The Dhamma realized by the Buddha was unheard
before.
The Buddha said in His first sermon, the Dhammacakka Sutta, that
the Dhamma which He preached was unheard of before. Knowledge of
the Dhamma which arose was clear to His vision, to His knowledge,
to His wisdom, to His penetration, and to His Enlightenment. Some
people claim that the Buddha did not preach a new doctrine but
merely reformed the old teaching which was existing in India.
However, the Buddha was no mere reformer of Hinduism as some
protagonists of this ancient creed make Him out to be. The Buddha's
way of life and doctrine were substantially different from the way
of life and the religious beliefs people had in India. The Buddha
lived, taught and died as a non-Vedic and non-Brahmanic religious
Teacher. Nowhere did the Buddha acknowledge His indebtedness to the
existing religious beliefs and practices. The Buddha considered
Himself as initiating a rational religious method, as opening a new
path. In fact He had revolutionized the religious way of life in a
dignified manner. That was the main reason why many other religious
groups could not agree with Him. He was condemned, criticized and
insulted by the most noted teachers and sects of the
Vedic-Brahmanic tradition. It was with the intention of destroying
or absorbing the Buddha and His Teaching, that the Brahmans of the
pre-Christian era went so far as to accept the Buddha as an
Avatara or incarnation of their God. Yet some others
despised Him as a vasalaka, a mundaka, a
samanaka, a nastika and sudra. (These
words were used in India during the Buddha's time to insult a
religious man). There is no doubt that the Buddha reformed certain
customs, religious duties, rites and ethics and ways of living. The
greatness of His character was like a pin-point that pricked the
balloon of false beliefs and practices so that they could burst and
reveal their emptiness. But as far as the fundamental,
philosophical and psychological teachings are concerned, it is
groundless to say that the Buddha had copied ideas from any
existing religion at that time. For instance, the idea of the Four
Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and Nibbana, were not known before
His coming. Although the belief in kamma and rebirth was very
common, the Buddha gave quite logical and reasonable explanations
to this belief and introduced it as natural law of cause and
effect. Despite all these the Buddha did not ridicule any sincere
existing religious belief or practice. He appreciated the value in
many where he found Truth and he even gave a better explanation of
their beliefs. That is why He once said that the Truth must be
respected wherever it is. However, He was never afraid to speak out
against hypocrisy and falsehood.
== Is Buddhism a Theory or a Philosophy? ==
The enlightenment of the Buddha is not a product of mere
intellect.
During the time of the Buddha there were many learned men in
India who pursued knowledge simply for its own sake. These people
were full of theoretical knowledge. Indeed, some of them went from
city to city challenging anyone to a debate and their greatest
thrill was to defeat an opponent in such verbal combats. But the
Buddha said that such people were no nearer to the realization of
the truth because in spite of their cleverness and knowledge they
did not have true wisdom to overcome greed, hatred and delusion. In
fact, these people were often proud and arrogant. Their egoistic
concepts disturbed the religious atmosphere. According to the
Buddha, one must first seek to understand one's own mind. This was
to be done through concentration which gives one a profound inner
wisdom or realization. And this insight is to be gained not by
philosophical argument or worldly knowledge but by the silent
realization of the illusion of the Self. Buddhism is a righteous
way of life for the peace and happiness of every living being. It
is a method to get rid of miseries and to find liberation. The
Teachings of the Buddha are not limited to one nation or race. It
is neither a creed nor a mere faith. It is a Teaching for the
entire universe. It is a Teaching for all time. Its objectives are
selfless service, good-will, peace, salvation and deliverance from
suffering.
Salvation in Buddhism is an individual affair. You have to save
yourself just as you have to eat, drink and sleep by yourself. The
advice rendered by the Buddha points the Way to liberation; but His
advice was never intended to be taken as a theory or philosophy.
When He was questioned as to what theory He propounded, the Buddha
replied that He preached no theories and whatever he did preach was
a result of His own experience. Thus His Teaching does not offer
any theory. Theory cannot bring one nearer to spiritual perfection.
Theories are the very fetters that bind the mind and impede
spiritual progress. The Buddha said, 'Wise men give no credence to
passing theories. They are past believing everything they see and
hear.' Theories are product of the intellect and the Buddha
understood the limitations of the human intellect. He taught that
enlightenment is not a product of mere intellect. One cannot
achieve emancipation by taking an intellectual course. This
statement may seem irrational but it is true. Intellectuals tend to
spend too much of their valuable time in study, critical analysis
and debate. They usually have little or no time for practice. A
great thinker(philosopher, scientist, metaphysician, etc.) can also
turn out to be an intelligent fool. He may be an intellectual giant
endowed with the power to perceive ideas quickly and to express
thoughts clearly. But if he pays no attention to his action and
their consequences, and if he is only bent on fulfilling his own
longings and inclinations at any cost then, according to the
Buddha, he is an intellectual fool, a man of inferior intelligence.
Such a person will indeed hinder his won spiritual progress. The
Buddha's Teaching contains practical wisdom that cannot be limited
to theory or to philosophy because philosophy deals mainly with
knowledge but it is not concerned with translating the knowledge
into day-to-day practices. Buddhism lays special emphasis on
practice and realization. The philosopher sees the miseries and
disappointments of life but, unlike the Buddha, he offers no
practical solution to overcome our frustrations which are part of
the unsatisfactory nature of life. The philosopher merely pushes
his thoughts to dead ends. Philosophy is useful because it has
enriched our intellectual imagination and diminished dogmatic
assurance which closes the mind to further progress. To that
extent, Buddhism values philosophy, but it has failed to quench
spiritual thirst.
Remember that the chief aim of a Buddhist is to attain purity
and enlightenment. Enlightenment vanquishes ignorance which is the
root of birth and death. However, this vanquishing of ignorance
cannot be achieved except by the exercise of one's confidence. All
other attempts, especially mere intellectual attempts are not very
effective. This is why the Buddha concluded: 'These
[metaphysical]questions are not calculated to profit; they are not
concerned with the Dhamma; they do not lead to right conduct, or to
detachment, or to purification from lusts, or to quietude, or to a
calm heart, or to real knowledge, or to higher insight, or to
Nibbana.' (Malunkyaputta Sutta - Majjhima Nikaya)
In place of metaphysical speculation, the Buddha was more concerned
with teaching a practical understanding of the Four Noble Truths
that he discovered: what Suffering is: what the origin of Suffering
is; what the cessation of Suffering is; how to overcome Suffering
and realize final Salvation. These Truths are all practical matters
to be fully understood and realized by anyone who really
experiences emancipation. Enlightenment is the dispelling of
ignorance; it is the ideal of the Buddhist life. We can now clearly
see that enlightenment is not an act of the intellect. Mere
speculation has something alien to it and does not come so
intimately into contact with life. This is why the Buddha placed
great emphasis on personal experience. Meditation is a practical
scientific system to verify the Truth that comes through personal
experience. Through meditation, the will tries to transcend the
condition it has put on itself, and this is the awakening of
consciousness. Metaphysics merely ties us down in a tangled and
matted mass of thoughts and words. == Is Buddhism Pessimistic?
==
Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic but a
realistic religion.
Some critics argue that Buddhism is morbid, cynical, hovering on
the dark and shadowy side of life, an enemy of harmless pleasures,
and an unfeeling trampler on the innocent joys of life. They see
Buddhism as being pessimistic, as fostering an attitude of
hopelessness towards life, as encouraging a vague, general feeling
that pain and evil predominate in human affairs. These critics base
their views on the First Noble Truth that all conditioned things
are in a state of suffering. They seem to have forgotten that not
only had the Buddha taught the cause and end of Suffering, but he
had taught the way to end Suffering. In any case, is there
any religious teacher who praised this worldly life and advised us
to cling to it? If the founder of this religion, the Buddha, was
such a pessimist, one would expect His personality to be portrayed
on more severe lines than has been done. The Buddha image is the
personification of Peace, Serenity, Hope and Goodwill. The magnetic
and radiant smile of the Buddha which is said to be inscrutable and
enigmatic, is the epitome of His doctrine. To the worried and the
frustrated, His smile of Enlightenment and hope is an unfailing
tonic and soothing balm.
The Buddha radiated His love and compassion in all directions.
Such a person can hardly be a pessimist. And when the sword-happy
kings and princes listened to Him, they realized that the only true
conquest is the conquest of the Self and the best way to win the
hearts of the people was to teach them to appreciate the Dhamma -
Truth. The Buddha cultivated His sense of humor to such a high
degree that His bitter opponents were disarmed with the greatest
ease. Often they could not help laughing at themselves. The Buddha
had a wonderful tonic; He cleaned their systems of dangerous toxins
and they became enthusiastic thereafter to follow in His footsteps.
In His sermons, dialogues and discussions, He maintained that poise
and dignity which won for Him the respect and affection of the
people. How can such a person be a pessimist? The Buddha never
expected His followers to be constantly brooding over the suffering
of life and leading a miserable and unhappy existence. He taught
the fact of suffering only so that He could show people how to
overcome this suffering and move in the direction of happiness. To
become an Enlightened person, one must have joy, one of the factors
that the Buddha recommended us to cultivate. Joy is hardly
pessimistic. There are two Buddhists texts called the
Theragatha and Therigatha which are full of the
joyful utterances of the Buddha's disciples, both male and female,
who found peace and happiness in life through His Teaching. The
king of Kosala once told the Buddha that unlike many a disciple of
other religious systems who looked haggard, coarse, pale, emaciated
and unprepossessing, His disciples were 'joyful and elated,
jubilant and exultant, enjoying the spiritual life, serene,
peaceful and living with a gazelle's mind, light-hearted.' The king
added that he believed that this healthy disposition was due to the
fact that 'these Venerable Ones had certainly realized the great
and full significance of the Blessed One's Teachings'(Majjhima
Nikaya).
When asked why His disciples, who lived a simple and quiet life
with only one meal a day, were so radiant, the Buddha replied:
'They do not repent the past, nor do they brood over the future.
They live in the present. Therefore they are radiant. By brooding
over the future and repenting the past, fools dry up like green
reeds cut down [in the sun]" (Samyutta Nikaya). As a
religion, Buddhism preaches the unsatisfactory nature of everything
in this world. Yet one cannot simply categorize Buddhism as a
pessimistic religion, because it also teaches us how to get rid of
this unhappiness. According to the Buddha, even the worst sinner,
after paying for what he has done, can attain salvation. Buddhism
offers every human being the hope of attaining his salvation one
day. Other religions, however, take it for granted that some people
will be bad forever and have an eternal hell waiting for them. In
that respect, such religions are more pessimistic. Buddhists deny
such a belief. Buddhism is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. It
does not encourage man to look at the world through his changing
feelings of optimism and pessimism. Rather, Buddhism encourages us
to be realistic: we must learn to see things as they truly are.
Atheism is associated with a materialistic doctrine that
knows nothing higher than this world.
The Buddha has condemned godlessness by which He meant the
denial of worship and renunciation, the denial of moral and social
obligations, and the denial of a religious life. He recognized most
emphatically the existence of moral and spiritual values. He
acclaimed the supremacy of the moral law. Only in one sense can
Buddhism be described as atheistic, namely, in so far as it denies
the existence of an eternal omnipotent God or God-head who is the
creator and ordainer of the world. The word 'atheism', however,
frequently carries a number of disparaging overtones or
implications which are in no way applicable to the Buddha's
Teaching. Those who use the word 'atheism', often associate it with
a materialistic doctrine that knows nothing higher than this world
of the senses and the slight happiness it can bestow. Buddhism
advocate nothing of that sort. There is no justification for
branding Buddhists as atheists, nihilists, pagans, heathens or
communists just because they do not believe in a Creator God. The
Buddhist concept of God is different from that of other religions.
Differences in belief do not justify name-calling and slanderous
words.
Buddhism agrees with other religions that true and lasting
happiness cannot be found in this material world. The Buddha adds
that true and lasting happiness cannot be found on the higher or
supramundane plane of existence to which the name of heavenly or
divine world is given. While the spiritual values advocated by
Buddhism are orientated to a state transcending the world with the
attainment of Nibbana, they do not make a separation between the
'beyond' and the 'here and now'. They have firm roots in the world
itself, for they aim at the highest realization in this present
existence.