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Buddhism For You Lesson03
Buddhism For You Lesson03
What Buddhism Is
How can we tell who and to what extent each is right? Free Inquiry
Kalama Sutta - Charter of Free Inquiry reflects the Buddhist spirit of thought and investigation.
Yes, Kalamas, it is proper that you have doubt, that you have perplexity, for a doubt has arisen in a matter which is doubtful. Now, do not be led by reports, or tradition, or hearsay. Be not led by the authority of religious texts, nor by mere logic or inference, nor by considering appearances, nor by the delight in speculative opinions, nor by seeming possibilities, nor by the idea: this is our teacher.
The Buddha warned us against logic and opinions. The highest truth is beyond the ability of an untrained human mind to reason out logically and understand.
Man is a hive of opinions. Unless he is open, he is a prisoner of his opinions.
Buddhism is beyond science Bertrand Russel, the great philosopher, said of Buddhism: It takes up where science cannot lead because of the limitations of the latters physical-instruments. Its conquests are those of the mind.
Self Reliance
Do you realise that you make your destiny? The Buddha said that all our griefs, sorrows and anxieties spring from the imperfections of heart and mind. Since man is responsible for his own sorrow, it is within his power to put an end to it. The Buddha explained: Good deeds yield good fruits while evil deeds yield bad fruits. The Buddha showed us the Path we work our way towards the release of suffering.
Self Reliance
It is left to us to follow it to obtain purification. Effort is needed to eradicate the evil roots of hatred, anger and delusion that defile the mind.
Delusion
Hatred
Anger
Self Reliance
By oneself is one defiled, By oneself is one purified.
You yourself should walk the path The Buddha merely shows the way.
Confidence
No blind faith necessary to understand the Dhamma. The truths of the Dhamma can be tested and verified by personal experience
Voltaire said Faith is to believe in something which your reasons tell you cannot be true; for if your reason approved of it, there is no question of blind faith.
Voltaire
Confidence is the product of reason, knowledge and experience. When it is developed, confidence can never be blind.
Confidence
To the Buddhist, the Buddha is the greatest instructor of all time. In the Dhamma, there is nothing that is impractical or irrational. The Buddha practised what he taught; and he taught what he practised.
The learned man who does not practise the Dhamma, is like a colourful flower without scent. The Buddha said He who sees the Dhamma, sees him.
Wisdom is paramount; for purification arises from wisdom and insight. The Buddha never praised mere intellect.
The gift of Dhamma excels all gifts the taste of Dhamma excels all taste, the delight in dhamma excels all delights, The Craving-Freed vanquishes all suffering. - Dhammapada verse 354
End of Lesson 3