I believe in Buddhism

I believe in Buddhism

A belief is the feeling that one develops over time that something is right. It is by the alternation of the mind that the person trusts an absolute existence to be significant enough to base their lives on it. Beliefs have varied over time, and some keep changing. One of the major faiths of the world is Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion that was founded by a man called Gautama in India. The Buddha, who is the founder of this religion, is not a god but rather an extraordinary man. The doctrine has grown to be prominent in East and Southeast Asia, but its influence is growing across borders. It is a religion that does not necessarily rely on the existence of a powerful deity or god. Instead, they focus on achieving enlightenment, which is a state of real awakening. That state of enlightenment is explained as having experienced nirvana. I believe in Buddhism because I think that people should do more good things because everything has a cause and effect that comes with it. I aim to achieve this state of enlightenment in a bid to get and experience nirvana.

Buddhism is a path of spiritual growth that leads an individual to the true nature of reality. An enlightened soul sees truth as it is, primarily with the help of meditation. The main goal of my religion is to represent the end of spiritual suffering, which can come to be when an individual is at peace. Achieving peace is done through meditation and doing what is right and just. While everything does not have its downside, doing good does not mean that one will have good done to them in return immediately. Similarly, when you do bad things, the evil deeds will not be punished immediately, but eventually, the punishment comes along, not in the conventional manner all the time. One of the major concepts that the Buddhists have integrated into their religion is the belief of karma. This is the law of cause and action.

The belief explains that once you do a terrible deed to someone else, it comes back to you, and when you do good, good will be done unto you. Initially, I did not give this specific attribute so much thought until one day while we were busy after school, a friend of mine explained what karma means. You will be surprised how many of us do not know the real meaning of karma. Karma, unlike what most people understand, is an action and not fate. Karma is created by a willful act, which can be our thoughts, deeds, and even words. Therefore, we have the power to change what happens later by primarily changing what we think about, our actions, and what comes out of our mouths. It was after practicing this for about three months that I started seeing that I was portraying positive energy both within and out of me. Lachlan Brown further explains that “Karma is and energy…The energy we generate now and in the future will affect us” (Brown). This religion has taught me that karma has nothing to do with fate but that we can all change the direction of our lives by shifting from self-destructing patterns. This notion of karma tends to end the suffering that we, as a human race, bring upon ourselves. While we sometimes think that our situations have a permanent mark on them

Another belief that stands very grounded in the Buddhist religion is the existence of the filial piety. This is a virtue that explains the need to be kind to one’s parents, take care of them, and even engage in ethical conduct both at home and outside. Engaging in ethical behavior both at home and out of the house will bring the right name to the parents and the family in general, including the ancestors. Taking care of the parents can be portrayed in a couple of ways, including showing love, respect, and support. Relating to the Buddhist religion and faith, it is the work of the children to take care of the parents in all ways by feeding them, clothing them, and ensuring that their health is in the right conditions at all times. According to Aris Teon, “Children have a debt towards their parents, a debt that can never be fully repaid” (Teon). Parents are not supposed to be left out to suffer, especially not if they have children who can take care of them.  When we take care of our children, we become good examples to the children who are born after us, and they will do the same to their parents when they grow.  The filial piety is not just a mere ritual to respect one’s parents but is an inward attitude. It is the awareness of repaying the burden that our parents went through while raising and giving birth to us. However, though it is done to reciprocate the care given to us, it is an obligation towards our ancestors. This belief has made Buddhists develop deep love and concern for the aged even when they are not biological parents. It6 has helped improve the value and respect that we have on the elderly and our parents, which gives us satisfaction and peace in abundance. I still remember the days when my grandmother was staying with us at our home. Those were the best days because there was always someone around when everyone went to work. The respect that I saw my parents give to grandmother even at the last moments of her life remain as a reminder of what is forever expected of me.

Buddhism did not become a part of me instantly when it was introduced to me. Instead, it took me five years of wondering why my religion was not like that of other students at school. I had this Muslim friend who made me envy her religion and culture. I did not want to belong to a faith that had no god but just a man as the founder. At first, I thought religion was all about having a supernatural being with whom people were accountable to, but all these got to change as years go by. The transition all happened after meeting my best friend, who coincidentally is also a Buddhist. She explained what our beliefs were all about, making me see that it is not all about the place of worship. I must say that I have found both social and personal grounding of how to go about life. To me, Buddhism is not a religion but a way of life that I have chosen to be my guiding light. Though it did not grow on me from the word go, eventually, I got the grip of what having a belief is all about. I have had experiences that have increased my faith in humanity and predicting my future rather than letting the notion of that all things happen because of fate. My thoughts and actions are governed by the fact that I call the shots with every decision that I make, every thought that I cultivate, and every word that comes out of mind. My belief that everything comes and goes. There is no such thing as a permanent situation. Our inner world of thoughts is in a continuous state of change and that the only thing that is always there is the awareness of how where and when these changes appear. Consequently, we can change and divert certain things from happening if we thought our thoughts, actions, and words through rather than just jumping into conclusions all the time.

Buddhism inspires all individuals to take responsibility for our own lives and stop blaming things on fate. By taking responsibility, we take charge of what happens to give us control of our lives. According to my religion, we sow the seeds that we planted; therefore, karma is not fate.