THE CONTRADICTION OF BUDDHISM AS A RELIGION ............................................................. GAUTAM BUDDHA ACTUALLY PREACHED AGAINST RELIGION SAYING THAT WE MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OURSELVES. THIS PHILOSOPHY IS BEST UNDERSTOOD IN THIS QUOTED CONVERSATION WITH A WOMAN WHO HAD COME TO BUDDHA FOR SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE. THE CONVERSATION WENT AS FOLLOWS: WOMAN: "I WANT HAPPINESS" GAUTAM BUDDHA: FIRST REMOVE THE WORD "I" FROM YOUR VISION OF YOURSELF BECAUSE THAT IS EGO. THEN REMOVE THE WORD "WANT" FROM YOUR VISION OF YOURSELF BECAUSE THAT IS "DESIRE". ONCE YOU DO THAT YOU ARE LEFT WITH ONLY THE WORD "HAPPINESS". SEE HOW THAT WORKS? ONCE YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF YOUR LIFE OPENS UP. THIS PHILOSOPHY IS NOT RELIGION. IN FACT IT IS A STRONG POSITION AGAINST RELIGION. THERE ARE NO MYSTERIOUS FORCES THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. YOU WILL TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. BUT SUCH IS THE MYSTERIOUS RELIGION FORCES OF THE HUMANS THAT EVEN SUCH AN ANTI RELIGION PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN TWISTED INTO A RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY THAT EVENTUALLY EVOLVED INTO INTO A FULL BLOWN RELIGION COMPLETE WITH MONKS AND HOLY MEN AND HOLY CHURCHES WHERE THE HOLY MEN WILL CHANT YOU INTO BETTER HEALTH AND BETTER LIFE AND WHAT HAVE YOU.