In the academic study of religion as a phenomenon in history the term ‘religion’ can be considered in its different aspects: as an inner experience, as theology, or intellectual formulation of doctrine, as a basis or source of ethics and as an element in culture.
Different scholars have given different views and opinions of its nature and meaning.
According to Aldous Huxley, religion is, among other things, a system of education, by means of which human beings may train themselves, first to make desirable changes in their own personalities and in society, and second, to heighten consciousness and so establish more adequate relations between themselves and the universe of which they are parts.
Modern Indian philosophers like Dr. Radhakrishnan, have expounded the theme that religion is not a set of doctrines but that it is experience.
And religious experience is based on the realisation of the ‘presence of the divine in man . ‘H.G. Wells says ‘religion is the central part of our education that determines our moral conduct’.
The German philosopher, Kant, stated that ‘religion is the recognition of our moral principles as laws that must not be transgressed.’
The Buddha’s message as a religious way of life: “Keeping away from all evil deeds, cultivation of life by doing good deeds and purification of mind from mental impurities.”
For our purposes, religion may be defined in a very broad sense as a body of moral and philosophical teachings and the acceptance with confidence of such teachings. In this sense, Buddhism is a religion.
Buddhism however does not neatly fit into the general categories outlined earlier because it does not share common features with other existing religions in many ways.
To consider this matter further let us first of all briefly examine how religion could have come into being.
