Buddhism is a path for us to deeply understand and perceive life, not only through rituals and worship but also by understanding the true nature of life, with all its suffering, joy, success, and failure. Buddhism is not a religion merely to fear sin, but a path of wisdom and practice.
Not Everything Is a Sin
One of the key points to understand in Buddhism is that not every action is a sin. For example, some people believe that taking a picture near a monk or standing close to a monk is a sin, or even that accidentally stepping on a monk’s shadow is wrong. However, Buddhism is not a religion of fear. Such actions are not sins, and Buddhism is not a religion that creates fear or makes people constantly worried about every action they take. What matters is understanding our actions and the context in which they occur.
Buddhism Exists to Address Suffering
Buddhism exists because life contains suffering. If life had no suffering, then Buddhism would not be necessary. The Buddha used his own life, filled with hardships, pain, and challenges, to help us find the path to liberation. Without suffering, Prince Siddhartha (the Buddha) would never have left the palace in search of the truth. It was the conditions of life, such as aging, sickness, and death, that motivated him to seek a path that would help beings be free from suffering.
Understanding Life to Overcome Suffering
When we truly understand the truths of life, we will not be surprised or suffer when life’s events unfold. Sometimes, people lose faith in Buddhism because they feel the Buddha cannot protect them from life’s pain. However, the Buddha does not need us to believe in Him in a superstitious way; He wants us to believe in the truths of life: birth, aging, sickness, and death, and that everything changes. When we believe in this truth, we will not suffer when facing the challenges of life.
We need to orient our lives so that when difficulties arise, we will not lose our way. It is like traveling on a road—when an obstacle arises, don’t stop and criticize, instead find another path to continue your journey. In life, conditions (the factors that arise in our life) are always changing, and understanding these conditions will help us live more peacefully.
Mindfulness and the Understanding of Conditions
An important concept in Buddhism is the ability to see clearly and understand all the conditions in life. Conditions refer to all the factors, circumstances, and their interactions that we encounter in life. When we understand these conditions, we will not be misled or suffer when they occur. We will not be surprised when difficulties arise because we have anticipated them and know how to accept them.
Conclusion
Buddhism is not a path to avoid suffering, but rather a path to understand and accept suffering. When we understand the conditions of life, we will no longer suffer when facing life’s events. Buddhism teaches us to see through life, believe in the truth of existence, and know how to face every challenge life brings, thereby finding peace and liberation.
This article is compiled based on a sermon by Venerable Thích Pháp Hòa
