Lust, greed, lying, betrayal; these are what sins are. Sin, yet another manifestation of man
developed "neuroses". When we sin we befoul ourselves, ruining our potential existence of a
sinless body. Fear, feelings of inadequacy from a contingent God, these are the deeds we subject
ourselves to within our western religions. Why, I must ask, does anyone put themselves through
what could only be described as such, tortures? Perhaps a better way to approach the subject is
by introducing its principle; the denial of any form of self. Imagine, if just for a moment, an
alternate religion, a different outlook towards life. Imagine if instead of trying to avoid "sinning"
throughout your lifetime, you tried to avoid thinking. Amuse the diabolical idea of putting
yourself as the center of your goals and attention rather than behaving according to some social
system of conduct. Can a westerner, who's understanding of the world is through the lense of a
confined religion, truly comprehend the notion of not-being? By confined, I refer to the
parameter limitations our social system of conduct, order and regulation instills within us. But if
we could break free of these confinements then we would understand the alternate; there is no sin
because "there is nothing (read no-thing)" to sin against (Sharma, 71). To understand this we
must first unlearn our pre-existing beliefs. If we cling to the idea of a religious hierarchy with
"God" on top and humans underneath, then an axiological dimension is introduced that does not
hold importance or relevance in Buddhism. This is because Buddhism transcends all forms of
duality and it is not God who is the supreme good, rather, Emptiness, which is neither good
Some would argue one of the most complex religions to define, Buddhism, offers a
radically innovative aspiration; "extinction of se
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