Question asked by Kent
Dear Rinpoche, Dear Pastors,
The Buddha – “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense, if it beneficial for one and for all, accept it and live with it.” The question is how can we accept if we don't belief? We belief when understanding arises, and after belief acceptance arises. Actually what is the definition of belief and accept within Buddhism? Explanation and Example?
Thank you very much in advance.
Dear Kent,
In the Kalama Sutra, the Buddha advised his followers not to believe anything without giving it proper consideration. The following guidelines were given to a group of young people:
“Do not accept anything based upon mere reports, traditions or hearsay,
Nor upon the authority of religious texts,
Nor upon mere reasons and arguments,
Nor upon one’s own inference,
Nor upon anything which appears to be true,
Nor upon one’s own speculative opinions,
Nor upon another’s seeming ability,
Nor upon the consideration: “This is our Teacher.'”
“But, when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome and bad: tending to harm yourself or others, reject them.
“And when you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome and good: conducive to the spiritual welfare of yourself as well as others, accept and follow them.”
From the Buddha’s words, it can be seen that Buddhists are advised to accept religious practices only after careful observation and critical analysis and only after being certain that the method is reasonable and is beneficial to oneself and others.
Buddhists are advised not to believe anything blindly but to believe what they clearly see for themselves to be the case after having thought it over, considered it carefully, examined it fully, and seen clearly for themselves that it really is so.
For example, the Buddha taught that ignorance, attachment, and anger are causes of suffering. If we ourselves have not yet experienced ignorance, attachment and anger, then there is no way we can believe this. But when we ourselves know what attachment is like, what anger is like, and what ignorance is like, and whenever they arise in our mind, they produce suffering as if they are fires burning us, then we can believe on the basis of our own experience.
I hope I have answered your question.