San Lwin - What Buddhists believe

Preface

This book was first published in 1964. It should be said that the author, the venerable author, wrote this book to answer questions and concerns raised by his followers while he was touring Malaysia and giving sermons. He felt that such an easily accessible book would be beneficial to both Buddhists and non-Buddhists (since it presents Buddhist beliefs and concepts in a simple and clear manner).

This is a bold statement, but it is true. Those who profess to believe in Buddhism and act as big leaders in Buddhism, in reality have little understanding of even the basic concepts of Buddhism. Many of them are very familiar with the customs and traditions of Buddhist worship.

That is true. However, these people do not understand the essence of the Buddha's teachings. Having ignored the noble teachings of the Buddha, they have introduced baseless beliefs and distorted customs, and are acting as if they are mocking the rational, subtle, and profound doctrines of religion. As a result, many so-called Buddhists are stuck in superficial devotion and devotion, while they are ignorant of the spiritual development that is the essence of Buddhism, which is the foundation of the Buddha's teachings.

This is a sad situation. The people who have made this happen are the religious workers who are interested in profit and self-interest. Due to ignorance, greed, lust and greed, some people are trying to discredit Buddhism and create in the minds of people the false impression that Buddhism is a religion based on superstition and empty mantras. Some monks and nuns are also seen engaging in lowly jobs to reach the level of monks, monks, and monks.

It is a shame to say that many Buddhists do not even know that the religion they practice is Theravada. Some even say, "I just forgot that I am a Buddhist." This statement shows how far away people like them are from the way of life of Buddhists and how much they ignore and do not understand the way of life of Buddhists. Such ignorance and blindness about their own religion encourages missionaries of other religions to ridicule, misinterpret, and accuse Buddhism. The result is that because they do not understand their own beliefs, they are unable to refute the accusations made by other religions, and they end up becoming victims of other religions.

It is to partly correct such ignorance that this book, "What Buddhists Believe," was written. In fact, the main purpose of this book is to make the more complex and profound aspects of Buddhism easier to understand for those who are interested in understanding the basic teachings of the Buddha and for those who do not have a deep understanding of Buddhism. The popularity of this book has exceeded our expectations. It was published once in 1973 and once in 1987, with revised and expanded editions. The demand for this book continues to grow. It has also been translated and published in Chinese, Korean, and Indonesian, and is available for purchase in those languages.

This year, 1987, marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of this Buddhist missionary society . It was decided to revise and supplement this book, "What Buddhists Believe," and publish it as a special commemorative edition. This is to commemorate the golden jubilee of this society. In this regard, the author, who has been working tirelessly for more than 40 years in missionary work, has been able to add new chapters and sections to this book, which was reprinted in 1987. This book, " What Buddhists Believe, " is for all those who want to know more about Buddhism and what Buddhism is.

While maintaining the original intent of this book, it must be emphasized that the author has no intention of belittling or denigrating other religions, beliefs, or Buddhist sects. The author has repeatedly and seriously written the Kalamatsuttala sermon, in which the Buddha exhorted his disciples to be broad-minded, to have an open mind, and to consider and evaluate any belief system. The Buddha never ridiculed or ridiculed the beliefs and practices of his time. However, he himself preached only the truth.

This book is not intended to convert people to Buddhism, because that is not the spirit of Buddhists. However, the purpose of this book is to educate and inform Buddhists about the fundamentals of their religion, and to demonstrate the values ​​that this religion holds dear, so that every Buddhist can be proud of their faith and practice.

Another purpose of "What Buddhists Believe" is to show others the pure and pure nature of the Buddha's teachings, so that they can protect and cherish this precious treasure of Dharma, free from false criticism and slander. In this way, we hope to lead millions of people to the right path.

The teachings of the Buddha are a great legacy that humanity has inherited from the past. The teachings of the Buddha on non-violence, peace, loving-kindness and tolerance, mutual understanding, truth and wisdom, respect and compassion for all living beings, freedom from selfishness, hatred and violence were preached by him more than 2,500 years ago. And yet, they remain as good teachings even today. They are messages that will endure forever.

We live in a world torn apart by conflict and conflict. The Buddha taught us to cultivate within ourselves a heart of wisdom, a heart of love, and an understanding of one another, and to strive to overcome the evils and vices that have plagued humanity since the beginning of time. ' Anger should be overcome with anger,' "Hate should be overcome by love," he said. Have we followed the teachings of the Buddha? We are responsible for our own destiny. We must purify our hearts. We must analyze our nature and follow the teachings of the Buddha not only in writing but also in practice. More importantly, we need to follow and practice in spirit. I hope that this book, ' What Buddhists Believe ' , will be a useful guide for Buddhist friends who are striving to gain enlightenment.

As the president of the Buddhist Missionary Association, I am honored and delighted to have had the opportunity to have a close relationship with the author, Dr. K., Sri Dhammananda Ashinthu, and to have worked hard to publish this book.

Mr. Victor Wee and Mr. Vijaya Thamara Wickrama not only supported the author but also helped with the editing of the book and gave many suggestions to make this book a good one.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mrs. Chung Hong for her long and careful attention to detail from the time this book was first printed until it was completed.

I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Ich M. A. de Silva, Ms. Lilissie and Ms. Lily Faw, Ms. Quan Ping Ping, Ms. Leon Fouchy, Mr. Stan Kwik Faw and Ms. La Mering for their help in typing and proofreading. Without their help, this book would not have been possible.

Tethys An Chu AMN

Chairman

Buddhist missionary society.