Believe Nothing, No Matter Where You Read It, Or Who Has Said

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“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who has said, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with you own reason and your own common sense.” – Buddha.

Siddharta Gautama or Buddha (c.563 BCE – c. 483 BCE) is regarded as the “Enlightened One” and the founder of Buddhism. He was born as a royalty in Nepal and spent his early life in leisure until he found enlightenment. He left everything behind at the age of 29, and chose to live the life of an ascetic. He practiced daily meditation and moderation instead of extremism. At the age of 35, he was said to have reached ultimate enlightenment, thus deserving the title of “Buddha” or “Enlightened One”.

Buddha’s teachings are centered on living a life of contentment through simplicity and detachment. He didn’t find peace and satisfaction in the company of wealth and women. He found it instead through meditation, inside a big old Fig tree now known as “Bodhi Tree”.

Buddhism, a religion started in India, is approximately 2,500 years old—way older than most religions in the world. The difference between Buddhism and religions such as Christianity and Islam is that, it is more of a lifestyle than a belief. It’s a journey towards attaining spiritual depth and fulfilment without the need of a supreme being. Buddhists in Japan regard it as a tradition than a religion.

The quote above shows how Buddha was a believer of reason rather than blind faith. A large part of his teachings are realizations from deep introspection into the human character. Thus he believed that humans can find wisdom by themselves instead of relying on books and other people.