Buddhism: The Religion that is not a Religion

I've been to Buddhist countries but I can't say I know much about it. Like all belief systems, it seems to have good in it offset by dark sides. There is wisdom offset by control. I find the part of it that is supposed to help replace misery with happiness a little helpful. That is to say, part of it agrees with what I thought before I read about it so that causes me to conclude it's smart stuff. 

We don't really know it there was a Buddha or have any of his original writing. There is no first-hand testimony of what he said. This is the same history we have of Jesus, really none. Supposedly, Buddha lived in Northern India roughly 500 BCE. What we have, then, is a cultural history. That is, we have what people in the culture that admired Buddha thought then and what they think today. 

One can read the link and learn the author's summary of ideas from the Buddha. I read the article but didn't find it as helpful as other things I've read about Buddhism. I suppose I liked the other reading because it was aligned with my own reasoning.

To me, Buddhism is merely facing life and making the best of the cards you were dealt. The Buddha himself was born of wealth but for reasons I cannot recall he found himself in misery. By embracing the misery, he found the strength to reach the other side and found happiness. Within each of us, the lesson tells, is a strength to endure whatever our circumstances and find a joy by persevering. The link is about the mundane task of washing dishes. The message I took from it is that since you have to wash you dishes to keep you household going, one should find a way to enjoy the misery of the task itself. In doing that you will find happiness.

I remember as a farm boy, perhaps preteen, reading an article in one of the many magazines my parents subscribed to. I was, like all farm children, wondering if farming, with its share of dreary physical work, was for me. The article was about a young man who had taken over his father's farm. On the dreary work, he said he had the choice of hating it or liking it. He chose to like it. That sounds like what Buddha taught us.

Buddha was supposed to have taught us he himself was not a "god" or could perform any task to make our lives better. He said, instead, each of us has within ourselves the where-with-all to find a happy life. I suppose for 300,000 years people have been trying to find happiness. And 300,000 years from now they will still be looking.