Buddhism - Three dimensions 4/6
I would like to continue with the religious dimension of Buddhism. As a religion, Buddhism has long-established in the Cambodian civilization, culture, literature and daily life. Most of our people consider themselves as Buddhist. However, it is not certain whether Buddhist by belief or by true understanding/practicing of Buddhism. Gautama, the Buddha taught us not to believe, but to experience HIS teaching and establish our own pheavanea maya panha. HE gave us his Vipassana meditation technique so that we can gain this highest level of panha as the Buddha had experienced himself. But people know Buddhism from their personal belief, or from their understanding of the theoretical part of Buddha teaching, and ignore the practice of vipassana mediation. These can be the reason why there has been a surprisingly great distortion between the violence of the genocidal regime in Cambodia and the very pacific nature of Buddhism. This may also be the cause of moral degradation among monks in Cambodia in the current day including Net Khay scandal.
Gautama, the Buddha has provided a very complete teaching as recorded in Tripidaka including preah soth, preah viney, preah akphidham. Learning Tripidaka helps us to understand Buddhism, and practicing Vipassana Mediation help us to experience Buddhism. People can also benefit from learning Tripidaka and practicing seila for their positive personal transformation, but this transformation will appear only at the superficial level. They need to practice Vipassana Meditation, if they want to address the problems established in the inner mind (sub-conscious). Unfortunately, people gains no personal transformation from Buddhism when they establish in their mind a belief in Buddhism and not the truth of Buddha's teaching. As a matter of fact, we all know that there is no God in Buddhism, but people worship Buddha statute as God. People pray to Buddha for help fulfilling their greed or resolving their personal problems, and totally forget his teaching Attahi Attano Neatho (self-help).
Gautama, the Buddha set the goal for his teaching to serve people for five thousand years and HE had prepared a solid institution to support his goal. HE had recruited his army known as Sangha and trained them with knowledge HE obtained from HIS enlightenment. The role of Sangha is to help spread HIS teaching to serve people. In addition to train them with knowledge, HE set up strong rule and regulations known as Vineay (227 Dhammakhan for Sangha) for the proper functioning of HIS institution. Everything should be fine, but unfortunately, HIS institution is run by human being who has personal interest inherited with them. Some Sangha do not fully serve Buddha to spread his teaching, but take the advantage of the Buddhist institution to serve his personal interest. To gain more popularity, some sangha make great efforts to have title in sangha hierarchy, other try to build physical building for Pagoda as it is easier to show the greatness. They generally, ignore the non-physical value of Buddhism which aims to help people to fully liberate themselves from Dukkha.
As a religion, Buddhism shares the common characteristic with all religions which is to run by fear. This is because fear is an efficient means to control people. Hell, karma, etc are all the words to emphasize in many monk's discourses.To escape from this fear, the discourses lure or lull people with heaven, nirvanna. Instead of leading people to practice vipsaana mediation to liberate themselves, the discourses emphasize all means to refrain from enjoying life, to encourage people to put more monies for the Pagoda, or to do all the rituals including praying, reciting or chanting Buddhist scripts. Though these ways may help people at a certain level of benefits, they are not the way that Gautama, the Buddha want us to do. And these ways cannot bring us to the liberation.
it is important to highlight the rituals, ceremonies, or worship that are practiced in Buddhism as a religion as to distinguish from its philosophical and spiritual dimensions. This includes the involvement of Buddhist monks in various ceremonies organized by state, community, family, or individuals. The annual ceremonies like new year, meak bochea, visak bochea, pchum ben, chol vosa, chenh vosa, kathen are religious ceremonies. In our life from birthday to wedding, and to death, we perform various ceremonies involving monks - these are also the religious aspect. As mentioned earlier, these practices help fulfill some needs, or perhaps reduce some dukkha, but they are not the way to liberate from dukkha or to bring people to nirvana.
To conclude the religious dimension, it is also worth noted that stand-alone, separated or divided institutions which are often conflicted with each others are the characteristic of religions because they have different principles and view. The world religious leaders have organized different forums to promote mutual understanding and minimize these conflicts. Even within Buddhism itself, there are different secs: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana (or Tantric Buddhism - I don't know where it is practiced). While Cambodia is known as Theravada (henayean) Buddhist country, still we have two competed sub-secs Mohanikay and Dhammayut and the relationships between the two are not always good.
