Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
20
Introduction
createaworldpermeatedbypoverty,violenceorinbornmentalandphysi-
calillnesses.AlthoughBuddhistsmightspeakofgod-realmsbeingstatesof
temporary,conditionedhappinessforbeingswithanextremelygoodkar-
ma–whichcouldbealsounderstoodasametaphorforahighlyfavorable
humancondition–theyrejectthenotionofasinglecreatingGod.Further-
more,propheticreligionsfavorfaithoverreason(scholasticsmerelypro-
videreasonsforbelieving,orexplainunquestionablescriptures),whichalso
clearlyisnotthecaseofBuddhism.InthespeechtoKālāmas,Buddhaex-
plicitlyencouragedthemnottobelievehimmerelybecausehewaspro-
fessedtobeanenlightenedbeing,orbecauseacertainideaiswidelyaccept-
ed,buttocheckeverythingandbecritical:
Donotgouponwhathasbeenacquiredbyrepeatedhearing;nor
upontradition;noruponrumor;noruponwhatisinascripture;nor
uponsurmise;noruponanaxiom;noruponspeciousreasoning;nor
uponabiastowardsanotionthathasbeenponderedover;norupon
another’sseemingability;norupontheconsideration,’Temonkis
ourteacher.’Kalamas,whenyouyourselvesknow:’Tesethingsare
bad;thesethingsareblamable;thesethingsarecensuredbythewise;
undertakenandobserved,thesethingsleadtoharmandill’,abandon
them(Buddha1994:4).
Terefore,Buddhismisclosertosciencethantofaithreligions:oneper-
formsawellfalsifiedinthecourseofover2500yearsofBuddhisthistory
meditativeexperimentononeself,inordertoverifytheenlightenmentthe-
ory.
AccordingtopracticalBuddhistspractitioners,however,scholarstend
tomissthepointofBuddhismintheiracademicpursuitsdeprivedofpracti-
calapplicationofteachingsaimedatexperience,andnotatatheory.Inthe
courseofabstractspeculationstheycreateameta-Buddhism,ratherthan
correspondtothepracticalessenceofBuddha’steaching,letalonebene-
fitfromit.AsTibetanshaveit,merelystudyingDharmawithoutpracticing
itresultsinuaheadlikemelon,andaheartlikeachestnut.”Basedonafirm
theoreticalbasis,Buddhismisforemostlyapractice.Teoryandpractice
mutuallysupporteachother,finallyleadingtotheexperienceofnon-con-
ceptualwisdom.
AnotherpopularviewisthatBuddhismisaformofacoherent,hu-
manisticAsianphilosophy.ItistruethatBuddhismhasdevelopedvarious
branchesofphilosophywhichstandmeticulouslogicalscrutiny,butreduc-
ingittophilosophydoesnotdoBuddhismjustice.APolishpoetKocha-
