Buddhism Escapist Religion Essay

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Buddhism: Escapist Religion? Buddhism, as noted in the text, Honoring Our Neighbor’s Faith, is the major religion in most of Asia. Similar to other world religions, Buddhism is practiced in various ways which often reflect on the culture in which it is practiced. All forms of Buddhism are, however, based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, a prince from an area around Nepal, who left home in search of the meaning behind life and suffering (Farlee, Gardner, & Schmitz, 1999, p. 14). Some people may argue that Buddha left home to escape the suffering around him, but to label Buddhism as an escapist religion is incorrect in my opinion. Escapism is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as “the tendency to escape from …show more content…

15). Buddha taught that all people experience disappointment and suffering in life due to their attachments to people, objects, and ideas but that this suffering can be overcome by following the “Eight-Fold Path”. Although meditation is part of this path, many other aspects are required to develop spiritual understanding. Buddha’s idea that all people have a “spark of the Divine”(Farlee et al., 1999, p. 16) may cause some to believe that the religion is a form of fantasy, but on further examination of the teachings, this Buddha-nature requires putting aside personal desires in order to care more deeply for the needs of others. The steps outlined in Buddhist teaching: understanding religious teachings concerning truth and reality, striving for righteousness, behaving in a manner that is kind, compassionate and truthful, perseverance in focusing on the here and now and clearing the mind of all but goodness and truth mirror the teachings of other religions; kindness, goodness, patience, and self-control are some of the “fruit of the spirit” listed in the Bible in Galatians 5:23 as well as the commandments not to steal or lie in the Ten Commandments. It is true that all humankind undergoes stress and suffering at different times

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