Religion and Secular Ethics
The intertwined nature of Buddhist philosophy and religion
This article is a part of a report-essay on my stay in Dharamsala, offered by the Gurukul fellowship of HH Dalai Lama
The foundational element of any religion is its core system of beliefs and values. Religions also seek continuity through processes of institutional expansion, such as the veneration of spiritual leaders, the growth of their adherent base, and the transmission of doctrine across generations. However, these processes have, at times, been accompanied by the denigration of competing religious traditions. In such contexts, religious affiliation can become a contest for influence, with communities seeking to attract new followers, convert adherents of other faiths, and strengthen their institutional presence.
From my experience with Tibetan Buddhism at Dharamsala, it was never the case. Religion exists for the people who follow. For those who do not, it becomes irrelevant. It is never a matter of thrusting their beliefs and practises down the throats of non- Tibetans, all it demands is a notional respect. This idea of giving space to the non-believer, the outsider, emanates from the secular ethics of Buddhism, which I am going to talk about in this chapter-; what I saw in Dharamshala – how the world of religion and secular is intertwined and maintains a strict code of respect for each other.
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Let me begin with the take of HH Dalai Lama himself on religion and secular ethics. For HH, Religion enriches ethical life but is not its indispensable foundation. Compassion and ethics are universal human necessities, whereas religions are culturally contingent expressions built upon them. The Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH Dalai Lama is the testimony to this strong belief that it is extremely important to engage with the ideas and the world of secular in order to make the religion stand the test of time. In his book, Beyond Religion, Dalai Lama illustrates his idea with a metaphor – Ethics and inner values without religious content are like water, something we need every day for health and survival. Ethics and inner values based in a religious context are more like tea… While we can live without tea, we can’t live without water. Likewise we are born free of religion, but we are not born free of the need for compassion.
Religion, however, occupies a very special place in the heart and mind of a common person. In the documentary, The Geshema is Born, Geshema Namdol Phuntsok made a statement that for an ordinary Tibetan like her mother, life was meaningless without religion. And it makes more sense as we think of it from the point of view of an exile, who holds fast to her religion as a means of securing her identity. For the Tibetans, their religion is more than just a set of beliefs. It has been refashioned into a way of life guiding community ethics, personal behaviour, treatment towards others and a daily routine. It is a means of preserving their identity and culture.
In the case of Buddhist philosophy, religion rests on a foundation of rationality and reason. For philosophers like Graham Priest, Buddhism is the religion that comes closest to logic. Due to its emphasis on reasoning and rejection of blind faith, it also cultivates secular ethics.
From my conversations with a monk at Tse-Chokling monastery, where we lived during the Gurukul, it became apparent how in the most profound belief of religion for an ordained monk, secular ethics remain paramount. He remarked that Buddhist religion is different from Buddhist philosophy. Religion is for the followers, philosophy is for all. His emphasis on the welfare of the community that shall lead to his own liberation was the core Mahayana belief. Along with religious values, it is important to understand the difference between ‘knowing’ and ‘realising’ something, that is what Buddhism does with a scientific spirit.
In the same monastery, I encountered an Argentinian student who has arrived in Dharamsala to study Buddhist philosophy and is strongly considering taking ordination. He left behind his secure job, home and a girlfriend as well, in order to find ‘true happiness’. Upon asking him if living in a ‘sangha’ is more helpful than being a layperson, he answered in an affirmative, agreeing to the vital importance of one’s surroundings in the pursuit of one’s own truth. However, he did not mean to imply that Buddhist philosophy is not for those who are outside the ‘sangha’, his encounter with the religion was precisely when he felt he had no options outside his own religion. He found his religion to be strictly descriptive, that commands utmost adherence without any questions. His turn towards Buddhism was because the religion entertained his curiosity, questions and critical approach. There is an acknowledgment in the world of Buddhists that our way of life may not be the best but we surely try to reform and live on the path that the Buddha preached.
An important understanding of Tibetan Buddhism emerges from the distinction between how the Dalai Lama sees the world versus how the world of his followers sees him. The Dalai Lama is arguably one the most important spiritual leaders of the whole world, not just the Tibetan Community. In his secular outlook, he shuns dogma and embraces reform. This is how he relinquished his position as the political leader of the Tibetans and transferred the authority to an elected ‘Sikyong’ or President who leads a Parliament in exile. For the commoners, he still remains the single most important body whose ever-encompassing existence is not just a necessity but a habit. An ordinary Tibetan considers him not just a ‘spiritual guru’ but a living God. Mythologically, he is an incarnation of the Avalokiteshwara, the God of Compassion. Regardless, his existence as a leader is of tremendous value to the community for both spiritual and worldly reasons. The Dalai Lama is a leader who is a leader of an age, who does not hesitate to reform, takes criticism, adapts with the changing times and keeps the welfare of his community at the fulcrum of his objectives.
The world of secular emanates from the religion quite contrary to what HH believes. But the reason why Buddhism continues to grow lies in its inherent secular values that were first propounded by the Buddha himself.
