Do You Believe Buddhism Is The ONLY path to inner liberation. or Can one find his own inner peace!

ashcatman

I personally believe there are people who don't practice buddhism and have found inner peace.and are happy!

Let's not talk about cycle of rebirth for a minute or enlightenment or even what buddha was supposed to have said.

What ate your own thoughts on this! Do you think one can find his own inner peace and stability in his/her life?
There must be so many paths to the same destination. And that destination being inner peace. (Nothing to do with what buddha said) just to find inner peace there must be millions of ways to it.
Just as there are millions roads to one place to another!

Thoughts friends?

Cloud

Sure why not? Mother Theresa is a good example, the Buddha yet another... remember he found his peace his own way, and created the path for others. There are a ton of people in the world who are so happy they'd never consider a path to liberation. That's great for them.

Mountains

Nein! Ours is the one true way! You can only attain it by strict adherence to our dogma! You will conform!! Ve haff vays to make you become Buddhist!! Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

I_AM_THAT

Buddhism is just another label that was given to the process of finding your own inner peace. The Buddha only showed that it can be done. As my teacher has stated on a number of occasions; "Just as the Buddha I am here to point the way, just don't stare at the finger and follow your path"

There are many paths to freedom, but some are quicker then others.

newtech

Yes, there a lots of people who find that inner peace u are talking about.
They are happy, they die happy. They die in peace.
Thats conditioned inner peace. Conditioned happiness. Right circumstances. Right choices.

With metta.

Meg

To each, his own
Go with whatever religion/philosophy/teaching feels right. (You are the one who knows what you need the most...well, you and your mother in law.. lol

pain

If it cultivates more peace and kindness, follow it.

caz

To raise a point here why would Buddha teach his Dharma if the path to liberation was already available in the world ? Obviously it wasnt present. What was present where lots of variations on how to be reborn into the lower realms by following ritual sacrifice and harming others in the name of god, There was also some good bits such as abiding by morale discipline but this however only leads to higher rebirth and not freedom from samsara.

There are 84,000 methods of how to train the mind and gain release from suffering and find true inner peace but these only came with Buddha.

Cloud

Buddhism may be the only "path", the only taught path, but it's not the only way to liberation. The Buddha is proof of that, and so are Private Buddhas. The conditions can become right for the mind to awaken.

The Buddha taught the path as an expedient means. It greatly increases the chances of awakening.

Talisman

Buddhism IS finding one's "own inner peace." The dharma gates are infinite.

Kwantum_Kev

There is only ONE path to inner peace for you, and it is whichever path will lead you there - be it Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster; or perhaps even a combination of all of those; or perhaps none of those. That is for you to discover, and you only find it by seeking. It sounds like you are seeking it, so as long as you keep it up, you will find the path that works best for you.

I like Buddhism, but I also take in some ideas from some of the traditions I listed above, and even Native American spirituality.

Namaste'

Kwan Kev

Dakini

Let's not forget the Taoists.

devwil

I could be misunderstanding the matter, but I think Theravada Buddhism recognizes that people may achieve liberation without ever having even heard of Buddhism. They're called paccekabuddhas. There are also savakabuddhas, who are disciples of Gautama Buddha, who is a sammasambuddha. The only difference between a paccekabuddha and a sammasambuddha is that the former does not have the ability to teach the dharma. They do both arrive at nirvana on their own, though.

So maybe people who achieve contentment, compassion, and all that other nice Buddhist stuff by other means could be considered paccekabuddhas.

Outside of any grounding in Buddhist tradition, though, I'd say my opinion is that Buddhism is the _best_ way to achieve happiness, but not the only way. I think certain ideals like contentment and equanimity are absolutely essential to happiness, but you don't need to mention Buddhism in the same breath as those things.

caz

If we talk of inner peace, many traditions find a temporary inner peace and a respite from samsaric suffering in the higher realms but only for a while.
There have been non such as Buddha who taught the path to liberation and enlightenment. The techincality of the anaylsis of the mind and the correct medicine for it is something Buddha gave. Where as others have reached many profound levels of concentration they have never gone beyond the peak of samsaric concentration but Buddha surpassed even this now what can compared with methods such as these deep in their meaning ?

Mountains

Let's not forget the Taoists.

Aren't they communist rebels trying to take over someplace??

Dakini

Let's not forget the Taoists.

Aren't they communist rebels trying to take over someplace??

No, no, those are the Mao-ists. Tao, not Mao. (Sounds like a bumper sticker slogan. )

ashcatman

Thanks everyone. I can definitely believe there are Pacceka Buddhas in the world (People who become Enlightened on their own but do not necessarily scream to the world 'Im Enlightened Im Enlightened) or feel like they have to bring a book out hoping it gets to best seller

genkaku

Buddhism teaches, I believe, that there are 84,000 (infinite) Dharma gates. But the fact that there are infinite doorways to liberation and peace does not imply that curling up with a good book will take you home. Anyone CAN do it from an infinite number of perspectives. Whether they are willing to do it is an entirely different matter.

NOTaGangsta

Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas can only liberate themselves. Bodhisattvas and Buddhas can liberate others based on the appropriate causes and conditions.

Talisman

Sravakas, however, have the aid of a living Buddha (or the sangha of a living Buddha,) and can often times teach the doctrine of the Buddha that showed them the way.

Pratyekabuddhas have no such aid, but upon nirvana choose not to teach, or are possibly in a situation where no instruction could be given. The Buddha himself almost became a pratyekabuddha until he was coerced into teaching others.

sndymorn

I personally believe there are people who don't practice buddhism and have found inner peace.and are happy!

I have posited here the notion that in the West, where Christianity is the majority religion , there must be many enlightened Christians. Odds would suggest that, in the West, there are many more enlightened Christians (perhaps four or five ) than buddhists.
Have you not met such people? I have found Mother Teresas in soup kitchens where they spend their free time helping the needy; or in the church vestibule cleaning up after the mass... Many places , many religions offer a solid road. The Buddha created his, there is no reason to doubt but that others might be doing the same thing now in your town.
If you are looking for an enlightened one in the West, I would search anywhere but a sangha....

Daozen

To raise a point here why would Buddha teach his Dharma if the path to liberation was already available in the world ?

'Cause he wanted to make it a little easier. Nice chap, that Buddha.

There are many paths to liberation.

Spaceless

Definitely, in Buddhism, it revealed that there is this type of liberation that did not go the normal path of Buddhism study and meditation, not even aware that there is Buddha or buddhism. And Buddha Saykamuni mentioned this as "Pratyekabuddha". :thumbsup:

DhammaDhatu

Mother Theresa is a good example...

The memoirs of Mother Theresa show she often was troubled at heart

DhammaDhatu

I personally believe there are people who don't practice buddhism and have found inner peace and are happy!

to find 100% inner peace, it is required to have the same realisation as Buddhism

Buddha said his path is the only way for the (100%) purification of beings

certain paths can bring peace & happiness but not 100% peace & happiness

if emptiness has not been realised, to maintain 100% peace & happiness cannot be guarranteed

Daozen

Buddha said his path is the only way for the (100%) purification of beings

Sounds like marketing to me

If Buddhism makes YOU happy, great.

But you can't say other people's peace & happiness is not genuine. You don't know.

DhammaDhatu

DhammaDhatu

Sounds like marketing to me

If Buddhism makes YOU happy, great.

But you can't say other people's peace & happiness is not genuine. You don't know.

Sounds like confusing "marketing" with psychological reality.

Buddhism is about psychological reality. It does not make YOUs happy. It makes MINDS happy

Buddhism knows. Buddhism knows the various degrees of peace & happiness of people & paths. One of the titles of the Buddha is lokavidu or "knower of the worlds"

273. Of all the paths the Eightfold Path is the best; of all the truths the Four Noble Truths are the best; of all things passionlessness is the best: of men the Seeing One (the Buddha) is the best.

274. This is the only path; there is none other for the purification of insight.

Maggavagga: The Path

In whatsoever Dhamma and Discipline, Subhadda, there is not found the Noble Eightfold Path, neither is there found a true ascetic of the first, second, third or fourth degree of saintliness. But in whatsoever Dhamma and Discipline there is found the Noble Eightfold Path, there is found a true ascetic of the first, second, third and fourth degrees of saintliness.

Now in this Dhamma and Discipline, Subhadda, is found the Noble Eightfold Path; and in it alone are also found true ascetics of the first, second, third and fourth degrees of saintliness. Devoid of true ascetics are the systems of other teachers. But if, Subhadda, the bhikkhus live righteously, the world will not be destitute of arahats.

Maha-parinibbana Sutta

pegembara

[I personally believe there are people who don't practice buddhism and have found inner peace.and are happy! ]

They must have been "practising Buddhism" and don't know it!

tjampel

Fortunately we don't need to worry about questions like these since we have proven teachings which can liberate. We don't need to look elsewhere.

But, just to engage this question---If another being spontaneously, having received no teachings on Buddhism in her or his uncountable previous lifetimes, utters instructions with the potential to liberate or practices in such a way as to become liberated by whatever means, it's something to rejoice in...period. May everyone gain liberation in the quickest and easiest manner possible. Still the scriptures say that such a being probably had contact with Buddhas in previous lives and the ability to achieve liberation in isolation is most likely the result of karmic ripening from those previous teachings and practices engaged in in connection with them.

If practitioners of other faiths engage in the type of moral behavior taught by their faith (for all major religions, at least), and develop true compassion towards others and love for them (wishes to remove their suffering; wishes to provide them with what they need to be happy), then they will have no choice but to experience great happiness in future rebirths, which may well occur in celestial realms. And even if you don't believe in any of that stuff about past and future lives such a person would achieve a state of deep contentment and happiness in this life by serving others, not acting selfishly, not getting angry, not having excessive attachment, being vigilant of his/her mind, being reluctant to engage in non-virtue; seeking to practice nonharm, compassion, and love, etc. Engaging in such virtuous mental actions increases the habit energies that develop into virtuous minds. (yeah, that's called Karma). Having a mind that rejoices in all virtue of self and other is a very blissful mind and such a person may have a very happy life.

Still, what I have described above is not the same as liberation. It's important to know the difference. Ignorance is not removed through virtuous acts alone, since ignorance of how mind itself exists and how phenomena exist cause us to reify self and outer objects and prevent achieving Nirvana or the status of a Buddha. That's the fundamental difference between what the Buddha taught and what other great teachers of the time taught. Only the Buddha taught about the kind of pervasive suffering that comes from ignorance; the mind that can't help but feel that they have a self that has some kind of real essence, truly exists. Believing that, they misperceive the truth about self and thereby continue to create the causes and conditions for cyclic existence because they are attached to existence itself, identifying it with the self.

caz

To raise a point here why would Buddha teach his Dharma if the path to liberation was already available in the world ?

'Cause he wanted to make it a little easier. Nice chap, that Buddha.

There are many paths to liberation.

You'd have a hard time pointing to other religions whom meditated upon emptiness as this is key for liberation.