At present, many people have misunderstandings about Buddhism. Speaking of Buddhism, their first reaction is superstition. In the final analysis, they know too little about Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism advocates faith, which is completely different from superstition. Please see what the masters say.
Master Hongyi:
Recently, some intellectuals criticized Buddhism as superstition.
When we look closely at the temples in various places, there are indeed special habits and popular rituals, as well as Buddhism with mixed ghosts and gods. This is the so-called authentic Buddhism. With such a strange phenomenon, it is no wonder that others call Buddhism superstition. But this is not the true nature of Buddhism, and there is no so-called worship of gods and ghosts; Its solemn ceremony and neat rules are unmatched by other religions.
Besides, Buddhism can get rid of all superstitions in the world and believe in Buddhism. Is Buddhism superstitious? ! Therefore, it is a misunderstanding to know that others say Buddhism is superstition; If you could examine it carefully, there would be no such criticism.
Or some people suspect that Buddhism is a religion. That was not the case.
Buddhism is different from religion, and it is often said in works, so I won't go into details. You know, Buddhism is outside the scope of religion.
Or some people suspect that Buddhism is a philosophy. That was not the case.
The requirement of philosophy is to seek truth, and a certain condition inferred from its rationality is called truth. The result is monism, dualism, idealism and materialism. A thinks that reason is here and B thinks that reason is there, which is confusing and slandering. However, they try their best to speculate and never get out of their fantasies. For example, a blind man touches an elephant. He has never seen the shape of an elephant in his life. Because he feels like a part, it means it is for the whole elephant, so touching its tail means it is like a rope; Or touch its back-it's like a bed; Or touch his chest-it's like a wall. Although the feeling is different because of the different places of contact, in short, they are all confused and upside down.
Not if it's Buddhism.
For example, a discerning person can see the whole image with his own eyes, which is very clear, which is very different from the so-called blind touch image. Because Buddhism needs to personally prove that "truth is truth", there is no doubt that the wrong measurement of different philosophers is definitely rejected.
What does "real" mean?
Truth and truth, equality, no delusion, no paranoia, no intention-that is, the truth and original meaning of the universe that philosophers want to explore. Husband philosopher wants to invent the truth and ontology of the universe, and his sincerity is commendable; But there is no way to do it, resulting in half the effort and not reaching the ear.
Buddhism is not against science.
Generally speaking, Buddhism emphasizes metaphysics and science emphasizes experiment, so Buddhism goes against science. That was not the case.
Modern scientists are experimentalists with two meanings:
First, according to current experience, whatever you do, that is, what you do-you don't think about it.
The second is to prevent lack of experience, that is, to improve manpower to make up for the lack of experience at ordinary times.
So is the attitude of Buddhism. His "abstinence", "determination" and "wisdom" are all improved from his usual experience. However, the experience of scientific improvement focuses on the objective object, while the experience of Buddhist improvement focuses on the subjective mind.
If people suffer from eye diseases and are not good at seeing things, science only knows to shift their own things in order to distinguish them; Buddhism tried to heal his eyes in order to see the light again. Although both of them are experiments, their ears are different.
If you want to know more about the comparison between Buddhism and science, please read The Comparative Study of Buddhism and Science sold by Ming Kai Bookstore. Wang Xiaoxu, the author, studied in Britain and made great contributions to science and engineering, which was highly praised by scholars all over the world. He recently founded a new theory to explain Buddhism by studying science and engineering, because of this book.
Buddhism is not world-weary
Ordinary people see that people who study Buddhism live in the mountains and have little contact with the world, so they suspect that Buddhism is negative and world-weary. That was not the case.
People who study Buddhism should not cling to the secular world, but they should not be indifferent and world-weary. Because people who study Buddhism must cultivate a "great bodhicitta", take pleasure in ordinary people's sufferings and joy, and hold the great wish of saving the world with enthusiasm. Not only negative, but also positive. Although living in the mountains, we don't greedily enjoy the gifts of the mountains, but learn abstinence, determination and wisdom for future salvation, which is very similar to that of secular young students studying in school and preparing for future work.
Buddhism is not suitable for the prosperity of a country.
Recently, few patriotic young people believe in Buddhism. They said that Buddhism came from India, and India declined as a result, so they suspected that Buddhism interfered with patriotic actions. That was not the case.
Buddhism can really help the country and make it prosperous, and it has never interfered with patriotic actions.
In ancient India, there were kings who believed in Buddhism the most, such as King Ashoka and King Jerzy, who unified and prospered their country by believing in Buddhism. Later, the Brahmins and other old religions revived, Buddhism gradually lost power and influence, and the Indian country also declined-this can be seen.
Ordinary people see that monks and nuns only know how to promote Buddhism, but fail to make efforts to build a large-scale interest society such as schools, hospitals and good churches, so people who doubt learning Buddhism abandon charity. That was not the case.
According to Buddhist scriptures, there are two kinds of charity: one is money charity, and the other is law charity.
Buddhists who become monks mainly practice Buddhism, so they should pay more attention to promoting Buddhism and spare no effort to advocate other charities. If the family is a Buddhist, both financial aid and legal aid should be paid equal attention, so the householder tries to do all kinds of charity.
In recent years, Buddhist schools, children's homes, hospitals, prayer halls, bridges, pavilions, rice, clothes, money, coffins, etc. initiated by various places have been heard from time to time, but they are not as good as the financial resources of foreign philanthropists, with large operators and big ears.
Ordinary people say that the "five aggregates are all empty" and "impermanence is bitter and empty" in Buddhist scriptures, and they only talk empty words because they doubt Buddhism. If more people believe in Buddhism, the world will be destroyed in the future. That was not the case.
Mahayana Buddhism says "emptiness" and "non-emptiness". Although "empty" has a special word, it actually contains the meaning of "non-empty". So to say "empty" and "not empty" means to complete the foot.
What are "empty" and "not empty"?
"Empty" people have no self; Those who are not empty are the cause of salvation. Although he knows there is no me, he can try to save the world, so he is "empty" but "not empty"; Although I try my best to save the world, I will never cling to myself, so I am "not empty" but "empty" If we really understand, we can do all kinds of undertakings without obstacles with great ego spirit.
If you can understand this meaning, you can know that ordinary people are obsessed with me and do all kinds of rescues, with thin ability, small scope, short time and incompleteness; If you want to have a strong ability, a wide range, a long time and the most thorough, you must have a good understanding of the empty meaning of Buddhism. If so, the cause of salvation can be successfully realized.
Therefore, the so-called "empty" people, different from the persistent claims of ordinary people, break it, sweep it away, and then work hard to do all kinds of undertakings with the spirit of selflessness. This is also a question of acting according to the laws of the world. First of all, we must overthrow bad habits one by one, and good construction can be realized. I believe that this can be the case. If the cloud is sacrificed, it will definitely be sacrificed; If the cloud saves the world, it will certainly save the world. It's great to do it, because it's solid, brave, diligent, but thorough.
Therefore, the real Buddhism must first stand on the "emptiness" and then do it on the "emptiness". Is it blindly saying "empty" and destroying the world? !
The above ten kinds of doubts and interpretations are mostly based on the idea of being close to the people and describe their general ideas. Hearing this, you should be able to clarify all kinds of misunderstandings. If the true meaning in Buddhism is extensive, it is numerous.
I can't elaborate today. However, since then, I have devoted myself to studying Buddhism. Please buy Buddhist books and read them at any time, so that I can understand their meaning for a long time. I have high hopes for you!
Main nebula:
When some people mention religion, they associate it with "superstition", especially the folk belief of respecting heaven and fearing god, which is always regarded as the superstitious behavior of stupid husbands and stupid women. In my opinion, folk religious beliefs are rooted in the traditional belief culture that worships everything in the world. They use courtesy, righteousness and kindness to maintain ethics, and use the idea of retribution between good and evil to build a peaceful ethnic group. Its essence is good and beautiful. It is only because modern people are too eager for material satisfaction and believe that supernatural forces can change all fate, so whether there are unscrupulous mediums pretending to be possessed by gods, taking the opportunity to collect money and deceive people, tarnishing the sacred religious beliefs.
In fact, folk religion worships gods with the concept of "holding one's head three feet high and having gods", which helps to maintain social order. Therefore, folk beliefs should not be defined in the superstitious category of foolish husbands and foolish women, but should be despised. In addition, superstition can't be publicized and encouraged, but sometimes superstition is better than unbelief. Superstition is actually believing in the object you believe in wholeheartedly, regardless of gains and losses. For example, soldiers sacrificed their lives for the country and people. Why should they sacrifice their lives for the country and the people? Because I have an absolute belief in my mission to defend my country, that is, I don't care about any reason or condition, that is, the emotion of "superstition", so I can do whatever it takes, so superstition is not necessarily bad. If I use it well, it is not a force to maintain social ethics, but also an energy to promote national progress!
Once upon a time, there was an old lady who believed in Buddhism, had no education and could not read the scriptures. So she recited "Um, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam." Because she can't read, she mispronounced the word "bam". However, it was a long time before she realized that the beans jumped automatically.
It can be clearly seen from this story that when a person has great confidence in one thing, concentrates on doing it and never flinches, he can naturally generate great strength and accomplish his goal. The ancients said: I believe it is feasible, so it is easy to move mountains and rivers. Therefore, there is no need to worry about "superstition" about religion, truth and justice. What is worrying is that you don't believe in anything, your spirit has no place, your heart has no place, and there is no seed of good, evil and justice in your heart. That's what you worry about!
Besides, what is worse than superstition and unbelief is evil belief, that is, knowing Jaken's belief without distinction between right and wrong. For example, if you don't believe in cause and effect, that is Jaken; If there is a break, it is Jaken; Even I see, see, see, see, see, and so on. , is Jaken.
Buddhism is a religion that exorcises evil spirits and shows righteousness. Buddhism does not deny folk beliefs, but only guides and orients them. For example, in the six-party talks, the Buddha said to the good boy who worships the six parties every day: "Orientation is not in the void, but in our hearts. The six parties we want to worship are: parents in the east, teachers in the south, husband and wife in the west, relatives and friends in the north, and servants in the next. " As a Buddhist, don't be superstitious about time and geography. As the saying goes, "Every day is a good day, and everywhere is a good place." As long as you are at ease, everything will be fine.
Superstition is not perfect after all, because it doesn't know the truth that religion purifies people's hearts and promotes life. Superstition, in particular, sometimes brings us great constraints. For example, some people build a house depending on Feng Shui gossip, and it takes time to move. If not, I'm afraid it will harm our descendants and offend our ancestors. In fact, according to Buddhism, every day is a good day and there are good places everywhere. Seeing geography by fortune telling is nothing more than some constraints we require, so faith is the best in the end! The so-called orthodox religion must:
(1) Beliefs with historical evidence: For example, the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha, clearly recorded his parents, family, birthplace, date of birth, and even the process of becoming a monk, practicing and becoming a Taoist.
(2) Believe in what the world public recognizes: Buddhism, for example, which is one of the four major religions recognized in the world.
(3) Believe in the perfection of personality and morality: For example, Buddha is full of wisdom, morality and kindness. He is an awakened person and he has done a perfect job.
(4) The power of faith: For example, Buddhist teachings, such as the three dharma seals, the four noble truths and the eight right paths, as well as cause and effect, karma and origin, are irrefutable truths, which can guide us to turn our confusion into enlightenment and get happiness from suffering.
Therefore, we should get rid of superstitions, cultivate positive beliefs and open up our own lives. This is the right way to believe.
Sodagi Kampo:
Believing in any religion, whether it is Christianity, Taoism, Confucianism or Buddhism, can easily become superstition if you don't understand its truth and just become superficial. For example, some people go to temples to burn incense and worship Buddha for promotion and wealth. Although this is also a belief, if you don't know what the role of Buddha is, what is the difference between Buddha and God, and just regard Buddha as a tool for seeking wealth, it will become superstition.
Nowadays, in many temples, people worship Buddha every day. Although I dare not say that all people are like this, some people are superstitious. Why? Because they don't even know why they worship Buddha. The real belief in Buddhism is to know that Sakyamuni Buddha has been to this world through his own wisdom, read some great articles or books of his predecessors, and know that everything he said is reasonable, which has an indelible effect on relieving his pain and solving life problems, and then treat him honestly from the bottom of his heart. This is the true faith. On the other hand, if you believe in Buddhism on the surface, you are actually confused and unreasonable. Even if you are a Buddhist, you are still superstitious.
Therefore, burning incense and worshipping Buddha is not necessarily a true Buddhist belief. If you don't know its merits, it's just an external worship. Some people will do the same for fishing. When I went to the south before, I saw many ordinary people burning incense in the temple before going fishing in the sea, and asked the Buddha to bless me and catch more fish. This is totally superstition. Liang Qichao once talked about the difference between superstition and true belief in a book, saying that Buddhist belief is wisdom rather than superstition. But if you don't understand Buddhism, it is probably not wisdom, but superstition.
Master Wei Xian:
Religion is different from feudal superstition, and there is a big difference.
First, the sources are different.
Feudal superstition comes from the people and involves people's habits, legends, ideals and wishes. The emergence of religion has its history, founder and doctrine, both historical roots, reasons and theoretical basis. Religion has a canon, that is, to follow and restrain its behavior and persuade people to be good; There is also an order, which is organized.
Religion, whether Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Islam or Taoism, can play a very good role in purifying people's hearts.
Second, the content is different.
What is superstition? Superstition is to promote theocracy, rely on ghosts and gods to possess, and rely on immortals to collect money. Specifically, belief in ghosts and gods, divination, revelation and prophecy often bring certain theocracy. Originally, people needed to take medicine when they were sick. Buddhists say that medicine can cure diseases, but superstition often makes people stop taking medicine, causing great harm to people. Physiognomy, fortune-telling, prophesying gobbledygook, dancing with God, etc. all belong to superstition, which makes people unable to get rid of ghosts and gods and fate.
Religion is mainly to persuade the good and stop the evil, including teaching history, doctrine, canon and cult. Its function is to persuade people to stop evil and good, which is conducive to social stability. Superstition is fooling people with theocracy and all kinds of unknowable things, profiting from it and harming others and themselves. Therefore, religion and superstition are very different and cannot be confused.
Third, the relationship with philosophy.
Religion has something to do with philosophy, but superstition has nothing to do with philosophy, because superstition has no meaning. Religion can be said to be its own decision, and of course there are theists, but this direction is still very good. Superstition means that you can't be the master at all, giving you theocracy, superstitious theocracy, you can't control yourself at all. This is a big difference. The government generally does not support superstition. China now advocates and promotes five major religions, but superstition is prohibited.
Fourth, the difference with cults.
But superstition is not a cult. Cults completely believe in God and preach God and Me to deceive people. In India, theism is Brahmanism, which worships Brahma and is dominated by theocracy, and is regarded as a heresy by Buddhism. China used to say that he was a god, that he was a master, and that he could dominate everything. This is absurd, charming and harmful. This is more harmful than superstition. Therefore, religion is different from superstition and cults. You can read more relevant materials for reference, which is the general difference.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) the characteristics of Buddhism
Buddhism is neither a superstition, nor a general religion, nor a cult. Cults talk about God and Me, while Buddhism talks about non-Me. General religion stresses almighty god and theocracy; Buddhists pay attention to cause and effect, and they can make their own decisions and create their own. Philosophy stresses inner speculation, Buddhism stresses practice and the unity of mind and matter, but there are differences.
In science, it tends to matter and the study of matter. Buddhism is different from science, because it emphasizes the harmony between mind and matter, with things in mind, intentions in things, and truth in the middle way.
At the beginning of last century, there was an argument. One school thinks that Buddhism is not religious, scientific and philosophical, while the other thinks that Buddhism is also religious, scientific and philosophical. Both groups have reasons.
"Buddhism is not religious and unscientific": Why not religious? Religion talks about theocracy, whether it is God, Brahma, God and I, they all belong to theocracy, but Buddhism is not! Why not science? Science advocates material and people-oriented; Buddhism is a general view, and man, nature and society are integrated, so it is unscientific. Why not philosophy? Philosophy is metaphysical and lacks practice; Buddhism pays attention to reality, practice and the combination of theory and practice.
"Buddhism is also religious, scientific and philosophical": in terms of belief, Buddhism has a history. Since it believes, it must worship the three treasures. Buddhism is similar to religion in this respect. Buddhism is also scientific, because Buddhism stresses logic, explanation, argument and is close to scientific verification. Buddhism is also a kind of philosophy. Buddhism pays attention to the form of thinking, the current quantity, comparison and so on, which is similar to philosophy.