BUDDHISM AND OTHER FAITHS

Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst
Dishma-Inc.
P.O. Box 8885,
Kampala-Uganda
Tel. +256392614655/+256752542504
dishma.imhs@gmail.com
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com

If all roads lead to Rome, it does not matter which one to take. Religions are just like that. People choose different faiths as best avenues for them to reach their positive sense of life before and after death.

Like for Baha'i Faith Buddhism originated in Asia with the birth of Buddha in 624 (B.C.) and both founders had been princes before experiencing life outside their kingly settings which became a basis of their teachings, and taught diversity.

While Christians believe Angels brought important information from God to man, Buddhists suggest wise men developed and passed it on to society and for future generations to benefit. Intellectuals and researchers can today fall under the Buddhists’ land of argument.

The multiplicity of images of the past –rising, being seen do so, face to face with them and, finally, seeing them vanish -is like the so many demons that individuals are helped to get rid of –in other religious sects or faiths.

While Christians use Reverend, Father, and Pastor, and Muslims use Sheik, Mufti –to refer to spiritual leaders; Buddhists use Venerable (Ven.) –for Buddhist Monks and Nuns.
Buddhists like Muslims and Traditional healers attach a lot of respect to their worship centers. They remove shoes and sit in straight rows and columns.

Buddhist like Traditional healers dress in flowing robes: Embugo (bark cloth –made of tree-stem layer of a special tree) for Traditional healers and brown or orange color for Buddhist monks and nuns.

In all, actual transformation of the ill person begins with the processes of acknowledgement of healing act and keeping the faith. Keeping faith determines sustainability of the healing effect along the scale of degree of relationship with spirituality.

The challenge, now, remains: religious sectarianism, disrespect of alternative views and economic exploitation of the unsuspecting masses in the name of religion or faith –all of which take us back to level one: of misery, suffering, violence and hopelessness. Yet it would have been most central to place humanity first in our services to liberate them and be rewarded later.