Q: Ashin, Can you tell us how much believing in a certain religion is important in your opinion?
A: Well, it is a very good question. You know, in my opinion, I have nothing to blame one’s own religious faith and nothing to disparage their belief because it is their own choice. In my experience, I was born in traditional Buddhist family. Whether, I have completely understood the meaning of Buddhism or not, I accidentally became a Buddhist because of the society around me. I believe that you were exactly the same as I did. Likewise, there are so many people growing up and brought up in the same way regarding a religion they have believed so far.
Q: Definitely, Sir. How do you know about that?
A: Well, I’m one of human beings in the world. I must be the same as the other fellow beings having a mind and a matter living in the same planet. I’m sure that I can say being Buddhist was not my choice but deeply concerned in my parents and grandparents’ traditional belief. However, when I started taking retreat to find a way how to cope with my sadness and sorrow connected with missing mind of my late mother, I started noticing how meditation practice is practical and scientific and there is nothing to do with any sort of faith and belief in the practice of that meditation.
I got more and more interested in the Buddha’s Teaching while practicing meditation and listening to Dhamma talk of teacher monks so I decided to become a monk for studying and practicing it as deeply as possible after my university. As you know, “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” meditation technique is the most popular teaching of Buddhism; it has recently become most popular in the scientific and educated background across the world.
Q: Absolutely, Sir.
A: In my objective and positive opinion, when you are human, what your religion is doesn’t matter too much but you are socially, morally, ethically responsible and necessary to restrain from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. There are so many people who disturb and annoy others believing in a certain religion very faithfully and abusing the essence of original Teaching of their religion. Sometimes, I cannot really understand why they do like that. I believe that religion doesn’t arise to divide people into groups fighting against each other but it instructed us how we should practice common values of humanity among all the living beings. However, you can imagine “Do they really do it or not?”
Therefore, I do not want to criticize any religious faith or belief. I believe that nothing good will happen even if I criticize them or blame them. In my simple and sincere opinion, “Just Being human is not enough but we must try to be truly human in dignity by refraining from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. If we can do so, believing in a certain religion doesn’t matter too much. Whether we believe it or not, everything will be fine when we are refraining from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. Human being enjoys doing mistakes whether they believe in a certain God or not. They will continue to do their mistakes. God can do nothing.
Therefore, in my sincere and simple opinion, “Just being human is not enough but I believe that trying to be truly human in dignity without harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally would be much more important than believing a certain religion”. I hope you got it.
Q: Thank you so much indeed, Sir for your kind, enlightening and remarkable answer.
A: Well, it is a very good question. You know, in my opinion, I have nothing to blame one’s own religious faith and nothing to disparage their belief because it is their own choice. In my experience, I was born in traditional Buddhist family. Whether, I have completely understood the meaning of Buddhism or not, I accidentally became a Buddhist because of the society around me. I believe that you were exactly the same as I did. Likewise, there are so many people growing up and brought up in the same way regarding a religion they have believed so far.
Q: Definitely, Sir. How do you know about that?
A: Well, I’m one of human beings in the world. I must be the same as the other fellow beings having a mind and a matter living in the same planet. I’m sure that I can say being Buddhist was not my choice but deeply concerned in my parents and grandparents’ traditional belief. However, when I started taking retreat to find a way how to cope with my sadness and sorrow connected with missing mind of my late mother, I started noticing how meditation practice is practical and scientific and there is nothing to do with any sort of faith and belief in the practice of that meditation.
I got more and more interested in the Buddha’s Teaching while practicing meditation and listening to Dhamma talk of teacher monks so I decided to become a monk for studying and practicing it as deeply as possible after my university. As you know, “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” meditation technique is the most popular teaching of Buddhism; it has recently become most popular in the scientific and educated background across the world.
Q: Absolutely, Sir.
A: In my objective and positive opinion, when you are human, what your religion is doesn’t matter too much but you are socially, morally, ethically responsible and necessary to restrain from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. There are so many people who disturb and annoy others believing in a certain religion very faithfully and abusing the essence of original Teaching of their religion. Sometimes, I cannot really understand why they do like that. I believe that religion doesn’t arise to divide people into groups fighting against each other but it instructed us how we should practice common values of humanity among all the living beings. However, you can imagine “Do they really do it or not?”
Therefore, I do not want to criticize any religious faith or belief. I believe that nothing good will happen even if I criticize them or blame them. In my simple and sincere opinion, “Just Being human is not enough but we must try to be truly human in dignity by refraining from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. If we can do so, believing in a certain religion doesn’t matter too much. Whether we believe it or not, everything will be fine when we are refraining from harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally. Human being enjoys doing mistakes whether they believe in a certain God or not. They will continue to do their mistakes. God can do nothing.
Therefore, in my sincere and simple opinion, “Just being human is not enough but I believe that trying to be truly human in dignity without harming, abusing and disparaging others intentionally would be much more important than believing a certain religion”. I hope you got it.
Q: Thank you so much indeed, Sir for your kind, enlightening and remarkable answer.