Religion in Modernity
May 9, 2008 by Raymond Lam
Many people say the Buddha is like the God of classical theism, and many others say the Buddha is merely a human teacher who died 2500 years ago. Both views are not correct on their own. The historical Buddha is the ‘body’ of the Nirmanakaya, which in turn is a representation of the Dharmakaya which is not Creation nor Creator, but the Uncreated, Unborn, Uncaused, Essential ground of Enlightenment from which Buddhas and bodhisattvas all represent. The Dharmakaya means ‘Truth Body’, and this is the true, sunyata nature of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, meaning that the Buddha indeed possesses transcendent qualities, although these qualities are envisaged differently compared to Christianity. To be free from samsaric suffering is one basic defining point for a Buddha, whereas in many theologies, God is not a truly a ‘worship-able’ God if he does not suffer along with his people!
It is interesting that the theology of professors and theologians is usually not those of your average Sunday church attendee. I think the lack of ‘expedient means’, i.e. teaching on different levels, is the cause for a lack of interest in the philosophy of religion on the greater part of young university students.
Perhaps people do not wish for this kind of life - constantly wandering the world, treading a fine line between being a critical scholar and a believer, trying to find something invisible - something often harder than any career. Some would prefer certainty in their beliefs, i.e. a more ‘basic’, fundamentalist stream of belief. I believe that a healthy religious person is always only 80% certain, or 90% at most. They are definitely never 100% certain, because anyone who is 100% either foolish, unreflective, or closed to every other perspective in the entire world! Why can I say this with a degree of certainty? Because if one is certain of one’s POV without any exceptions, how can one take any other opinion truly seriously? I don’t think there is really any opportunity or condition to.
In the end, although it is far too complex for just one post, but the philosophy of religion is in fact a good starting point if one wishes to ’search’ for what could be True.
Are you searching?
I am also looking for that sublime reality. My personal search for the face of the Buddha.
Dear Raymond,
Let’s find sth together.
You are cordially invited to have a visit to my blog. I hope you can enjoy many interesting ideas as philosopher in Buddhism.
Thanks.
Burmakin