| Buddhism is a teaching which has spread | | | | excluded because there is no God here, and |
| worldwide absorbing the culture of each | | | | occasionally not even Gods. From the |
| country it arrived in, which has resulted in | | | | perspective that religion entails belief in a |
| many expressions of Buddhism. Each strand, no | | | | God, Buddhism is excluded from having the |
| matter how varied in nature and practice, | | | | title of religion. Many outsiders to the |
| holds a common emphasis on the impermanence | | | | Buddhist tradition may claim that the Buddha |
| of human life. The worldwide spread of | | | | held some divinity and is elevated to a Godly |
| Buddhism means that it is now practiced by | | | | position, but the Buddha himself refused to |
| over three hundred million people worldwide, | | | | be regarded as divine. For the Buddha, |
| and thus, is generally considered to be a | | | | humanity is here to improve ourselves and |
| world religion. However, its authenticity as | | | | achieve liberation rather than worrying about |
| a religion has often come under scrutiny by | | | | ultimate questions. Buddhists would argue |
| intellectuals in the Western world. To | | | | that knowledge of a God or the afterlife does |
| explore whether Buddhism can in fact be | | | | not matter as neither help in the quest for |
| counted as a religion we must acknowledge | | | | nirvana. If Buddhism is not counted as a |
| that the main problems arise when looking for | | | | religion then what is it? Buddhism can be |
| a definition of what a religion is. Either, | | | | thought of as a way of life, a philosophy, a |
| definitions have proved too narrow excluding | | | | psychology, a way of thinking through which |
| many belief systems which people believe are | | | | we can take responsibility for our present |
| religious, or they become too broad which | | | | life and lives. |
| means that any structure can be counted. When | | | | |
| applying varying definitions of religion to | | | | Like all major religions Buddhism contains a |
| Buddhism we come up with some very | | | | morality, rituals and behaviours, certain |
| contradictory answers; some which say that | | | | ethical values and an origin of existence, |
| Buddhism is simply a philosophy or teaching, | | | | yet because Buddhists do not believe in an |
| whilst others will prove that it is in fact, | | | | all knowing creator God some claim that |
| a religion in practice. | | | | Buddhism fails to be a religion. The large |
| | | | variety of definitions of religion shows that |
| To determine whether Buddhism is a religion | | | | we can never give a solid, one answer |
| or not, we must also note that we, as | | | | description of what it is that religion is |
| Westerners will have different views and | | | | and does. |
| concepts of religion to those practicing in | | | | |
| the East. We must ask the question, is it | | | | We must remember that previously Buddhism has |
| even possible for Westerners to understand | | | | many names such as the Buddha's teaching or |
| the religious life of Asia? What we view as | | | | message, or the Buddha's way or the path of |
| Asian religion and religious activity is for | | | | attainment. Although the religious status of |
| most of the people practicing it a natural | | | | Buddhism has come under constant attack, we |
| part of daily life; our ideas and concepts | | | | could argue that the questioning is in fact, |
| vary so greatly that perhaps someone | | | | not necessary. If we were able to ask the |
| observing Buddhism from a Western perspective | | | | Buddha if Buddhism was in fact a religion or |
| may never truly grasp the religiosity of the | | | | not he would probably answer with the |
| group. | | | | response that it does not matter. To the |
| | | | Buddhist, their beliefs are essentially a |
| For one attempting to provide a definition of | | | | philosophy by which individuals can attain |
| religion these practices would need to be | | | | release from the world of karma and rebirth. |
| described in a manner which did not exclude | | | | Knowing whether or not Buddhism is a religion |
| one religion from the definition. There needs | | | | or not cannot lead to salvation, only through |
| to be one thing that is attributed to all | | | | practice and understanding can one be led to |
| religions, a common factor. For many, the | | | | a happiness which is not transient. |
| common factor is God. However, if we conclude | | | | |
| that God is the focus of all religion then | | | | Copyright © All rights reserved. |
| much of the material found in Asia must be | | | | |