BUDDHISM FOR BEGINNERS

Question 47: WHY IS THERE A VIEW IN BUDDHISM THAT LIBERATION MEANS DOING NOTHING, AND IS THIS CORRECT?

Question 47: WHY IS THERE A VIEW IN BUDDHISM THAT LIBERATION MEANS DOING NOTHING, AND IS THIS CORRECT?

Answer: Doing nothing is not part of the Noble Eightfold Path taught by the Buddha. The Noble Eightfold Path includes Right Actions, not “no action”.

The view that doing nothing leads to liberation stems from misunderstandings within Buddhism itself.

The first misunderstanding is that observing Buddhist precepts means merely refraining from doing wrong while forgetting the other essential aspect, which is actively doing good. Practitioners might mistakenly believe that not committing wrongdoings is sufficient for spiritual liberation. In reality, avoiding wrongdoing must be coupled with actively doing good, as taught by the Buddha in the Dhammapada.

Another misunderstanding arises from the Mahayana Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) teachings. These texts, like the Diamond Sutra, instruct Bodhisattvas to perform countless virtuous deeds without keeping in mind those good deeds. However, many people misinterpret this as meaning they should do nothing at all.

Due to these fundamental misunderstandings, many Buddhist practitioners become passive and reluctant to do good deeds, resulting in a lack of blessings and weakening Buddhism’s ability to thrive and spread its teachings as a whole.

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JANNA is the pen name of a certain monk who does not wish to use his real name. He is likely mature enough to understand that fame, wealth, and glory are as fleeting as morning mist.

In Pali, “JANNA” means purity, so it’s unclear which country he’s from. However, he seems to have studied the Nikaya scriptures.

Although he writes about Buddhism, he appears to desire unity with other religions to contribute to the cause of world peace. He attempts to demonstrate how differences can complement one another…

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