For more than fifty years I have been confident of certain facts about religion. First, an all-seeing god did not create the earth. God does not watch over you. God does not “speak” to Priests, televangelists, or anyone. There is no heaven. What happens when you die is your spirit lives on and it may return as someone else in the future.
Unlike Christians, I am not trying to convince you of what I believe. And that’s fine. Believe what you want to.
But for those who want to know why I am happier at 76 than I have been for much of my life. Here’s the truth: I have been searching for a non-theist faith for 40 years and Buddhism has ended my search. Buddhists do not believe in any kind of deity or God.
Buddhism is one of the world's largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe that human life is one of suffering, but that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.
(Nirvana is a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and we are released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism.)
Buddhism teaches people to lead a moral life and be aware of what they think and how they behave. Buddhists thank Buddha (who was a human and not a god) for his teachings.
As a Buddhist, one strives to uphold the Five Precepts:
- Do not kill.
- Do not steal.
- Do not commit sexual misconduct.
- Refrain from false speech.
- Do not take intoxicants that lessen your awareness.
Buddhists try to remain mindful of how we're acting, speaking, thinking, and feeling. We especially try to notice if disturbing emotions like anger, greed, jealousy, and arrogance try to creep in. We take note when we're acting selfishly or insensitively, or with self-pity and prejudice.
In Buddhism, there is no single holy book. Because of its emphasis on meditation and mindfulness, Buddhism is often considered to be a form of psychology rather than a religion.
For Lori and me, this is the happiest we have ever been.
