The Differences
Between Philosophy and Buddhism 7.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

In the Hoa Nghiem sutra it is written that  “All monks use equal mind to benefit sentient beings. If the monk cultivates freely, that is, freely make offerings to the Buddhas, if there are places where beings respect the inheritance, that is, respect the Tathagata, if they make them happy, they make all the Buddhas rejoice ... "

INTRODUCTION

There is a question of whether Buddhism is a philosophy or not? And is it true that between philosophy and Buddhism there are quite enough similarities for people to see it as one?

In order to dig into this issue in depth, we need to clearly define the definition of the two terms "Dharma" and "philosophy". In the thesis always proclaims "Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha" as the three treasures. Here, if we call "Dharma", its focus is on the word "dhamma", which means that if explained simply, it is the meaning of a thing, "Dharma" means the meaning of Buddha. spear. Buddhism is inherently one religion, but Buddhism and other religions are not the same. Unusual religions are worshiping and believing in some mysterious, sublime god. This type of belief often emerges from delusions and emotions, which is superstition. According to the progress of the nation and human civilization, the existence of "god" and its power gradually wavered, so the kind of religion that follows the emotional illusion that is also dug from time to time. waste, forget. Buddhism is the opposite. Buddhism means necrotic, permissive, rich and sublime sense. It clearly explains the human and the universe and the universal phenomena. This meaning is absolutely not due to the scientific progress of the time. The legal meaning of Buddha-dharma - that is, the Dharma - is a thousand ancient truth words that do not fade.

Usually people refer to Buddhism as Buddhism or Buddhist philosophy. That is the reason that the Buddha's teachings are very similar to the philosophy of the world. But the philosophy of the world has many sects. For example, Lao Trang has the philosophy of Lao Trang, Mr. Khong, and Mr. Manh has the philosophy of Confucianism. Now what is called "Buddhist philosophy" in general also includes folk sects. When it comes to the definition of Buddhist philosophy, the sects always have their own interpretation. But within the limits of this article, we only discuss the difference between Buddhist philosophy and popular philosophy. Now I would like to list the differences as follows:

1. Philosophy is the activity of reason, the Dharma is the enlightenment of wisdom.

The above definition is drawn from the point of view of epistemology that distinguishes Buddhism from philosophy. Why is philosophy called the philosophy of reason? That is because the workings of reason and the activity of emotions are always in opposition. To prove this, we would like to use the term Consciousness to explain: Sensory activity is in the phenomenon of the consciousness, the consciousness, the consciousness, the bodyWhile the activity of reason is proportional like the proportions of consciousness. Since philosophy is the activity of reason, the way of perceiving it is completely outside the scope of billions of consciousness. But the Dharma is not like that. The Dharma does not mean to cling to billions of consciousness but because wisdom is based on the phenomenon of consciousness as the basis.

The two words wisdom in Dharma are not explained as people in life are "intelligent intelligence". Buddhism says "wisdom" is a relatively long process to be ignited. It has the ability to perceive all the immediate events, without any further or less discrimination, so it is called "mindlessness". If viewed from this point of view, all the wise intelligence of the world is "discriminatory delusion, belonging to the inherent variable." The knowledge that it achieves is not just the karmic aspiration of consciousness, other fields such as philosophy, science, or idealism, materialism, pluralism or pluralism are also like that.

2. Philosophy is a concept, Buddha Dharma is a lyric.

This is the difference between philosophy and Buddhism in terms of ontology. Philosophy is the activity of reason, but the work of reason, its method is certainly dependent on concept. So the universal essence of which philosophy often speaks has been conceptualized. Some people say pluralism, some people say pluralism. Idealistic, single materialism, pluralism are all cosmic essence, are inevitably a concept. The concept itself is also an empty shell. It has no content, Lao Tzu said: "There is something that comes out of chaos. It predates heaven and earth, exists independently but does not change, circulates everywhere without disappearing. I don't know what its name is, min forced to call it Dao ”. It is obvious that Lao Tzu has called the being of the universe the Tao. Dao is out of concept, it cannot be named, described its shape. So Lao Tzu said: "Dao doctrine, extraordinary religion; famous reputation, extraordinary reputation ". Lao Tu lyric that discuss the ontology. That is enough to say his magic, magical philosophy.

Returning to the problem, we mention in the Dharma that is the lyric, the Buddha thinks that all concepts, formations, speech are delusions. With regard to things, if there is an attachment to delusion, a lifetime will not attain the correct, correct perception. So Buddhism has always emphasized the basic feature of being destructive. The method of handicap is not before the general (accept General). If there is a little concept in the heart, doubt that the general is before the general. Therefore, in the heart, there must be no remnants of any form, to keep the mind empty, regardless of human ego, regardless of sobriety, but must not stop in the pure state, but must reason the tolerance. . Therefore, there is a saying: "Bamboo forests do not mind water flowing through them, high mountains can prevent clouds from flying". This is the highest realm of the Mahayana Dharma. This realm is also the realm of formless realm. Kinh Kim cang also said: "Theory of unlawful theory, the theory of the theory". All of these examples prove that the ontology of Buddhism is "lyricism".

3. Philosophy is fiction. Dharma is a reality

Why do we have such conclusions?

First, because philosophy is a concept. The concept itself is a fiction. It with the reality of absolute disagreement with each other, anyway, there is always a deviation from reality. The pen is a concept, for example. Writing can be many different types of writing such as: brush, pencil, writing machine, chalk, through the simple effect and chemical and physical synthesis of the new humanity ficulates this general concept. Its original pen was not a brush, pencil, or fountain pen. Then with the quill, the quill itself is a fictional concept. It is based on wool, goat, and chicken hair that is simply synthesized. It is not the colorful quill above. So the more sophisticated the concept, the larger the range, the further the fiction is from reality. In philosophy, there are many concepts such as "mind", "thing", "most", "multi" are broad concepts. Moreover, the concept of matter is one of the messy things, from which the same internal factors are drawn, and then give it a general name, the name of the factor. this connotation. Philosophy was a concept so it was just a "unique sight" due to the consciousness of dependent origination, it was not real. The ontological argument of Buddhism is there. This is exactly the reason why we call the Buddhadharma reality. Philosophy was a concept so it was just a "unique sight" due to the consciousness of dependent origination, it was not real. The ontological argument of Buddhism is there. This is precisely the reason why we call the Buddhadharma reality. Philosophy was a concept so it was just a "unique sight" due to the consciousness of dependent origination, it was not real. The ontological argument of Buddhism is there. This is precisely the reason why we call the Buddhadharma reality.

Second, if we do not have these two concepts, we can still prove that philosophy is fiction. Let us give an example: if we say philosophy is a discipline that explains the problem of universal life. But the extremely complex cosmic human phenomenon changes every minute and every second; Then will definitions like this stay the same as circumstances change, as human knowledge advances? If so, the previous explanation is no longer appropriate, and it is imperative to reorganize the new explanation system to be more suitable. Thus, philosophy is like a long chain of all human knowledge to explain the environmental phenomenon of the time. Each region, each ethnic group has different levels of knowledge due to the different circumstances. So, based on their own intellectuals and circumstances, they weave their own philosophical system. The result is different from place to place. Moreover, the truths of things due to different times and national geography, manifest completely in disagreement, so there is no absolute truth in the world. Truth only exists in a certain relative situation. With such phenomena, philosophy is like bringing out its own reality and declaring bankruptcy.

All the above explanations can answer the answer: "Why philosophy is fiction". As for the Dharma, what the Dharma requires is qualitative visual nature, so it is a reality.

4. Philosophy only "award", Buddha Dharma includes "solution" and "evidence".

We should start with an example: Someone living in the tropics from birth until now has never seen ice. If you discuss with him or her about ice, that the ice is cold, clear, he has heard that, in his mind he will properly picture such things. That is called "solving" (understanding). After he solved it, although he knew that ice was cold, hard, transparent, he did not know what cold was, how hard, how transparent it was. Assuming that person has a chance to go to the cold, people bring ice to see, then they know what is cold, hard and transparent, he will understand immediately. Such is called evidence. So "solving", everyone knows and can say, and "proof", only I know.

That is what the Buddha Dharma is, and must reach such a level to be finished. So it perceives and describes the universe as the most authentic. Meanwhile, philosophy only solves. This is the difference between Buddhism and philosophy on the epistemological level.

5. Philosophy is always in disagreement, Buddhism is always unanimous.

Philosophy is fiction, it does not have a fixed standard of reality. So each age will have its philosophy. An area also has its own philosophy that people in the area worship. Even each individual has his own philosophy. Such different types of philosophy inevitably lead to confusion, one cause of confusion is its lack of real standards and a shared tendency towards it. If the Buddha Dharma is said to be unanimous, there is certainly an existential point of unity. We see that Buddhism has many sects such as Mahayana, Hinayana, sermon, tantric and power, real, no, right. Even in the current Mahayana sects also divided many teachings, meditation, tranquility, law, and secret. Meanwhile, "spear" has a natural pregnancy, flower solemnity, legal form, tam Luân, subjects are many, the scriptures are even more.

6. The purpose of Philosophy is to guide human actions, the purpose of the Buddha Dharma is to become a Buddha of birth.

We see here the different applications of philosophy and Buddhism. Because philosophy is always about incarnation, so it focuses on guiding human behavior, Buddhism takes the status as a duty, so those who practice, do not ask for bodhi, do not abide in nirvana. and while living in the evil Five-foldness, but their purpose is fertility, so in the end they are still supreme.

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In the Hoa Nghiem sutra it is written that "All monks use equal mind to benefit sentient beings. If the monk cultivates freely, that is, freely make offerings to the Buddhas, if there are places where beings respect the inheritance, that is, they respect the Tathagata, if they make them happy, they make all the Buddhas rejoice.

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For example, in the desert there is a longevity tree, if its roots are water, the branches and leaves of the fruit are prosperous, in the desert of samsara, so does bodhisattva. All sentient beings are the roots of the trees, the bodhisattvas are the fruit, use the water of great compassion to benefit sentient beings, making all sentient beings attain the intellectual fruit of the bodhisattvas, the buddhas, at star ? If the bodhisattvas use the water of great compassion to benefit sentient beings to water sentient beings imbued with wisdom, sentient beings will achieve Bodhi results, so Bodhi belongs to sentient beings.

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Without sentient beings, all bodhisattvas will not attain the attainment of unsurpassable enlightenment. With great compassion depending on sentient beings, it will be possible to achieve the hybrid offering. Depending on sentient beings like that, the realm of nothingness, the realm of sentient beings is all, the karma of sentient beings is all, all sentient beings defilement, as such, never ceases, constant recitation of mindfulness, no interruption, body language Karma, there is no boredom ". The great aspiration of all the monks in this Buddha Dharma stands completely on the standpoint of personal beings. The so-called bodhicitta belongs to sentient beings. If there are no sentient beings, all the monks will not attain the ultimate enlightenment (becoming a Buddha).

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In the Six To Sutras it says: "The Buddha-dharma is in the world, not leaving the world but having, leaving the world in search of bodhi, is like looking for rabbit horn". It can be seen that the emergence of Buddhism is not leaving the world from reality. Mahayana Buddhism requires us to experience in real life, to cut off the nuisance of "possessions" to gain forgiveness, to attain perfect great compassion, to reach the realm of ultimate liberation - "enlightenment. ".

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So the Buddhist perspective can be said that due to great compassion, Buddhism with the attitude of entering into the world with an altruistic heart, completely from the point of view "no-self" comes. As in the law of existence of the legal world, people often say: "Heaven produces all things, better than good or bad". In that extremely fierce competition, the loser, at most, only gets a rare consent called "kindness", but those who are bestowed have not been able to eliminate the "self. attachment ", so compared to the great compassion of the Buddha's teaching, it is as different as heaven and earth.

CONCLUDE

All the aforementioned things are given to clearly confirm the differences between Buddhism and philosophy. These differences are also the point where Buddhism surpasses philosophy. Readers who want to realize the greatness of Buddhist philosophy genuinely need to directly approach and study deeply the teachings of the Buddha in the three Sutras that have been handed down to this day. 7.END=NAM MO AMITABHA MONASTERY=GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.12/10/2020.