Buddhism

1. What is the understanding of the nature of god that is characteristic of this religion?

While many people believe Buddha is a type of god, according to most Buddhists this is not true. The Theravadhians, who claim to be the original Buddhists, are certain that Buddha claimed he did not want to be seen as a god. Terry Lovat, author of Studies in Religion states, ‘(The Theravadhians) even claim that the Buddha explicitly told his followers not to believe in any gods. If they believe in gods, so they claim he said, then the people would spend all their time concentrating on the gods. Instead, they must concentrate on themselves and on overcoming their own selfish ways. This is the only way to rid the world of suffering and to find inner peace, said the Buddha.’ According to this version, the Buddha actually saw belief in a god as bad for the religion he was trying to set up.

Instead of having a god for his followers, Buddha wanted them to model their lives on M...