Is Buddhism a religion?

The word “religion” came from the West. If defining Buddhism by way of the meaning of religion, Buddhism cannot be deemed exactly a religion as the word “religion” connotes the recognition of a supernatural power or powers as the creator and governor of the universe, which Buddhism dissents. Some in the West do not see Buddhism as religion because of this. Those learned and respectable Buddhist practitioners in the past also held the same opinion. I too do not see Buddhism fit the Western definition of “religion” as Buddhism has never acknowledged the existence of the Creator.

~Depicted from THE RIGHT VIEW - Buddhism—the Definition

Every sentient being is endowed with wisdom, but our wisdom is limited in depth and scope because we lack proper training of the mind. Zhi hui du refers specifically to the training of the mind, to cultivating the wisdom that allows us to reach the unsurpassed state of attainment -- Buddhahood. From the view of an outsider, the process appears to be mysterious and connected in some way with religion; however, a true practitioner knows this training of the mind is very real. The sutras most people are familiar with, such as the Heart Sutra and Diamond Sutra, as well as many Ch’an discourses, belong to the second turning of the wheel of Dharma. The teachings of the second turning are likened to courses given in secondary school.

~Depicted from ARE YOU READY FOR HAPPINESS - The Significance of Buddhist Philosophy Today

The worldview is firstly a specific knowledge; but more importantly, it is one of formulating this knowledge into ways and methods which can be used in our daily life. One aspect deals with regulating our own mind; the other aspect deals with benefiting sentient beings, bringing happiness, a healthy life, and joy to more people – this is also the basic tenet of Buddhism.

~Depicted from ARE YOU READY FOR HAPPINESS - The Significance of Buddhist Philosophy Today

When followers of the Outer Tantra practice in retreat, they are very particular about personal hygiene, keeping a vegetarian diet, and washing themselves three times a day; the focus is on one’s conduct, and they do very well in this respect, but less so in the practice. Actually, the more one is fixated on the particulars of behavior, the more likely problems in practice will surface. The higher the state one reaches in practice, the more likely some improprieties may appear in one’s conduct. Naturally, impropriety does not mean wrongdoings such as killing, stealing, lying and so on are casually tolerated. You can get a better understanding of this from the life stories of the eighty great siddhas of ancient India. 

~Depicted from GATEWAY TO VAJRAYANA PATH - The Parable of a Black Snake

The purpose of practicing the Second Dharma Seal is to develop renunciation. This renunciation is the genuine intention to be free from suffering in the six realms of rebirth in samsara, not in pure land. Hence, whether there is suffering or not in Amitabha pure land is irrelevant to the actual practice. We only need to understand this point.

~Depicted from THE FOUR SEALS OF DHARMA - All Contaminated Things are Unsatisfactory

Nonetheless, Vajrayana was propagated in Tibet and the lineage of Tibetan Vajrayana kept intact and pure. As Vajrayana places great emphasis on pure lineage, requirement for oral transmission is absolute in order to stamp out false teachings. For the same reason, many strange terms are used deliberately in the Vajrayana texts so that only realized vajra masters can explain what they mean. Another feature of Tibetan Buddhism is to clarify questions through debate; any viewpoint, even just a sentence, can be traced back to its origin in these debates until finally it is proven the bona fide words of the Buddha. Thus, the doctrine of Tibetan Vajrayana is totally reliable.

~Depicted from GATEWAY TO VAJRAYANA PATH - The Parable of a Black Snake

That is not the case, but our mind indeed has this capability. To allow the mind to rest, we must observe it at all times, to ensure it is not disturbed and that it remains in this state. If we are not mindful, we may not even know if it has wandered off. We may find, after a half hour or one hour of meditation, that the effort was futile since our mind was preoccupied the whole time. That would be a shame! So watching the mind from the side is necessary. 

~Depicted from THE FOUR SEALS OF DHARMA - The Practice of Realizing Emptiness

A wealthy man once told me that he could make a few million bucks from just one deal, but to him it only meant that more numbers were added to his bankbook. One only needs so much to live. He could never use up all his money in this lifetime. I think what he said makes a lot of sense. Such is the reality. Naturally, if he were to use the money for charity or something meaningful, it would be a different matter entirely. If not, just accumulating great wealth should not be deemed the meaning of life.

~Depicted from THE RIGHT VIEW - The Way of Living and the Meaning of Life

Unfortunately, some Buddhists as well as others of different faiths tend to condemn Vajrayana openly for its need to keep certain views secret. This is not right. Even non-tantric Mahayana upholds confidentiality in the doctrine of emptiness. Does it mean the doctrine is flawed? Of course not. The Buddha promulgated his teachings in order to deliver sentient beings from all suffering, not to flaunt his own importance or unsurpassed wisdom, irrespective of the suitable time, place, and audience. So an orderly transmission of the Dharma is of particular importance in Buddhism.

~Depicted from GATEWAY TO VAJRAYANA PATH - A Compendium of the Vajrayana