Wesak Day - Part 02 - What Buddhism Should Be, But Has Become

The Noble Eightfold Path is:

1. The Wisdom To Have The Right View.
2. The Wisdom To Have The Right Intention.
3. The Ethical Conduct of Right Speech.
4. The Ethical Conduct of Right Action.
5. The Ethical Conduct of Right Livelihood.
6. The Mental Development To Have The Right Effort.
7. The Mental Development To Have The Right Mindfulness.
8. The Mental Development To Have The Right Concentration.
   

(Click on the link above to learn more about The Noble Eightfold Path).

The only conclusion is that True Buddhism is VERY HARD TO PRACTICE. It involves totally changing your way of life and sacrificing everything. The monks in those isolated monasteries are the only ones closest to practicing Buddhism.


What Buddhism has become is a set of Rites and Rituals, which are "followed" instead of doing those very difficult steps to self-enlightenment. Let me be the first one to say that I cannot practice this in my daily life. At least I can understand the cost I am paying for following this "modern" life.


The sets of rituals and the temples (those places to practice the rituals) are what makes it seem that Buddhism is a Religion. The "practitioners" have replaced the hard work, mental effort, and sacrifices with symbolic gestures of burning joss-sticks and prayers. Another example is where the "Buddhist" goes vegetarian on the 1st Day and the 15th Day of the Lunar Month. In addition, various deities seemed to have been added on.


All this is only my opinion, I am just saying that there seem to be a vast difference between what Buddha taught and what people practice today.

A Temple (Puh Toh Tze) I visited this morning.

Another one I visited this morning.

Giant Joss-sticks.

A White Elephant.

A White Lion.

The Peak Nam Tong Temple with its pagoda. There are other pagodas in Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran, for those interested.



About Buddhism

The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the world's ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not be concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

Atisha (11th century Tibetan Buddhist master)