WHAT IS THE BASIC BELIEFS OF BUDDHISM?
Buddhism isn’t about believing anything, it’s about learning to SEE reality clearly — and to do that, you have to change your relationship with beliefs. Normally beliefs act like a filter: sort of like wearing colored glasses… the mind distorts its perceptions in order to ensure that the beliefs are reinforced and not challenged. Buddhism is very much about undoing that kind of distortion, and so it would be inappropriate for Buddhism to advocate a closely-held set of beliefs. Buddhism is about *practicing* so that one can “wake up” from this kind of sleepwalking. There are two main forms of sleepwalking: beliefs and conditioning. Beliefs are ideas one is holding on to, conditioning is automated behavior and thought patterns which numb and dull the mind, which prevent us from engaging each moment newly and authentically. So Buddhism is something to DO not something to BELIEVE. Answer originally posted in response to WHAT IS THE BASIC BELIEFS
