No Sinners

In Buddhism, bad actions are merely termed as unskillful or unwholesome, and not as sinful.

Buddhism teaches that everyone is responsible for his or her own good and bad deeds, and that each individual can mold his or her own destiny.

Our sorrow is of our own making. Buddhists do not accept the belief that this world is merely a place of trial and testing. This world is a place where we can attain the highest perfection.

Regarding forgiveness, the Buddhist has no reason to believe that the "sinner" can escape the consequences of his or her actions by the grace of an external power. If we thrust our hand into a furnace, the hand will be burnt, and all the prayer in the world will not remove the scars.

We must realize that evil actions are prompted by evil states of mind.

The wicked person is an ignorant one who needs instruction more than punishment and condemnation.

All that is necessary is for someone to help them to use their reason to realize that they are responsible for their wrong action and that they must pay for the consequences.

The purpose of the Buddha's appearance in this world is not to wash away the sins committed by human beings nor to punish or to destroy wicked people, but to make them understand how foolish it is to commit evil and to point out the consequences of such evil deeds.

Go, now, and develop a skillful life!