Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Pushing the Envelope
Seems to me that declaring there is no transcendent God is an unnecessary limitation, since such a statement is as unprovable as claiming there is a God. Given the enormous knowledge of the universe that science has produced over the past 100 years, the mystery in the universe has become deeper, more profound and more awesome than in earlier centuries, because of, and in spite of, the understanding we have gained that is supposed to explain how things work and dissolve mystery. Look at the implications of String Theory and M Theory, that suggest that an unlimited number of universes may be exploding into existence all the time; our Big Bang may be one of an untold number of Big Bangs. The agnostic must pause a little in the face of this prospect, and think again -- just maybe, in some form, there is some sort of God acting here, even though we are very incompetent to even conjecture what the true and full nature of this Being is. Is there room in Buddhism, to allow for the possibility of a transcendent God having Being beyond all that exists? I don't see how holding out this larger possibility, that we humans are incompetent to answer yes or no anyway, detracts from the scope of the meditation we seek. Any comment?
Buddhism seems to offer a process for personal growth that is more structured, with more helpful concepts than most Christian expressions, Catholicism, for example. Concepts such as Right: thought; action; speech; intention are conceptual points. Achieving the personal qualities implied by these concepts can be an end in themselves, and also a means to an end, in that, when we have achieved a measure of Right: thought; action; speech; intention, we become more capable of succeeding in our larger life project. A life project could be as ordinary as performing as a loving father in a family, or working creatively toward a collective meditation that includes respect and care for life systems on this planet.
Both of the thoughts expressed above suggest a benefit may be derived from a melding of religious thought (Buddhist and Christian at a minimum), in the light of science, psychology and other modern fields of knowledge. Thomas Berry suggests that the spectrum of religions need to enter a "macro phase" where all act in communion, and mutually influence one another, in the context of what we now know about the universe cosmology, and the biological evolutionary phase on Earth. Is contemporary Buddhism pushing the envelope in this way? That is, contributing its core disciplines and wisdom, along with adapting to and absorbing insights from wherever they may be found. Anyone care to comment?
Buddhism seems to offer a process for personal growth that is more structured, with more helpful concepts than most Christian expressions, Catholicism, for example. Concepts such as Right: thought; action; speech; intention are conceptual points. Achieving the personal qualities implied by these concepts can be an end in themselves, and also a means to an end, in that, when we have achieved a measure of Right: thought; action; speech; intention, we become more capable of succeeding in our larger life project. A life project could be as ordinary as performing as a loving father in a family, or working creatively toward a collective meditation that includes respect and care for life systems on this planet.
Both of the thoughts expressed above suggest a benefit may be derived from a melding of religious thought (Buddhist and Christian at a minimum), in the light of science, psychology and other modern fields of knowledge. Thomas Berry suggests that the spectrum of religions need to enter a "macro phase" where all act in communion, and mutually influence one another, in the context of what we now know about the universe cosmology, and the biological evolutionary phase on Earth. Is contemporary Buddhism pushing the envelope in this way? That is, contributing its core disciplines and wisdom, along with adapting to and absorbing insights from wherever they may be found. Anyone care to comment?
0
Comments
Nowhere in nature do we see evidence of a god. It is more of a mental maneuver to find one, to imagine an intelligent creator (such as we are, creators of our own worlds) that willed all things into being.
It may be so, but if so, it is unknowable. Certainly as previously posted, it does not affect the suffering and cessation of suffering that is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.
Where both religion and non-religion meet is where you will find the truth.
I see what you're saying. Generally speaking though I don't think there is any room for a creator god in Buddhism because a creator god is simply irrelevant to Buddhist practice and understanding. As Sukhita said,
In a personal sense, I came to Buddhism after a good 30 years of strong Christian belief because I needed, above all else, to find a way to deal with my suffering and Christianity wasn't working for me anymore. When I began to study and practice Buddhism I found that it had everything I needed.
Many people combine Buddhism with Christianity to great effect which is great. Whatever works is what is most important. For me personally Buddhism on its own is all I need or want or could ever wish for and I don't need anything else.