Purpose of Buddhism

What is the purpose of Buddhism?  

To put it briefly, although Buddhism is philosophically profound and contains broad knowledge of the world, it also teaches great compassion, mercy, and the practice of various charitable acts. However, these are only parts of Buddhism, not the purpose of Buddhism.   

Regardless of how much we talk about the mystery, or how many good deeds we accomplish, our understanding of Buddhism isn't truly complete if we ignore the importance of ending the cycle of birth and death—which means to eliminate all sufferings and obtain eternal happiness. 

As ordinary people, we possess the Buddha nature, but this nature is buried by defilements and karma. So, no matter how much we rely on self-power, our Buddha nature could never be fully awakened. 

Buddhist schools of the sacred path talk about the ultimate truth (Tathatā) or Buddha nature, and emphasize self-power cultivation to achieve enlightenment in the present life. But this is not the case with the Pristine Pure Land school. In this school, we rely on the power of Amitabha to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land and, ultimately, attain Buddhahood. (Master Huijing)

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【佛教的目的】

「佛教的目的」是什麼？

扼要的說，固然佛教有很高深的哲理，含藏著世間的學問；佛教也抱持著大慈大悲，含攝種種慈善事業，但這些都只是佛教的一部分，並非佛教的目的。

因此，再怎麼談玄說妙，再怎麼做多少善事，若沒說到究竟離苦得樂、解脫輪迴及其方法，就不是真正完整的佛教。

不過，以我們凡夫來說，雖有佛性，但佛性被煩惱業障蓋住，我們再怎麼苦修苦行都無法顯發。

就一般通途法門來說，都是談實相、論佛性，現生靠自己力量來完成佛道，但淨土法門不是這樣，我們都是靠阿彌陀佛。(慧淨法師)