The Royal Bhikkhu Sangha of Bangladesh

18/04/2023

18/04/2023

18/04/2023

18/04/2023

18/04/2023

18/04/2023

08/03/2021

Religion & Dhamma

Religion is part of human culture which is inseparably connected with man's belief in a male Supreme Being known in various names in various cultures such as, "Bhagawan", "Brahma", "God", "Allah" etc. This Supreme Being is regarded as the Creator, the Controller and the Destroyer of the universe. He is the Supreme Authority and the Supreme Justice of the universe. He rules everything in the universe according to His Will and Grand Plan. Those who believe Him and obey His Message earn virtues and go to Heaven after death, and those who disbelieve Him and disobey His Message earn sins and go to Hell after death. He arranges the transfer of human beings from this world to Heaven as a reward of their virtuous deeds (punya karma) and to Hell as a punishment of their sinful deeds (papa karma). Nothing moves in the universe without His Will. Human beings should be faithful to Him and honestly abide by His Message, Rules and Rituals written in His Sacred Scripture for their purity, punya and salvation.

Buddha doesn't believe in such Supreme Being and in such Heaven and Hell. Therefore, his teaching is not a Religion. His teaching is called "Dhamma". Dhamma explains two kinds of truth : Mundane truth (samsara or the realms of existence of sentient beings) and Supra-mundane Truth (Nirvana or liberation from the realms of existence of sentient beings).

Buddha says that human beings are born/reborn in the samsara due to their greed, hatred and delusion or unskillful karma. He further says that, like him, they can also liberate themselves from the samsara and attain the Nirvana by practicing skilful karma as explained in his "Noble Eightfold Path" or "Middle Way".

Religion is based on human belief. Dhamma is based on human experience.

Buddha doesn't preach any Religion. He teaches Dhamma. The objective of his teaching is to develop and promote human values like high moral standard, right knowledge and universal compassion in all human beings irrespective of their race, religion, color, gender, status and geographical location for their well-being and happiness in the samsara and liberation in the Nirvana.

11/02/2021

The earth will be free of global warming & climate change, crime, corruption, and poverty to a great extent, if humans live on the basis of "Right Livelihood" taught by Buddha in his "Middle Way".

29/01/2021

Buddha : The Pioneer Of Animal Rights Movement

People used to sacrifice animals at religious functions and festivals to please God and gods and goddesses in Jambudwipa before and during the time of Buddha (563-483 BCE). They believed that God and gods and goddesses become happy with such sacrifices and, in return, bless them for their good health, long life, prosperity, well-being, happiness, and salvation.

Buddha rejected the efficiency of such sacrifices and advocated for compassion with all living beings, and said, "May all beings be happy".

He advocated and worked for animal rights. The five precepts taught by him begin with "abstain from killing living beings."

In the Metta Sutta he says :

"Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born —
May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will."

Devadatta: I shot down the bird with my arrow. It belongs to me.

Siddhartha: I cured the bird with my care and saved its life. It belongs to me.

Judge: Siddhartha saved the life of the bird. The bird belongs to him.

Siddhartha: The bird belongs to none. It is free.

Siddhartha set the bird free in the sky.

Because of his special human wisdom and compassion we love and respect Buddha as our ideal human being.

-- Buddha & His Life

29/01/2021