Q: Do Buddhists believe in a god?
A: No, we do not. There are several reasons for this. The Buddha, like modern sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and especially the god idea have their origins in fear. The Buddha says:
1)
A: No, we do not. There are several reasons for this. The Buddha, like modern sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and especially the god idea have their origins in fear. The Buddha says:
1)
Gripped by fear people go to sacred mountains, sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines.
-Dp. 188
The Buddha taught us to try to understand our fears, to lessen our desires and to calmly and courageously accept the things we cannot change. He replaced fear,
2)
-Dp. 188
The Buddha taught us to try to understand our fears, to lessen our desires and to calmly and courageously accept the things we cannot change. He replaced fear,
2)
not with irrational belief but with rational understanding.
The second reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is because there does not seem to be any evidence to support this idea. There are numerous religions, all claiming that they alone have god's words
3)
The second reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is because there does not seem to be any evidence to support this idea. There are numerous religions, all claiming that they alone have god's words
3)
preserved in their holy book, that they alone understand god's nature, that their god exists and that the gods of other religions do not.
The third reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is that the belief is not necessary. Some claim that the belief in a god is
4)
The third reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is that the belief is not necessary. Some claim that the belief in a god is
4)
necessary in order to explain the origin of the universe. But this is not so. Science has very convincingly explained how the universe came into being without having to introduce the god-idea. Some claim that belief in god is necessary to have a happy, meaningful life.
5)
5)
Again we can see that this is not so. There are millions of atheists and free-thinkers, not to mention many Buddhists, who live useful, happy and meaningful lives without belief in a god. Some claim that belief in god's power is necessary because humans, being weak,
6)
6)
do not have the strength to help themselves. Once again, the evidence indicates the opposite.
Based on his own experience, the Buddha saw that each human being had the capacity to purify the mind, develop infinite love and compassion and perfect understanding.
7)
Based on his own experience, the Buddha saw that each human being had the capacity to purify the mind, develop infinite love and compassion and perfect understanding.
7)
He shifted attention from the heavens to the heart and encouraged us to find solutions to our problems through self-understanding.
8).
Source: Good Question, Good Answer with Ven. S Dhammika.
8).
Source: Good Question, Good Answer with Ven. S Dhammika.
