What is buddhism?

Hi.

People often come to me wondering what buddhism is.
And this is my take on the matter.
Buddhism is not some kind of high and fancy prancing around in robes, singing and chanting.
It is a way to try to see for yourself (and maybe do) what there REALLY is.

In a sense what “reality” is…

It is not somekind of religion where you praise to this or that deity.
Buddhism doesn't have those, just "things" you offer things to in a grateful way…

Sure, there’s lot of “buddhiststories” about deity’s god’s and suchlike, and even Gautama Buddha (the “founder” of Buddhism) “met” or talked about them.

But, as he also said, don’t believe in what you haven’t realized yourself.

Buddhism is a “religion” in which you have to work yourself.

No “Old man in the sky” will do it for you.

Or maybe he will.

I don’t know, I for one have not “seen” one as of yet…

"The Way is spiritual Truth and was originally without name or title. It was only because people ignorantly sought for it empirically that the Buddhas appeared and taught them to eradicate this method of approach. Fearing that nobody would understand, they selected the name 'Way.'
The Way of the Buddhas and the Way of devils are equally wide of the mark."

~Huang Po
(from the Chun Chou Record of the Zen Master Huang Po (Tuan Chi), a collection of sermons and dialogues recorded by P’ei Hsiu while in the city of Chun Chou)

Another thing people often ask about is “suffering”, is Buddhism a religion about suffering?

Well, yes. But not in the way you think.

Buddha talked about “Dukkha”, a word early on in the translations to english we’re translated as suffering and wham, the “sufferingreligion” were born.

I mostly give this example when asked about it:

“ Samsara is when you have the knuckles of your hand put together. Nirvana is when your palms of your hand is put together. Dukkha is when you move your hands.”

Dukkha is more related towards “the indifference, incompability of things" than "suffering”.

Buddhism is a way to try and realizing things as they are, but it implies and gives you more than that, as I will hopefully try to convey through this blog.

Although words are not enough, I will have a go…

May the force be with you

Fugen