Faith

Faith in Buddhism

 

And in Buddhism, and in Christianity, you can meet with the sentences that Buddhism is not a faith, Christianity is not faith. People say, they see something more in their own way. They can be agreed, as long as they believe that Buddhism or Christianity should not be understood as mere faith. However, it is not possible to agree, if this would mean that Buddhism or Christianity in general are not faith. In both religions, there is a strong emphasis on faith, and they are also called "faith" by their followers. So we can not take into account these strange, separate sentences, not coplaying with the whole creed-whether Buddhist or Christian.

Here, because of the circumstances and needs, I write about the Buddhist confession. Buddhism in some circles is taken purely scientifically as a kind of speculation, pondering. Such a crooked image of Buddhism does not have much in common with the pure and true message of science maintained in Buddhist societies. Buddhism is a word, a type of faith. For example, in each of the Buddhist ritess – regardless of the place or time in which they have developed – there is a resort to the care of Buddha and in general three of the rarity or the three gems, that is, in the care of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, which means holy, Word and Community. Such a resort, often referred to as shelter or refuge, is strictly entrusted. The person who manages to protect the holy, the word or the Community, notes and recognizes the pattern in these three rares. In this way, she confides these three, and that means, in this case, not only trust, but utter devotion and obedience – the faith.

To resort to the three rarity is thus strictly in faith, and each of the Buddhist teachings has this type of entrustment as a prelude to true doctrine and proper functioning. Buddha Shakyamuni teaches about such a resort in his commandments fixed in the collection of three crates (Tri pita). We are reading there, "I resorted to Saint, I resorted to the word, I resorted to the community." Buddha also says, "Noble possesses the word of faith in me. (…) He flees to the holy, to the word and to the community of monks and takes places of study. "

In Tibetan Buddhism, such a resort takes on various characters. In one of the Tibetan heritage writings we read, for example: "The highest, Krwiopijco! I resort to you, the wrathful king. " The great clergyman, Trenpa Namka comes to such heights that the most secretive escape is called an escape to identity. He gives the Czworaki the separation of Escape (refuge): "Outer escape, Inner escape, hidden escape and identity escape. The outer escape is happy, word and anointing (the best of escapes performed with the hope of body, voice and mind). The inner escape is a cleric, a ally and a woman (the best of escapes performed with the satisfaction of respect). The escape of the secretive is the nerve, the air and the dot (the best of the escapes to remeditate the consciousness, the enlightened soul). Identity escape is to look at the meaning of the undivided, the great salvation of oneself (the quality of the basis). "

Buddha's teachings are steeped faith, but this is not a blind faith. The Buddha asks his disciples to study and examine his word: "Do not follow what was acquired by re-listening, neither behind the heritage, nor the news, nor for what is written or conjectured, nor for the inference, nor the tendency toward Regardless of the pojętnością of another, nor the consideration. The Monk is our guide. Kalamowie, when you already know: "These things are good, these things are not worthy of scorn; These things are praised by the wise; Taken and respected, these things lead towards benefit traders and happiness», accede and stand in them. " In a similar sense, he also says Tonpa Szenrab: "Check, explore, listen, think, perform, Rozmyślajcie and rozumiejcie these precepts given by me. Complete your own purpose and Objawiajcie in the entirety of others. Obracajcie word in the visible area, the desire area and the invisible area. " In speaking of suffering, Buddha Shakyamuni not preaching about it, theoretically, but even seems to say, "You will know suffering."

A scholar of the spiritual bon, Venerable Jongzin Tenzin Namdak about refuge says this: "To take refuge, we need faith. If you have already enter in contact with the three gems, we should trust them. If we don't have faith, and just repeat some sort of formula, shelter doesn't mean anything, and it remains merely a recitation. If we sincerely zwiążemy the three gems and trust them, then it will be a real refuge for us. As far as our dedication is strong, we get power, real results in practice and caring for jewels. It is real and practical, and depends only on our devotion. The real shelter is to trust Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

One of the methods of refuge is the vow of refuge – a promise to trust the three gems that never expire (any conditions appear). We cannot lose devotion and trust in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. That's a promise.

Another method is the moral discipline of refuge. First, at any time, every day, we must remind ourselves of the three gems and offer them everything we can (flowers, incense, sacrifice of water, whatever is precious). We should do it every day, the conditions are irrelevant. There is no difference whether our sacrifice is made outside or inside, it can be done anywhere. The main thing is to offer the three gems and to think about them. This is necessary. But if we have teachings and texts that contain instructions left by the Buddha and speaking of practice, we cannot lay them all on the ground and jump over them. The same applies to statue and Buddha images. It's better not to do it that way. For all such things we should relate respectfully. It does not burn, it does not destroy and disposes to the trash. Besides, if we take refuge in a bodhisattva or a sangha, we can no longer harm any sentient beings, and we should always try to help them. It does not matter whether they are our relatives or enemies. In general, the moral discipline of refuge looks like. "

On another site, the same teacher says, "I think you will remember that refuge means realization of the properties of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, Guru, Yidam, Dakinis, and our faith and devotion to them should be very strong. Moreover, ślubujemy that we will believe in the three jewels, any obstacle will not arise, and that this promise will never be lost. Such is the vow of refuge. Once we take refuge, we must keep the promise that we will never lose faith in the three jewels – it is an intrusion into the gate of Jungdrung Bon. "

And yet of the vital importance of devotion (hope), which is accompanied by faith: "We must think of the real, immortal and stable things – to try to discover them. If there is anything stable that you can rely on, we need to try to discover it. Otherwise the mind will never be calm and happy. Otherwise, there's nothing you can rely on. That is why we need to look for stable things strongly. We have to discover this and then try to develop devotion. Whatever we do, we must have devotion. It is like semen. If we don't have devotion, we don't have semen, and if we don't have semen, they can't grow fruit. Therefore, it is necessary to have devotion. Burnt seeds do not bring fruit. If this seed is not the right path, then it will not grow as a useful fruit or result. If the devotion is variable and interrupted, then it is like a usychające yield. Our actions, work and practice will not be fulfilled. Therefore, we say that devotion is like a seed. This is the reason for gathering all knowledge.

Devotion is like a field – all the knowledge rises there.

Dedication is like a root – a stable foundation.

Devotion is like a third eye. If we have them, we can see all the gurus and Buddhas. When we don't have devotion, we are like a blind man who sees nothing, especially knowledge. If we have no eyes, we cannot see anything, even our own body – if we don't have devotion, we cannot see the knowledge.

Devotion is like a lamp that brightens everything.

If we do not have hands, and our food is lying on our lap, then it will not get into the mouth – if we do not have devotion, then no virtues or merits will come to us.

If we don't have legs, we can't move anywhere – if we don't have devotion, we can't do anything.

If we do not have devotion, the knowledge of the father does not pass to the son.

If we have devotion, posiądziemy jewels fulfilling wishes.

If we do not have devotion, we are nothing poor. He goes to his parents, relatives, brothers or sisters, and they do not help him in anything.

If we have no devotion and hundreds of years of standing and listening to the teachings, then nothing will bring it to us.

If we do not have devotion, the wish-fulfilling gem is hidden underground, so no advantages or merit come to us. It all depends on devotion. If we have devotion we can come to us all. There are many examples.

The dedication is very important. "

Buddhism turns out to be faith also because of its many type of worship. They are venerated in multiple ways by the person of Buddha, statues, books, remains, teachings, the community of followers, and internally everything that is the image or voice of a Buddha. First of all, he consecrates himself and his own life to achieve the goal that Buddha presents. This attitude is only possible through faith and does not involve any scientific minded or consideration. Since the goal presented by the Buddha is still blurred to the listener and has not yet been achieved or known, faith is necessary. The listener has a certain idea and willingness to know, but it is still not a real understanding or cognition. So it touches the teachings of Buddha through faith and only later realizes some significance of this doctrine. Szenrab says that "the son of Man, chosen, seized by the exercise of the great faith, practicing the strength of knowledge of a healthy word, once found the warmth of consciousness and reaches the measure of reason." Saying yes, it shows Szenrab that the target has not yet been achieved, but it is possible to achieve. The means to attain it is faith and reason.

Ways of expressing worship. The basic way is to assemble prostration. It consists of a prostrations short by a slight nod, prostrations deeper, where the forehead touches the earth and prostrations complete, being spreading throughout the body on Earth. Other ways include ritual washings, smoking incense and Kaganków (candles), throwing flowers or folding them in front of the altar, folding food gifts from beans, fruits, juices and generally all kinds of meals and drinks, playing music or its Playback In addition, beautiful decorations, canopies, flags, the establishment of festive robes, etc. Such types of worship and the redressing of ceremonial rites are a clear sign of faith; Because these activities are often unintelligible to a spectator, and are important to those who take them. The incomprehensibleness of the rites does not indicate their unreasonability, but only that their meaning is profound – hidden from the uninitiated. Therefore, many of these activities are called in Tibetan religion hidden spells or secret mantras.

Other actions Ujawniającymi faith in Buddhism are the provisions and observance of commandments, grief, repentance and confession of sins, the presence of fasting, charity and prayer.

Right at the outset, before learning, there is a provision to entrust to the three Rares (three gems), the holy, Word and Community (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha), and there are many further provisions that depend on The type of road and activity to be chosen. The enforcement of the commandments involves the application of ten rights:

(1) Failure to kill,

(2) Failure to steal,

(3) Abandonment of adultery (including rape),

(4) Abandonment of Lies,

(5) Omission of the pronunciation,

(6) Omission of sharp words,

(7) Omission of gossip,

(8) Refraining from lust,

(9) The abandonment of malice,

(10) The omission of the superstition (i.e. Erroneous views or erroneous courts).

If one commits a misdemeanor, if he engages in unrighteousness, deliberately or unwittingly, he regrets spowiadaing and striving for improvement. A confession in Buddhism is made before the Congregation of Saints or one Buddha. It is less common to have personal confessions before the clergy, but also to them according to needs and circumstances. However, this is not a fixed type of rite. The ceremonial confession is performed internally – by grief, confessing guilt (before a Buddha, Pastor or congregation) and striving for improvement.

The way to overcome your own weaknesses and to avoid unrighteousness is to use different posts. The basic post recommendations are to refrain from harming others and receiving life (people and non-people), refrain from taking what has not been given, refrain from sexual intercourse, refrain from misguided speech (lying, cheating, Control others, hurting words), refrain from alcohol and dizzying stimulants, refrain from eating at the wrong time (afternoon), refrain from singing, dancing, music, participation in entertainment, the use of perfumes, ointments and Decorations, refrain from staying in refined places (whether temporarily or overnight) and too long sleeping, and in the case of the monks also refrain from all sensuality and lust, not sitting in high seats, not sleeping on Soft beds, not taking money and many other meticulous rules.

Charity is also a special sign of faith. In general, charity is present among all people, not just believers. However, in the community of believers it is a principle and takes on a particularly strong word. Goods are granted not only to those who are in a difficult position and are experiencing life-long difficulties due to accidents, illnesses and other disasters, but the goods are granted primarily to the community of monks and nuns, the community of those who devote their entire The life of spirituality and prayer, without bringing any tangible benefit to the public beyond wisdom, word and example of a good life.

The emphatic sign of faith is the presence of prayer. Prayer also appears in such deformed forms of Buddhism as a small procedure (Hinayana), where Buddha is seen as a person who has already gone and is at rest – where Buddha is just a memory. I am talking about the Buddha of Siakjamunim, who appeared in a visible form, not of an everlasting Buddha who continues in a word form. Also in the Hinayana there are prayers in the kind of devotion and commemoration. It is also the presence of faith. There is no prayer where there is no faith. Therefore, any presence of prayer, whether verbal or mental, is a sign of the presence of a certain faith.

An unprecedented and scarce sign of faith is also faith in the community of believers and the holy people. In Tibetan Buddhism, it takes a special expression in the unique worship of the people of annexed (Tulku/Trulku – Sprul SKU), that is, those followers who, as they believe, were born in order to lead others to salvation. Such worship consists strictly in recognizing the divinity of the people and of divinity in reality. And this recognition is due to the understanding of vanity, which is not connected with perceptions, thoughts, judgments, or impressions, but a purely spiritual cognition of faith.

 

Jacob Szukalski

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