What is Buddhism ?
In our universal there are measureless world systems which have living beings in them. Yet a Buddha appears in a world only once in a million years. "Buddha" literally means "Awakened One". A Buddha is a being who has fully awakened without any limitation to all aspects of reality. He understands every single internal and external phenomenon in all realms of existence from the highest heavens to the lowest hells.
The Buddha's wisdom perceives everything like a bright mirror which clearly reflects all things. The light of his wisdom, which outshines the sun and the moon, pervades throughout all realms of existence so that not even a speck of darkness remains.
The teachings of a Buddha are just the teachngs of the way reality is. It is not an "ism", because it completely encompasses all truths and all living beings. It includes all living beings because a Buddha looks upon all living beings as the same as himself, regardless of their beliefs, natures and circumstances. Therefore, in addition to his profound wisdom, a Buddha has great compassion for all beings. Rather than call the teachings of the Buddha, "Buddhism", we may say that it is the teaching of reality or the teaching of all living beings.
by Buddhist Text Translation Society
佛法不是宗教，佛法不是學術，不是哲學，那佛法究竟是甚麼呢？佛法就是佛法。為甚麼呢？因為哲學有能覺，有所 覺，這是哲學。佛法也有能、所，但是能所是一不是二，這是非常非常難懂的。能所是一不是二，所以佛法講到高級 的時候，萬法一如，性相不二，心、佛、眾生，三無差別。這都是講能所不二，這是我們現在哲學裡面所沒有的。所 以它不是哲學，它可以包括哲學，它在哲學之上。哲學不能包括佛法，佛法可以包括哲學。這兩個字簡單的解釋，也 就是我們對於一切萬事萬法，有智慧，能夠正確的認識，能夠徹底的、究竟的、圓滿的明瞭，這叫做佛法。所以常說 佛法無邊，當然是無邊。因為一切萬法沒有邊際，我們的智慧沒有邊際，對於盡虛空遍法界一切法無所不知、無所不 曉，這個叫做佛法。
--------淨空法師-------
「是日己過，命亦隨減，如少水魚，斯有何樂？大眾！當勤精進，如救頭燃，但念無常，慎勿放逸！」
This day is over; life has decreased accordingly.
As a fish in dwindling water, where is the joy?
One should work diligently, as if extinguishing flames on the head.
Be mindful of impermanence; do not relax one's efforts.
CONTENTS
