Am I the only one who thinks Buddhism is just a 'Common sense way to live or am i missing something?

driedleaf

It's good that you think it is common.

Sabre

To consider:

I have heard that on one occasion, when the Blessed One was newly Self-awakened, he was staying at Uruvela on the bank of the Nerañjara River, at the foot of the Goatherd's Banyan Tree. Then, while he was alone and in seclusion, this line of thinking arose in his awareness: "This Dhamma that I have attained is deep, hard to see, hard to realize, peaceful, refined, beyond the scope of conjecture, subtle, to-be-experienced by the wise. But this generation delights in attachment, is excited by attachment, enjoys attachment. For a generation delighting in attachment, excited by attachment, enjoying attachment, this/that conditionality and dependent co-arising are hard to see. This state, too, is hard to see: the resolution of all fabrications, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn06/sn06.001.than.html

DairyLama

It just seems as if, 2500 years ago, people might not have 'known' what we now know in this modern world.
Its kind of 'common sense' that we should 'not lie, not steal, not this, not that, etc etc..
But maybe 2500 years ago, people didnt know very much and so when Buddha realised this 'common sense' path, people were blown away by it.

The people in the Buddha's time weren't ignorant or backward, and I suspect they were more spiritually mature than we are. And of course the Buddha was only one of many wandering seekers.

DairyLama

"This Dhamma that I have attained is deep, hard to see, hard to realize, peaceful, refined, beyond the scope of conjecture, subtle, to-be-experienced by the wise. But this generation delights in attachment, is excited by attachment, enjoys attachment.

And so does our generation, arguably the most materialistic that has ever existed.

jll

if you already live this way, you are very lucky.
or you have very good karma (buddhist talk).

if many of your friends also live this way, you are even luckier.
or i'd say you have very good karma.

what you are missing is reality check.
the prisons are full. crime rates are rising.
what is common sense to you is not so common to many people.

Firstly, I want say that I completely agree with Buddha. And if someone did ask me if im a buddhist then of course id say 'yes' because i do follow his teachings..

However, I dont follow his teachings because they are from the BUDDHA..
I kind of feel that the buddhas teachings are just an obvious way to live..

and we dont necessarily 'need' buddha to tell us that:

1. Life is suffering
2. The origin of suffering is attachment
3. The cessation of suffering 'is' attainable
4. The path to the cessation of suffering is the 8 fold path..

And then we have the precepts which are even 'more' just common sense

1....dont harm living beings. (i dont and never have done)
2....dont steal. (i have never and why woud i?)
3....sexual misconduct. (we all know its wrong to cheat on your boyfriend/girlfriend)
4....false speech. (we all know its wrong to lie, buddha doesnt need to tell us that)
5....intoxicating drinks and drugs.. (again we know that this damages the mind etc etc)

I personally lived by these precepts anyway ''before'' i even got into Buddhism

and i know many many other people who live this way and are not 'Buddhists'

And last but not least, the '8 fold path' (just like the 10 comandments, they are pretty basic obvious stuff that we should all be living by anyway whether or not you are a buddhist follower)


1. Right View
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

(this list surely isnt a mystery way to live.. and even before i got into buddhism i probably followed something simular just because 'i am just a nice normal human' and i also have compassio for others just this is just what i do naturally, i help others, feel for them, do charity work etc etc and i am just a nice, normal person who works hard for my family..... so whats suppose to be so important about buddhas teaching?

I guess to be honest i only got into buddhism because it stated everything that i 'knew' and lived by anyway..


or is there something i dont know?
what is it that buddha learned and taught that we dont already know?

Thanks for reading.
kind, kind regards..

(p.s, i do understand that there are disturbed people out there who 'could' benifit from buddhism, like murderers, thiefs, etc etc, dont im soley talking about myself when i say, i was raised into a family that 'naturally' help others and are geerally nice people anyway.. we natually do alot for others without thinking about buddhism etc etc..

I hope you understand my words and what im trying to say.

X