The cover of “Buddhism for the Spiritual But Not Religious,” an e-booklet free to new Shambhala Sun subscribers
“Spiritual but not Religious”: Shambhala Sun Editor-in-Chief Melvin McLeod has laid out 10 reasons why Buddhism might be enriching to the growing number of us who identify that way. Reason #5 appears here; click here to read Melvin’s introduction to this series, or here to see the other reasons.
No one can do it for you. But you can do it.
In Buddhism, there is no savior. There’s no one who’s going to do it for us, no place we can hide out for safety. We have to face reality squarely, and we have to do it alone. Even when Buddhists take refuge in the Buddha, what they’re really taking refuge in is the truth that there’s no refuge. Not seeking protection is the only real protection.
So that’s the bad news—we have to do it alone. The good news is, we can do it. As human beings, we have the resources we need: intelligence, strength, loving hearts, and proven, effective methods. Because of that, we can rouse our confidence and renounce our depression and resentment.
But while no one can do that for us, help and guidance is available. There are teachers—women and men who are further along the path—who offer us instruction and inspiration. They prove to us it can be done. Our fellow practitioners support our path, while never allowing us to use them as crutches. The Buddhist teachings offer us wisdom that goes back 2,600 years to the Buddha himself. We can go right to the source, because the lineage that started with Gautama Buddha is unbroken to this day.
