As you sow, so will you reap!
It is not often that Buddhism gets mentioned in the main media rounds. It mostly does so when there are problems in Buddhist countries. It did a lot during the Vietnam war, when it was subtly hinted that the Vietcong were Buddhists. A similar movement seems to occur in respect of the ongoing war in Sri Lanka, where it is said that the fighting is carried out by the majority in the country, who are Sinhalese Buddhists. But, that is not the point I wish to discuss on this page.
Violence is a term, which has no place in Buddhism. Non-violence is a founding principle of Buddhism. Violence was never practiced, no encouraged in the name of Buddhism. But, as the world has become accustomed, the Doctrine is judged by the behaviour of its practioners.
Buddhism differs from all other "religions" in that, there is no concept of a creator. So, it can be also termed "agnostic". The prime responsibility of one's actions lies with the person itself. The person leaves a trail of the results of his actions, and creates a future depending on his current actions. Man is not answerable to anyone but himself.
I must admit at this stage that my knowledge of the Doctrine is very basic. I am an active student and a practitioner. So, what I say in these pages not only may sound heretic, but could well be heretic in the eyes of the well educated in Buddhism.
I am trying to document here my understanding of the concepts of Buddhism. As everything else in this universe, they are also subject to change, as I receive guidance from authoritative sources; mainly from books and the clergy.
Perhaps because of the absence of absolutes in Buddhism, concepts are open to discussion, analysis and interpretation, like what I am attempting here. This openness is the strongest virtue of Buddhism, as well as its weakness, if one wants to identify as such.
Even when there are absolute authorities in other religions, they have not prevented from spawning sects within religions emphasising particular aspects of religions.
Buddhism has not escaped this phenomenon either. There are two major schools of Buddhism: Hinayana and Mahayana. The Hinayana school, which flourishes in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma and a few other countries, I believe, live by a code closest to Buddha's original teachings. The Mahayana school, at least on the face of it, appears to be deeply influenced by Hindu rituals, and give more prominence to rituals than spiritual practice.
But, the rituals are not confined to Mahayana sect alone. What one witnesses is the continual and gradual drift of Hinayana practitioners towards ritual practice at the expense of spiritual practice of Buddhism.
But, the same concepts underlie both methods of practice.
Buddhism, contrary to popular belief, is not far removed from normal human lives. The Jataka stories form a valuable collection of studies of human behaviour. The teachings are immensely relevant to everyday life.
The recognition in the Western world of its value in lay life has been steadily increasing over the years, so much so that it is very much fashionable now in society to claim association with Buddhism. This comes in many forms, the most evident being the profusion of Buddha's statues for sale in shops, with the corresponding presence in living rooms.
As the modern world runs out of trade marks, Buddha's image appears more and more on shop shelves.
The apparent blasphemy is usually challenged, but mostly the producers get away with impunity. Laymen as well as the clergy lead these protests, but knowing that it is the Buddhists are behind it, the creators get away in the safety of the knowledge that no physical violence is likely stalk them.
Buddhism is founded on three pillars: Buddha, Dhamma-the teachings and the Sangha -the clergy.
Buddha lived for 80 years, spreading his teaching most of his life, and demonstrating that He himself was a product of the natural forces of growth, decay and demise, having lived through youth, middle age, old age, and eventually returning the constituents of the body he inherited back to earth.
The Dhamma continued to be passed down orally until it was documented many centuries later. The Dhamma consists of a vast pool of discourses, of theory and discipline. Buddhism was thus passed down in a language called Pali, which is now a dead language, practiced only in a Buddhist context. Fortunately, Buddhist scholars have, over the years, have translated the texts into other languages like English.
Many books on Buddhism are available in many languages, so much so that any person wishing to learn more on Buddhism has the opportunity to do so in their own languages.
Apart from the books, there are institutes, temples to turn for help to study Buddhism. Temples are valuable places to visit and be in contact in order to discuss and understand the deep Buddhist concepts.
For those who wish to practice Buddhism and require guidance in that respect, there are numerous temples, retreats and monasteries always willing to assist the "travellers'.
As the word spreads and more and more people turn to Buddhism because of its intellectual appeal, religious centres are becoming more more influential in the political world. Now, monks, who by definition, are supposed to be active seekers of salvation, having renounced the suffering world, can be seen to be taking up politics and also embracing the laymen's world with even renewed vigour.
The inordinate involvement of laymen in the affairs of Buddhist institutions have, over the years, transformed the character of these institutions from scholarly, intellectually, and spiritual to more cultural and social oriented places of 'worship'.
There is, happy to say, movements among the clergy, to promote a return to the original meaning, teaching and practice of Buddhism, which are rapidly gaining support and acceptance among the Buddhist population. I know one such movement in Sri Lanka, called the "Mahamevna Movement", which also has branches in US, Italy, Germany, and Cyprus.
I will update this list as I come across more branches of this movement.
So, there are many paths to take to honour Lord Buddha's invitation: Come and see!
See whether there is anything in Buddhism for you too…