I've heard extramly mixed responses to the Dhammapada over the last week or so. I've heard from some classmates that it's contradictory, and Buddhism just doesn't make sense. When talking it over with JonDavid (blog here) he said he had exactly the opposite problem, the Dhammapada made so much sense he didn't have anything to blog about.
I suppose I can see where both groups are coming from. I know I was certainly knocking my head of a wall when I first read the Dhammapada because of the seemingly esoteric doctrines of Buddhism. The Dhammapada isn't a book that lays out some systematized doctrine, it can be taken line by line and you'll still get something out of it.
The non-mystical, detectable results of practising Buddhism are, I think, a very large part of its appeal. Particularly to those who grew up with traditions such as Christianity (wherein the results of belief and practice do not become manifest until after death), getting actual results within this lifetime may seem like a refreshing change. Furthermore, I think that the compatibility of Buddhism with other religions may also seem welcoming to many, as they do not have to abandon their previous religious affiliation in order to practice at least a large portion of the advice of the Buddha.
ReplyDeleteWhile Buddhism does contain some metaphysical and spiritual elements which contradict the doctrines of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and so on, the actual practices (meditation, letting go of attachments, etc.) do not clash at all with these religions. As such, it is possible for someone who is, for example, Muslim, to also practice Buddhism as part of their daily life.
P.S. I also posted this on my blog if you'd rather read it there.