The Buddha The image of the Buddha is very important to Buddhists in various ceremonies. This however is not idol-worship as some would claim it is. When meditating on the image of the Buddha it represents the highest spiritual ideals we strive for. We do not look at the Buddha in pure worship, it is a constant reminder of the perfection we are seeking in ourselves and others. This photograph was taken at the Cleveland Museum of Art by James Guilford, who has allowed me to post it here also.  James Guilford's page  Cleveland Museum of Art

When I tell people that I am a Buddhist I get some strange looks and some even stranger questions. "No, Brian, I did not shave my head or start wearing robes all the time". I've thrown together this information as a quick explanation of Buddhism and why I am drawn to it. I've included some links for more information at the bottom.

The most common mistake people make is mistaking the Buddha for the "god of the Buddhists". In my own words, the original Buddha was the guy who figured it all out. He was a man in the 6th century BCE that left a life of comfort to seek an end to human suffering. He attained enlightenment through his own efforts, and spent the next 45 years teaching others. Respect for the Buddha is essential, but it is not pure unquestioning worship. The Buddha instructed that we should not take what is written and accept it blindly - we need to weigh the teachings for ourselves and take what we find makes sense. The farther down the path you travel the more you can appreciate the gift the Buddha gave to us.

What does Buddhism offer?

The thing I am most attracted to is that Buddhism revolves completely around making the world a better place though self improvement. And it does so without being tied to a dogmatic belief system. There is no worship of comets flying by, or guys handing out kool-aid. If you don't agree with part of Buddhism cast it aside. The entire system is about being a better person and helping others to be better people - and NOT by converting them. If you show them the path and they decide it is right for them then fantastic... if they learn a thing or two and just become a better person... fantastic!

You almost randomly take a chunk of Buddhist philosophy or instruction and hand it to someone of another religion and they will say "Yes, that all makes sense". To any religion, any people - it is all good stuff. There are a good number of people in the world, who are just generally good people. At some point they come across Buddhism and discover that they are already Buddhists - That the beliefs and what they already do are so similar. You TOO may already be a Buddhist.

The Five Precepts are guidelines for better living that most Buddhists aspire to follow. They are not rules, but they all make wonderful sense, and if everyone followed them the world would be a much better place.

The major differences between other religions and Buddhism, as outlined in "The Buddhist handbook - by John Shelling" are:

• Freedom from dogma and finding the truth for oneself - Buddhism does not insist you accept the teachings on trust alone.
• Tolerance - Buddhism allows for anyone to find the truth themselves, weather it be Buddhism or any other method. Not a single war, crusade or jihad has been started by or in the name of Buddhists.
• A liberal tradition of free inquiry - Buddhism allows its beliefs to be challenged openly and given public discussion. Try standing up in other religions and stating you don't believe one of the prime tenets.
• Practical methods - Buddhism does not offer things to believe as much as it offers things to do. The answer is not given to you, but instead a way to work through the question.
• Healing and transformation - This is best discovered by oneself. I think the best way to explain it is that it makes you a better person by helping you help others.

The four noble truths

These are the basis of the Buddhist path of escaping duhkha. The basic translation of duhkha is "suffering" but it has a much wider connentation. It refers almost to any negative feeling you may have - encompassing all forms of pain, despair, aches, malaise, etc.

• Duhkha exists
• Duhkha has identifiable causes
• The causes may be terminated
• The means by which that cause may be terminated

The opposite of duhkha is sukha is not described as much since it represents the happier sides of life that are not really a problem. Although even the happiest moments entail a bit of duhkha, as you know they cannot last forever.

How to Fix Things

The means by which the duhkha in our lives can be terminated are taught as "the eightfold path (click to view the path)". The path shows us a roadmap to becoming a better person. Even for non-Buddhists it could not hurt to aspire to these. The elements of the path show us the things to improve on that makes both us and the world around us a better place. For example, one element is "Right Speech". This entails gossiping, idle chatter, cursing, etc.

On the positive side, the "Paramita" names ten positive virtues we can bring into our own lives.

The goal of Buddhism is to become enlightened. It is not a goal we pursue for ourselves, but rather for others in that we might help them to attain this enlightenment. Enlightenment is the state where one is able to extinguish the mental afflictions within ourselves, such as greed, anger, jealousy, fear, etc. One does not seek enlightenment for his/her sake alone, but also seeks to help others attain enlightenment. So think of enlightenment as being free from all of the bad emotions, thoughts and feelings in your life. Take a few minutes to think about what it would be like to never feel anger, or hatred or pain. As you move toward enlightenment you feel the benefits. Less anger, less fear and more compassionate attitude toward others.

As you can see, Buddhism shows us a path that makes us better people, makes the world around us a better place. This is what I see in Buddhism. There is nothing in Buddhism that is weird or strange... No bizarre beliefs that you need to subscribe too, nothing you need to take on faith alone.

If your interested in Buddhism and you are in the area, I recommend the Hai An pagoda. I have begun to compile a short page describing what to expect if you join us. If you are not local to the Hartford CT area, then you will find a great listing of temples across the country on Buddhanet.