Thousands of years after the establishment of Buddhism, the religion continues to attract new followers. This may be attributed to the peace-loving character of the faith. Buddhism has also been praised for being all-inclusive. In the 21st century, Buddhism has experienced immense growth in its popularity. A significant component of Buddhism that has preserved its relevance is the belief in Karma. Currently, the term karma has become famous throughout the entire world. People allude their misfortunes to the works of Karma. Personally, I have never been convinced about the existence of Karma.
At the time of its introduction 2600 years ago, Karma was aimed at coercing people to commit the right deeds. Those who subscribed to Buddhism believed that "what goes around comes around". Whereas this phrase has been thought to be true, I consider it to be a myth. Throughout history, there have been many people who were infamous for their deeds. For some, their popularity arose from the number of people they killed. An example is Hitler. During his time in power, Hitler persecuted a large number of Jews due to their religion. However, until his death, he did not experience any unforeseen calamities that could be identified as karma.
Whereas the popularity of Buddhism has grown in the 21st century, its teachings have gradually faded away. Initially, it was expected that Buddhism would encourage people to lead righteous lives. Buddhism was intended to coerce its subscribers to find fulfillment in life, which could only be achieved through leading an honest life. However, as the popularity of Buddhism has grown, there has not been any significant change in the world. Political leaders who have publicly declared their submission to Buddhism are still being accused of embezzlement of resources among other vices.
The late Zen Master, Seung Sahn, was famous for his profound teachings on Buddhism. On one occasion, he claimed that when a person is eating, they should only focus on eating and nothing else. Similarly, when a person is reading a newspaper, they should place their entire focus on the contents of the newspaper. Unfortunately, many people interpreted his statements from a Lehman's point of view. Initially, Zen Master Seung Sahn meant to emphasize on a significant facet of Buddhism. On account of this facet, Buddhism believed that all objects of the universe possessed powers. The balance of the world arose from a balance in all the energy owned by these objects.
Based on Seung Sahn's analogy, everyone is supposed to identify their purpose and focus their entire being on pursuing it. It is only through such commitment that a person can fulfill their purpose. Additionally, when a person is committed to a given course, they become less prone to distractions. Today, it is evident that a majority of people have not identified their purpose. This may be evidenced by the ease with which people, especially those born in the 21st century are willing to jump onto any popular trends. This has led to the erosion of morals.
In reference to the above discussions, it is possible to conclude that the teachings of Buddhism have become outdated. This does not mean that Buddhism is no longer relevant. It aims to suggest that there may be a need for the teachings to be revised with the goal of making them relevant to the current generation.
