Professor Zhang said to him

The origin of editing

The speech "What is Buddhism" was prepared by Buddhist Zhang at the request of the American Buddhist Association. Zhang Jushi is proficient in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese and English, and has many works in both Chinese and English. At present, he is a professor at nsylvania State University, and he is very busy in class. This manuscript was compiled by Jushi Shen under the guidance of Zhang Jushi.

In his speeches, Zhang Jushi made many speeches in the United States, including the comparison between Buddhism and other religions, the overview of Buddhism and Zen, etc., which were included in the published four lectures on Buddhism. The last part of the word' convenient method that ordinary people can practice' was suggested by Shen Jushi and included by Zhang Jushi. Zhang Jushi is to Shen Jushi, the friendship between teachers and friends. These two people get along well. I warmly publicized two lay people in Zhang Shen, and agreed that this speech should be printed into a single book by the American Buddhist Association for wide circulation. I wish you happiness.

Ledu is eager to go to new york.

1966 1 1 month Gregorian calendar

What is Buddhism?

Great knowledge!

Few political dynasties in the world have ruled for more than a thousand years. The Zhou Dynasty in China was an extremely long dynasty, which lasted only 800 years. The Roman Empire was unified for only about 500 years before the East and West split. However, the five major religions in the world-Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism-have a history of more than 1,000 years, and Islam is the youngest one, and it has been more than 1,000 years now; Christianity has a history of nearly two thousand years, and Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism have a history of more than two thousand years. Hundreds of millions of individuals died in the world, thousands of families became extinct, and thousands of countries and nations declined, but unique religions can survive in all kinds of turmoil. This ironclad fact shows that religion is the eternal need of all mankind. This kind of demand is supranational, supranational and transcending time and space. Religion is not only not superstition, but also the second life of mankind. As long as there are people on the earth, there will be religion. Some people think that food and color are the two most basic human needs. In fact, this is not correct. Food and color are two biological needs of human beings, and human beings also have a religious need different from other animals. Please note; The' religious needs' mentioned here; It is broad, not narrow. Religious demand is the eternal, perfect, vital and truly endless pursuit of truth by human mind. In this short, painful and confused life, what human beings need most is inner support, dependence and home. There are many defects and tiredness in life, and sadness and distress are irreparable for human beings. These can only be explained and comforted by religion. Therefore, religious needs are one of the three most basic needs of human beings. Its power sometimes far exceeds the other two needs. Because of this, religion can survive in the world for so long!

The above are the necessary viewpoints to illustrate the importance of religion. Now we need to find out why religion stays in the world forever on the basis of causality.

Most ancient emperors could not say that they had any political ideals. By virtue of politics and force, they enjoy success after winning the world and pass it on to future generations. Most of their purposes or intentions are selfish, and there are few lofty ideals and sad wishes. According to the so-called principle of Buddhism, "it is born because of life, and it is born because of life." How can you have the fruits of peace forever? Modern political leaders are based on the interests of their own country or sphere of influence. For the benefit of our own country, we will not hesitate to sacrifice justice, not to mention the interests and happiness of other countries and people. How can this limited mind, selfish attempt and unscrupulous materialism be respected by people all over the world, but it will last forever in the hearts of people all over the world? Religion will always exist, because most of its teachings are supranational, supraracial and secular. Religions with ethnic and racist colors, such as Shintoism in Japan and Judaism in the Jewish nation, can survive in their own country or family because of their super-secularity, but they can't transcend national boundaries and become world-wide religions after all. This is an obvious proof. The reason why any politicism and political measures in the world can't exist in the world for a long time is that they are often only to solve the problems of a certain era or a certain part of life. Its' heart' is narrow and its intention is selfish, so its value is too small to exist in people's hearts forever. Religion is different. The focus of religion is not only to solve the current problems of mankind, but also to solve the eternal problems of life, not only to talk about life, but also to talk about human death; Its mind not only transcends the country, race and class, but also transcends the present world. Therefore, in the long run, religion is needed by all mankind. Because everything in this world, even if it can be satisfied, is only temporary, and human beings must never think that they are truly satisfied because of the satisfaction in this world.

The above shows the significance of religion to life, and also explains why the necessity and value of Buddhism have become more and more obvious since 2500 years ago, and it is more and more necessary to study and practice.

What is Buddhism? Buddhism or Buddhism is usually introduced from a historical perspective. From the birth, becoming a monk, becoming a monk and preaching of Sakyamuni Buddha, it was divided into Hinayana Buddhism in the south and Mahayana Buddhism in the north, and even divided into various factions after it was introduced into China. Although this kind of introduction to Buddhism from a historical perspective has its value, the question of what Buddhism is only shows the appearance and does not go deep into the bone marrow. Today, I don't want to completely answer what Buddhism is in a short time, but I want to try to explain this big problem from three different directions instead of a historical introduction. As for whether my teaching can benefit you, I still want you to criticize and correct me.

What about three different directions? The first is to compare the differences between Buddhism and other religions. The purpose is to illustrate Buddhism by setting off. Secondly, centering on the truth that everyone in Mahayana Buddhism has Buddha nature, it explains why we have not yet become a Buddha and why meditation is the way to become a Buddha. Objective To go deep into the bone marrow of Buddhism through direct narration. Third, according to the living conditions of modern ordinary people, introduce some methods that conform to the principles of Buddhist practice and can be easily implemented by everyone at any time and place. The purpose is to facilitate everyone to experience it themselves, gradually introduce it, and one day understand what Buddhism is all about.

Now just talk about the difference between Buddhism and other religions.

Most people think that Buddhism is just one of many religions in the world, and all religions are similar. In fact, Buddhism is very different from other religions. In today's world, when human beings are confused and confused, and various religions are trying to save this collapse trend, the differences between these Buddhism and other religions explain why Buddhism is great, thorough and positive enough to play the most important role in saving the tide and relieving the pain of life.

By general religion, I mean religions other than Buddhism. These religions, among their followers, may think that their teachings are very different from each other and cannot be compatible; However, if we compare the teachings of Buddhism with the widely publicized teachings of these religions, we will find that their basic teachings are rarely very different. Therefore, in order to facilitate the explanation, I listed the religious departments other than Buddhism as a system and compared Buddhism with this religious system.

I sum up the results of the comparison and think that there are seven major differences between Buddhism and other religions:

The first difference between Buddhism and other religions is that Buddhism denies that God created the world and its initial beginning.

All religions, except Buddhism, have a common feature, that is, they all believe in an almighty god, a sacred and inviolable god; God created the world and also created human beings. God is omnipotent, omnipotent.

However, Buddhism does not admit that there is such an omnipotent god who created the world, because in basic theory, Buddhism simply does not admit that there is an initial beginning of creating the world. Buddhist theory: the concept of' beginning' is due to people's' limited' psychology, which can't cover thousands of causal relationships, but only their own assumptions.

Let me give an example to help illustrate. For example, today's speech, everyone said, starts at eight and ends at nine. So we say that this speech is by no means an initial beginning. Because obviously, there are many other' causal relationships' before the speech begins. Before eight o'clock, you were all from home or out of town. All this happened before Toastmasters. For these things, the speech at eight o'clock is the end, not the beginning. After the Toastmasters, everyone dispersed separately, took a bus and walked around, all of which happened after the Toastmasters. For these things, the meeting at nine o'clock is the beginning, not the end. Therefore, the concept of' beginning' is meaningful only when it comes to specific things, otherwise it is meaningless. The initial beginning, or absolute beginning, is completely meaningless.

The "primitive universe" theory of general religion made this mistake. Cut off the endless universe with its own finiteness, and insist that there is a beginning. Because of such an initial assumption, then an almighty god who created the world came out. The question is: if God is omnipotent and merciful, why doesn't his old man kick us miserable creatures created by ourselves into heaven like a ball? But in fact, he didn't do it.

In fact, God is also an ideological assumption. The concept of God comes from the shock of ancient people to many unexplained phenomena in the universe, such as lightning, earthquake, tsunami and plague. The concept of "God" created by human beings not only explains the wonder of the universe, but also meets the actual needs of human beings and gives them a sense of security. This concept has its value in the progress of human politics and society. But to be honest, this artificial assumption is hard to justify. Buddhism not only shows that the' initial beginning' is the product of limited human thinking, but also tells us that this god who created the world and man-made things is also a fantasy in human thinking. The wisdom of Buddhism therefore transcends the basic teachings of other religions, which is the biggest difference between Buddhism and other religions.

The second difference between Buddhism and other religions is that' the purpose of Buddhism is to make everyone become a Buddha, but other religions will never allow people to become gods'.

There are supreme buddhas, bodhisattvas and gods in Buddhism. But the supreme Buddha in Buddhism is completely different from the gods of other religions. To illustrate this point, I want to give a simple definition of' Buddha' first. Usually we call Sakyamuni Buddha Buddha for short. In the eyes of historians, Sakyamuni Buddha was a thinker in India more than 2,500 years ago. In the eyes of Buddhists, Sakyamuni Buddha is the founder or leader of Buddhism in this world, but in Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha is one of the thousands of Qian Qian in Qian Qian, and there are countless Buddhas in the endless world. The' Buddha' I want to introduce to you here is a general term for the infinite buddhas, and it is broad. The definition of "Buddha" I tried is as follows:

"Buddha" is a kind of personality whose rationality, emotion and ability are the most satisfactory. I repeat:' Buddha' is a personality whose reason, emotion and ability all reach the most satisfactory state at the same time. In other words, the Buddha is an all-wise, all-compassionate and all-powerful person. Please pay attention to the difference between Buddhism and other religions. Buddha is not omnipotent and can't give us relief. He can only teach us, and we have to get rid of it by our own efforts. Buddha can't let us go to heaven or condemn us to hell.

Buddha is not only different from the omnipotent god in other religions, but Buddha Sakyamuni also tells us that everyone has this personality (also called Buddha nature in Buddhism) and can achieve the most satisfactory situation at the same time. Just like a calm lake, with waves and a mirror-like water surface; Human beings are obsessed with the external environment and phenomena, all kinds of assumptions, exhausted for the so-called survival, fame, love and power, and did not realize it until they died of old age, so they buried the Buddha nature of this instrument; So that we can't achieve the perfect situation at the same time, and we can't be liberated from troubles and pains. Buddha (Sakyamuni Buddha) said that the purpose of existence in the world is to teach all sentient beings and show their original Buddha nature. The sad wish of the Buddha is to make everyone, all sentient beings, become as good as themselves. Therefore, in the eyes of Buddha, all human beings and sentient beings are the same Buddha nature and equal.

Other religions are not. In other religions, God and man are always two opposing units. God is God, and man is man. This almighty God is the center of all teaching. People must believe in God to be saved by God. People have to get the grace of God before they can go to heaven and live with God after death. But man can never be God, and there is always a gap between God and man. In Christianity and Islam, there are so-called mystics, although they can also reach the so-called high realm: the realm of unity with God; But this kind of "oneness" and "oneness with God" always means duality. After all, man can't become a god completely, but can only "be one" with God. This opposing concept of "dichotomy" is actually formed by the limitations of his basic teachings. Therefore, many religious saints with profound realm, such as Master Eckhart and Islamic sage Ai Hallaj, have been accused of heresy. The former was severely condemned by the church, while the latter was executed for physical injury.

Buddha is not satisfied with becoming a Buddha by himself. He wants everyone to become a Buddha and teaches everyone how to become a Buddha. This embrace of equality, great wisdom and great compassion is indeed above the general religion in terms of its greatness and depth. In short, Buddhism teaches people to have self-esteem and self-confidence, to free themselves from the pain of life and death, and to free all beings from the pain of life and death. We should cherish the teachings handed down from Buddhism, redouble our efforts to show our original Buddha nature, so that everyone can become a Buddha and complete the most satisfactory personality of reason, emotion and ability.

The third difference between Buddhism and other religions:' Buddhism is an inclusive and flexible doctrine, while most other religions are exclusive'.

The central idea of Buddhism, especially Mahayana Buddhism, is based on the theory that everyone is equal and all beings have Buddha nature. Therefore, in Buddhism, there is no doctrine of the first ten commandments of Christianity:' false gods are not to be trusted'. Christians regard the gods believed by Muslims or Hindus as evil gods, and Muslims or Hindus also regard Christian gods as evil gods. They said to one another, Do not believe in false gods. The question is which religious god is true and which is false? This debate, the struggle to find a solution through war, the Crusade, and the war between old and new Christianity are all historical examples. Buddhism does not have this problem. Buddhism believes that Buddhism is equal in nature and everyone can become a Buddha, so there is no atmosphere of exclusion and hegemony. Furthermore, Buddhism is tolerant, tolerant, and can accommodate all religious teachings. The theory of any religion is enough in Buddhism. But Buddhism has many profound truths that other religions do not have. For example, as far as compassion is concerned, Buddhism not only has the same view as other religions, but also has the view that the same body has no compassion and great compassion. Vast bodhicitta, endless solemn bodhisattva wishes, profound and broad empty wisdom can't be found in any religious doctrine. Buddhism never denigrates other religions. Buddhism believes that all beings have different roots and teaching methods cannot be confused. All kinds of religions and philosophies have their values and functions, and all kinds of religions can enlighten and benefit a certain kind of sentient beings in a certain time and space. Following any good religion can make people gain benefits and happiness in this world and in the future. However, if we want to be liberated and fully enlightened, we must complete the conditions for liberation and full enlightenment. Buddhism believes that all religions are only distinguished by depth, and there is little difference between good and evil. For any problem, Buddhism has several different in-depth explanations to meet the needs of various sentient beings. The inclusive nature of Buddhism is really endless, and it is difficult to know the bottom without exhaustion.

For another example, people with high IQ can understand and tolerate the realm of low IQ; However, people with low intelligence will not dream, let alone understand or absorb the realm of people with great wisdom. Physicists can understand the common sense of ordinary people, but ordinary people can't understand it, let alone physicists' views and realms. Only the water of the sea can absorb all the rivers, and only profound Buddhism can capture all other teaching methods.

The fourth difference between Buddhism and other religions is:' the gods of other religions have troubles and opinions; Buddha is a great liberator without worries.'

Generally speaking, in religion, if a person disobeys God or goes against God, God will get angry, punish him, and even send him to hell to suffer forever. In the records of various religions, it is easy to see stories and admonitions such as God's wrath and punishment for disasters. The final judgment of Christianity is particularly frightening; Because of this final judgment, you may be sentenced to hell and suffer forever, and there is no chance to turn over. If these words are true, it is really human misfortune. God should not have created man, but it is really incomprehensible that the man who was created was sentenced to hell by this merciful God because he did not believe in God or was not baptized. Let's take a step back and assume that there is such an almighty god. Now let's study the character of this god. If God sends people to hell in anger, he is a man with hatred and revenge. Hatred means that the seeds of his troubles have not been exhausted. You are listening to my speech now. Maybe at this moment, you are not angry-at least I hope so. But that doesn't mean you don't have the ability to get angry. If I get off the stage at this time and slap you for no reason, you will be angry soon. This shows that the potential (seeds) of greed, anger and ignorance often exist in the heart and are deeply rooted and cannot be eliminated. As soon as it touches the outer edge, it will take effect immediately. Therefore, whether man or god is angry, he will punish those who do not obey him. He is the one who has not exhausted the seeds of anger and trouble. He is still an ordinary person in essence, and there is no liberation at all, let alone a perfect god!

Buddha will not be angry and will not judge all beings; Buddha will not lose his temper and send people to hell. If a person will go to hell, it is his own retribution, and it is by no means the Buddha who punishes him and sends him there. Buddha didn't send people to hell, but went to hell to save him! Therefore, Buddhism will never threaten people to say,' Don't offend the Buddha, or the Buddha will send you to hell when he gets angry'. On the contrary, Buddhism encourages people to spend their lives in hell. It is the expression of this spirit that the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha said,' If I don't go to hell, whoever goes to hell'! If we compare the moral character of the Buddha with the gods of other religions, we will know the superiority and greatness of the Buddha.

The fifth difference between Buddhism and other religions is:' Buddhism is democratic and rational; But most other religions are arbitrary and dictatorial.

Because the basic teachings of Buddhism are equality, tolerance and tolerance, in the history of Buddhism, it only shows the spirit of tolerance and democracy, which is in sharp contrast with the arbitrary and intolerant spirit of other religions. Of course, there are no stories of religious persecution and heresy trials in Buddhist history. On the contrary, Buddhism and all sects have absolute freedom of speech, and they can freely express their opinions and criticize the opinions of other sects. Its democratic spirit and seeking truth from facts have reached the extreme, even to the point of "scolding ancestors"; When expounding the truth that all laws are empty and all can't be obtained, he actually said that the Buddha is' dry shit' and that' I don't want to hear a word from the Buddha'. How thorough this spirit is! How bold! In which other religion can you find these manifestations! In other religions, what God or a leader says is sacred. God's word, whether wrong or wrong, can only be accepted by Christians. But Buddhism is not. What Buddhists say to the Buddha, whether they accept it or not. Because the truth said by the Buddha is often multifaceted because of the differences in the basic wisdom of Buddhists; Buddhists can accept some words said by the Buddha, but not others. In Buddhist scriptures, we can often see Sakyamuni Buddha saying to his disciples and listeners,' I am a true confidante, a true confidante, and a person who does not lie.' Always convince the audience, study the truth, pay attention to rationality, and never use intimidation or coercion to make people listen. It is clearly stated in the Lotus Sutra that when the Buddha wanted to talk about the Excellence and wonder of Buddhism, there were 5,000 listeners who thought that they had been relieved and did not want to listen, so they left. The Buddha didn't get angry, investigate or punish, but said,' Their opportunity is not yet mature. It's better to let them leave, instead of listening to unbelief, causing resentment and increasing their criminal career. How tolerant, democratic and great this is!

The sixth difference between Buddhism and other religions:' the love for Buddhism is infinite; Love in other religions is limited.

The Christian Bible says, "Love your neighbor" and "Love your enemy". These instructions are great. Because the teachings of Christianity have transcended the country, the race, the human race and the world, we can achieve today's achievements. However, although the teachings of general religion can transcend the country, race, mankind and the world, they cannot transcend religion. Love your enemies, but never love infidels! Everything can be tolerated and forgiven, but when it comes to God and religion, the spirit of intolerance and non-love is immediately exposed. The most fundamental question is: Aren't these so-called pagans also human beings created by God? They are all children of God. Why did they create them for no reason and send them to hell to suffer forever? Where is his love? Buddhist love and compassion are infinite, absolute and unconditional. Buddhist love is not only love for all mankind, but also love for all living things. Buddhism not only makes people love their enemies, but also makes people love pagans. Hengsha (Ganges sand in India, which is often quoted in Buddhist scriptures to represent the vast majority) all beings will become Buddhas forever without spending enough! From a philosophical point of view, Buddhist love transcends all stages. This love that transcends all phases is integrated with the incredible emptiness, which makes all dharma impossible to achieve, and there is no opportunity for great compassion to rise; This philosophy of emptiness and sadness is the highest, deepest and most incredible part of Buddhist teachings. These teachings are difficult to understand at once, but I want to take this opportunity to mention them here and leave a deep impression on you.

In the original "Big Handprint" written by Tibetan Karmapa master, several sentences illustrate the above teachings, which are very powerful;

Although the self-nature of all beings is often like Buddha, it is impossible to know endless reincarnation.

May all sentient beings, with boundless pain, always have great compassion and patience.

Unbearable sadness, when it has not been extinguished, is manifested as naked body emptiness.

This deviation from mistakes is better than double luck. I hope to stick to this idea of practicing day and night.

All the methods and the emptiness of this heart are ready-made by Farr. Extreme emotional empathy is also enough. When you realize the emptiness of all laws, your great compassion will not be artificial, it will be born at will. This is a subtle and incredible thing! For all beings who are covered by ignorance and cannot show their original Buddha nature, the Buddha will naturally be merciful and compassionate. Buddha's eye, seeing the nature of our sentient beings, is Buddha's nature; Therefore, the Buddha instinctively felt that all sentient beings did not become Buddhas because of their own imperfections, so he naturally tried his best to make all sentient beings mature and let them complete their Buddhist and Taoist undertakings. Those who study Buddhism can always have the realm of "I am one with all Buddhas", while the ten Buddhas can always have the realm of "I am one with all beings". Only the great sadness rising from the profound realm of Farr can be equal, impartial, thorough and complete love that transcends all differences and limitations.

The seventh difference between Buddhism and other religions:' The pure land of past lives taught by Buddhism is completely different from the eternal paradise of other religions.'

Generally speaking, people who don't know enough about Buddhism say: Christianity asks for God and goes to heaven after death, which is no different from Buddhism chanting Buddha and going to the pure land. On the surface, it seems good, but after careful study, we will know that there is a big difference.

The heaven and hell promoted in other religions seems to be the opposite place to this world, and heaven, earth and hell seem to encompass the whole universe. The world is a temporary testing ground, and heaven or hell is the end of real life. This is a limited and negative argument. The pure land mentioned by Buddhism is fundamentally different from this. The world outlook of Buddhism is infinite. Mahayana Buddhism clearly shows the infinity of the universe when it reveals the vast and solemn dharma realm of the buddhas. The Ganges River is just a drop in the ocean in the endless legal world. So other religions have only one paradise, but Buddhism has an incredible amount of pure land. The western paradise like Amitabha is just a piece of pure land in the boundless dharma world. In other words, the meaning of pure land in Buddhism can be found in the west, the east and the world. Vimalakīrti Jing said: "A pure heart leads to a pure land." You can purify your heart, this land is pure land. Therefore, going to the pure land is essentially the same as joining the WTO, and it is definitely not the end of everything.

Going to heaven in other religions, the so-called eternal life means being with God and enjoying it. Buddhism is based on the principle of causality. I think that with limited good causes, it is impossible to get infinite and eternal good results, so go to heaven and enjoy it. After you enjoy your good causes, it will still fall. Just like shooting an arrow from the sky, the arrow falls back after its strength is exhausted. The pure land of Buddhism means that with your good cause, you can go to a good practice environment (pure land). Under the induction of the great wishes of the Buddhas, the whole environment can help practice. With the achievements of spiritual practice, according to your own wishes, you don't have to live in this pure land forever, but you have to go to the endless world of others and come to this world to free all beings.

To sum up, going to heaven for pleasure is really a selfish and negative fantasy of a limited cosmologist; And then go to the pure land to practice, which is endless sorrow and the convenience and solemnity of wishing bodhisattva!

There are many differences between Buddhism and other religions. The seven points listed above are only the most common and easy to understand. The purpose is to help you understand' what is Buddhism' by starting. Now further study on the other hand:

(1) What is a Buddha?

(2) Because of any defects, human beings can't express the Buddha nature of this book;

(3) What methods did the Buddha teach us so that we can practice to achieve the perfect personality of reason, emotion and ability?

I tried a definition of' Buddha' earlier: Buddha is a personality whose reason, emotion and ability reach the most perfect state at the same time. I must make it clear here that this definition does not represent absolute Buddha nature, but I just want to make an easy-to-understand explanation of Buddha nature within the scope of human brain and thought. It is said that Buddha is a kind of personality whose reason, emotion and ability have reached the most perfect state; That is to say: Buddha is an all-wise, all-sad and powerful person. What is all wisdom, all sorrow and great power? Let me explain one by one:

First, what is harmony omniscient.

Buddha's all-round wisdom includes two kinds of great wisdom: one is deep and the other is horizontal. The depth of this wisdom is called' like all wisdom' by Buddhists; This horizontal wisdom is called "all wisdom" by Buddhists. To do all wisdom is to know all laws, know everything and know everything.