What Makes Buddhism Different?

An excerpt from a teaching called “The Importance of Shakyamuni”

Without the teachings of Lord Buddha, there would be no perfect path by which to achieve supreme enlightenment. There have been and still are paths on this planet by which one can move forward spiritually. There are many ways in which one can accumulate merit. There are many ways in which it is possible to make some kind of spiritual progress. But the kind of spiritual progress that produces supreme enlightenment is quite different.

Lord Buddha said that all beings are suffering, and he didn’t say that to be negative. He said that because he looked around and saw that even those beings that were most happy, most beautiful, and most productive would still get old, sicken, and ultimately die. Each being of the six realms of cyclic existence ultimately gets old, gets sick, and dies.

That is why Lord Buddha said that there is no comfort and no happiness in cyclic existence. He wasn’t denying the possibility of achieving some sort of momentary happiness or fleeting joy. Everyone knows we feel really good when we can eat a piece of chocolate cake or watch our favorite TV program or go swimming or have some friendly conversation or something like that. But the kind of joy that Buddha wished for all sentient beings was long lasting, one that ultimately did not betray us. The kind of joy that is available in cyclic existence has a beginning and therefore an end.

When Lord Buddha saw that, he wished in his great kindness and great compassion to present a way by which we could overcome cyclic existence, not merely make progress. That really is the difference between the teachings of Lord Buddha and other spiritual teachings. The teachings of Lord Buddha have one goal and one goal only: supreme realization – ultimate liberation from samsaric existence and the final overcoming of the mind of duality that produces the conditions of samsara. This is the path that Lord Buddha created.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved

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