017-Am I a Buddhist? - Buddhism in daily life

Am I a Buddhist?


People's lives are terrible. From the moment life begins, it can
also end.


The ways of a possible death are infinite, from "falling out of
bed and breaking the neck" to "falling asleep peacefully in old
age", everything is there.


We know that it can be "over" any moment, we know about the
finiteness of being, nevertheless only the fewest are ready to
really think about the connections once.


In Western culture, such reflection is not common, as our
ancestors lived according to religious traditions based on a
"relationship of superiority and subordination" with a god, thus
leaving little room for independence.


Like all things, spirituality and faith are subject to change,
gods came, some stayed, many passed away. Today, little is left
of the former beliefs, houses of worship are hardly frequented,
people have emancipated themselves from the old teachings in
large numbers.


But because life is finite, and all cultures have thought about
the meaning and nonsense of life, "modern" man is also looking
for answers to his questions. In the course of history, a bizarre
relationship to death, and thus also to life, often developed.


The teachings of Buddha put forward a completely different
concept here, which is directed towards man himself. Not the
higher "power" should fix it, but the individual himself in
personal responsibility.


Surely you have already asked yourself if you are a "believer",
if there is a God. In which teaching could there be "something to
it"? Sure, we were raised and shaped in one way or another, but
faith is something very personal. When I was growing up, for
example, a Catholic was not allowed to marry a Protestant, that
was sacrilege. Today, that's hardly the case anymore;
higher-level questions of faith have now taken its place.


Buddhism takes a refreshingly different view of spirituality. The
philosophy of Buddha has knowledge as its goal, no god has to be
worshipped.


According to the great teacher, the focus is on "awakening" as
the goal of man, an event to be achieved on one's own
responsibility.


Self-responsible, these are quite unfamiliar sounds. No one to
tell me what to do?


Perhaps you have already thought about the philosophy of Buddha?
Would this teaching suit me? Bring me peace and tranquility?


It would be worth a thought!





The murdered one is not without responsibility in his murder. And
the robbed is not blameless in his robbery. The righteous one is
not innocent of the deeds of the evil one.


- Khalil Gibran - Lebanese artist and poet - 1883 to 1931





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