I hope you will truly understand Buddhism, which is the ultimate and perfect faith! In fact, Buddhism is also called atheism.
What does Buddhism mean by atheism?
This is a proper term in religion. There are two kinds of atheism in the world, one is materialistic atheism; the other is what Buddhism calls atheism.
Materialist atheism denies the independent existence of all spirits and does not believe in a world of ghosts and gods. The atheism taught by Buddhism means that all dharmas are caused by causes and conditions, and that all things in the universe are formed by the karma of all living beings. It admits that there are spirits, ghosts and gods, but it does not believe that there is an omniscient and omnipotent person who dominates creation as the monotheistic religions say. The universe is the first, last and only God.
The classification of gods, from a religious perspective, can be divided into polytheistic, two-god, one-god, pan-theistic and atheistic beliefs. Polytheism is a general folk belief with no organization or system. It is the religious form of primitive peoples and a regional religious form. For example: Chinese folk gods are divided into local and national gods. Local gods are divided into ancestor gods and natural gods, and their names and images can vary from place to place and from time to time; national gods are the ancestors of the country and the entire nation, or the mountains, rivers, sun and moon.
As for the belief in two gods, good and evil are divided into two forces. Initially, two hostile nations each viewed their own patron saint as a good god, while the other's patron saint was an evil god. Later, after the unification of the various nations, the belief in the two gods was formed, that is, the evil god is the devil and the good god is For God; however, the only religion in the world that worships both the devil and God is the Persian religion. Although Christianity also believes in the eternal existence of the devil and God, it only worships God and not the devil. It has the content of ditheism and only takes the form of monotheism.
The so-called monotheism means that all things are created, controlled, and destroyed by one god. God has the power and authority to dominate all things, just as the Chinese call him the Creator and Christianity calls Jehovah. Although Christianity also believes in angels and gods, they are the followers of the only God and the creations of the only God. They cannot become God's successors and another great god with the same status as God.
As for pantheism, it is the god of ideas that philosophers believe in. It is the ontology of the universe and the laws of nature. It does not have a personality image, but it is the place where all things are born and return; God cannot To love people with a will, people have the responsibility and obligation to obey and love God.
As for godlessness, this article has just said that there are two categories. The first is materialistic atheism, which believes that all phenomena in the universe and life are produced by the movement of matter. Except for the activities of matter, there are no spiritual bodies that exist apart from matter. Before a person is born, there is no past, and after death, there is no future; if there is, it is the source and continuation of physical inheritance. For an individual, death is like a lamp going out. Even if it is admitted that the spiritual power exerted by a person while in the world, whether it is academic, political, or artistic, can affect future generations; but it is material, not spiritual. People can miss the ancients, but the ancients don't know that we miss them, because they no longer exist; remembering the ancients is not to comfort the soul, but to encourage people to see the wise and think about them.
Buddhist atheism is mainly based on the phenomenon that all dharmas arise from causes and conditions, explaining that all living beings are the consequences of karma. Every sentient being has his or her own karma and received retribution individually, and many sentient beings have made countless karma in their past lives. They have the same cause of karma, feel the same retribution, and are born in the same environment. This is what the Buddha said about the endless existence of sentient beings and the world. Infinity is the result of all sentient beings’ own actions.
Our world belongs to the solar system. It is caused by the past karma of humans on earth and other living beings born in this world. It is not created by God as the monotheists say. Come. The understanding of God and God’s needs are actually based on human needs. The omniscient god is not real, but it cannot be said that he is the same as no god. From the point of view of believers, he exists; from the point of view of the believed god, he may be a powerful ghost, the main god of great blessings, or someone from Gods in other worlds. There is more than one of them. Therefore, believers in monotheistic religions are themselves divided. They have different images, understandings and feelings of monotheism, which vary from person to person, from place to place, and from time to time. Therefore, belief in monotheism, In fact, it is an upgrade of polytheistic beliefs.
The atheism of Buddhism does not deny the belief and role of multiple gods, two gods, or even one god. It just regards them as categories of living beings. Therefore, the Avatamsaka Sutra and the Ksitigarbha Sutra ", and even the Agama Sutra, etc., all talk about ghosts and gods. Buddhism is not "atheistic", but it does not believe that there is a unique creator god who dominates the universe.
Therefore, righteous Buddhists do not worship gods and ghosts, but only maintain a certain degree of courtesy towards gods and ghosts. At the same time, good gods will automatically protect those who have taken refuge in the Three Jewels, so they do not dare to accept the worship of disciples of the Three Jewels; precisely because of the protection of good gods, evil gods and ghosts do not dare to play tricks or infringe upon Buddhist believers who have taken refuge in the Three Jewels. .
Excerpted from Master Shengyan
Life and Faith
Every religion advises people to have faith, but what exactly should they believe in? The ancients said: There is a way and it is right. Good birds also know how to choose trees to roost on, and loyal ministers also know how to serve with a clear ruler. Not to mention faith, you must also choose good objects. So, what conditions should the object of our faith meet? This issue cannot but be discussed.
(1) Faith does exist
When we choose an object of faith, we should examine whether it really exists. For example, if we choose to believe in Buddhism, the leader of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha, does exist. The Buddha has the country where he was born, the date of his birth, the parents who raised him, and he has brothers and relatives. He also has records of his journey as a monk, practice, and enlightenment. The Buddha's deeds are clearly recorded in history. Sakyamuni Buddha is not a god who was made up out of thin air; nor is he a god who comes and goes without a trace. In other words, the objects we Buddhists believe in can stand the test of time in history. So, what are we to believe in? We must believe in objects that actually exist.
(2) Believe in those with high moral standards
When we make friends, we must make friends with people with high moral character and holy personality, because they can guide us to be good. The ancients said: "There is no friend." Not as good as oneself." He also said: "When water flows down, people climb up." If the object of our faith requires us to kill and harm others, then belief in him will not only be unhelpful, but also harmful. We must understand, does the person I believe in have pure moral character? Is his mercy sufficient? Is his personality perfect? If he has it, then such an object is worthy of our faith and conversion. Sakyamuni Buddha is an awakened person with perfect merits and deeds. He possesses the three virtues of wisdom, judgment, and kindness. His morality is perfect and pure. Following this human and heavenly teacher can make our morality nobler and improve our personality. More perfect.
(3) Those with strong faith
We need a crutch as a support when climbing mountains, and we also need a strong crutch as our support in life. Only when we receive the guidance of our knowledgeable and capable teachers from a young age can we gradually avoid childishness; the object of our faith must also be a great and virtuous teacher who can save and enlighten others to guide us to the right path. "Buddha's Legacy Sutra" says: "I am like a good guide, leading people on a good path; I am like a good doctor, responding to illnesses and giving medicine." If you believe in the guidance of a good guide, you can walk on a bright road and reach your destination; believe in a good doctor For diagnosis and treatment, Agata medicine can be obtained to treat troublesome diseases. Why are the benevolent sages, heroes and ordinary people of all ages willing to accept his leadership? Mainly because of his strong ability. The lion can be the king of beasts, and the roc can be the strongest among birds, both because they have special abilities. The same is true for people. If the object of faith has strong power and seems to have a backing in life, we can only be happy because of it.
(4) Those who believe in pure precepts and conduct pure conduct
All actions of people who believe in pure precepts and conduct are in line with the precepts and regulations. If we obey them, our words and deeds will naturally be in line with the right path and will not be derailed. If the person we believe in behaves impurely, it is like a car that violates traffic rules. An accident may occur at any time, and it would be too dangerous for us to follow him.
The object of our faith, the great Buddha, is an enlightened being with the most stringent and pure precepts. He not only maintains strict self-discipline, but also formulates many precepts to guide the body and mind of his disciples. It is recorded in the scriptures: One of the disciples of the Buddha begged the owner of the orchard to beg fruits, and the owner asked him to pick them himself. The venerable replied: "The Buddha's precepts say that trees taller than a person cannot be climbed." The owner of the garden asked him to pick them himself. Asking him to shake the fruit down with his hands, he added, "Buddha's precepts say you are not allowed to shake the tree to get the fruit." In order to show his sincerity, the owner of the garden had to climb down from the branch and ask him to pick it. Knowing that, he still insisted: "Buddha's precepts say you are not allowed to take the fruit by yourself." The owner of the garden had no choice but to hold the fruit in both hands and offer it to him and said, "I will support you!" This story illustrates "taking without giving". As for violating the precepts, the disciples of the Buddha would rather not bear the fruit in order to adhere to the precepts. In modern terms, it is illegal to take anything from others without their consent, even a needle or thread. If everyone could abide by it, there would be no robbery or theft in society. If we can follow the Buddha's teachings, the moral conduct we practice can be pure and flawless!
(5) Belief in the Perfect Dharma
The object of our faith must have perfect Dharma. The principles of Buddhism are impartial and impartial, so they are called dharma. The principles of Buddhism are universal and applicable to any time, space, person, or event. It is not suitable for this person but not for that person. Or it may be appropriate to use it at this time, but inappropriate to use it in another matter. Because Buddhism transcends time and space and is not subject to any limitations, it is perfect. There are many kinds of knowledge in society, and we must choose the most correct and comprehensive one as our guide. The famous saying of the wife of Guizhou Lou during the Spring and Autumn Period: "It is better to be straight and not enough, than to be skewed and have more than enough." It has been praised and used by the world for thousands of years. By believing in the perfect Dharma, we can not only get many correct instructions on our journey of life, but we can also build a perfect life.
(6) Full of Faith and Wisdom
There are two sentences in the book "The Way to Become a Buddha": "The righteous Dharma is the body, and the pure wisdom is the life." Usually we see They mistakenly think that the Buddha statue enshrined on the table is the Buddha's body, or that the majestic and beautiful body that the Buddha had when he was alive is the Buddha's true body. In fact, the Buddha is based on the righteous Dharma; the Buddha's life span does not last eight years. During the ten years of human life, the Buddha lived with infinite wisdom. Worldly knowledge has leaks, and human lifespan is limited. And the Dharma is the body, the Dharma is present in all times and places, and is endless; wisdom is the life span, and wisdom is pure and eternal, infinite and limitless. The object of our faith has perfect intelligence. If we follow him and learn from him, we can gain a life full of intelligence in the future and contribute to the public in this way.
As the saying goes: "Make careless friends" and "Meet unkind people." If a person makes the wrong friends, his life's future will be ruined. How can we not be careful when choosing a partner? What's more, it is the object of faith, so you should choose carefully!
If you want to learn Buddhism, please read Master Shengyan’s "Buddhism with Authentic Faith" and "Doubts in Learning Buddhism".
Buddhist websites in my profile
Amitabha!