From: khoo hock aun (hockaun@pc.jaring.my)
Date: Thu Dec 11 2003 - 15:07:20 GMT
"The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will
become of you, depend on no one.
Only the moment you reject all help are you freed" - the Buddha
Wim, with friendly greetings wrote:
> Does being a buddhist require adherence to those ideas?
> Does non-adherence to those ideas lead to non-recognition as a buddhist by
other buddhists? If
> so, does that constitute enough 'enforcing' to call them 'dogma's' and
trashing them?
Dear Wim,
Just so we mean the same thing, Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, ©
1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc entry for dogma follows:
"1. That which is held as an opinion; a tenet; a doctrine.The obscure and
loose dogmas of early antiquity. -- Whewell.
2. A formally stated and authoritatively settled doctrine; a definite,
established, and authoritative tenet.
3. A doctrinal notion asserted without regard to evidence or truth; an
arbitrary dictum.
Usage: -- Dogma, Tenet. A tenet is that which is maintained as true with
great firmness; as, the tenets of our holy religion. A dogma is that which
is laid down with authority as indubitably true, especially a religious
doctrine; as, the dogmas of the church. A tenet rests on its own intrinsic
merits or demerits; a dogma rests on authority regarded as competent to
decide and determine. Dogma has in our language acquired, to some extent, a
repulsive sense, from its carrying with it the idea of undue authority or
assumption. This is more fully the case with its derivatives dogmatical and
dogmatism."
As far as I know, and I live in a multi-cultural multi-religious country
with a fairly large buddhist community, no buddhist would impose on another,
compulsory belief in buddhist ideas, including that of karma and
re-incarnation, which he or she does not accept. Ingrained in buddhist
practice is the concept of ehi-passiko or "come and behold" explained as
follows: It basically means 'See the truth of it yourself '. The truths of
Buddhism have to be discovered and demonstrated by each individual, by
himself for himself, and that through a growth of one's own wisdom.
Everyone who seeks the truth and his own salvation is a buddhist, by
whatever label he chooses for himself or herself.
Recently, the chief high priest of the sinhalese buddhist temple in in Kuala
Lumpur said during a local televison talk show on multi-religious tolerance
that buddhism encouraged that everyone be a good christian, muslim, hindu
(or jew- there are no jewish community in Malaysia) and there was absolutely
no interest in the part of the religion to convert anyone of another faith
to buddhism. "How magnaminous," said the host, a muslim, who could not
conceive of her fellow muslim missionaries resisting the lure of converting
buddhists to their faith.
The concept of "recognition as a buddhist" by other buddhists - and hence
"enforcement" of buddhist ideas as dogmas by social pressures does not arise
neither it is approved. Every human being is a fellow traveller along the
path, and he is free to join the path at whatever point he chooses. If a
buddhist does not accept any buddhist idea, including that of karma and
re-incarnation, he is entitled to do. If he or she chooses to practice only
the ideas he thinks relevant for himself or herself , he or she is free to
do so. To each his own. And he or she can call himself or herself a hindu,
christian, muslim or jew if he or she so desires. I doubt however if the
other religions allow their followers to call themselves buddhists.
And if at any one time, a buddhist feels that a doctrine, tenet or idea is
forced upon himself of herself as dogma, he is entitled to trash it, without
fear of being excluded from pursuing buddhism as he or she sees it. That
comes with the territory in buddhism. If anything, the buddhism is merely a
"Manual for One's Personal Salvation - Use What Works For You"
There is however, a great deal more stuff for advanced souls, including a
metaphysics of quality, when they have prepared themselves sufficiently to
understand more.
Rgds
Khoo Hock Aun
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