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Reconciling my God with Buddhism

shaymacashaymaca
edited August 2005 in Faith & Religion

I am a recovered addict who knows that God is in me today. I work a twelve step recovery programme and I have recently found my way to the teachings of Buddha through the practice of meditation. ( suggested in the eleventh step).

Can i continue to believe in God (my higher power) and become a buddhist?
Would be very grateful for views.

Thank you

Seamus

Comments

  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I have had no difficulty. Indeed, my Heart Guru, who is a Tibetan lama, has encouraged me to understand my "god concept" even more deeply.
  • kinleekinlee Veteran
    edited August 2005
    shaymaca wrote:

    I am a recovered addict who knows that God is in me today. I work a twelve step recovery programme and I have recently found my way to the teachings of Buddha through the practice of meditation. ( suggested in the eleventh step).

    Can i continue to believe in God (my higher power) and become a buddhist?
    Would be very grateful for views.

    Thank you

    Seamus

    Yes.
  • pj.pilgrimpj.pilgrim
    edited August 2005
    Buddhism includes God or Brahma in its cosmology, but this God is also subject to impermanence and not the Creator of Christian mythology. He did not refer to the belief of a Creator often but when he did, he was not very complimentery:
    "He who has eyes can see the sickening sight, Why does not God set his creatures right?
    If his wide power no limit can restrain, Why is his hand so rarely spread to bless?
    Why are his creatures all condemned to pain? Why does he not to all give happiness?
    Why do fraud, lies, and ignorance prevail? Why triumphs falsehood -- truth and justice fail?
    I count your God one among the unjust , who made a world in which to shelter wrong." ~ Bhuridatta Jataka"

    Buddhists have as their highest ideal the state of Nirvana, a state which totally transcends this world beyond conceptual thought. The Buddha calls it the highest bliss. This may be taken as the Buddhist corelation to the concept of the higher power.

    "There is O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. Were there not, o monks, this Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. ~ Udana, 80-81"

    For more info regarding this topic see
    http://www.parami.org/buddhistanswers/what_about_god.htm
  • kinleekinlee Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Interesting. But I think more are beginning to realise and accept the fact that there exist God, but may not be as mighty as claimed. The incidents of 911 and london bomb really set us thinking or speared some of us in finding the absolute truth that triggered these undesirable events. Certainly, I am sure these are not the acts of God. Let us be opened and seek for an answer that is of clarity and certainty. The truth is, many of the answer is deep within us, only if we took time to find it. Or to put it in another way, God (I term it True-Nature) is inside of us and not an external entity.

    I am sure Jesus Christ do exist and some of the things that they preached are valuable. If not this religion would not have survive and prosper for many generation in the west. But I do hope that there is a higher tolerance level for all with regard to all religions.

    cheers,
  • pj.pilgrimpj.pilgrim
    edited August 2005
    Hi Kinlee,
    I have to say I disagree with that line of reasoning. Looking at history, there are many beliefs that rose and prospered together with their host civilisations. The Greeks, Mayans, Muslims and Communists, all have developed their belief systems. Numbers of adherents and length of civilisations that support them are not indicative of the goodnees or truth of any belief sysems. If anything, these just underline a key teaching of the Buddha. We are reborn again and again in Samsara because of a singular quality in our minds - Ignorance.
    kinlee wrote:

    I am sure Jesus Christ do exist and some of the things that they preached are valuable. If not this religion would not have survive and prosper for many generation in the west. But I do hope that there is a higher tolerance level for all with regard to all religions.

    cheers,
  • kinleekinlee Veteran
    edited August 2005
    pj.pilgrim wrote:
    Hi Kinlee,
    I have to say I disagree with that line of reasoning. Looking at history, there are many beliefs that rose and prospered together with their host civilisations. The Greeks, Mayans, Muslims and Communists, all have developed their belief systems. Numbers of adherents and length of civilisations that support them are not indicative of the goodnees or truth of any belief sysems. If anything, these just underline a key teaching of the Buddha. We are reborn again and again in Samsara because of a singular quality in our minds - Ignorance.

    hmm ...
    I see your point. :)
    I mentioned SOME values not ALL. I choose to believe that there must be something good with other religions.
    I agree with what you have stated specifically.
    cheers,
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