Is Buddhism religion?

Well, I love what Robert Thurman writes in chapter one of his translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead: “Rather than a founder of a religion, [the Buddha] was primarily a critic of religion. He critiqued its absolutist tendencies, its devaluation of human reason, and its legitimation of unreasonable, arbitrary, and oppressive structures of authority.”

The Buddha did not say, “This is the way it is.”

He said something like, “Here’s what works for me, try it for yourself.”

That was his critique of the absolutist tendencies. Also, having gone through several years of extreme ascetic practice after having lived the high life in the palace, he realized that there is a Middle Way. This reminds me of Sona Sutta. I’m including the relevant part of that here:

“Now what do you think, Sona. Before, when you were a house-dweller, were you skilled at playing the vina?”

“Yes, lord.”

“And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too taut, was your vina in tune & playable?”

“No, lord.”

“And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too loose, was your vina in tune & playable?”

“No, lord.”

“And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were neither too taut nor too loose, but tuned[1] to be right on pitch, was your vina in tune & playable?”

“Yes, lord.”

“In the same way, Sona, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness, overly slack persistence leads to laziness. Thus you should determine the right pitch for your persistence, attune[2]the pitch of the [five] faculties [to that], and there pick up your theme.”

 

While discussing meditation, it is somewhat applicable to the Middle Way idea.

As to religion’s “unreasonable, arbitrary, and oppressive structures of authority,” it seems that enough has been witnessed and written about that. I love that the Buddha, and many Buddhist leaders, encourage people to stay with their religion. Buddhism doesn’t require that a person leave their religion in order to practice. There are aspects that may conflict from the viewpoint of the other religion, but do they really conflict? I leave that to the practitioner of those religions to figure out; it’s not my place to make that call.

If you would like to read more of Thurman’s translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, you can get a copy, here.

Peace.

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