5.9.10

Only Natural

Do you believe in the supernatural? Well, that's certainly not a Buddhist question. I mean, if you're a Buddhist what the modern Western culture calls supernatural is not at all super but quite natural. That is because rebirth is a fundamental part of the teaching, which can happen in all six realms and obviously the six realms include all the "supernatural" beings from ghosts to gods. The other part is the existence of powers (iddhi/ddhi) and higher knowledges (abhiññā/abhijñā) including levitation, telepathy and all the other magical abilities; these all are parts of the very basics of Buddhism.

Some like to argue that all these supernatural stuffs in Buddhism are irrelevant, or simply things from the superstitions of an ancient culture. That could hardly be the case as they're an integral part of the Buddhadharma just as much as the four noble truths are. I'd rather say that those who cannot even accept - not to mention understanding - that there are these elements in Buddhism that feel so remote from our materialistic mindset, well, there's a lot of work to do then if such a person wants to attain enlightenment.

Buddhism is not a demanding religion at all. If one takes refuge in the Triple Jewel, i.e. agrees that this teaching is conducive to liberation and commits himself to walking this path, that person is a Buddhist. It is already an important level when one can wholeheartedly embrace the Buddha's word. That is the point of stream entry, the first stage of the noble ones. But until one is still in the phase of aspiring for entering the stream, the important thing is to use an open, receptive mind and be prepared for rethinking old conceptions. Actually, the whole Buddhist path is working on an inner change, to re-evaluate our views and habits. That starts from the very beginning.

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