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Over the last century, teachings in the higher levels of Buddhism have been a source of endless speculation to many Europeans as well as to Asians. Indeed, even today growing number of Europeans who are interested in the philosophy and their ingenious advocating concerns over profound Buddhist teachings are indications that empathized Buddhist philosophy still a complex and imperceptible matter to many intellectuals all over the world. Over the last two years in Canada, I had come across many people who interrogate Buddhism greatly. This is one of the reasons that made me to put the world most complex and analytically advanced philosophy, Buddhism on the net. I hope you will enjoy your visit to my Buddhist pages.

Do not believe in Buddhism simply...

Buddhism can only be understood by some; it cannot always be taught, popularized nor handed over to the next generation just by teaching. Buddhism is not a hypothetical imagination but a practical theory each person would need to understand as an individual, not as a member of a group. Buddhism requires one to believe in reasonable ideas by respecting truth and eliminating unrealistic theologies. That belief is the fundamental teaching of all Buddhas.

Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator God, some people do not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, or gender. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion.

Buddhism, that oldest world religion/philosophy, is generally misconceived to be a blind faith. As seen from its outward appearance, really it is painted with a strong religious colour. To a non-Buddhist, who sees the golden image of Buddha, and hears the chanting of Sanskrit Sutras and the clinking of the bell, Buddhism is nothing but idolatry; in view of their passive life, Buddhists of the Order are said to be "social parasites". However, on the contrary, whatever is expounded in Buddhism, down to every minor matter, is based on the Teaching of Buddha. Indeed, exception to those of high intellect, some of the Buddhist principles are too profound to be easily explained and understood by the lay people. Without making a serious effort to study the issue in question, those who say what others say, and believe what others believe, that Buddhism is a superstitious faith, betray not only their ignorance of its fundamental principles but also their lack of common sense and understanding; therefore, in regard to Buddhism, what they say and what they believe cannot but be blind and untrue.

Depending in what sense Religion is defined; Buddhism may be called Religion or non-Religion. If religion refers to Monotheism or Polytheism, then Buddhism, being non-theological, is no religion at all. If religion, broadly defined, refers to some School of Teaching, Buddhism in that sense may be said to be in the same category as Confucianism and Taoism. (Note: The next article "Is Buddhism a religion?" will explain the depth of this matter.)

In the wake of the remarkable development of modern Science, the monotheistic and polytheistic religions of the world are open to scientists' attack rather helplessly, but Buddhism stands out as unique exception to this. It is because the more advanced is Science, the more and the better is Buddhism understood. In the meantime, in parallel to the stupendous scientific achievements of this age, Buddhism spreads more and more to the world. All over the world many philosophers, scientists and others turn to Buddhism as a result of logical theories of modern world. For example, Dr. Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Albert Einstein, Prof. Huxley is couple of people who prefer Buddhism because of its profound teachings. Today, the Law of Karma and Universal Law of Rebirth become laws that applied to everyone regardless of their faith, race, ethnicity or cultural background. This is an eloquent proof that Buddhist theories can be tested and corroborated by science. In reality, the more learned the scientist is, the easier and the better can he comprehend the difficult Buddhist terms and the profound theories of Buddhism. Thus he would come to realize that whatever phenomena, physical or psychical, as explained by Buddha, far from being superstitious, are all based on Reason and reality only. (from: "The scientific Outlook of Buddhism." Note: I have edited and add some lines on above passage.)

That doses not mean we are atheist. But we must have a strong reason to believed in an invisible person rather than believing parents, teachers, and friends. There are no religious faith, beliefs or boundaries in Buddhism. According to Buddhism, Lord is not the only one unique, we all unique from each other. We do not believe simply, Lord or creators without having at least a strong reason. Remember Buddha not a scientist. You cannot compare modern science with a Philosophy. The following article help you to understand these concepts in depth.

Most common question from intellectuals of Europeans and Westerners; Is Buddhism a religion?

To the approximately 300 million practitioners worldwide, Buddhism is considered their religion and/or philosophy. With the spread of Buddhism in the European world, we come across numerous common questions that sometime can be considered significant to Europeans who are interested in Buddhist teachings. The most common question that I had from resent visitors to my web page is, whether Buddhism is a religion or not?

It is included in "Theology" - which is the "-ology" (study) of God. But strictly speaking Buddhism is atheistic - does not believe in the existence of an overall controlling God or Gods. Yes there are gods in the Buddhist Cosmology, but they are just as impermanent as any other being and subject to the same universal laws. Like Albert Einstein believed, Gods dogmas and theologies are not important concepts to Buddhist at all.

If "religions" require the belief in "God", "creator" and/or restrictions- then Buddhism is not a religion. As generally Buddhists do not ascribe to the belief in a sentient, all-pervasive Creator, some claim that Buddhism fails to be a religion. Others have called it a philosophy or "way of life". But it's probably more than that, because it does require the belief that there is something bigger and better than our regular selfish existence and placing our trust in the teaching of the Buddha and his followers. And what does "religion" mean; It comes from the Latin word "religare" - "re" meaning again, and "ligare" meaning tie or bind - as in ligature. This implies the re-uniting of things that have been separated. (Though I may be mistaken, here! - a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing!) . If that is so - then perhaps Buddhism is a religion because it could be viewed as leading to the reunification of the individual with something bigger (something that Buddhism prefers not to name)! Also like all major religions Buddhism contains an explanation of the origin of existence, a morality, and a specific set of rituals and behaviours. However, this reflects both an extremely narrow definition of religion and fails to consider what Buddhists would regard as the "nature of god," which is extremely close to the description of God offered by many of the earlier "Fathers" of Christianity. Nevertheless, like the other major religions, Buddhism presents a transformational goal, a desire to improve one's situation, and a distinct moral code.

However it is up to you to decide whatever it is a religion or a philosophy and the way you want to be Buddhist teachings. Due the fact that Buddhists been middle or moderate in many points of views and the way Buddhists should handle problems in the societies, made me to take Buddhism as a moral philosophy rather than a religion. As I mention before, it is you who decide things for yourself. As all Buddhas said, "I am the master of my self", you have opportunity to personalized Buddhism as religion, philosophy or whatever the way you want to be.

This question has been asked and debated many times. I don't know the answer. But for the Buddhist does it matter? No, not at all. For further information please read: Buddhism, Universal Philosophy, Ethnic Religion and Social Engineering

Special Note: Above believes spectrum, is designed by myself. It is not a commercial theory. It is just a visual indication of how I view the world believes, ideas and religions. There is no such thing I am better than the others. If you have concerns about this, you can contact me. The above spectrum is based upon my personal point of view. It is not a commercial one. Thank you.

Buddhism is beyond the level of science

All the religious ideas are strongly believe in creator and the followers are always second to God. But the Buddhist followers are not second to any one. Most magnificent Buddhist teaching is Buddhist Logics, which are, replace the Aristotle Logics and Calculus Logic. Even though some people think Buddhism as a philosophical science due to above logics and no creator theory, you cannot compare Buddhism with modern science. The reason for this is science laws can be replace by another new law, which is never going to be happen in Buddhist laws. On other hand science has both intentional and unintentional sides to their theories and laws. But Buddhists always has the wisdom to see every fact before he/she act and there is no unintentional result in Buddhism.

Why Buddhist Philosophy

According to Buddhism, the whole universe is a single, dynamic web of energy, which can exist in three forms. These three forms of energy that exist in the universe also exist in the human body. Energy in the universe can exist are:
1. Free Energy,
2. Forces,
3. Matter.
Free energy is pure, undifferentiated energy. Therefore, this form cannot be perceived directly or indirectly. Free, undifferentiated energy exists in the human body as consciousness. In Buddhism, consciousness is described as Vinnana. (More Info: click here)
All of the above teachings are related to study of life. Buddhism is not a religious belief. It is about your life. Philosophy stands for study of life. And there are lots of logics and theroies which is powrful then a religious theroy. That is why Buddhism is a Philosophy. (Please read my intrduction and Original Teachings)

The whole world is combinations of vibrations, and ever changing phenomena (If you search for a creator, you will lost with universal science)

The existence and disappearing of the universe and the biosphere (life) is processing (cycling) over billions of years. Search for a definite beginning or ending of this is never going to be success. (Ask from NASA) According to modern science world, today no one can believe that God create this world nor he has the power to do so. Even though modern science proved that there is no or there is such creator, it is first used to teach by the Buddha 2601 years ago. When he used to teach the "CREATOR CONCEPT" he use his clairvoyance and clairaudience, which is more advance and powerful proof than any modern scientists or idealists. However keep in mind Buddhists dose not care about god or creator in terms of Buddhist infrastructure. Keep in mind we are not atheists. Please do not compare Buddhism with modern science. (More Info: Logics | Buddhist FAQ #3 | Buddhist FAQ #4)

Concept of God

Christianity is a God centered religion. It sees God as the focus of meaning in human life and history as the unfolding of God's plan. It comes as a suprise to most Christians that there are relgions, such as Buddhism, that are not God centered and have comparitively little to say about Him. The purpose of this essay is to clarify Buddhist ideas about God and make them seem reasonable to the non-Buddhist, even if not persuading him. In this essay instead of talking about "God" I will use the term "the absolute" to avoid confusion. The word "God" carries too many asociations that are difficult to lay aside when discussing the subject from a fresh (Buddhist) perspective. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines the absolute as "the ultimate source of reality regarded as one and yet the source of variety; as complete, or perfect, and yet as not divorced from the finite, imperfect world."

First, Buddhists believe that the absolute is not someting you believe in, or worship, but instead something you experience. The experience of the absolute is called enlightenment. Because of this emphasis on experience, the terminology of Buddhism is often elusive. More attention is given to how to attain the experience of the absolute than to a specific description of its character. Indeed Buddhism teaches that no verbal description of the absolute is possible. That is, Buddhism insists that the absolute is ineffable.

While no positive description of the absolute is possible, Buddhism does teach that the absolute can be defined negatively by refuting false ideas of the absolute. Buddhist philosophy is therefore resolutely critical, showing the contradictions inherent in the concepts of their opponents. But while Buddhist philosophy is a critical philosophy, it is also a rational philosophy in that it believes that no contradiction can exist in the absolute. This is in contrast to those forms of mysticism that teach the nature of the absolute is contradictory and paradoxical.

Finally, Buddhism teaches that the absolute is the true nature of the relative. On the question of the transcendence or immanence of the absolute, Buddhism come down on the side of immanence. Only because we misperceive the true nature of the world do we think of it as relative, when we truly understand the world then we see it as the absolute. But this process of perceiving the relative as the absolute is not one of addition, but one of subtraction. That is, one does not gain a new sixth sense from the practice of meditation enabling one to see everyting as godlike (whatever that might be). Instead one strips away the false concepts about reality which makes the absolute appear as the relative. When one sees the absolute things seem more "ordinary" than before. Thus the enlightened person is not unworldly and impractical, but more grounded in reality and better able to deal with the humdrum details of life than anyone else. (from: Buddhanet)

When people are weak to face the changes of nature such as tsunami, when people are weak to face the changes of the society such as violence and when people are weak to face the changes of mental energy such as depression, they lookup to anything and everything that available to them. These insecure feelings of mankind lead him (her) to create unrealistic belief systems such as almighty god. These beliefs will provide comfort to him (her) in good times and courage or strength in times of danger while it gives consolation when things went wrong. Over time the concept of god became a faith, a religion or a system of beliefs due to the weaknesses mankind. Even though it became popular, a belief system without a strong base is like a tall building without proper foundation. When people are weak they need a religion, when they are strong they do not. Hence the strong Buddhists do not believe in god or gods.

Buddishm is Unique

Buddhism differes from religions because,

(i) we do not believe in a Creator or an Almighty God who is responsible for all our actions.
(ii) Buddhism, in actual sense, is not a religion, though people generally call it so, because there is no belief in, recognition of, or of a higher unseen authority, or a controlling power, but emotions and morality connected therewith.
(iii) is a moral philosophy in pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, norms and laws, and all other things connected therewith.
(iv)in Buddhist reasoning the modern reader will find many familiar logical operations from the calculus of propositions. But Buddhism also employs a fourfold scheme that is not found in Aristotelian logic. (More Info: Logics)

In other words

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The Impact of Buddhism

Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the third century BC from India, where it had been established by Siddartha Gautama three centuries earlier. The powerful Indian monarch, Asoka, nurtured the new comprehensive religion-philosophical system in the third century BC Asoka's conversion to Buddhism marks one of the turning points in religious history because at that time, Buddhism was elevated from a minor sect to an official religion enjoying all the advantages of royal patronage. Asoka's empire, which extended over most vigorous missionary enterprises in history. The Buddhist tradition of chronicling events has aided the verification of historical figures. One of most important of these figures was King Devanampiya Tissa (250-c. 207 BC). According to the Mahavansa, Asoka's son and emissary to Sri Lanka, Mahinda, introduced the monarch to Buddhism. Devanampiya Tissa became a powerful patron of Buddhism and established the Monastery of Mahavihara, which became the historic center of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Subsequent events also contributed to Sri Lanka's prestige in the Buddhist World. It was on the island, for example, that the oral teaching of the Buddha-the Triprtaka-was committed to writing for the first time.Devanampiya Tissa was said to have received Buddha's right collarbone and his revered alms bowl from Asoka and to have build the Tuparama Dagaba, or stupa (Buddhist shrine), to honor these highly revered relics. Another Relic, Buddha's sacred tooth, had arrived in Sri Lanka in the fourth century AD. The possession of the Tooth Relic came to be regarded as essential for the legitimization of Sinhalese royalty. Some of the kings even went to the extent of prefixing the 'Datha' to their names. Eg: Dathopathissa, Dhathappabuthi, Dalamugalan etc., which clearly indicates their close association of the sacred Tooth Relic. The annual procession Perahera held in honor of the sacred Tooth Relic serves as a powerful unifying force for the Sinhalese in the twentieth century. Asoka's daughter, Sanghamitta, is recorded as having brought to The island a branch of the sacred Bo tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment. According to legend, the tree that grew from this branch is near the ruins of the ancient city of Anuradhapura in the north of Sri Lanka. The tree is said to be the oldest living thing in the world and is an object of great veneration. The connections between religion, culture, language , and education and their combined influence on national identity have been an age-old pervasive force foe the Sinhalese Buddhists. Devanampiya Tissa employed Asoka's strategy of merging the political state with Buddhoism, supporting Buddhist Institutions from the state's coffers, and locating temples close to the Royal palace for greater control. With such patronage, Buddhism was positioned to evolve as the highest ethical and philosophical expression of Sinhalese culture and civilization. Buddhism appealed directly to the Masses, leading to the growth of a collective Sinhalese cultural Consciousness. In contrast to the theological exclusivity of Hindu Brahmanism, the Asokan Missionary approach featured preaching and carried the principles of the Buddha directly to the common people. This proselytizing had even greater success in Sri Lanka than it had in India and could be said to be the Island's first experiment in mass education. Buddhism also had a great effect on the literary development of the island. The Indo-Aryan dialect spoken by the early Sinhalese was comprehensible to Missionaries from India and facilitated early attempts at translating the Scriptures. The Sinhalese literati studied Pali, the language of the Buddhist scriptures, thus influencing the development of Sinhala as a literary language.

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The Original Teachings of the Buddha

The teaching of the Buddha have been a way of life for millions of people in the East for two thousand six hundred years. In the West, many are seeking answers in ancient wisdom as an alternative to a materialistic way of life. Buddhism doesn't not demand blind faith from its followers and Buddha has invited people to "see for themselves" the truth of his teachings. It is hoped that this brief introduction to the original teachings may interest the reader into enquiring further.

Suffering, impermanence, and no-self-----------It may be said that the Buddha based his entire teaching on the fact of human suffering. Existence is painful. The conditions that make an individual are precisely those that also give rise to suffering. Individuality implies limitation; limitation gives rise to desire; and, inevitably, desire causes suffering, since what is desired is transitory, changing, and perishing. It is the impermanence of the object of craving that causes disappointment and sorrow. By following the "path" taught by the Buddha, the individual can dispel the "ignorance" that perpetuates this suffering. The Buddha's doctrine was not one of despair. Living amid the impermanence of everything and being themselves impermanent, human beings search for the way of deliverance, for that which shines beyond the transitoriness of human existence--in short, for enlightenment. According to the Buddha, reality, whether of external things or the psychophysical totality of human individuals, consists in a succession and concatenation of microseconds called dhammas (these "components" of reality are not to be confused with dhamma meaning "law" or "teaching"). The Buddha departed from the main lines of traditional Indian thought in not asserting an essential or ultimate reality in things. Moreover, contrary to the theories of the Upanishads, the Buddha did not want to assume the existence of the soul as a metaphysical substance, but he admitted the existence of the self as the subject of action in a practical and moral sense. Life is a stream of becoming, a series of manifestations and extinctions. The concept of the individual ego is a popular delusion; the objects with which people identify themselves--fortune, social position, family, body, and even mind--are not their true selves. There is nothing permanent, and, if only the permanent deserved to be called the self, or atman, then nothing is self. There can be no individuality without a putting together of components. This is becoming different, and there can be no way of becoming different without a dissolution, a passing away.To make clear the concept of no-self (anatman), Buddhists set forth the theory of the five aggregates or constituents (khandhas) of human existence:
(1) corporeality or physical forms (rupa),
(2) feelings or sensations (vedana),
(3) ideations (sañña),
(4) mental formations or dispositions (sankhara), and
(5) consciousness (viññana).
Human existence is only a composite of the five aggregates, none of which is the self or soul. A person is in a process of continuous change, with no fixed underlying entity.

The Goal of Buddhist

The goal of all Buddhist is enlightenment through understanding of the reasons and causes of suffering. Awareness of impermanence and of oneself and compassion toward others are basic and essential elements of Buddhism.

The Buddha

The man who was to become the Buddha was born into a royal family named Gothama, in the region of the river Ganges, Northern India. The young prince, Siddhatta, was given the education and luxuries appropriate to his royal status. As he matured, his fertile mind began to question many aspects of life, but he was unable to obtain answers that satisfied him. Eventually, a deep sense of dissatisfaction made him abandon his royal heritage, and he set out to become an ascetic in search of solution to the riddles of life. For six years he wandered in the area of the Ganges, meeting many famous teachers of the day, and subjecting himself to the rigours of religious practice which they demanded. These practices made him physically weak, and he realised that the way ahead would be to discover the truth for himself. Whilst in deep meditation sitting beneath a tree (which became known as the Bodhi or Bo tree), he attained enlightenment which enabled him to see the true nature of life. This unique achievement led him to be called the Buddha, which literally means ' The awakened one'.

(More Info: Life of The Gautama Buddha)

The Spread of Buddhism

Buddhism spread rapidly over countries outside India, particularly under the leadership of Emperor Asoka, who ruled India in the third century BC. As it spread, it absorbed many of the local beliefs and traditions, in keeping with the tolerance inherent in its own teachings. During this period, many schools of Buddhism arose, the two best known being Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada, considered to be the original teaching, is practised widely in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos, while Mahayana is found mostly in China, Japan and Korea. A further form of Buddhism, known as Vajrayana, is practised in Tibet. The actual practice of the teachings differ widely among the various schools, with much emphasis on ritual in some of them.

Buddhism and the theory of no creator or god...

A belief that every result has a cause leaves no room for the belief that the universe was created out of nothing. The universe and its components are also subject to the cyclic law of birth, death and rebirth, therefore an absolute beginning is inconceivable. The Buddha was more concerned with a solution to the immediate problem of the predicament of beings and their release, rather than expounding theories on the origin of the universe.

(More Info: Fundamentals | Concept of God)

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Misconceptions about Buddhism and Buddhists

The Buddhist Flag

The Buddhist flag is a modern creation it was jointly designed by Mr J.R. de Silva and Colonel Henry S. Olcott to mark the revival of Buddhism in Ceylon(Sri Lanka-Where I bron) in 1880. It was accepted as the International Buddhist Flag by the 1952 World Buddhist Congress.
Colonel Olcott designed a flag from the six colours of the aura that he believed shone around the head of the Buddha after His Enlightenment.
The first five stripes of the flag are of five colours.

	Blue:	Universal Compassion
	Yellow :	The Middle Path
	Red :	Blessings
	White :	Purity and Liberation
	Orange :	Wisdom

The sixth colour is a conglomeration of the five, but for the design, it has been separated into its constituent colours.
The colonel's flag later came to symbolize the unity of Buddhists. Thereafter, it has been used worldwide and has been used in nearly 60 countries during Buddhist festive seasons, particularly during the Vesak celebrations.
Colonel Olcott was one of the greatest American Buddhists who dedicated his later life entirely to the people of Asia. He is known as the father of the Buddhist education movement since he initiated the establishment of close to 400 Buddhist schools and colleges in Sri Lanka.

My point of view about Buddhism

Most of the above descriptions and main points are general theories and practical teachings of Buddhist Philosophy. There are a lots my ideas and others comments. But I like to explain my point of view briefly to you, and I hope it is helpful to you.

What is Buddhism…
-A kind of philosophy
-A kind of life management
*But some people think it is a religion while others think that it is a philosophy but not a science.
-I prefer Buddhism as a philosophy and also as a kind of logic that cannot compare with modern science.

Why I like Buddhism…
-I like Buddhism because it dose not have any religious faith, beliefs or boundaries. I don't want to depend on God.
-I can argue Buddhist Philosophy, but not at least a religion even I believe in that religion.

My ideas of Buddhism and modern world

- "No individual exact one another" first used to say by Buddha. But today we use the same words in science as "The First Law of Theory of Evolution"

- "Everything comes within. All we are is the result of what we have thought. No one can measure by their appearances" one of the major teachings of Buddhism today in Weston world use as "The true beauty comes within."

-"Every action we have done, everything we do and going to do, must have a opposite reaction" this used to explain right and wrong in our life style must have a effect on us as equal to what we do. This first came from Buddhism. Today we use in science as "The total energy gain or lose, equal to total energy gain or lose" or "Every action has a opposite reaction"

-"No one create this world. This world exits. Human been who try to explore and observe the universal science or world science lose more than they get" Today USA NASA Cooperation know the answer.

-"Relationship among people better than believing invisible creatures" Now modern societies know this. Ex: "Better the Parents, Teachers, Students understanding each other better the education." Alberta Learning

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