What Is The Highest Good in Buddhism?
Buddhism. You’ve heard the word. You’ve seen the statues, the meditation apps, the monks in flowing robes. But if someone stopped you on the street and asked, “Hey, what’s the ultimate goal of Buddhism?”—what would you say?
Inner peace? Enlightenment? Something about letting go?
Good guesses. But let’s get specific. Because every spiritual tradition has a highest good—a singular purpose that drives everything else. Christianity aims for an afterlife in heaven. Hinduism seeks union with Brahma. So, what about Buddhism?
Here’s where things get interesting. At its core, Buddhism is about the realization of infinite mind—a phrase that sounds deep… but also a little mysterious. What does it actually mean? How does someone “realize” infinite mind? And why is this considered the ultimate goal?
To find out, we need to step back and look at how spiritual traditions function. Every one of them has three key ingredients:
- A clear picture of the highest good.
- A clear path to reaching it.
- A clear understanding of the obstacles along the way.
Buddhism is no different. But if we’re serious about understanding it—not just as an abstract idea, but as a real, structured path—we need to start with those fundamentals.
And that’s where Zero-Buddhism comes in.
Borrowing from Zen Master Joshu Sasaki, we’ll explore how Buddhism itself arises from a deeper foundation—what we call Zero-Buddhism. We’ll break down its core structure and how it leads to the realization of infinite mind.
So, if you’re ready to move beyond the buzzwords and dive into the real substance of Buddhism, let’s get started.
