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Faith and Experience

KnightofBuddhaKnightofBuddha
edited June 2005 in Buddhism Basics
Now I have heard people say that Buddha relied on direct experience alone and not on faith. But some things don't really need to be experienced. For instance, you don't have to jump off a building to experience for yourself if it will hurt you. You could probably take it by faith that you will injure yourself by jumping. Thanks again for helping with my questions. ;)

Comments

  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited June 2005
    The experience of gravity is one which each one of us have made from the moment of our birth. We fell from heights as we climbed trees or scaled walls, despite our parents' warnings. We had to find out for ourselves.

    The repeated strictures by Jesus, Gautama and all the Teachers that we should not take their word but experience for ourselves is one of the keys to liberation: we are not sponges, absorbing 'truths'; we are not to become infantilised by belief without evidence.

    The proof of the pudding is always in the eating.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Knight of Buddha wrote:
    Now I have heard people say that Buddha relied on direct experience alone and not on faith. But some things don't really need to be experienced. For instance, you don't have to jump off a building to experience for yourself if it will hurt you. You could probably take it by faith that you will injure yourself by jumping. Thanks again for helping with my questions. ;)



    How do we know tha jumping off a building will hurt us? From experience. That's how. Maybe not our experience but from someone else's.
  • KnightofBuddhaKnightofBuddha
    edited June 2005
    comicallyinsane wrote:
    How do we know tha jumping off a building will hurt us? From experience. That's how. Maybe not our experience but from someone else's.

    I like that! :) Thanks again for the help!
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Feel free to use it in your day to day life. LOL ;)
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