Buddhism Means No Dogma

Here is a statement that is considered a core teaching of the Buddha; this statement offers a breath of fresh air to many who struggle with the dogmas and doctrines of religious "belief" systems:



"Believe nothing. No matter where you read it, or who said it (even if I have said it) unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."



(Source: The Dhammapada: the Teachings of the Buddha)



When I teach meditation, or mindfulness practice, I sometimes encounter a certain fearfulness from students (and from counseling clients) about Buddhism, which some consider to be a religion that is in competition with, or threatening to, Christianity. Sometimes the fearfulness is so strong that it is expressed, very strongly, as anger. Not long ago, one man in the Kansas City area became incensed that a Catholic university might teach meditation and contemplative spirituality in a Mindfulness-Based Wellness format, because he felt that such a format was not adequately Christian, or Catholic.


Those of us who grew up in a predominantly Christian, or even JudeoChristian, culture, are very much steeped in a history that includes religious intolerance, murderous crusades, inquisitions, forced "conversions," required loyalty oaths and statements of orthodoxy, and other expressions of religious bigotry, fear, and hatred. It is impossible for many of us to be open to the idea that there may not in fact be one "true" religion, in comparison to which all others fall short. Catholic Christians, in particular, suffer from an overdose of triumphalism, left over from the Counterreformation, and currently back in vogue.

Some people would be very surprised to learn that there are Catholic priests who are also Zen Masters, and there are many lay Christians and Jews who consider themselves Buddhists, as well. But there are no prescribed "beliefs" or practices within Buddhism that conflict with the beliefs, doctrines, or dogmas of Christianity or, I believe, with Judaism. This can come as a great relief to individuals (and I include myself among these) who have sometimes struggled with a perceived religious requirement to "believe" certain propositions in order to be "saved" (or, at least, to be considered orthodox)



The Buddha's great insight and gift to the world was not a belief, not really not a religion, not a set of doctrines or dogmas, but a way to address and alleviate human suffering. Accordingly, I can find no greater inspiration, in my role as a teacher of graduate students in counseling.