Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the world’s earliest religion, though much younger than Sanatana Dharma.

Fourth-largest religion after Christianity and Islam, (assuming all their sects are taken together) and Hinduism / Sanatana Dharma.

Buddhism is both a religion and philosophy largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama

Three concepts, Karma, Rebirth, Samsara shared from Sanatana Dharma but interpreted slightly differently.

They classify themselves as Theravada or Mahayana. Both accept the Buddha as their teacher

Both accept the Middle way, Dependent origination, Four Noble Truths,Noble Eightfold Path and Three marks of existence, yet still differentiate between themselves.

Both accept that members of the laity and of the Sangha can pursue the path toward enlightenment (Bodhi)

Both consider Buddhahood to be the highest attainment

They do not believe that this world was created and is ruled by a God

They consider that the purpose of life is to develop compassion for all living beings without discrimination and to work for their good, happiness and peace and to develop wisdom leading to the realization of the Ultimate Truth.

BUT They do not get along with the other

Hinduism /Sanatana Dharma

The world’s oldest Philosophy of Life based on evidence / observation and rational logic, always encouraging an Interrogative/Questioning attitude.

Not really a religion but seen as one by others. Three concepts, Karma, Rebirth, Samsara. With over 1,280 Sacred Books,10,000 Commentaries, more than one lakh sub-commentaries for these foundation books, 330 million Gods or No God at all,variety of Aacharyas, thousands of Rishis, hundreds of languages… still everyone goes to the SAME TEMPLE …

Hindus / Sanatana Dharmists have never quarreled with each other over the past tens of thousands of years in the name of religion/ beliefs though they often debate thereon, and ALL go to ALL the Temples. Only in the recent past have Politicians tried to divide and rule.

Sanatana Daarmists do not evangelize or proselytize or look down on those having different religious beliefs, as being inferior or pagan, though they are always willing to explain their beliefs and culture to those who see that as exemplary.

The moral is:

…to avoid hypocrisy, self-righteousness and censoriousness and encourage respectful tolerance of the others’ differing views and beliefs

-to KEEP RELIGION OUT OF POLITICS and POLITICS OUT OF RELIGION and let not citizens of other countries dictate to you how to conduct your customs and your religious beliefs.

-to follow the Golden Rule-“ DO NOT DO UNTO OR DEMAND OF OTHERS, WHAT YOU WOULD NOT WANT THEM TO DO UNTO OR DEMAND OF YOU!”

It will then be when the killing and real intolerance will stop and there will be PEACE on EARTH!

Note:

If, however, you want to be relevant, then be guided as given below:

Your aim then should be :

– to avoid hypocrisy, self- righteousness and censoriousness and encourage respectful tolerance of the others’ differing views and beliefs.

– to KEEP RELIGION OUT OF POLITICS and POLITICS OUT OF RELIGION and let not those who are not citizens of our Country dictate to you how to conduct your customs and your religious beliefs in this Country, even if the religion you practise originated from elsewhere, Afterall culture and some customs are dictated by the Geography and local context.

– to ‘Stand -up’ for what is RIGHT, even against those wrong Doer’s who seek to claim the right of support for their illegal and immoral acts, or at least of shelter from the Authorities by hiding in your silent majority. Do not let yourself be so used.

Recognize yourself as being vastly different from the illiterate, and mired in poverty population of the old days. Today you are an educated individual capable of rational and logical thinking and capable of standing up for what is RIGHT against those who behave otherwise or call for , or encourage such behaviour.

You are also capable of communing directly with your ALL LOVING, ALL MERCIFUL and ALL FORGIVING God, who by definition cannot accord you any sort of eternal punishment, who created you and all the world/Universe around you for the benefit of you and your loved ones.

Hence, do not let yourself be led or guided by those who want power, wealth and status for themselves, by claiming themselves to be the rightful emissaries of God and instilling in you FEAR of your God and HATE for the others, and calling on you for submission to their interpretation of what they say your God demands of you, and to their dictates, so as to use you as part of a mindless mob/army to do their bidding, mainly carnage and pillage of the OTHER, for their benefit.

They, in return, offer you a promise, not of happiness and prosperity in this Life that your God has given you, but of a promise of a reward in a vague, unseen and unproven Heaven only after your death. What then is the purpose of Life? Why not strive to attain such a Heaven in this Life and on this Earth itself? Ofcourse, these self-proclaimed emissaries will not allow you to ask such questions as that would not be in their interests to do so. It is now time for you to ask yourself such questions, and even question the right of such self- proclaimed emissaries to make their unsubstantiated claims.

Consider your God as your personal Deity/Ishta Devata, with whom you can commune directly and be guided by. Do not live with Fear and Hate but with Love and Empathy for all around you.

– to follow the Personal Deity/ Ishta Devata concept and the GOLDEN RULE – “DO NOT DEMAND OF, OR DO UNTO OTHERS, WHAT YOU DO NOT WANT THEM TO DEMAND OF OR DO UNTO YOU!” (See – ‘Religious Cultures and Dharmic Culture’).

It will then be when the fighting and killing and the real intolerance will stop and there will be PEACE on EARTH.

India is the only Country in the world wherein people and sects of ALL Religions and Beliefs have always lived in peace. Jews and Parsis, who do not seek to proselytize or seek reservations or preferential treatment at the cost of others, are the best examples. Even Religious groups that seek to convert others by force or inducements, when they are the Rulers or even in a Democracy when they are over 10 percent of the population, all their sects too live in peace in India – and yet they speak of Intolerance. What INTOLERANCE and BY WHOM?

JAI BHARAT ! -JAI HIND!-

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