Buddhism Vs Secular Humanism

Our world is a vast and complex one which holds many secrets from its various inhabitants. These secrets are often discussed in the form of questions relating to our existence and its deeper meaning. These ultimate questions will always be relevant and vital even as our world continues to shift and change. Perhaps this constant relevance of these extensional inquiries is present because these questions are so impenetrable. Puzzling over the possibilities the answers entail is something that will always come naturally to the enquiring human mind.
There are many different religious and secular groups which have their own answers to these ultimate questions which they base on their own individual world-views. Secular Humanism is a non- religious

The general goal for an individual who identifies as a Buddhist is to achieve nirvana, a state of absolute peace of mind in which one is independent from the distractions of desire and materialistic wants. These two groups- Buddhism and secular Humanism- have different ways of looking at the world around them and will therefore undoubtedly answer the ultimate questions of our universe which are present for all to decipher in different

This means that the ability to be empathetic is an extremely important ability when considering the effects of all our choices. A humanist author, Schafersman explains this view saying 'Humanist ethical systems must be based on human needs, human experience and human reason'. We can see by this statement that the Secular Humanist answer to this question is based very much on the learning of morality through living in a human society and experiencing human interaction. In order to be a ‘good person’ therefore, one must always respect the rights and wishes of all individuals involved in any circumstance they may find themselves in. We must observe and then choose ‘the option that will do the least harm’ as is referred to in a short animated clip by the British Humanist association which discusses the very similar question of ‘what is right and wrong?’. ‘What makes someone a good or bad person’ is all about how one judges a situation using human reason, experience, empathy and respect for others. From these things we should be able to make an accurate judgement of how to act in order to obey norms to ensure the continuance of a stable society. In the second Humanist Manifesto of 1973 it is explained that in terms of a Secular Humanist way of thinking ‘moral values derive their source from human