In today, you can experience when
certain ‘Buddhists’ engage in discussion in certain point of Gotama Buddha
teaching, if they found that the teaching is contradicting to their belief,
they will just ignore it and suggest not to “patronizing attitude “ toward
other Buddhism. They sometime even suggest you keep your ‘own Buddhism’ and ‘I
will keep mine’. Is it should be the ideal way to solve differentials among
today’s Buddhist Societies? Is it the right move to keep those differentials
and everyone should only keep their ‘own Buddhism”? What is going wrong?
Why?
It looks like we are avoiding to
face problem and how can we solve the problem with such an attitude toward
‘study and practice’ in Buddha Dhamma. Buddha Dhamma is the Truth and Truth
can’t be wrong. It is timeless and doesn’t need to update every time. It is not
a fashion, it is the Universal law of Nature which can be experienced by
everybody. It can be discussed and argued, but no matter how we argue we can’t
go against the Real Dhamma. How long we should practice to keep Noble Silent
and stop discussion in order to avoid ‘argument’ among Buddhists? Keep on
avoiding the problem is not the wise way of solving the problem. What we need
to do is bravely facing the problem. Otherwise we are doing nothing toward this
Great teaching of Gotama Buddha. In ancient time, you may see due to ‘argument’
some people realized and convinced to this Buddha Dhamma.
Let us see the story of
Upali-sutta, no. 56 of Majjhima-nikaya which illustrates this. Once in Nalanda
a prominent and wealthy householder named Upali, a well-know lay disciple of
Nigatha Nataputta (Jaina Mahavira), was expressly sent by Mahavira himself to
meet the Buddha and defeat him in argument on certain points in the theory of
karma, because the Buddha’s view on the subject were different from those of
Mahavira. Quite contrary to expectations, Upali, at the end of the discussion,
was convinced that the views of the Buddha were right and those of his master
were wrong. So he begged the Buddha to accept him as one of his lay disciples
(Upasaka). But the Buddha asked him to reconsider it, and not to be in a hurry,
for ‘considering carefully is good for well-known men like you.’ When Upali
expressed his desire again, the Buddha requested him to continue to respect and
support his old religious teachers as he used to.
If you are confident with this
Buddha Dhamma, you should not be afraid of having discussion or argument. If it
is Real Buddha Dhamma, it would stand firm from any kind of discussions and
arguments. Only real Buddha Dhamma can be challenged by people. Other than this
real Dhamma, it can’t stand long when be challenged.
May all beings come close to the
Real Buddha Dhamma
May they practice the Noble
Eightfold Path and experience Nibbana in this life time.
May they be free from reborn in
the womb again
Best regards and blessing to
all.
Achema – 2005
Written for Viriya Young Buddhist Fellowship - Malaysia
No comments:
Post a Comment