No Religion -- ❖ -- Echoes from the Garden of Liberation #04 -- ❖ -- “Although we call ourselves ‘Buddhists’ and profess Buddhism, we haven't yet realized the truth of Buddhism, for we are acquainted with only a tiny aspect of our own Buddhism. Although we be monks, nuns, novices, lay devotees, or whatever, we are aware of only the bark, the outer covering which makes us think our religion is different from the other religions. Because we have failed to understand and haven't yet realized our own truth, we look down upon other religions and praise only our own. We think of ourselves as a special group and of others as outsiders or foreigners. We believe that they are wrong and only we are right, that we are special and have a special calling, and that only we have the truth and the way to salvation. We have many of these blind beliefs. Such ideas and beliefs show that we are still ignorant, very foolish indeed, just like little babies who know only their own bellies.” -- ❖ -- Translated from the Thai [ไม่มีศาสนา] by Puñño Bhikkhu, revised by Santikaro Bhikkhu