Many religions have or currently demanded blind faith (faith is good, blind faith is another beast) taking away people’s independence.
The Buddha was opposed to such enslavement. What he called for instead was solidarity of awakened common people. To achieve this, he proposed a self-reliant way of life in which we advance on the path of our choice with a firm, independent character. He also stressed a contributive way of life in which we set our fundamental goal in life toward the realization of happiness not only for ourselves but others, casting aside arrogance and self-satisfaction to respect and benefit the betterment of us as a whole.
It was what I like to coin – “The Buddhas Big Picture” and it is as timeless and important now as it was then.
Peace and Love, Jim
