Buddhism is not a philosophy

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NTRODUCTION ​

Buddhism is not a philosophy​

Before going on to talk about the Pali Canon, it is necessary to make a distinction between philosophy and religion. Philosophy is primarily concerned with rational speculation, to try to arrive at the truth of something through reasoning or argumentation. What is at issue or being investigated might not have anything to do with how one’s life is actually conducted. For instance, philosophers might debate the question of the origin and the end of the universe, the doomsday, or the origin of life. Furthermore, the ways philosophers lead their lives do not necessarily follow any principle, or even conform to what they investigate. While they are doing their philosophical thinking, their personal lives might be just the opposite. Some philosophers, for example, could be might be highly volatile and unpredictable, some could be habitually up to no good, indulging in drinking or gambling, and some were so miserable and depressed that they committed suicide.
By contrast, religion involves practice, a way of living, or useful application in real life. The way a religion is practised has to be based on a definitive canon, or fundamental principle accepted as axiomatic, with a clearly stated goal.

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Thus, practitioners of a given religion will at the outset have to abide by the tenets of that religion as laid down by its founder, which are referred to as his teachings. For this reason, a religious practitioner will direct his attention to the founder’s teachings, which are collected, preserved, and handed down in the form of a scripture.
Viewed from perspective, Buddhism is not philosophy, but a religion. With Gotama the Buddha being the founder, whose Enlightenment all Buddhists believe in, Buddhism teaches a way of life which ultimately leads to the goal of final deliverance from suffering. The voluminous scripture where the tenets of Buddhism can be found is called the Pali Canon. To derive the most benefit from the religion, a true Buddhist has to practise it properly. And to ensure the right practice, a basic understanding of the Pali Canon is called for.
"The Pali Canon: What a Buddhist Must Know"
Phra Brahmagunabhorn (P.A. Payutto)

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Buddhist Philosophy
The Origin and Teachings of Buddhism
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The story of Buddhism might be said to have begun with a loss of innocence. Siddhartha Gautama, a young prince of the Shakhya clan in India, had been raised in a life of royal ease, shielded from the misery and cruelties of the world outside the palace gates, distracted by sensual pleasures and luxurious living. But one day the fateful encounter with the real world occurred, and Siddhartha was shaken to the core. There in his own kingdom, not far from his gardens and delights, he encountered people suffering from sickness, old age and death; he brooded over these things, deeply disturbed that such was the fate of all beings. Then he encountered an ascetic holy man, a renunciate dedicated to liberation. The prince then undertook the great renunciation, forsaking his family, fortune and kingdom in pursuit of the path of liberation. The central, profound question that burned in Gautama was this: "How may suffering be ended?"

He became a wandering ascetic, practiced yogic disciplines and meditation, studied with various teachers, and attained high states of consciousness; but still he did not find the answer to his question. He practiced severe forms of asceticism, almost to the point of death by starvation, all without gain. Finally he sat under a bodhi tree, determined not to rise from meditation until he had gained the insight he sought. Not long after, he attained enlightenment; he became the Buddha -- the Awakened One. He had ascended through various stages of meditative awareness, he had seen all of his past lives, and he had seen directly into reality, into the nature of existence and the causes of suffering and rebirth. He pondered whether to try to teach these insights, so subtle and difficult to grasp to others; perhaps it would be futile. But finally he decided that at least some of the people would be able to understand; perhaps more importantly, they could be shown the path to arrive at these insights themselves. He gave his first sermon to a few disciples in the Deer park at Benares, and then continued to wander and teach for the next forty-five years, until his death at the age of eighty.

He was born in the 6th century BCE, a time of great turmoil and political change in India; many were unsatisfied with the Vedic religion, and new teachings had emerged, among them the Upanishads. The Buddha stood largely outside the Vedic tradition, criticizing many of its central teachings. Nevertheless, he had been influenced by that tradition and his teachings in turn would have a profound effect on later teachers in the Hindu tradition, such as Shankara; even in such Hindu classics as the Bhagavad Gita, some reaction can be seen to Buddhist teachings. But later centuries would see the Buddha’s influence wane in India and instead spread to other Asian countries. Today Buddhism has spread throughout the world. Various sects have arisen as later teachers have reinterpreted and expounded upon the Buddha’s basic teachings. Buddhism may be considered a religion, a philosophy, a way of life, or all three; here we will deal mainly with Buddhism as a philosophical system.

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Buddhism, Philosophy and Ideas
Although not fond of labels because they have a delimiting quality I do consider myself a Buddhist in thought and practice. The original interest in and present affinity and belief in Buddhism is founded on philosophy. I do indeed love wisdom and the ideas and applications that are connected.
On this page you will find connections to Buddhism and philosophy that I have discovered over the past several years. I will also include some of my personal ideas and ruminations, which in many cases are works in progress as I live, learning every day.

I think of philosophy (Greek: ''philo''=love + ''sophia''=wisdom) as the generation, aquisition, organization and application of ideas to one''s life and to the world. There is the matter of a love of wisdom for its own (intrinsic) sake and for what it can do (extrinsic value).

The four fundamental realms of thought (and action) are 1. religion 2. philosophy 3. science and 4. politics. Philosophy is appropriately placed between religion and science not only because of its historical place, but due to its role (real and/or potential). Philosophy can serve as an untainted, neutral intermediary between religion and science.

In ancient times, such as the days of the Pre-Socratics in Greece, religion, philosophy and science were one. In time, they split apart, most notably science from philosophy. Today, for many people science is the new religion and the new philosophy. But philosophy is not forgotten. (Have you not been asked: what is your philosophy of life?) Dry, sometimes dogmatic science is not sufficient for some people, it being too values-free, almost nihilistic. And an increasingly rationalistic generation in the West rejects religion as useless, redundant, irrelevant, even dangerous. Blind faith doesn''t suit this age. Nor are dry rules from the past in accord with the spirit of the times. And yet, there remains a demand for religion, often strong, from some quarters. Similarly, there is a demand for science. Really, what people are seeking are answers. They want to know how the world works, and how to live in it. The growing interest in Buddhism from educated quarters comes, I suspect, because Buddhism proper fuses religion, science and philosophy.

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Compiled by Mangkalo Bhikkhu ​

To be continued in next issue....... ​

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