Regarding the study of Buddhism, today we observe that in many places, regions, and countries, the number of people studying Buddhism is increasing. But ultimately, what is Buddhism? There are not many people who can clearly explain and elucidate this.
What is Buddhism?
So, what exactly is Buddhism? We must clearly understand this.
“Buddhism is education, truly the perfect and ultimate education of Shakyamuni Buddha for sentient beings across the nine realms of existence.”
Where Can We See This?
First, we can observe this from the titles used in Buddhism. We call Shakyamuni Buddha “Original Teacher.” “Teacher” signifies an educator, and “Original Teacher” refers to the fundamental teacher, the founder of this education system, who was the first teacher. We refer to ourselves as “disciples,” which means students. Thus, from these titles, it is very clear that the relationship between us and the Buddha is that of teacher and student. This kind of relationship is not found in religions, where the relationships are usually that of master and servant, parent and child, or deity and human. Such relationships do not exist in Buddhism, and this is something we must clearly recognize.
The founder of Buddhism is Shakyamuni Buddha. While we won’t spend time here introducing his history, it can be found in historical texts.
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What is Buddhism?
According to this framework, Buddhism is the education of the Buddha. The term “Buddha” is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word from India, which means wisdom and enlightenment. Why wasn’t this term translated as “Wisdom and Enlightenment” when it was initially translated? If it had been, we would immediately understand its meaning today and not be confused. However, the translation rules of ancient times included the “Five Types of Non-Translation,” one of which was that the term contained extensive meanings that couldn’t be captured by a single equivalent term in Chinese. Thus, the transliteration was used, followed by an explanation.
The “wisdom” referred to in the term “Buddha” differs from our conventional understanding of wisdom, which is why an explanation is necessary.
The Buddha’s wisdom, in summary, encompasses a complete and accurate understanding of the universe, life, past and future, and all phenomena. This profound and perfect wisdom is what qualifies as being called “Buddha.”
For those new to this concept, it may be challenging to accept initially. This notion resembles the religious concept of God as “omniscient and omnipotent.” How can a person be omniscient and omnipotent?
However, Shakyamuni Buddha told us that all sentient beings, including ourselves, inherently possess this wisdom and capability. Therefore, Buddhism views all sentient beings equally; everyone is fundamentally equal. The Buddha is not above us, nor are we below the Buddha. However, our current abilities and wisdom vary.
In society, there are intelligent people and foolish ones, those with strong abilities and those with weak ones. Why do these differences exist?
The Buddha explained that it is because we have lost touch with our inherent capabilities. Our innate wisdom is perfect and complete, but we are deluded. This delusion does not mean it is lost forever; it merely means we are confused. If we can dispel this delusion, our abilities will be restored. Thus, the Buddha’s teaching aims to help us eliminate this delusion and restore our true nature.
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How Do Sentient Beings Become Buddhas?
You become a Buddha yourself; the Buddha only assists you. This assistance involves explaining the truths you are confused about. Once you hear and understand, and let go of your delusions, you become a Buddha.
From this perspective, Buddhism is indeed the path of the teacher. The teacher can only instruct us, but the student’s achievement ultimately depends on their own effort. The teacher’s role is to clearly explain the principles, methods, and experiences of their own practice for our reference. Thus, there is no superstition in Buddhism. We must clearly recognize this and correct any misconceptions.
“Buddhism is education, and Buddhism is the path of the teacher.” We should regard the Buddha as a teacher.
Today, when we build temples and offer statues of the Buddha, do we not treat the Buddha as a deity? If we treat the Buddha and Bodhisattvas like gods to worship, then that is religion. Therefore, calling Buddhism a religion today is not entirely incorrect, because Buddhism has indeed transformed into a religion, which is very unfortunate. Many Buddhists treat the Buddha and Bodhisattvas as deities to worship, which is a significant mistake that has persisted for a long time. Those who understand clearly know that offering statues of the Buddha serves two purposes:
– Gratitude and Commemoration: Such excellent education that we are fortunate to encounter and receive in this life is indeed a rare blessing. As the verse for opening a sutra says, “Hundreds of thousands of eons are hard to encounter.” We express deep gratitude to the teacher, similar to how Chinese people honor their ancestors with memorial tablets. This is “remembering the source while drinking water,” reflecting our deep sense of gratitude.
– Aspiring to Be Like the Virtuous: Reflecting on how Shakyamuni Buddha was an ordinary person who achieved enlightenment, we wonder why we cannot achieve the same. The statues remind us continuously of this potential within us. This purpose is not superstitious; we do not view the Buddha and Bodhisattvas as gods to worship.
In Buddhism, there are many images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, leading some to believe that Buddhism is not only a religion but a low-level one, characterized as “polytheism.” Higher-level religions have a single deity, while Buddhism seems to have many gods. This misunderstanding arises from a lack of understanding.
In Buddhist scriptures, the number of Buddhas is indeed vast. For instance, the “Ten Thousand Buddha Names Sutra” lists over 12,000 Buddha names, with even more names of Bodhisattvas. Why are there so many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? You must understand that the wisdom inherent in our true nature is boundless and infinite. No single name can encompass it all. Just as a person in society today may have many titles on their business card to represent their various roles, the Buddha’s countless names represent the infinite virtues and capabilities within our true nature. All these Buddha names symbolize our true nature, not someone else.
Similarly, the names of Bodhisattvas represent our cultivated virtues. Our innate capabilities are boundless, but without diligent cultivation, these capabilities remain hidden. Therefore, effort is essential.
“Bodhisattva names represent cultivated virtues, and Buddha names represent innate virtues.” This entirely pertains to ourselves; there is no other person involved.
Understanding this allows us to comprehend the educational methods of Buddhism. In modern terms, it has reached the height of artistic expression.
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After understanding the basic meaning of the term “Buddhism,” what should you seek from it? This is something you must know…
Dharma Master Chin Kung
