Understanding Buddhism

By: Sulad Jhun Cardeinte
There are many kinds of Buddhism with their varied teachings and beliefs. However, the two major groups are Theravada and Mahayana. Though differs, they have essential points of agreement. These points are the basic beliefs they hold in common. However, I cannot mention all unifying points they have but one of the important points they have agreed is that they do not accept the idea that this world is created and ruled by a God.
Basically, Buddhism emphasizes more on experience and facts, in fact it is accepted as scientific philosophy. I had been to Thailand National Science Museum in Bangkok and I discovered how strongly they accepted the Darwinism theory (evolution). A Buddhist teacher who was a friend of mine shared his conviction to me and wondered why Christians do not believe Darwin when he’d come from the west.
The Value of Spiritual Experience
Buddhist values human experience rather than refutation and interpretations. As experience teaches, they believe that spiritual lesson can be learned through personal encounter. Buddhist adherents are exhorted not believe anything until he found it by himself to be true. Experimental and personal encounter for spiritual experience is being valued more than listening to a trusted friends or reading good books.
Many occasion that I was invited by my Buddhist friends to try to experience the reality of Buddhism. They said that the reality of spiritual experience will get us in touch with the spiritual realms. This includes a sincere desire to experience enlightenment for yourself.
Buddhist Concept of Language
To the Buddhist, there are two types of language;
1.) the language of ordinary people
2.) the language of those who understand realities
The ordinary language is the language spoken by ordinary people who do not understand the spiritual reality or blind to truth. While those people who have known to understand realities know what is “dharma” (truth) and are aware of ordinary language and knows how to handle ordinary people.
Christians and other religions are being class by Buddhist as ordinary or common people since Christians and others are unaware or blind to what they called “dharma”(truth). Dharma is the teachings of Buddha which among Buddhist adherents they called it “the ultimate reality.” One of those types of people they considered ordinary are those whose lives are centered on material things.
Buddhist Concept of Religion
To the pure Buddhist, they view all religions as the same. They hate theological dispute and view people who differentiate Christianity to Buddhism or to other religions as people who are yet in the stage of ignorance.
Many ordinary Buddhists I met even hold the idea that Christians in particular have more similarities to them than differences. In general, Buddhist desires to have a better community. They are more interested about “how much we have in common rather than talking about each uniqueness and differences.” They welcome and encouraged exchange learning to other religions to attained good values, so that the world can attain more ideal community.
Buddhist Answers to Life’s Important Questions
Buddhism sees suffering as the result of bad karma. The teachings of the Bible that says, “A man reaps what he sows.” Gal. 6:7 is strongly believed by the Buddhist. They hold the truth that bad deed gets bad results and good deeds get good results. And that rewards or consequences will be received in your next life on earth since they believe on “reincarnation” or rebirth. It means that you have been living many lives before your present life now and that you have many more life to come. And the status of your present life now is the result of how you’d lived your previous life.
While we Christians have different concept about suffering, it is time to take this teachings seriously to grasp their thinking. I adapted the question and answer completely from “Morals Of The Young” by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero so you won’t miss a thing. Consider each question and answer carefully. Know that understanding the Buddhist mindset will help us realized the disastrous impact of presenting Jesus to them in our traditional way that He was hanged on the cross and died with a broken heart in a criminal death, adding that He had experienced a very humiliating situation, spat, beaten and crowned with thorns and etc.
1. Question: Why are some very rich while others are extremely poor?
Answer: Some are very rich because they practice charity in the previous births.
2. Question: Why do you have a happy and harmonious family life?
Answer: Because in your previous life, you dresses neatly and worshipped the Buddha with a pure heart.
3. Question: Why it is good to offer Buddha images to a monastery?
Answer: Because of this meritorious act, you will have a life of good health and great wealth, as well as be blessed with handsome and wise children.
4. Question: Why do you have comfortable transport that enables you to travel in luxury?
Answer: This is because you did beneficial work such as repairing roads and building bridges.
5. Question: Why you are able to get all the fine clothes you want in great variety, while some do not have even rags?
Answer: Because you offered robes and other requirements to monks, recluses and other in need.
6. Question: Why you have delicious good food while many others go hungry?
Answer: Because in your past life you gave food to those who were hungry.
7. Question: Why do some people starve and do not have sufficient clothes to wear in the present life?
Answer: Because they did not share their wealth and other possessions with those in need.
8. Question: What is the reason for one to be born into a rich family, enabling one to enjoy wealth and good fortune?
Answer: Because he has practiced charity in his previous life and shared what he had with those in need.
9. Question: Why is your life do stable, happy prosperous, fortunate, and blessed with a happy family of wise children?
Answer: Because you have helped to build temples, schools and monasteries for people to worship.
10. Question: What is the secret of you being so pretty and handsome in the life?
Answer: Because you offered flowers to the Buddha and did not have ill-will or hatred toward others.
11. Question: What has made you more intelligent and wiser than many others in this life?
Answer: Because you helped monk, religious persons and scholars to spread the words of Buddha and his moral teachings.
12. Question: Why are you so popular among your friends and liked by all wherever you go?
Answer: Because you have showed loving-kindness towards others in your previous life and did not have harmful thoughts with anyone.
13. Question: Why do some husbands and wives live happily together while some couples fight with one another?
Answer: Because these happy couples have lived together for many rebirths practicing meritorious deeds together.
14. Question: Why do some people live happy long years with both their parents?
Answer: This is simply because in previous life they did not disrupt the families of birds and animals, when they were young.
15.Question: Why do some people lead lonely lives as orphans, quite early in their lives?
Answer: Because these people were bird-shooters in previous lives and separated young birds from their parents.
16. Question: Why do some people have many children and some have none?
Answer: This is because in the previous life, these children couples were not fond of children and destroy unborn children.
17. Question: Why do some children die while they are still young?
Answer: Because they destroyed birds and animals for fun in their previous lives.
18.Question: Why do some people become bald-headed when they still young?
Answer: Because they plucked the feather of helpless birds, thereby making it difficult to fly.
19.Question: Why do you have long-life in this birth?
Answer: Because you have set free cage birds and animals and established sanctuaries for animals where they are totally free.
20.Question: Why do some people die in accidents such as drowning, poisoning, motor vehicles collision etc?
Answer: Because they kill animals and people using various devices during their previous lives.
21.Question: Why do some people get burnt alive?
Answer: Because these people barbecued and fired live fish. (Note: fired may be fried as explained by my friend)
22.Question: Why cannot some people find spouse?
Answer: Because they did not treat their husband/ wives properly in their previous lives.
23.Question: Why does a woman become an early widow?
Answer: Because she ill-treated her husband and did not look after him properly.
24.Question: Why do some children have to work as domestic servants, slaving away all their lives?
Answer: This is because they ill-treated their domestic servants badly in their previous lives
25.Question: Why do you have good eye-sight and clear vision in this life?
Answer: Because you offer light to dispel darkness in temples and public places.
26.Question: Why do some people suffer from blindness in this birth?
Answer: Because they have conceal the truth, mislead people and impaired the eye-sight of patients through wrong medication in their previous life.
27.Question: Why are some people deaf and dump in this birth?
Answer: Because they have insulted and used harsh words to their parents in their previous birth.
28.Question: Why are some people hunch-backed in this life, like animals?
Answer: Because they have overloaded and hurt beast like donkeys, camels and buffaloes.
29.Question: Why have you been able to live in a clean an unpolluted environment in this birth?
Answer: Because you have kept your environment clean and devoid of pollution in your previous birth.
30.Question: Why do some people have a sweet voice in this life?
Answer: Because they spoke pleasant words, avoided harsh words and chanted the scriptures sweetly in this previous birth.
31.Question: Why do some people have foul-smelling mouths?
Answer: Because in the previous birth they spoke harshly and untruthfully and indulged in bearing tales and gossip.
32.Question: Why do some people have deformed hands in this life?
Answer: Because they threatened religious persons, their parents and elders by raising their hands.
33.Question: Why are some people crippled in this life?
Answer: Because they used their legs for evil purposes such as threatening to kick their parents and elders.
34.Question: Why are some men born as animals?
Answer: Because when they were men they behaved like animals.
35.Question: Why do some people suffer from constant illness in this life?
Answer: Because they neglect their sick / aged parents.
36. Question: Why are some people in constant good health?
Answer: Because they have looked after their aged parents and administered the sick in previous births.
37. Question: Why are some people in prison even though they may not have committed any crime?
Answer: Because in the past birth, they have given false evidence against innocent people, thereby causing them great difficulty.
38.Question: Why do some people have to starve in the world where there is plenty of food?
Answer: Because in previous births, they did not feed their aged parents while they were affluent and could afford to look after the parents adequately.
39.Question: Why do some people kill themselves?
Answer: Because of their incapacity to accept the eight-fold worldly conditions. (Note: As explained by my friend, Buddhist teaches the 8 world conditions which are loss/gain, fame/disrepute (or humiliation), pleasure/pain, and praise/ blame)