This paper was presented on April 16, 2002/2545 at the seminar on the topic of “Buddhist Principle and current situation” between the teachers of FGCC who are the foreigners from Europe and teachers from Mahachulaongkornrajvidyalaya Nongkhai Campus. But real expectation of this paper is to drive the students of this subject want to write the article by themselves.
I’m very proud in high to present about the Buddhist concept to all of you here in this special occasion. On behalves of Nongkhai Province, I have to welcome you to stay in happy in our province that is the seventh livable city of the world.
It seems very difficult for me to give the detail of Buddha Dhamma or Buddhist principle because I am not the expert in it but I try best to do by seeking the detail from the books that I have done in a short time. First of all, I want to explain about the prominent facets of Buddhism that differs from the other religion as Phra Medidhammaporn said that the term ‘religion’ is derived from the Latin ‘religare’ which means ‘relation’. The term is sometime used to refer to the relation between man and God. When used in this sense, the term ‘religion’s fails to include Buddhism which does not believe in God. If we accept this theistic definition of religion, the Buddhism is not religion. The theistic definition, however, is not acceptable to most of scholars of religious studies. But it is doesn’t matter to think about the definition of the term because we will realize about how to take some good view point of Buddhism to make us live in happiness within the world of conflicts now a day.
I am questioned by the person who come from Europe that “Why the Buddha or Buddhism must refer to suffering first?,especially in the Four Noble Truths begins with suffering.” It is very good and very interesting question. Suffering in the Four Noble Truths is to realize it as it is, we have to accept it because if we reject it, we will be suffered more. In this point, however, there are many view point from many Buddhist scholars many books and many sources.