Dhammananda_What_is_this_Religion.pdf

WHAT IS THIS RELIGION ?

Ven. Dr K Sri Dhammananda

MESSAGE FOR ALL

Every man must have a religion and that religion must be one which will appeal to the

intellectual mind. A man failing to observe religious principles, becomes a danger to

society. There is no doubt that scientist and psychologists have widened our horizon but

they have not been able to tell us our purpose in life. A proper religion can do this. Man

must therefore choose a rational and meaningful religion according to his conviction

without depending on mere beliefs, traditions, customs and theories. No one has the

right to force another person to accept any religion. No one should exploit poverty,

illiteracy or arouse human emotional feelings to induce others to accept a religion.

Religion should be a free choice. Man should be free to choose his own religion

according to his liking and intellectual capacity. To follow a religion blindly without any

understanding, would deprive the religion of its spiritual value and the follower of his

human dignity. Human beings have intelligence and common sense to differentiate what

is right and wrong. They can adapt themselves according to circumstances. They should

therefore choose a religion that is adaptable to them and one that meets with their

human intelligence. They must be properly guided. Give them a chance to decide freely

without any undue coercion.

THE MIDDLE-WAY

The religion that is being introduced in this booklet is a practical educational system for

mental culture which was revealed to the world some twenty five centuries ago, by a

most enlightened and compassionate Teacher. This religion is also known as the

“MIDDLE-WAY, righteous way of life, ethico-philosophical system and a religion of

freedom and reason.” It teaches us to do three main things: namely, “KEEP AWAY

FROM BAD DEEDS, DO GOOD AND PURIFY THE MIND.”

This message is very simple, meaningful and practical, yet people experience difficulties

when they put them into practice due to inherent human weaknesses. The moral

conduct of man plays a most important part in this religion. Its great Teacher once said,

“My teaching is not to come and believe, but to come, see and practise.” It encourages

people to study His teachings fully and allows them to use their own judgement to decide

as to whether they should accept the teachings or otherwise. No one is asked to come

and embrace this religion blindly without first having an understanding of its teachings.

Superfluous rites and rituals have no real religious value or significance. There are no

superstitious beliefs and practices or secret doctrines in this religion. Everything is open

to the choice of the followers who are at liberty to investigate the teachings and ask

questions whenever they want to clear their doubts. According to the founder of this

religion, one should not believe anything merely because a great sage has introduced it

or because it is traditionally accepted by many but one should use one’s common sense

and intelligence and accept it only if it is worth while to do so.

This religion teaches that the Noble Eight-fold Path which consists of Right

Understanding, Right-thought, Right-speech, Right-action, Right-livelihood, Right-effort,

Right-mindfulness and Right-concentration is the unique middle way to lead a noble life

and allow others also to lead a peaceful life.

The middle way is neither a metaphysical path nor a ritualistic path; neither dogmatism

nor skepticism, neither self-indulgence nor self mortification; neither eternalism nor

nihilism, neither pessimism nor optimism; it is a path of Enlightenment, a means of

deliverance from suffering. This religion does not agree that human beings are suffering

in this world today because of the sins committed by their ancestors; on the contrary

every person carries his or her own merits or demerits individually. Man himself is solely

responsible for his own pain or pleasure.

One who follows the middle path or moderation should find real peace and happiness

and should be able to lead a respectable life without being a slave to one’s senses, thus

contributing to the peace and harmony of the world.

REAP WHAT YOU SOW

This religion satisfies man’s most profound and lofty aspirations and yet is able to bear

the stress and strain of man’s everyday life, helping him in his contact with his fellow

men, besides giving a purpose in life. It does not instill fear in people. “Good begets

good and bad begets bad”. “Every action has its reaction.” These are universal laws.

This religion fully agrees with these laws, hence people have to ‘reap what they sow’.

Evil deeds are perpetrated by people due to their greed, anger and ignorance. Such

weaknesses can only be overcome through self realization. Pleasure and pain which

people experienced in this world are not due to some external influences but due to the

good and bad actions, words and deeds which they themselves have committed. For

this very reason, this religion says: ‘We are the results of what we were, and we will be

the results of what we are.’

According to this teaching, cause and effect play a very important part in our lives. In a

circle of cause and effect a first cause is inconceivable for cause ever becomes the

effect and the effect in turn becomes the cause.

A GREAT TEACHER

The founder of this unique religion is not a myth but a Great Teacher who really lived in

this world. He never tried to introduce himself as a supernatural being but as a human

being who realized the truth, the secret of life and the real cause of suffering and

happiness. Today this Teacher is not only honoured by hundreds of millions of his

followers but also by every cultured and intellectual man throughout the world. This

Noble man, this Liberator, this Social Reformer, this Democrat and Inspirer into higher

living, passed away at the age of eighty leaving behind a noble code for humanity to

utilize as a means for the elimination of human suffering, misery, tension, fear and worry,

consequently gaining happiness in this life and the life hereafter leading to ultimate

liberation of all human suffering.

This Great Teacher comforted the bereaved by His consoling words. He helped the poor

that were neglected. He ennobled the lives of the deluded and purified the corrupted

lives of criminals. He encouraged the feeble, united the divided, enlightened the

ignorant, clarified the mystic, elevated the base and dignified the noble. Both rich and

poor, saints and criminals loved Him alike. Despotic and righteous Kings, famous and

obscure princes and nobles, generous and stingy millionaires, haughty and humble

scholars, destitutes, paupers, down trodden scavengers, wicked murderers, despised

courtesans – all benefited to lead a peaceful noble life by His words of wisdom and

compassion.

His noble example was a source of inspiration to all. His serene and peaceful

countenance was indeed a soothing sight to the pious eyes. His message of peace and

tolerance was welcome by all with indescribable joy and was of eternal benefit to

everyone who had the fortune to hear and practise it. His iron will, profound wisdom,

universal love, boundless compassion, selfless service, historic renunciation, perfect

purity, magnetic personality, exemplary methods employed to introduce His Teachings

and His final success – all these factors have inspired about one fifth of the population of

the world today to hail this teacher and to honour him as their supreme religious master.

This noble Teacher sacrified his worldly pleasures for the sake of suffering humanity to

seek the Truth in order to show the path of deliverance from suffering. He visited the

poor people whilst Kings and Ministers visited him. For forty five years after his

enlightenment he had dedicated his life for enlightening misguided human beings.

This great Teacher feared none nor did He instill fear in anyone. This is one of the

principles that should be cultivated in this war-torn world of ours where the most

precious thing – life – is sacrificed at the altar of brute force and where armaments are

creating fear, tension and hatred.

He was the perfect scientist in the field of life. He was the perfect psychologist who was

able to analyse the real nature of the mind – so much so that His teaching was

acclaimed as the only scientific religion.

To great philosophers and unbiased thinkers, he is a teacher who understood worldly

conditions in its proper perspective. To moralists He has the highest code of discipline

and He is the symbol of perfection. ‘He was the perfect model of all the virtues he

preached’. To rationalists, he is the most liberal minded religious teacher who

appreciated the vexed human problems. To free-thinkers, He is a religious teacher who

encouraged people to think freely without depending on religious dogmas. To agnostics,

he is a very kind, understanding and wise man.

He was no doubt the most persuasive of all the religious Teachers. He never used

compulsion or fear as a means of gaining converts. He has introduced a religious way of

life for people to be religious even without the attachment of a religious label.

He was the humble servant of humanity, unperturbed by either praise or blame, and

undeterred even by the most acute illness.

PEACE, HAPPINESS AND SALVATION

This Great Teacher has shown the path to Peace, Happiness and Salvation. His way of

teaching is liberal, rational, scientific and understandable, leading towards

enlightenment.

Today the message of peace of this Great Universal Teacher is more important than

ever before when human beings are intoxicated with anger, greed, jealousy, pride and

world domination.

This Teacher was born to this world to dispel the darkness of ignorance and to save the

world from its ills. Throughout the world many people lived on without believing or

practicing any form of religion. However, if they would only take a little bit of trouble to

study and understand what this Great Teacher had taught, they could easily clarify their

doubts, if any, and be convinced as to the religion that could best contribute to man’s

happiness.

Whether one believes in Him or not, his teaching nevertheless has its effect on all

people. His message was given to the world without any violence nor was a single drop

of blood ever shed in its name. This is a remarkable record in world history which could

be imprinted in letters of gold. This teaching illuminates the way by which mankind could

cross from a world of unsatisfactoriness to a new world of light, love, peace, happiness

and satisfaction.

The twenty five centuries old teaching of this great teacher is strong enough to face any

challenge without reversing or giving any new interpretation to its original teaching.

This teaching does not contradict the achievements and discoveries of modern scientists

which are worldly achievements.

Although virtue is necessary for the attainment of salvation, it in itself would not be

sufficient. It must be combined with wisdom. Virtue and wisdom could also be compared

to the eyes and feet of a man. Virtue can be constituted as a vehicle that brings man up

to the gate of salvation, but the actual key that opens the gate is wisdom.

HEAVENLY BLISS

The followers of this religion never regard themselves as being the only chosen people

who could get the chance to attain heavenly bliss. They believe that man creates his

own hell or heaven according to his own way of life and that sufferings in hell or

realization of heavenly bliss can be experienced in this earthly life instead of the

common belief that such conditions could be experienced only in the life hereafter.

In accordance with these teachings, it is understood that anyone can enjoy heavenly

bliss so long as one leads a righteous way of life. Heaven is not reserved for or to be

monopolized by any one particular sect of religious community. It should be open to all –

anyone who leads a noble life.

TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING

Tolerance, patience and understanding are worthy virtues upheld by the followers of this

religion. Loving kindness, compassion and sympathy towards others are not limited to

human beings only but extended to all living beings – as destruction of life, be it human

or animal, is cruel and unjust, and is against the teaching of this religion.

This religion also advises people to respect the other man’s views in order to lead a

harmonious life.

WAY OF LIFE

This religion is clear and reasonable and it gives complete answers to all important

aspects and questions about our life. It provides a solid foundation to help mankind

towards a positive and a better way of life.

This religion does not divide mankind into groups, the “saved” and the “lost” but as a

civilized and understanding religion it teaches us how to tame the wild and refine the

tamed.

Followers of this religion do not indulge in petitional or intercessory prayer. They believe

in the importance of self-exertion and in the efficacy of meditation that leads one to self

conquest, self-control, self purification, relief and enlightenment because meditation

serves as a tonic both to the heart and the mind.

MAN CAN MOULD HIS LIFE

This religion contends that mind is the all powerful force – the creator and destroyer of

man and the architect of man’s fate. Therefore, man should be capable of moulding

anything if he only knows how to develop and make use of this mind properly.

In fact this religion has been an admirable lighthouse for guiding mankind towards

peace, happiness, and eternal bliss. It is true that the world today is riddled with racial,

political, religious, communal, and ideological misunderstandings. To solve these

complex problems, people must exercise the spirit of benevolence and tolerance

towards each other, and this can be cultivated under the guidance of this religion, which

inculcates ethical-moral co-operation for the universal good. Man must come to realize

that spiritual development is more important than the attainment of material development

for the real happiness and welfare of mankind. They must also practise truth, justice,

service, charity and love if this world is to be turned into a better place to live in.

ACTUALITY

This religious teacher through his enlightenment, declared that:-

(a)

The greatest virtue is the virtue gained in the cultivation of universal love;

(b)

The absolute truth is the truth acquired through the understanding of the causes

of human suffering;

(d)

The highest religion is the religion that teaches intellectual development, morality

and mental purification;

(e)

The greatest philosophy is the philosophy that introduces a practical way of life

that can be followed without depending on theories and mere beliefs.

FREE RELIGION

This religion does not obstruct anyone from reading and learning the teachings of other

religions; because there is no place for fanaticism in this religion. A fanatic cannot allow

himself to be guided by reason or better still by the scientific principle of observation and

analysis. Therefore, the follower of this religion is a free man with an open mind and is

not subservient to anyone for his spiritual development.

(c)

The supreme happiness is the happiness derived from mental tranquility;

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