What makes you NOT a Buddhist

I read this book when I was in Kedah, written by the great Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse. I was really amazed on how he relate Buddhism with our current lifestyles and issues. World wars, political issues, almost every aspects of what is going on around the sphere. (FYI I was a freethinker who was not really into any religion or faith)

Religion is something that bond people with illuminating paths and codes of conduct, regardless any religion. Buddhism makes people think that it associates with stringent rules, virtuous deeds.

Things like: If you are a Buddhist you must not eat meat, you must not smoke, etc. It is never TRUE. A person who is a smoker, who eats meat, punk kiddo, could embrace Buddhism. Religion is a matter of intellect conviction.

People tend to associate Buddhism with peace, meditation, mantras, vegetarianism. There is no clear definition of what Buddhism is, deliberately it does not mention about any meditation method, practice, mantras; Buddhism is something that is reside in mind. When we embrace a religion, we must not take everything as the way it is, we must doubt and have a questioning mind.

Why we are prohibited to perform certain things, why?
Is it because our religion says so, or is there any reason behind it? (The reason of "because my religion prohibits so" is just a blind answer)


ALL COMPOUNDED THINGS ARE IMPERMANENT.

What are compounded things? It happens where any two or more elements emerges, a new phenomenon come into the view. All phenomena are product of myriad variable components. If there is no wood, there is no table. If there is no source, there is not end product. When an element undergone a change, their characteristic change and they become something else. What it means by all compounded thins are impermanent? No one component is autonomous, permanent at all time.

If one knows that everything is impermanent, one does not grasp, and when one does not grasp, one will not think of having or lacking, one lives fully. There is no such thing as true independence, our seemingly continuous existence is series of beginning and endings bound by true. When there is a small shift, the integrity of the whole is compromised.

What is going around the sphere these days? Wars, bloody crusade, abhorrence costing millions of life. You might say, Buddhism prohibits certain behaviours but why people are doing so? Is Buddhism working? If everyone on this globe embrace Buddhism, will there be peace? What is so great about Siddhartha anyway?

Siddhartha was not a pessimist or doomsayer, he was a realist. Fearlessness is the state when we appreciate uncertainty, we will find ourselves in a very true sense, preparing for the worst, allowing for the best - we will feel dignified and majestic and realised that whatever laying ahead is around the bend. A TRUE Buddhist does not follow guild lines blindly but one who has a questioning mind, which lead to cultivation of forgiveness, understanding, open-mindedness and fearlessness.


ALL EMOTIONS ARE PAINS

Different people have different meaning of what LIFE is at different ages. At the age of 2, one might think that life is about growing up and listen of what our parent says.

At the age of 12, one might think that life is about passing UPSR.

At the age of 20, one might think that getting a professional qualification is what life is about.

At the age of 30, to have a family is what life is about.

WHAT IS LIFE ACTUALLY?

"Life is a big array, of assembled phenomena, thus life is impermanent". We tend to occupy ourselves with pursuit of hapiness and cessation of suffering, and thus we employ innumerable method and materials. (CLICK HERE for more details about the Emotions in Buddhism aspects)

Emotions are not inborn, not curse or implant from the God has thrust upon us. It arises when particular causes and conditions come together, then corresponding emotions arise. Emotions are born from selfishness in the sense that one involve in clinging to the self, which eventually leads to suffering.

We see each of us as a "self", there is any entity called "me". The self is illusory, fallacy and fundamentally flawed and non-existent. We tend to be carried away by thinking that we are the "self". Clinging to the fallacy of the "self" is an act of ignorance, which leads to all kinds of pain and disappointment. What we do depends on how we perceive our"selves", it permeates everything we do.

The "Self" fears failure and longs for success, fears hell and longs for heaven, it does not exist independently. When the "self" is full of pride, it manifests in countless ways - racism, narrow mindedness, fragility, fear of rejection, insensitivity, etc.

Look around us, you will see how nation leaders undertake their own ways, on how their lust for power destroys the humankind. When you believe that your life is harder and sadder than anyone else, it is a simply manifestation of clinging to self. There are so many people have suffered, still suffering now, yet some people tend to catagorised their suffering as a more "special suffering".

When we accept emotions, we lose awareness and sanity. When we wish to eliminate suffering, we must generate awareness. Awareness does not prevent from living but makes living much fuller.

The real source of fear is not knowing.


EMPTINESS

Most of the time, things are not as what they seem. They are impermanent and not entirely within our control. All phenomena does not occur out of the blue. We tend to be stuck with short term thinking and bound by practicality that everything must be tangible and immediately useful- Eg: We must invest on something that is worth our energy and efforts.

B: What is so good about Buddhism?
A: Hey do you know that when if you embrace Buddhism, you will be at the heaven after you have passed way.
B: Really? Oh then, I'll embrace Buddhism then.

This what that is going on, regardless of which religion. We tend to think that by embracing a religion blindly it will take us to heaven, people are "kiasi". This is the real thing I have personally heard, I'm not making any stories.

We continuously confine ourselves with safe and narrow perspective, which have been inherited down for generations. Having the courageous spirit to wake up and question what Buddhism is what we called "renunciation". Denying is a form of underestimating and blind faith is a form of overestimating.

Our suffering and paranoia are based on illusions on how we perceive our"selves". It is a matter of acquisition and willingness to see things in terms of all their parts and hidden causes and conditions.

This is a great book, the reason why I'm doing this book review is because I find that it is very relevant to us. It does not mean that I am against Christianity, Hinduism or any other religion.

We tend to create friends and enemies out of delusion and what we perceive. When we transform them into something solid and real, we become more entangled.