Buddhism is a way of life more so than a religion.

It seems that many religions, perhaps all, guide their followers towards a path of servitude under their supposed gods in order to gain salvation, or else seek a personal gain of some sort throughout life, or in the afterlife.

Buddhism on the other hand, aims to bettering a person throughout life in order to achieve a greatness that only serves others. Of course their teachings also aim to promote the aim of good re-incarnation or enlightenment, but the process by which one can achieve that only comes from the ability to detach ones self from actively seeking this reward. One of the main principles in Buddhism is Compassion - to have compassion in order to help others, without asking for anything in return; to act simply because you can, and not because you have expectation of reward or acknowledgment . A way of life seems to entail that the process of leading any kind of life, whether good or bad, is how it affects others. That is what sets Buddhism apart from being a religion - a person's actions is an aim to impact someone, in this case, positively.

I think what makes a religion, a religion in the first place, is the characteristic that religions are made up of goals that one must actively pursue (such as salvation, rewarding life, etc.). In order to achieve these goals, one must realize that they are seeking it and in turn, act in such a way to ensure that they will achieve it. While Buddhism may have some seemingly self-rewarding goals, in order for any individual to achieve these goals (such as enlightenment, or a better re-incarnation), they must learn to act independent of the aim to achieving these goals. In turn, this makes Buddhism a way of life, because its rewards promote the well-being of others for the sake of others, and not the individual themselves.

Learn more about this author, Jordyn Dyer-Lee.
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