Buddhism and Attitude

“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly” - Henri Bergson      

         

Is there really heaven and hell? If so why do we not fear of it and commit mistakes that not only hurt ourselves but also the people around us? 

God gave us this precious life, not for us to bad mouth others, hurt people and boast of one’s wealth. We people often forget that once born, we are bound to die and that no matter how wealthy we are or how great we are; our graves are going to be the same. 

People practice Buddhism, claim of being a true Buddhist, but have we really served our purpose of being a Buddhist? The more we get influenced by the material life, the more we are distracted off of our religion and become the person we are not meant to be. 

Today people all around the world are affected by greed, ego, selfishness and hatred. Everyone is busy looking down on each other and creating an unhealthy environment.  Is this what Buddhism is all about? Are we now a Buddhist when our action actually doesn’t seem so? 

It’s a shame that in the name of god, people have started robbing innocent beings and slaughtering animals. People have started committing end number of crimes of which there is perhaps no forgiveness. 

The world has become cruel. A place where people once lived without fear has now become an area of ‘NO’ trespassing. There is fear everywhere and people have actually lost their rights of freedom and speech. If this is what makes us Buddhist, then I’m afraid we are not even close to being Buddhists.

People visit sacred and religious sites, chant prayers, make offerings and go on retreat. These are the usual practices that recognize one as being a Buddhist. Is that all enough? How do we know if a person is sincere and not being pretentious? We are often deceived by what it right in front of us, whether it’s a gesture of fakeness or being true. 

Isn’t it just enough to remain humble and true to yourself? We do not need to join monk/nunnery to prove that we are a Buddhist or commit sins to prove we are not. Irrespective of what religion we follow, which cast we belong to or how we look, we are after all ‘Human beings’. We have a heart, we can feel and react to sensory and emotions and of all we have that tendency to change the world and make it a place worth more beautiful and peaceful. 

Throw away the negativity. Greed, ego and hatred have never benefited anyone. We can bring in the change that we need, it is just a matter of attitude and this world can be a better, in fact far more better place to live in and breathe peacefully.