaining the concept of a creator of God. And they will continue
to sustain this religion in the same manner without disturbing the
followers of other religions. Therefore, with due respect to other
religionists, it must be mentioned that any attempt to introduce
this concept into Buddhism is unnecessary. Let Buddhists maintain
their belief since it is harmless to others and, let the basic
Teachings of the Buddha remain. From time immemorial, Buddhists
have led a peaceful religious life without incorporating the
particular concept of God. They should be capable of sustaining
their particular religion without the necessity, at this juncture,
of someone trying to force something down their throats against
their will. Having full confidence in their Buddha Dhamma,
Buddhists should be permitted to work and seek their own salvation
without any undue interference from other sources. Others can
uphold their beliefs and concepts, Buddhist will uphold theirs,
without any rancor. We do not challenge others in regard to their
religious persuasions, we expect reciprocal treatment in regard to
our own beliefs and practices.
==Changing of Religious Label Before Death ==
Merely to believe that there is someone to wash away our
sins without suppressing our evil state of mind, is not in
accordance with the Teachings of the Buddha.
Very often we come across cases of people who change their
religion at the last moment when they are about to die. By
embracing another religion, some people are under the mistaken
belief that they can 'wash away their sins' and gain an easy
passage to heaven. They also hope to ensure themselves a simple and
better burial. For people who have been living a whole life-time
with a particular religion, to suddenly embrace a religion which is
totally new and unfamiliar and to expect an immediate salvation
through their new faith is indeed very far-fetched. This is only a
dream. Some people are even known to have been converted into
another faith when they are in a state of unconsciousness and in
come cases, even posthumously. Those who are over zealous and crazy
about converting others into their faith, have misled uneducated
people into believing that theirs is the one and only faith with an
easy method or short-cut to heaven. If people are led to believe
that there is someone sitting somewhere up there who can wash away
all the sins committed during a life-time, then this belief will
only encourage others to commit evil. According to the Teachings of
the Buddha there is no such belief that there is someone who can
wash away sins. It is only when people sincerely realize that what
they are doing are wrong and after having realized this, try to
mend their ways and do good that they can suppress or counter the
bad reactions that would accrue to them for the evil they had
committed. It has become a common sight in many hospitals to see
purveyors of some religions hovering around the patients promising
them 'life after death'. This is exploiting the basic ignorance and
psychological fear of the patients. If they really want to help,
then they must be able to work the 'miracles' they so proudly claim
lies in their holy books. If they can work miracles, we will not
need hospitals. Buddhists must never become victims to these
people. They must learn the basic teachings of their noble religion
which tells them that all suffering is the basic lot of mankind.
The only way to end suffering is by purifying the mind. The
individual creates his own suffering and it is he alone who can end
it. One cannot hope to eradicate the consequences of one's evil
actions simply by changing one's religious label at the door-step
of death.
A dying man's destiny in his next life depends on the last
thoughts which appear to him according to the good and bad
kamma he had accumulated during his current lifetime,
irrespective of what type of religious label he prefers to do
himself at the last moment.
==Short-cut to Paradise ==
Paradise is open not only to the followers of a particular
religion, but it is open to each and every person who leads a
righteous and noble way of life.
There is no difficulty at all for Buddhists to go to heaven if
they really want to. But there are some people who go from house to
house trying to convert other religionists into their faith and
promising them the heaven they carry in their bags. They claim that
they are the only blessed people who can go to heaven; they also
claim that they have the exclusive authority to send others to the
same goal. They introduce their religion like a patent medicine and
this has become a nuisance to the public today. Many innocent
people who lack the knowledge of their own religion, have become
victims of these paradise sellers. If Buddhists can understand the
value of the Noble Teachings of the Buddha, they will not be misled
by such people. These paradise sellers are also trying to mislead
the people by saying that this world which is created by god, is
going to end very soon. Those who want to have a wonderful
everlasting life in heaven must accept their particular religion
before the end of the world comes, otherwise people would miss this
golden opportunity and would have to suffer in eternal hell. This
threat of the end of the world, had been going on for hundreds of
years. The wonder of it all is that there are still people today
who believe in such a treat which is irrational and imaginary. Some
people get converted after hearing such preaching, without using
their common sense.
In Buddhism, there is no personal judge either to condemn or to
reward but only the working of an impersonal moral causation and
natural law. Why wicked people enjoy while good people
suffer Some people ask, 'If good begets good and bad
begets bad why should many good people suffer and some wicked
people prosper in this world? ' The answer to this question,
according to the Buddhist point of view, is that although some are
good by nature, they have not accumulated enough good merits in
their previous birth to compensate for the bad effects of
unwholesome kamma in this present life; somewhere in their past
there must have been some defect. On the other hand, some are
wicked by nature and yet are able to enjoy this life for a short
period of due to some strong good kamma that they accumulated in
their previous birth. For example, there are certain people who by
nature have inherited a strong constitution and as a result enjoy
perfect health. Their physical power of resistance is strong and
hence they are not prone to illnesses. Although they do not take
special precautions to lead a hygienic life, they are able to
remain strong and healthy. On the other hand, there are others who
take various tonics and vitamin?enriched foods to fortify
themselves, but in spite of their efforts to become strong and
healthy, their health do not show any improvement. Whatever good
and bad deeds people commit within this life-time, they will
definitely experience the reaction within this life or hereafter.
It is impossible to escape from their results simply by praying,
but by cultivating the mind and leading a noble life.
Buddhists are encouraged to do good deeds not for the sake of
gaining a place in heaven. They are expected to do good in order to
eradicate their selfishness and to experience peace and
happiness.
