Tom Ellis
Mar 21, 2021

Thank you for this reminder of how to practice. The only thing I would question is your use of the word “creed” to characterize Buddhism. A creed is a belief system, like Islam or Christianity, where in order to join, you must “believe” a set of question-begging propositions about “God” or “salvation” or life after death. Affirming such beliefs is a prerequisite to being “confirmed” as a member of their sect. But in Buddhism, you don’t have to “believe” anything in order to practice. You just breathe, observe, and let go. While other charismatic founders such as Paul of Tarsus or Mohammed instructed their disciples to “follow me (or else!)” — the Buddha’s last instruction to his disciples was “Be a light unto yourself.” Think, inquire, and see for yourself — don’t just “believe”!

Tom Ellis
Tom Ellis

Written by Tom Ellis

I am a retired English professor now living in Oregon, and a life-long environmental activist, Buddhist, and holistic philosopher.

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