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God
Hi everyone, hope your all well.
This is a subject that troubles me a bit. I realise there is no rule book on Buddhism, and generaly outside the basics you can believe what you want.
In the Theravadan lectures I have listened to, Ajahn Sumedho said,
"We are Thereavadans, we don't believe in God, or Kuan Yin like those Tibetans do..."
However, Ram, the "Buddha Boy" of Nepal, said in a recent speach after his long meditation "I have been on the path with God", or atleast that was the translation.
Is there a place for a God in Buddhism? When those of Mahayana persuasion mention God are they refering to Buddha, or something else? Perhaps something more monotheistic? I am confused. And whats with all the differing opinions?
Much Metta everyone, thanks for taking the time to read, hope to hear some answers on this.
Stream
This is a subject that troubles me a bit. I realise there is no rule book on Buddhism, and generaly outside the basics you can believe what you want.
In the Theravadan lectures I have listened to, Ajahn Sumedho said,
"We are Thereavadans, we don't believe in God, or Kuan Yin like those Tibetans do..."
However, Ram, the "Buddha Boy" of Nepal, said in a recent speach after his long meditation "I have been on the path with God", or atleast that was the translation.
Is there a place for a God in Buddhism? When those of Mahayana persuasion mention God are they refering to Buddha, or something else? Perhaps something more monotheistic? I am confused. And whats with all the differing opinions?
Much Metta everyone, thanks for taking the time to read, hope to hear some answers on this.
Stream
0
Comments
The buddhas teachings simply aren't concerned with anything but dukkha. God in the sense most people refer to is something his teachings are not concered with. There're Theravada practitioners and buddhists in general of all different beliefs on this subject. If one seeks what the Buddha sought, it just isn't a useful thing to ponder.
As for Mahayana, you'd also have to ask each individual what they mean. But then again, does it matter? It's your own journey. There are no two buddhists even within the same traditions that are exactly alike.
I hope he was trying to be funny.
Out of nowhere he said :'I think there is a God, don't you. Why not.' He was giggling, and to me was treating the idea of the Creator God as something which just popped into his head as casual whimsical thought, rather than something over which he had pondered for decades. For a Buddhist, maybe that is how to regard such ideas of God - fun to discuss but irrelevant to Buddhadharma.
Ah, ok...Hmmm....I've done some research, and I can't find the quotation, but then, I'm probably not looking in the right place...
I'd be interested to see the original text, to see whether the translation is off-bat...
just a curiosity.....
I believe Stream was probably refering to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE35damYsGc&feature=channel
A random Youtuber translated part of the interview as "commanded by God" while another translated it as "I have been sent to this world to...". Given the culture, "commanded by God" doesn't sound quite right. I get the feeling that whatever was said was more in the vein of "this is my purpose." But meh...
Yes, thats one of the videos, except it was translated with English Subtitles. There are also videos on youtube documenting Tibetan teachers visiting him during his pracise, and Tibetan Dharma teaches who taught him in Tibet. I'm sorry but I don't feel like trawling youtube for them,as I can't remember where i found them.
Here is another video where he mentions God. I have heard of "Buddhist-Hindus"who live in Southern India, perhaps he is a bit like that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvl9eudNX4E&NR=1
I have heard Buddhist prayers from China that hint to me the idea of a God. I am agnostic personaly and probably always will be, it interests me profoundly and I would love to know one way or the other, but realise in Buddhism its not really worth investigating as its just one of those things we will never know. There have been times when prayer seems to have helped. There have also been times I just flat out denied God as a possiblity. If I was God I can't help but think i would have done a much better job.
Something else that has crossed my mind, is with forces like Karma and Re-Birth, dosn't it seem strange that these would just exist with a creator of some sort? I mean, who would manage it? Just a thought.
This documentary is worth watching. Tibetan Buddhist teachers are featured throughout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v29clGMWU84
Not sure if this is the one that goes back to Tibet to interveiw his Tibetan teachers. I don't really feel like watching it all the way through again but I think its this one.
I don't know. It all seems irrelevant to me.
You don't need to call yourself a practitioner of Theravada or Mahayana or even call yourself a Buddhist. When I suggested Theravada to you, I just meant that, as you were looking for straightforward, cut-to-the-chase teachings without dogma, that Theravada sources might be best for you. Theravada basically means holding the Pali Canon as the truest reference we have to the Buddha's own words. After that, you'll find every Theravadan is unique and holds as many contrasting views as you can imagine.
You can overlook the things that conflict with your own religion while benefiting from the ultimate truths that do not. So don't overlook Mahayana teachings, either. Theravadan teachers do not all teach precisely the same things. Ultimately, it's best to read as many sources as possible, refer to the Pali Canon itself, and sit down and meditate and see for yourself what the Buddha taught, what leads to freedom of dukkha.
Not all Buddhists follow literal rebirth doctrine, not all feel the Buddha taught literal rebirth as factual. Either way, kamma is not a force; our false-self governs our own kamma; kamma is within the mind. General cause-and-effect just is. When there is a belief that some supreme deity "manages" kamma, then this directly contradicts the Buddha's teachings. But there're many kinds of beliefs in God, and those don't necessarily conflict.
Now what?
Even when God exists he lacks inherent existence.
Best go wash the pots and sweep the gompa. He'll still be there when you've finished - or not.
Buddha did not begin life as a Buddhist either.
Hm yes - and even when unicorns don't exist they lack inherent nonexistence.
Curl up in whatever proxy emptiness you wish - it all dissolves back into ultimate emptiness in the end.
LOL
madhyamaka unicornica!
Some Buddhists do offer prayers; but the purpose is .....
Some people think there is, while others have the opinion that Buddhism rejects the idea of a creator G_d entirely. I happen to be one of the latter. Essentially, the logic of dependent co-arising negates G_d because it precludes a first cause or a causeless cause. So in this sense, Buddhism is non-theistic in view.
In addition, according to AN 3.61, the belief in a supreme being can be unskillful and interfere with Dharma practice if it leads to a denial of the efficacy of karma and a life of inaction:
That doesn't mean that people can't believe in G_d and still practice the Dharma, especially the noble eightfold path, but it does mean that such a view can have the potential to negatively impact the practice if held inappropriately.
As our dear friend Simon rightly said, in relation to the four noble truths and the practice of the eightfold path, the matter of the existence of G_d is irrelevant and, ultimately, a distraction to be avoided.
I am known by uncounted trillions of names. They address me by different names not realising that they are all names of the one Tathagata. Some recognise me as Tathagata, some as The Self-existent One, some as Gautama the Ascetic, some as Buddha. Then there are others who recognise me as Brahma, as Vishnu, as Ishvara; some see me as Sun, as Moon; some as a reincarnation of the ancient sages; some as one of "the ten powers"; some as Rama, some as Indra, and some as Varuna. Still there are others who speak of me as The Un-born, as Emptiness, as "Suchness," as Truth, as Reality, as Ultimate Principle.
To me this passage implies that Buddhists should never discount an 'experience of God' out of some philosophical or dogmatic commitment, but rather charitably view such experiences through the prism of the Dharma. According to Buddhism there is one Reality/Truth and that is 'wakefulness' i.e. Reality is Buddha. Since the concept of God in most cultures encompasses a notion of 'ultimate reality', a Buddhist should not really be disconcerted when different vocabularies and used to talk about the same thing.
Its always the same story..... " Here is a dog. It has no head, no tail, no legs, no body.... but its a dog just the same.."