By Tong Wei
Nowadays, Buddhism is recognized as a religion but there are also people who categorise it as a philosophy an art of living. However, this is not of major concern as the most important thing to understand is that the Buddha taught us the ultimate truth about suffering and the way to cessation of suffering. Ultimate truth does not need a label, and it belongs to all beings. Allow me to share a few important characteristics about Buddhism with you.
1. The objective of practicing Buddhism: To understand and cease sufferingThe Way shown by the Buddha is simple, direct and practical. He disapproves mythical teachings and rejects superstition. From the first day he preached the Dhamma, his teachings revolve around the Four Noble Truths: the truth of suffering (dukkha), the origin of suffering (samudaya), cessation of suffering (nirodha) and the path towards cessation of suffering (magga). The ultimate goal is to eliminate all negative qualities in the mind, namely greed, hatred and ignorance, to attain Nibbana.
2. RationalityRationality is the opposite of superstitious. The Buddha respects the wisdom of his students and have not reprimanded or condemned them for not believing in his teachings. He dispels blind faith and encouraged his followers to discuss, debate and express doubts about his teachings if they disagree or do not understand, and to test it out by putting the teachings into practice before accepting or rejecting them.
3. Self-relianceThe Buddha emphasizes a lot on self reliance. He did not proclaim himself to be the saviour for his followers nor did he say that he is the almighty god. By praying and pleading to the Buddha, one will not be able to overcome his problems. On the other hand, he wants his followers to put in effort and practice the dhamma diligently in order to eliminate suffering and achieve Nibbana like the Buddha did.
4. PracticalityThe Buddha did not create any teachings himself. He merely preached to truth of nature that he discovered. Whether the Buddha appeared in this world or not, the truth remains the truth. Like what we mentioned above, the teachings of the Buddha is for us to eliminate greed, hatred and ignorance and achieve cessation of suffering. Therefore, the Buddha teaches only the way to cessation of suffering and is not interested in philosophical or impractical issues which are only to satisfy the curiosity of certain people.
5. PeaceThe Buddha is a man of peace. He says, "Hatred can never overcome hatred; it can only be appeased by love. This is an eternal law." The Buddha's compassion was not only towards mankind but encompasses all beings.
There is a stanza that summarises the teachings of the Buddha, "Avoid evil, do good, purify your mind. This is the teaching of all Buddhas". Avoid evil and doing good are universal teachings that can be found in all religion but purifying one's mind is unique of Buddhism. By purifying our mind, we will be able to maintain inner peace even at times of illness, pain and death.
6. Human-centered"Manussa" is the word for human beings in ancient Indian language. "Manu" is the mind and "sa" means to develop. Therefore "manussa" is a being that is able to develop its mind to the highest state. Among the founders of various religions in the world, the Buddha is among the very few who does not self-proclaim as god or a supernatural being. He is a human being like you and me, but is special as he has eliminated all bad qualities that need to be eliminated and has developed all good qualities that need to be developed. As long as we fellow human beings follow and practise the dhamma, we are able to attain the same achievement as the Buddha did. To be born as a human being is a rare opportunity, more so to have a chance to listen to the Dhamma. Therefore we should treasure this precious opportunity and strive with diligence!
