toldailytopic: Buddhism.

[Nydhogg]

Every time I claim to know something about Buddhism, someone comes along and says, "No, that's not right."

So, I'm going to sit here and learn what it is the Buddhists believe.

Wow... He'll actually refrain from commenting because he is not informed on the issue?

That... was unexpected.

 

[agnostic_gnostic]

"Lin Chi Zen Master said, "If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet a Patriarch, kill the Patriarch."
FROM
http://www.kwanumzen.com/pzc/newsletter/v09n10-1997-oct.html
Buddhism is not about dogma, Gods etc ( yes, some sects have added to the Buddha's teachings, but that has happened in Christianity also) . The central idea? Nothing is permanent , no self therefore no death. Suffering is caused by attachment to the illusion of a permanent self ( ego). Lust greed etc facilitate the illusion of a permanent self and so therefore must be avoided.
--------------
"When all the Buddhalubbers are ready to give up their nice cars and flat screen televisions, they are welcome to send them my way."
vegascowboy
Does that also apply to Christians? Jesus advocated selling all you have to the poor.

 

[zippy2006]

"Lin Chi Zen Master said, "If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet a Patriarch, kill the Patriarch."
FROM
http://www.kwanumzen.com/pzc/newsletter/v09n10-1997-oct.html
Buddhism is not about dogma, Gods etc ( yes, some sects have added to the Buddha's teachings, but that has happened in Christianity also) . The central idea? Nothing is permanent , no self therefore no death. Suffering is caused by attachment to the illusion of a permanent self ( ego). Lust greed etc facilitate the illusion of a permanent self and so therefore must be avoided.
--------------
"When all the Buddhalubbers are ready to give up their nice cars and flat screen televisions, they are welcome to send them my way."
vegascowboy
Does that also apply to Christians? Jesus advocated selling all you have to the poor.

I always found that passage interesting, but it certainly doesn't apply to the Pali Canon

 

[Ktoyou]

There is a reason it is hard to grasp what Buddhism is as a religion. It is split up into three main branches called Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. These three vary a lot in religious philosophy which is one reason that it is hard to grasp a singular concept called Buddhism. Secondly, Buddhism has a tendency to incorporate local folk religion wherever it spreads, so you basically get different local composites of a specific tradition of Buddhism + the local folk religion.

If you want to understand Buddhism you need to study Buddhist philosophy and try to understand the concepts taught by Siddharta Gautama himself. Which basically means you need to understand the four noble truths:

1) Life is suffering
2) Suffering is caused by attachment
3) The cessation of suffering is attainable
4) There is a path to the cessation of suffering.

The eightfold path:

Which is the right:

view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration.

And the five skandhas which are five phenomena that serves as objects of attachment and basics for our sense of self:

1) Form
2) Sensation
3) Perception
4) Mental formation
5) Consciousness

The insight being that there really is no such thing as an eternal substance, no such thing can exist. Which results in the idea of impermanence. Not even humans are an eternal substance, but rather an elusive changing constellation of physical forms, sensations and perceptions.
Even the gods change in Buddhism and also they are impermanent.

The three problem is ignorance, greed and desire. The ignorance of the true reality of no permanent substance leads to a greed and desire for clinging to these objects only to suffer when they inevitably change.

It is a complex philosophy and I can not claim to fully understand it. It is a foreign culture filled with concepts foreign to our western culture which means it requires some study to properly understand it. Buy a few good books on it and read some of the central scriptures (although they are not scripture in the sense that the Bible is scripture to Christians), it really is not harder than that.
I find Buddhism very fascinating and have an interest in it as a part of a general interest in religion and in east-Asian cultures.
Besides the basic components listed here and the understanding of those it really is not a religion of dogma like Christianity, it is more of an experiential religion and meditation and mindfulness are the true sources of learning.

Buddhism is all about providing the proper way to kill yourself. Suicide won't work since you'll simply be reborn (not reincarnated mind). Only by ceasing to produce wholesome/unwholesome karma (doing things with good intentions/bad intentions) can one truly die and reach a state of no rebirth: nirvana. Why do this? Because, life is suffering (common paraphrase of the first noble truth).

Put together there two concepts, it appears Buddhism is the product of a culture, trapped in misery and endless poverty.

Case in point. "Life is suffering" sure there is suffering, but there is far more to balance the pain. Live is many things, the highest is love, meaning being loved and able to love others. God offers the perfection of love.

2. "Suffering is caused by attachment" Wow! Attachment to others is what fulfills us and gives life meaning. Our relationship with family and friends fill our life. While it is possible to find higher love in Intimacy as spiritual interconnectedness, we all are able to experience Agape love, usually with God.

3. "The cessation of suffering is attainable" Yes, in most cases by having feelings for others and through love. The idea that all life is pain and suffering is foreign to the western mind, we seek sensation and pleasure while attempting to care for others.

4. "There is a path to the cessation of suffering.' again the 'given' is life is suffering and the path out is all one can hope for. Not so in most positive cultures, we want more life and most people feel good about knowing they shall live in total happiness through eternity.

I know this is not the only definition of Buddhism and there is more to it, yet one sees it is attractive to those who seek oblivion. Most heroin addicts seek oblivion, suicide is seeking oblivion, as well as those who maintain well in life, yet seek an end. Most often depressed persons seek escape, yet there are people who perceive little hope and only fear the violence of suicide. Some persons seek materialism to the degree, it replaces love; it never succeeds, and leads to boredom, a welcoming of oblivion.

Positive faith is life affirming, not life defeating.

 

[vegascowboy]

"When all the Buddhalubbers are ready to give up their nice cars and flat screen televisions, they are welcome to send them my way."
vegascowboy
Does that also apply to Christians? Jesus advocated selling all you have to the poor.

Yes, but the buddhist nations tend to make better televisions.

Cars...maybe not.

 

[Dena]

I am not quite convinced that Buddhist living in the Western world have a real grasp of the religion.

 

[zippy2006]

I am not quite convinced that Buddhist living in the Western world have a real grasp of the religion.

I'm not quite convinced that people living in the Western world have a real grasp of religion. :chuckle:

 

[csuguy]

I am not quite convinced that Buddhist living in the Western world have a real grasp of the religion.

People in America in general are ignorant of their own religions.

 

[Lighthouse]

I was once told I had the body of a god: Buddha.

 

[Ktoyou]

Are Buddhists allowed in the Lighthouse?

That does it for me, goodnight!

 

[PyramidHead]

Buddhism is religion done right

 

[quip]

Case in point. "Life is suffering" sure there is suffering, but there is far more to balance the pain. Live is many things, the highest is love, meaning being loved and able to love others. God offers the perfection of love.

2. "Suffering is caused by attachment" Wow! Attachment to others is what fulfills us and gives life meaning. Our relationship with family and friends fill our life. While it is possible to find higher love in Intimacy as spiritual interconnectedness, we all are able to experience Agape love, usually with God.

3. "The cessation of suffering is attainable" Yes, in most cases by having feelings for others and through love. The idea that all life is pain and suffering is foreign to the western mind, we seek sensation and pleasure while attempting to care for others.

4. "There is a path to the cessation of suffering.' again the 'given' is life is suffering and the path out is all one can hope for. Not so in most positive cultures, we want more life and most people feel good about knowing they shall live in total happiness through eternity.

One of the first things on the path to realization is that all relationships meet their inevitable end; love ends either by death, betrayal, or indifference. Intuitively everyone realize this as a brute fact, yet many fail to accept it..therefore they cling to an ideal, irrational form of "eternal", "perfect" love, such as that purported from god. The Buddhist's answer is not to forgo love, rather embrace your love in every moment of life with the complete realization of the precious, precarious and temporal nature of existing love.

 

[vegascowboy]

Buddhism is religion done right

Riiiiiiiiiight...if you've purchased real estate in hell maybe...:kook:

I cannot think of a more miserable, unhappy, destructive "religion."

 

[Granite]

Riiiiiiiiiight...if you've purchased real estate in hell maybe...:kook:

I cannot think of a more miserable, unhappy, destructive "religion."

Know a bunch of miserable Buddhists then, do we?

I think there's much to admire (and learn) from it.

 

[vegascowboy]

Know a bunch of miserable Buddhists then, do we?

I do, actually. In all honesty, all the buddhists that I have met are miserable. Some of them put on a smiley face for the world to see, but when you sit down with them and really discuss their lives, they are absolutely without hope and happiness. I cannot speak for all Buddhists, obviously, but this has been my experience with the dozen or so Buddhists that I call friends.

I can only speak from personal experience, but I wish that my Buddhist friends would embrace the love of Jesus Christ and experience true happiness.

 

[Granite]

I do, actually. In all honesty, all the buddhists that I have met are miserable. Some of them put on a smiley face for the world to see, but when you sit down with them and really discuss their lives, they are absolutely without hope and happiness. I cannot speak for all Buddhists, obviously, but this has been my experience with the dozen or so Buddhists that I call friends.

I see your miserable Buddhist friends and raise you some Christians I know.

As a system, worldview, and practice I do find it admirable, and certainly find the eastern philosophy eye-opening.

 

[vegascowboy]

I see your miserable Buddhist friends and raise you some Christians I know.

As a system, worldview, and practice I do find it admirable, and certainly find the eastern philosophy eye-opening.

Ok Mr. Granite....hear me now.

I am well aware that there are a great many miserable Christians in this beautiful world of ours. I get that, I really do.

To me this is also folly. The Christians who are miserable do not accept the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ on the cross. They do not fully comprehend that He died for ALL of us. He took our sins and suffered on the cross so that all who come to Him might live.

He loves us. He wants for us to be happy and to have a Secure Knowledge of happiness in Him.

I know that you do not believe this, and I respect the fact that you have the right to decide that for yourself.

I also know that the Buddhists that I know may not be representative of Buddhists everywhere, but to explain my thoughts and feelings from any other viewpoint and narrative from my own would be truly hypocritical.

I see what I see, and I attempt to explain my observations from my own experience and from my own outlook on life.

I truly love Jesus Christ and I love the way He has rescued me from sin. I want more than anything for others to experience the happiness that I experience every day, despite troubles and stumbling blocks that lay before me on this journey of life.

Jesus Christ loves you, whether you believe in Him or not. I will pray for you always. Is this done out of arrogance? I assure you, it is not. I am happy if you are happy, but I hope that you will come some day to a knowledge of what I know to be the Truth.

God bless you, my friend. I mean you no harm.

 

[Granite]

To me this is also folly. The Christians who are miserable do not accept the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ on the cross. They do not fully comprehend that He died for ALL of us. He took our sins and suffered on the cross so that all who come to Him might live.

Ahhhhh, maybe yes and maybe no. The ones I know fully comprehend their theology. They just happen to be unhappy, miserable, and often unpleasant individuals.

I also know that the Buddhists that I know may not be representative of Buddhists everywhere, but to explain my thoughts and feelings from any other viewpoint and narrative from my own would be truly hypocritical.

I absolutely understand. Often all (or the best) of what we have to go on is anecdotal evidence.

Jesus Christ loves you, whether you believe in Him or not. I will pray for you always. Is this done out of arrogance? I assure you, it is not.

Perhaps partly, yes. I will say you're one of the better believers here and aren't infected with the virus that seems to afflict many of them, and for that I respect you.:cheers:

I am happy if you are happy, but I hope that you will come some day to a knowledge of what I know to be the Truth.

God bless you, my friend. I mean you no harm.

Likewise. The second bit, anyway.

 

[freelight]

Properly enlighten yourself.............

Properly enlighten yourself.............

~*~*~

Sadly there is much ignorance and presumption on what Buddhism is and teaches. A reasonable effort at researching its essential principles and philosophy would remedy that. Online information, resources, google, etc. abounds, so there really is no exuse for mischaracterizing such.

Previous threads on Buddhism include -

Ask a Buddhist

Was Jesus a Buddhist?

Buddhism's hateful doctrine (assumed by a 'christian' who finds the doctrine of 'anatta'(no-self) to be 'unloving')

Buddhism is an Evangelical Religion

~*~*~

Buddhist Studies


pj

 

[freelight]

re-search your beliefs..............

re-search your beliefs..............

Buddha is dead. End of thread.

Buddhism is quite alive in its various forms, and whether Siddhartha Gotama is dead or not is irrelative. The teaching (dharma) continues on, the principles...and that which makes for enlightenment.

The true fruit of one's religion is whether it actually enables one to know and experience life, peace and authentic freedom. - basically....'peace of mind'. Thats what really counts.


pj