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Is Buddhism Obsolete?
I've come to wonder recently if Buddhism is obsolete.
The reason it was invented (or discoverered) in the first place was that people had a lot of suffering. This was back in India 3000 years ago were people lived in shacks, food wasn't very plentiful, and people had very much less luxuries.
These days however... we have so much of everything including entertainment and TV and computers and Coca-Cola.
Don't get me wrong - I enjoy meditating and doing yoga and going to the woods to connect with Mother Earth. That is just icing on the cake.
We live in beautiful times... and it's getting better all the time. With so many people going "green" soon we'll have a utopia on our hands. Maybe not... but these are great times to be alive anyways.
I guess my point is... I don't suffer very much. I'm happy and satisfied. This might be because I live alone and have found my peace, my place. But that is just me.
In fact, I have suffered because of Buddhism... trying to figure stuff out that just plain left me confused. Then finding out... that what I already have is exactly what Buddhism was meant to create. Duh.
So... maybe Buddhism is obsolete... imagine a world without religion ey?
The reason it was invented (or discoverered) in the first place was that people had a lot of suffering. This was back in India 3000 years ago were people lived in shacks, food wasn't very plentiful, and people had very much less luxuries.
These days however... we have so much of everything including entertainment and TV and computers and Coca-Cola.
Don't get me wrong - I enjoy meditating and doing yoga and going to the woods to connect with Mother Earth. That is just icing on the cake.
We live in beautiful times... and it's getting better all the time. With so many people going "green" soon we'll have a utopia on our hands. Maybe not... but these are great times to be alive anyways.
I guess my point is... I don't suffer very much. I'm happy and satisfied. This might be because I live alone and have found my peace, my place. But that is just me.
In fact, I have suffered because of Buddhism... trying to figure stuff out that just plain left me confused. Then finding out... that what I already have is exactly what Buddhism was meant to create. Duh.
So... maybe Buddhism is obsolete... imagine a world without religion ey?
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Yet with all these things, the people with the most luxuries are general less happy than those that have very little. At least thats what i've heard.
TV and computers don't lead to cessation of suffering. In fact, they create it.
Many people think that the their happiness it proportional to how much money they have in their bank accounts, but obviously that's not the case. That's an example of modern suffering.
Surely, you can see how these petty pursuits people have lead to suffering and stem from ignorance. Just like over 3000 years ago.
If anything, Buddhism is more important and applicable now than it was back then.
With coca cola and food like that, the attachment and craving is killing your health more than 1000 year ago and that will bring great suffering.
We still need Buddhism.
Cheers, WK
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PS: I think fire stops a troll from regenerating
That being said, I don't like the approach some buddhists take to life. "Life is suffering" is inaccurate. Life is beautiful. The beauty is not perfect or permanent, hence the need for buddhism. But you're right, the world is a great place and improving all the time. That doesn't make buddhism obsolete, though.
It can be quite peaceful at that time where you can sit at a hut watching the nature... a little boring and bugs might disturb you but it's quite..... tranquil in life.....
These people are not becoming happier or more peaceful, in fact the opposite is very often true.
Buddhism is not about going to the woods to connect with Mother Earth. This Mother Earth is just another condition. I'm not saying there is no beauty in it, tho.
And as others have already said, the Buddhist path is very much about cultivating this understanding of selflessness, which leads you to have compassion for others. So even if 'you' are not suffering, there are many (I'd say most of the humanity), who are.
The social structure has never changed. It's still 80/20, 80% of wealth in the hands of the minority 20%.
With wealth and poverty, attachment arises. Buddhism teaches us not to get attached to either.
Cheers, WK
For me it just makes more mental stuff I have to keep track of. I am aware that Buddhism itself is empty or preaches emptiness. So I've decided to just let it go. That's kinda funny...
I mean... what was the point? A nice sigh of relief? That's just normal... which makes Buddhism sorta irrelevant. We're empty by nature already. We're not attached to anything - by nature.
What is the point... I rather have moments of happiness and moments of sadness than hard core emptiness. Besides, life is not complete without sadness. It's just perfect like the Tao said. "If you mess with it you'll ruin it." So why mess with yourself. You're already perfect.
Buddhism itself preaches that... "we need not to go on the journey at all." "The journey need not be made." Duh.
Oh well... thanks.
The Lord Buddha didn't really emphasize about emptiness, suffering, impermanence and non-self. What he did emphasize was happiness, permanence(Nirvana), self and the methods to achieve them which totally negates suffering, non-self and impermanence respectively.
I'm sorry I don't get it. You're making simple things sound complicated :eek:
those who realize it are internally happy.
it's not nihilism
Bye Milkmoth.....
You don't give a lot of information, however, this might be useful. Its from Khenchen Thrangu commentary on "An Ocean of the Ultimate Meaning" by Wangchuk Dorje (1555-1603), though specifically written in relation to Mahamudra meditation, this particular section is related to Emptiness itself:
Hopefully I'm way off track here. You should know that Buddhism does not lead to a state of apathy, if that were the case I would agree with you. The path is much greater than that and much more rewarding. If you don’t want to find a teacher you really need to read some books that will lead you in the right direction in relation to meditation so that you can recognize deviations and alter your course accordingly.
Good luck, WK
Don't worry - impermanence.
If someone wishes to leave Buddhism, we should wish him well.
Some people of certain faith condemns and hunt down ex-followers. We are not like that. We are graceful and open.
I wish him well in his spiritual journey.
Why don't you try Bonpo, a similair religion to Buddhism?
Eventhough we seem have so many enjoyment in this life but after all, ultimately we only wandering from one realm to another realm in samsara and continuesly experience the 4 river.
Like Ajahn Chah said : "Why are we born? We are born so that we will not have to be born again."
Buddha has pointed out our 'problem', the cause and the way out. If you find it useful, then use it. If not, then leave it. It's all depend on you.
Hi MantraZero,
My concern is not that he's leaving Buddhism, but the possibility that he may have a serious meditative deviation that could cause great harm for himself and others. Hopefully its just garden variety apathy, then that's OK. Meditation is great, but we really shouldn't make it up ourselves. Too many Westerners do that, we have no idea of the potential consequences, at least we could read books from experienced meditators, those that have gone before.
As to Bonpo, without a teacher you could be beset with harmful spirits whether or not you believed in them :eek:!
Cheers, WK
No, in fact, I'd say just the opposite. If anything Buddhism is *more* relevant today than ever before.
I'd say you've misunderstood emptiness. Emotions, just like thoughts, will come and go no matter how 'empty' you become.
Buddhism is not nihilism.
EXACTLY how I feel and felt when I read this post. The modern way of life causes more suffering than that of living in a jungle tribe in my opinion. The simple life is a some what peaceful one
Everyone can use Buddhism for something
I apologize, rereading this it seems more aggressive than I was thinking while typing it, that isn't my intent, just things to think about.
To me, it is not that there is joy and happy things on one side, and on the other suffering; not that you have to consider the balance of the two, and if the joy and happiness begin to outweigh the suffering, then Buddhism becomes more irrelevant.
My undersanding is that "dukkha" is the total context of living as a "self" that is constantly seeing such dualities and striving for more of one and less of the other.
They can truly enjoy the feast who would just as willingly fast (Eckhart)
Cheers, WK