Buddhism was born more than two thousand five hundred years ago. Today there are many people who follow Buddhist doctrine for different reasons. Some people believe that Buddhism is not a religion, while others think that it is a religion. In my opinion, Buddhism is not a religion for the following reasons. Buddhism does not promote its own beliefs, but tries to build a harmonious environment for everyone. Moreover, Buddhism respects the beliefs and freedom of others, and holds that doing the right thing is more important than what one believes. First, Buddhism does not propagate its own beliefs, but emphasizes that harmony within oneself and with others is very important, and is a principle aspect of Buddhism. If we wish to bring positive change to others, but are controlled by our emotions, then there is no way we can contribute to society effectively. Thus, we can better create a harmonious environment by over-powering anger, jealousy, and selfishness.
Second, belief is a personal choice and we are the only ones who can decide which kinds of beliefs we wish to follow. It is crystal clear to me that to be a perfect Buddhist, we simply need to use our common sense. For instance, the use of any kind of force or method to lure others to our own beliefs is not right, because such a method is not acceptable in any modern society, and particularly in Buddhism. Buddhist principles are simply universal laws since they emphasize one’s rights and that one should not be harmful to anyone.
Finally, if we do not follow universal laws, there is no way we can be perfect Buddhists. For instance, harming others is not only incorrect according to Buddhist principles, but is also universally unacceptable. It is fair to say that most of the practices which we follow in Buddhism are universal, and Buddhist believers clearly respect this sentiment for the sake of others.
In conclusion, Buddhism is not simply about following a doctrine, but creating a harmonious environment for everyone, respecting others regardless of their beliefs, and most importantly doing the right thing.