The Buddhist Way of Life

For anyone who wishes to tread this path, there are a few things they should be aware of.

And the first is that,

Buddhism is not a religion - therefore it is unlike any religion or religious practices found in the world.

It is true that through the millennia some of Buddha's teachings have become diluted and changed around to suit the purposes of many an individual who disagreed with these teachings. But it has also been shown time and again that somehow, the true teachings of Buddha re-emerge and come to light over and over again.

So when it comes to the practices of Theravada Buddhism, you can expect to find something that is completely unique in this world - freedom. Of speech, of thought, of deed, and of choice.

These are golden things indeed, and although some less-educated people will persist in trying to change the philosophy of Buddha to suit modern concepts of right and wrong, it is also true that if you encounter true practitioners of Theravada Buddhism, these individuals will not try to turn you to follow the path of Buddha, they will not try to convince you that Buddhism is the only true religion in the world, nor will they try to outspeak or outdo other religious beliefs, because they know that you are an individual with full freedom and resonsibility for yourself with the ability to make your own decisions.

You are totally independent and responsible for all of your actions.

However, it is expected that each individual respects the individuality of everyone else. To assist in following these guidelines, certain self-disciplined practices are observed by Buddhists. Amongst these are things to be done (Ping – පිං) and things to be refrained from being done (Pauv – පව්).

As a Buddhist, your aim should be to live a happy and contented life, and to proceed on the path to attain Nirvana, the only state of being where there is no suffering. It is to assist in continuing on this path that certain practices have evolved, and continue unabated to this date, starting from the time of Buddha himself.

And one of these practices is to worship the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. You can do this by either going to a temple when possible, or even by following these at home if you can keep a special place for this (called a 'Budu Ge' – බුදු ගේ).

Most Buddhist homes have such a place where you devote a part of each day, even if it is only a few minutes, to worship.

(In the following weeks we hope to give you a comprehensive guide to setting up your own Budu Ge.)