"An Introduction to Buddhism"

The other night Lisa and I were at our favorite Thai restaurant -- there is only one good Thai restaurant in Tucson, near as we can determine. On the counter as I was leaving I spied a stack of booklets titled, "An Introduction to Buddhism." So I grabbed one. I assumed they were free for the taking.

From page 10:

Buddhism is not strictly speaking a religion at all, as it is not a system of faith and worship owing allegiance to any supernatural being.

Then on page 11:

Though flowers, incense and candles may be offered before pictures or statues of Buddha, he is not worshipped as a god.

That made me wonder -- how many of those people offering flowers and incense to statues of Buddha do so with a clear understanding that Buddha was, as the book explains, "an exceptional human being who once said: 'He honours me best who practises my teaching.'" My guess would be not all; perhaps not even many. That's just speculation on my part, I'll freely admit.

It's an interesting little book, written by "Ven. Dr. H. Saddhatissa," M.A., Ph.D, D. Litt -- in other words, one smart dude, no doubt.

The center-piece of the "way of life" seems to be to eliminate desire from the human equation. Absent desire (for anything, I gather), all the bad things that happen in this world evaporate. In that sense it's very much related to the "Thou Shalt Not Covet" commandment.

It is very clearly based on what comes from within, and never from without -- "Man follows the way of Buddhism by his own efforts alone and does not rely on any external agency at all. The true Buddhist is full of joy and hope. He follows a teaching which leads to his spiritual freedom and he recognizes that through his own efforts alone he can reach his goal." (page 11)

It seems to me that the following holds:

• If Christianity is true, then Buddhism is utterly false.
• If Christianity is not true, then Buddhism may be true.

Christianity is based on the idea that by our own efforts alone we can accomplish nothing. But our efforts we are dead in sin. The Buddhist viewpoint is mutually exclusive with this.