Why Buddhism is unique among the other religions..

Let us agree upon something first: religions make you believe. They assure you salvation, in one form or another, and to attain that you need to Believe. If one follows this acid test strictly, one would be curious to find that Buddhism somehow does not fit the bill. Buddhism does not ask you to believe. 


One unique feature of Buddhism is the freedom it gives to think and question. It does not make the followers believe anything without questioning. There are no declarations of a god or traditions which you need to follow. No authority of a god who holds the ultimate power of the universe. It does not preach about a god who created the world or the human. Buddhism is based on the reality of life and the world, which is true, yet we do not see due to absurdity. Rather, it invites them to see the truth saying "come and see"! In fact, Lord Buddha did not declare himself as someone who came to save you, but rather someone who shows you the right path, and lead you there. You are the one who realize it with your own wisdom and the salvation is within you. No body but you are your own salvation. It does not ask you to pray so that you get whatever you need, because all what you actually need is within you.


For another thing, Lord Buddha is different from other religious leaders because He never claimed to be a God, or someone who represent or "being sent by" God. He was a Human who reached enlightenment which is the highest level of intelligence a human being can ever reach. The philosophy called "Buddhism" was revealed by Him, by the man Gouthama Siddhartha who was later to become, and to be known as "Lord Buddha"  who was born 2600 years ago, in India, in a city that used to be called "Kapilawasthu".



Another unique feature of Buddhism is that the truth it teaches does not change with time. It talks about a universal truth which is common for every living being, object and energy that exists.  It is based on the logical theory called "cause and effect theory". In many aspects it is in line with modern science. If someone is wise enough, this truth it teaches, can be even found within you.

With that set as a (very) lightweight introduction, let us simply find out if we do need a salvation. As always, to be complex is simple, but to be simple is complex. So, why exactly would we need a religion (or a philosophy)?