Buddhism in the Philippines
The Philippines and Manila are not generally known for Buddhism and Buddhist temples. Still, Buddhism is applicable to anybody with a mind – to a person, an animal, in the Philippines, Nepal or in other countries.
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- Basic Questions
- Prayers and Practices
- About the Buddha
- Buddhist Views of the World
- More Belief Questions
- The Monk’s Life
- Differences in Buddhist Traditions
Basic Questions
1. What are Buddhism’s main beliefs?
Ans: The Buddhist View is very vast. It is a pity that we can only talk about the surface, because Buddhism has a lot to contribute on many issues, on personal and social matters not just here in the Philippines, but in general.
The main beliefs of Buddhism are The Triple Gems (or Three Jewels), Karma, and Liberation from Suffering.
The Three Jewels are the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Dharma are the collection of vast teachings of the Buddha. Sangha are the community of higher practitioners like the Bodhisattvas and Arhats who have practiced the Buddha’s teachings. We take refuge in them. This is the main belief.
Then, Karma is about cause and effect. These causes can be done within this life or in past lives. The effects – negative results from negative causes and positive results from positive causes – can happen within this life or in future lives.
One’s own thoughts, speech and actions gather the causes of negative and positive Karma. The Karmic effects will eventually be experienced by oneself also. We believe in this.
As for Liberation, this is another very vast topic. Liberation is the state of the Buddha – pure and permanent peace. We will talk more about this later.
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Prayers and Practices
1. What practices and prayers do you do? When do you do these?
Ans: We Buddhists have so many, so many practices and prayers. There are chanting of Sutras (teachings of the Buddha), recitation of mantras, bowing towards the Buddha statue and so on.
Buddhism can be practiced by anyone, not just for those from the Philippines or from China. Buddhism is applicable to anybody who has a mind, and if one’s mind gives one problems and sufferings.
Personally, we can do the prayer anytime. Usually, we choose the morning or the evening, and do any practice or prayer regularly at the chosen time.
As a temple, we do it usually on Saturday evenings.
Every year, we also have four holy days, such as the day when the Buddha attained Enlightenment, when he first taught Buddhism, when he displayed miracles and so on. We do special practices and prayers on these special days.
2. Where do you do your prayers? Why is a temple important?
Ans: We normally pray in the temple. If there is no temple, then we can do in a prayer room.
Temple is important because it is a place where we can focus on the teachings of the Buddha. Normally, when we are outside, it is difficult to remember the Buddha’s teachings. Also, it is difficult to appreciate the Buddha’s teachings outside, because of many distractions.
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About The Buddha
1. Who is the Buddha?
Ans: ‘Buddha’ is a title meaning “The Awakened One”, “Enlightened” or “The Liberated One”. Normally, this is an Indian prince, Prince Siddhartha, who lived 2,500 years ago. He left the palace and practiced meditations and so forth in the forest. Finally, he attained “Awakening” or “Liberation”.
Thus, he is referred to as “Buddha Gautama” or “Buddha Shakyamuni”. Buddha is not god or prophet. He is a supreme human being who found the methods to Permanent Peace.
2. How many Buddhas are there? Why are there many Buddhas?
Ans: On our altar, there are several Buddhas. Actually, there are infinite number of Buddhas according to the scriptures, the Buddhist Sutras.
There are infinite Buddhas because there are infinite sentient beings to be helped and guided. For example, even family members and friends have different likes and dislikes, tastes and characters. Likewise, there are many kinds of Buddhas for different sentient beings. This is a simplified answer.
3. Do you worship the Buddha? Why do Buddhists bow down in front of a Buddha statue?
Ans: Yes, we worship the Buddha, this is part of our Buddhist practice. The word “worship” is understood differently in different religions. When we say ‘worship’, we take refuge in the Buddha’s qualities and attainments. We want to be liberated like him. To be liberated, the Buddha can only teach the way. It is up to the individual to practice.
We bow down because we revere the Buddha, and we want to follow the path that he walked. Through bowing, we gain merit.
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Buddhist Views of the World
1. Does Buddhism have heaven and hell?
Ans: Yes! There are many hells in Buddhism. We believe that committing too many negative actions such as killing, stealing and so on, or killing one’s mother or father, will bring one to the hells, as a result of these very negative actions.
As for heaven, there are also many kinds of heavens. We also believe in gods who reside in heavens, always enjoying pleasures and living very long lives.
More importantly, ‘heaven’ may be about ‘Pure Lands’ or ‘Pure Realms’. These are vast areas where Buddhas reside, places of extreme beauty and happiness. There, the Buddha’s teachings are plenty. We can go to Pure Lands if we have gathered great positive causes of thoughts, speech and actions in the previous life.
This is very difficult to do, but possible.
2. Can humans go to heaven and hell? How?
Ans: Yes! I think, more importantly, we should aim to go to the Pure Lands, not the heavens. We increase our chances of going to the Pure Lands by consistently doing virtuous thoughts, speech and actions, and purifying negative ones. These must be done consistently and with strong positive motivations.
3. Do you believe in a ‘soul’?
Ans: There is no word for ‘soul’ in Buddhism. ‘Soul’ means something permanent and invisible taking on a physical form.
We believe in ‘consciousness’ or ‘mind’. This consciousness is invisible, but is not permanent. It changes from life to life, depending on the thoughts, speech and actions accumulated in the previous life.
Buddha taught Buddhism for the benefit of that consciousness or mind. All the rituals, prayers, practices are not to fulfill a religious obligation or to simply keep cultural tradition. They ultimately benefit one’s mind.
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More Belief Questions
1. Is there ‘Salvation’ in Buddhism? What is it? How can it be attained?
Ans: ‘Salvation’ may be called ‘Liberation’ in Buddhism. Liberation or freedom from all sufferings. The Buddha taught the paths to freedom, but he cannot just give ‘salvation’ or ‘liberation’ to another. It is up to the individual to follow it, through study and practice.
Liberation is very, very difficult to obtain within one life. It requires great amounts of accumulated virtue and wisdom. However, if we die without attaining Liberation, but we have accumulated great virtue and wisdom, we bring these causes of virtue and wisdom to the next rebirth. They are not lost, but developed further until perfected.
2. Is ‘Faith’ needed in Buddhism? What is the role of faith?
Ans: Very much! It is said that without faith, nothing will grow. Without faith, liberation is not possible. Doing virtue is not possible. Abandoning negative Karma is not possible.
We have three levels of faith. The lowest is ‘vivid faith’, or what others will call ‘blind faith’. That is unstable, prone to change. This kind of faith is discouraged in Buddhism.
Through study, practice and the guidance of a proper teacher, a Buddhist works for the best kind of faith – ‘confident faith’. This is the intelligent kind of faith, unshakable faith through logical reasoning.
3. What are your holy scriptures? What do they teach? Are they still relevant to the modern times?
Ans: They are called the Sutras, or the sermons of the Buddha. All in all, there are around a thousand Sutras.
Then, there are the Shastras. These are texts written by great masters and scholars to explain the Buddha’s sermons. The Shastras number around 3,000. They teach how to abandon negative Karma, how to adopt positive Karma, and how to attain Liberation.
Very relevant. They are very clear. Their descriptions and explanations of mind, matter, time, virtue, Karma are very precise and sharp. A normal individual who reads a Buddhist philosophy text will find it very difficult to understand, because it is very deep and sharp.
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The Monk’s Life
1. As a Buddhist monk, why did you choose this religion?
Ans: Different monks will have different answers.
Generally, I believe in Buddhism because I find its teachings very useful and practical in my life. Buddhism gives a good guide or direction to my life, whether I am in Philippines or in another place, or when I am faced with a difficult situation.
2. Do you have regrets after becoming a monk for many years?
Ans: I have been a Buddhist monk for more than 20 years. In fact, my trust in Buddhism has only gotten deeper as my studies and my practice got deeper. Buddhism is a very vast knowledge system.
The Buddha, out of great compassion, used his omniscience to find the very ends of matter and mind, of happiness and suffering. Then, he taught these, to whoever wants to listen. This is a very extreme form of kindness.
So, I feel very fortunate to be able to make a connection with Buddhism. I feel very joyful also for receiving a lot of teachings and explanations from my teachers about the Buddha’s deeper teachings.
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Differences in Buddhist Traditions
1. Why are there different kinds of Buddhism?
Ans: There are differences because there are different kinds of minds, characters and personalities. Whatever suits us, we should follow that to obtain improvement.
For example, different kinds of Buddhism is like going to Singapore from the Philippines through different ways. The end-goal is the same, only the ways look different.
2. What are the differences between Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism?
Ans: Most of the core teachings are the same – Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, Karma and Liberation. There are some differences in the practices.
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Read more about the Principles of Buddhism
Read some beautiful short stories about the Buddha and Karma