What
Buddhists Believe
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
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Chapter 14 -
Promoter of True Human Culture
Modern
Religion
Buddhism is strong enough to face any
modern views which pose a challenge to religion.
Buddhist
ideas have greatly contributed to the enrichment of both ancient and
modern thought. Its teaching of causation and relativism, its doctrine of
sense data, its pragmatism, its emphasis on the moral, its non-acceptance
of a permanent soul, its unconcern about external supernatural forces, its
denial of unnecessary rites and religious rituals, its appeal to reasoning
and experience and its compatibility with modern scientific discoveries
all tend to establish its superior claim to modernity.
Buddhism is able to meet
all the requirements of a rational religion that suit the needs of the
future world. It is so scientific, so rational, so progressive that it
will be a pride for a man in the modern world to call himself a Buddhist.
In fact, Buddhism is more scientific in approach than science; it is more
socialistic than socialism.
Among all the great
founders of religion, it was the Buddha alone who encouraged the spirit of
investigation among His followers and who advised them not to accept even
His Teaching with blind faith. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say
that Buddhism can be called a modern religion.
Buddhism is a
well-elaborated scheme of how to lead a practical life and a carefully
thought-out system of self-culture. But more than that, it is a scientific
method of education. This religion is best able in any crisis to restore
our peace of mind and to help us to face calmly whatever changes the
future may have in store.
Without sensual pleasure,
would life be endurable? Without belief in immortality, can man be moral?
Without resorting to divinity, can man advance towards righteousness? YES,
is the answer given by Buddhism. These ends can be attained by knowledge
and by the purification of the mind. Knowledge is the key to the higher
path. Purification is that which brings calmness and peace to life and
renders man indifferent to and detached from the vagaries of the
phenomenal world.
Buddhism is truly a
religion suited to the modern, scientific world. The light which comes
from nature, from science, from history, from human experience, from every
point of the universe, is radiant with the Noble Teachings of the Buddha.
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Source: Buddhist
Study and Practice Group, http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/
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Layout: Chan Duc - Nguyen Thao
Update : 01-11-2002
