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Essay: Is Buddhism a Religion or a Philosophy? Understanding the Debate

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  • Published: 1 February 2018*
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  • Words: 807 (approx)
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Paste your essay in here…Buddhism

Nowadays a common debate among people in modern times, especially among

Westerners pursuing other religions, is that Buddhism is not a religion — but a philosophy or way of life. This, of course, is something people are divided on and really depends on various technicalities in how one defines religion. So what is the argument for Buddhism being a philosophy and what is the argument for Buddhism being a religion?

Some say that Buddhism is more of a Philosophy. While the Arguments for Buddhism Being a Philosophy comes in conflict since Buddhism does actually have a clear belief system on the afterlife. However, calling Buddhism a philosophy is pretty accurate. One definition of philosophy from Dictionary.com is “the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.

The Buddha’s teachings are referred to as the Dhamma which literally means the ultimate truth or the truth about reality, and the Buddha encourages followers to investigate his teachings for themselves. One of the six qualities of the Dhamma is described as “Ehipassiko”, meaning roughly “encouraging investigation” or “inviting to come and see for themselves.” In the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha states that one should not believe in things simply because they hear it, but to investigate for themselves.

 Many of the reasons why Buddhism seems to be more of a philosophy is simply based on the differences it has towards other commonly known religions. For example, unlike Hinduism or other eastern religions, Buddhism does not have a central god. That doesn’t mean that they’re opposed to a god, it just means they have no reason to have a god.

Lastly, every Buddhist is dedicated to one thing only: the pursuit of truth. If it were found that someone the Buddhist teachings were incorrect, the teachings and philosophies would have to change. It’s not a rigid system by any means. This means while it’s true the majority of Buddhist practitioners believe in reincarnation, many do not. They’re allowed to believe in whatever they wish while they practice the teachings. No one is forced to do anything!

On the other hand, Buddhism is still considered to be a religion by the majority of the public, so clearly there have to be reasons for this also. So what are the arguments for Buddhism being a religion? Unless one defines religion as having a centralized belief system based on a god or set of gods, which isn’t the​ definition used by everybody​, Buddhism does have religious aspects.

The Buddha did discuss metaphysical aspects of reality that are typically associated with religion. While the Buddha stressed this wasn’t as important as the practice, he still mentioned them, and they are a part of Buddhist teachings. The most “religious” aspects of Buddhism are probably the Buddha’s discussions of the afterlife and the various realms of existence.

The Buddha also addresses various questions about society that can sometimes be seen as being similar to religious questions, such as why there are so many differences between people and why the world is so unfair. In fact, this very question was asked in the Cula-kammavibhanga Sutta, in which the Buddha gives a brief summary of the famous Law of Karma to explain the

“unfairness” of life. In the end, each side has their own points, and it is a legitimate debate with solid arguments both ways depending on how one defines religion

There is growing evidence that Buddhism can potentially have an important and productive influence on modern science, primarily at two levels: first the detailed research level evident in the study of mind, and second the epistemological impact on the foundations of science, especially physics.

Compared to other western religions, Buddhism and science have increasingly been discussed as compatible, and Buddhism has entered into the science and religion dialogue The case is made that the philosophic and psychological teachings within Buddhism share commonalities with modern scientific and philosophic thought. For example, Buddhism encourages the impartial investigation of Nature. Some popular conceptions of Buddhism connect it to discourse regarding evolution, quantum theory, and cosmology, though most scientists see a separation between the religious and metaphysical statements of Buddhism and the methodology of science.

Buddhism has been described by some as rational and non-dogmatic, and there is evidence that this has been the case from the earliest period of its history,​ ​though some have suggested this aspect is given greater emphasis in modern times and is in part a reinterpretation. Not all forms of Buddhism eschew dogmatism, remain neutral on the subject of the supernatural or are open to scientific discoveries. Buddhism is a varied tradition and aspects include fundamentalism, devotional traditions, supplication to local spirits, and various superstitions. Nevertheless, certain commonalities have been cited between scientific investigation and Buddhist thought.

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