Sharing a thoughtful Question:

What Is The Authentic BUDDHISM?

One of the questions from new Buddhist practitioners and those just curious about Buddhism is, “which is the real Buddhism?” or “is this authentic Buddhism?”

If only so many serious practitioners to Buddhism were as critical in their investigation of the Dhamma. Just as the Buddha stated in the Kalama Sutta, we should not believe because of any conditioned reason but know its truth from the fruits of practice. So when we look at someone’s practice and ask if it is really authentic Buddhism, we should not judge it on its traditional authenticity but its progressive effectiveness to liberate from suffering (dukkha).

In the West (particularly the United States, we are unbound by cultural mores, tropes, and paradigms to the definition of Buddhism. We are free to choose the Buddhist traditions and practices of a particular culture or belly up to the buffet and pick and chose aspects of multiple traditions to be a part of our practice. Historically, Buddhism (unlike Christianity) integrates into local society instead of supplanting it. Many of the liturgical and ceremonial aspects of Buddhism come mainly from the local culture and not the teachings of the Buddha.

The genuine Buddhism is the one that reaps the fruits of its practice to the realizations and liberations experienced by the Buddha.

All knowledge and action that is conducive to liberation is in accord with the teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha said himself that he was neither the originator nor the sole keeper of the dhamma. There were Buddha’s before him. He rediscovered the dhamma like a lost city in forgotten woods by a forgotten path.

The evaluation of authentic Buddhist foundation is then measured by the acceptance that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent (anicca); that life contains suffering from the thirst of craving (dukkha); that all identities (being impermanent) are void of any true identity (anatta).

The evaluation of authentic Buddhist practice is the efforts put forth to reorient the mind and body to embody these statements not just as concepts but realities that inform and influence our engagement with the world.

From these truths come the Four Noble Truths, the Eight-fold Path, the goals and development of meditation practice, the Four Sublime States, and list after list of Buddha’s teachings.

Each teaching steers us from nihilism and determinism and keeps us on the Middle Path. Each teaching steers us to develop our body and minds to become liberated from conditioned reality that is the soil that we cultivate our suffering.

Each teaching is proven true by the transformative results in our relationship with the world.

So authentic Buddhism is not determined by a historical lineage or authorizing body of elders, but by an individual’s progress.

The only true Buddhist temple is the individual who sees, hears and practices the true Dhamma (such as the following great Teachers)

By Sumitta (edited)

Shared by Uncle Leong Yok Kee