Buddhism is the enlightened religion .VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

Is Buddhism a religion? There are many positive and negative answers, but in the end, it is still a difficult problem for Buddhist scholars.

When the Buddha was alive, during the five years of seeking Buddhism, he observed contemporary religions displaying various ways of superstition, illusory or self-torturing, or advocating extreme pleasure. , or slaughtering animals ... to make sacrifices, pray to God for protection, to bless, and after death, to return to be a people who serve God.

All the knowledge and misbehavior of the pagans was now a great subject for the Buddha to contemplate. He pondered to a height, called meditation, saw the answer of the problem of samsara, existence, change and change of all beings in the universe. In other words, the Buddha attained enlightenment, reached the peak of enlightenment, saw all things as true.

From there, he began to educate the level of birth, teaching people to practice meditation to gain the right understanding, to live freely, to be happy in the present life and in future lives. Using the teachings of the Buddha, most of his disciples attained Arhat, liberating the material and physical aggregates.

Is Buddhism a religion? There are many positive and negative answers, but in the end, it is still a difficult problem for Buddhist scholars.

Observing the practitioner in the form of experience of the Buddha's teaching in life, having achieved such enlightenment, we see clearly that Buddhism has never had any manifestation of religion.

However, because he is Shakyamuni and the congregation consists of virtues, surpassing other religions, as well as spreading propaganda, the listeners benefit, respectfully venerable Buddha and them. Therefore, Buddhism is considered a religion, although the Buddha never determined that his teaching was a religion that must be followed; and also never Buddha advocated worship, worship him or anything.

But after Buddha passed away, the Founding Masters followed up, displaying noble thoughts and deeds in life. This affected the cultivators during the Buddhist period of development to visualize the intimate, invisible relationship between Buddha and his heirs. With respect and admiration, they began carving statues of Buddha and their holy objects to worship and prostrate. Starting from here, Buddhism has a religious color.

During this period, the monks chanted, worshiped, prayed, and expressed the same religious beliefs as other religions. However, the main difference of Buddhism is that the practitioner does not give his life to the creator or the god, but knows how to combine prayers and worship with elaborate practice.

Experiencing this dharma, tantric Buddhist monks specialize in praying and praying, thanks to supernatural forces acting through real people. When combined with supernatural forces, that is, between the practitioner and nature merging into one, forming a thoughtless force, which Tantra is represented by the overall Mandala pattern. Although relying on the three powers of bliss, but tantric practitioners also have to purify themselves, attaining the attainment of selflessness, in order to be able to use the full power of the whole Mandala. In fact, tantric monks in Tibet have accomplished the dharma, creating the ability to go beyond ordinary people, such as walking in the air, walking on water as easily as walking on land or lying on snow. It is the development of Tantric Buddhism that clearly shows the mysticism of religion.

We meditate, quietly thinking about how the world of the Pure Land is like, how the world works by supernatural forces, and comparing it with the life of Buddha and the Saints to figure out for ourselves. behave on the path of Bodhisattva cultivation.

In addition to the development of the esoteric-style dharma, the idea of ​​inferior people arises, incapable of combining personal and holistic forces. They feel the small status, need to rely on another force to survive, sublimation. Since then, forming the Pure Land Method, practitioners will turn their hearts to the prayer of Buddha Amitabha in the Western world of Ultimate Bliss, and also feel the peace and forget the heat of life. Of course, paying attention to the other world to pray like that has gone quite far from the orthodox teachings of Buddha.

When the ideology of Pure Land Buddhism is no longer accepted, we see that there is a policy of observing back to the primitive times, seeing what the Buddha did. Obviously, everyone knows the Buddha by practicing meditation, opening the mind, seeing the truth and using the means to bring people to truth in a perfect way. Acutely aware of that led to the birth of the Zen school.

Zen Buddhism does not recite mantras or uses supernatural forces like Tantra and does not pray for tha force as Pure Land Buddhism. Practitioners try to rediscover the time when the Buddha in the world practiced and practiced how, attained the results, and then reflected and applied the original teachings to life, in order to enlighten the mind, nature, and become saints. good, wise right on this life. On that basis, the practitioner is not interested in worshiping, worshiping, but focusing on the reference of koan or experience of life as Buddha.

Observing the practitioner in the form of experience of the Buddha's teaching in life, having achieved such enlightenment, we see clearly that Buddhism has never had any manifestation of religion.

In a nutshell, combining the three forms of practice of Tantric Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism, we can see the ordinary President Quang Chon. In other words, we meditate, quietly thinking about how the world of the Pure Land is like, how the world is affected by the supernatural, and bringing it in contrast with the life of Buddha and the Saints for self-reflection. show yourself how to behave on the path of Bodhisattva cultivation. Gradually, we also attained enlightenment, realizing the truths that Buddha and Saints realized.

On the path of spiritual practice, to us, President Tich Quang is the ideal view of the existence of Buddha, Bodhisattva and the Saints. So we never leave that world. How to discern the pure mind of oneself and be in harmony with that ideal world, to return to reality to surrender to all the obstacles of the Ta Ta world, to enlighten them to the sentient beings immediately on this life.

Buddhism is a religion or not a religion, thinking nothing is important. Reviving the noble image of Duc Tu Ton, showing the holy life like Him, bringing love, understanding, peace, and liberation to all species. That is exactly what the Buddha passed on to the disciples and is an invaluable material connecting the Buddhist circuit that lasts more than 25 centuries.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.27/7/2020.