Buddhism After the Nth Round of Beer

To stop two of my most beloved cousins from fighting over the argument of whether Buddhism is a religion or a "way of life" I decided to expound on religion, Buddhism, and its way of life, since I too, during that long, drinking spree, got my curiosity rapped by their opposing claims.

Firstly, let us define religion. According to an online dictionary (this is the nearest I could get), religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. (www.dictionary.com)

Secondly, what does the phrase "a way of life" means? A way of life is the habit or habits and behavior that characterize a person or a group of people. (www.dictionary.com)

Thirdly, what is Buddhism? Again, according to an online source, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism), Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices variously described as religious, spiritual, and philosophical. These are all based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, a.k.a. Buddha (Sanskrit word for "The Awakened One").

Now, let us answer the question as to whether Buddhism is a "religion" or a "way of life". If we follow the above definitions of the words concerned in this argument, we can simply state that Buddhism can be a religion or it can be a way of life. But how come Cousin A kept maintaining her side of the argument against Cousin B. Let us expound further.

Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama during the course of his lifetime which spanned from 566 to 480 BC. Before his discovery, there was an existing religion in India called Vedic Brahmanism and this was his religion. Mr. Gautama himself led a luxurious life because he was the son of the warrior king during those days. He got tired of leading an affluent life after he discovered the sufferings of people outside the palace walls. It was said that he had an encounter with an old man, a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. These Four Sights as what Buddhists called, led to the Mr. Gautama's contemplation that he shouldn't be inside the palace walls enjoying the luxuries of his time when there are people out there going through real torture. This "brain wave" made him renounced Royalty and set himself for a Spiritual quest… (I think Mr. Gautama was born under the Sun Sign of Aquarius…you know, portraying the hero, trying to make the world a better place to live in..Peace, Mr. Gautama. Hehe)

After the grandeur of his father's palace, Mr. Gautama attempted to lead an extreme ascetic life and almost starved himself to death (but he failed). When a little village girl took pity on him and gave him milk and rice, he then realized that starving oneself to death, holding one's breath, and exposing oneself to pain only brought him little spiritual benefit (I'm not saying anything! ..). After discovering these, he tried, er…ana-something meditation (I couldn't spell it right), and discovered what Buddhists called the Middle Way, a path between self-indulgence and self-degradation. He became obsessed on his spiritual quest and so at the age of 35, after achieving enlightenment by sitting under a Bodhi Tree for several days, he attracted a group of followers and started a monastic order. Mr. Gautama, now called Buddha, spent his life travelling around the world, teaching the path of awakening he discovered, which became the main thought in the Buddhist's concept and became the rough draft in the Buddhist's way of life.

In Buddhism, one must strictly follow the principles and concepts, the path founded by Mr. Gautama apply them in one's daily life to achieve what they call Nirvana, and so it becomes one's way of life.

When Buddhism was established, Mr. Gautama had in mind, the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe. So he established a set of beliefs of why man exists, he was after enlightenment, and the laws of the universe, which is in turn, the main ingredient in most religions all over the world. Devotional practices, such as bowing, pilgrimage, chanting, with a large crowd is also a main part of Buddhism thus involving devotional and ritual observances, which mainly fits into the definition of religion.

So where does Buddhism fit now? Religion or a way of life? We may be opening more bottles soon. Cheers!

FYI: After many years of Mr. Gautama's death, Buddhism evolved into different branches which the author did not took the liberty to discuss as this will confuse the her more. (smiling widely)