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Different Beliefs of Buddhist Teachings
Alright, so I have taken refuge in the three jewels, I am constantly revisiting the four noble truths and eight fold path, along with basic meditation. Though as I delve deeper into Biddhism, I see beliefs that require faith - I have no problem continuing my studies while rejecting ideas such as rebirth, etc.
My question: what are the official positions of rebirth, karma(carrying through rebirth), and other faith-based claims in the different schools of Buddhism?
I know in the west just following 4NT and 8FT without extras is common, but I'm curious what an East Asian, conservative view point would be.
My question: what are the official positions of rebirth, karma(carrying through rebirth), and other faith-based claims in the different schools of Buddhism?
I know in the west just following 4NT and 8FT without extras is common, but I'm curious what an East Asian, conservative view point would be.
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Comments
In the Theravada Suttas, it is reported the Buddha said those who do not believe in rebirth may adopt & practice these three unskillful activities: bad bodily conduct, bad verbal conduct, bad mental conduct. Although the Buddha did not generally recommend gambling, the Buddha said believing in rebirth is a "safe bet"; it is like making a good throw of a dice twice. (Apannaka Sutta)
However, it can be argued it is gambling because each time the mind entertains the notion of rebirth, this is becoming (bhava).
Kind regards
1. One lifetime is already a plateful, why bother so much with the other lifetimes?
2. Buddhism is a medieval religion, from a historical perspective, its doctrines were suited to the era then. It may be deemed unscientific today, just like many are now questioning the resurrection of a certain cult leader 2000 yrs ago. It's really no big deal.
The concept of rebirth is very much entrenched in the Eastern culture, as evident in its movies/songs and other cultural manifestations.
In a sense it's correct, a lot of people will do what they want if they think they won't get punished, so in that way I suppose beliefs in rebirth/divine judgement would have some benefit controlling the less ethically motivated part of the population. I think if you choose to follow the religious life though, rather than just being born into it, you're already inclined to lead a moral life so the beliefs are probably unnecessary.
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Good. Just continue your practice and keep an open mind. You don't really need to believe anything at all in order to cross your legs, erect your spine, sit still, shut up and focus the mind, do you?
My teacher once observed that for the first four or five years of practice, belief and hope were necessary. "After that, they are not so necessary." In my experience, he was just speaking the plain old truth.
Okay, so I'm pretty sure that Therevada highly recommends rebirth, etc.
How about Mahayana, Thich Naht Hanh?
Just curious if I'm in the minority or REALLY in the minority
He helped me when I look back. Long story.
For my money, you don't have to be a Buddhist to observe that everything changes ... always. So, is the person who began writing this post the same or different from the person writing it now or reading it now? Like water rushing down a stream, isn't it just the same old water with new swirls and eddies?
Believing in rebirth ... isn't that a little like using energy to believe the sky is blue when the sky is already blue?
The idea advertised by orthodox Buddhism is that karma functions across multiple lifetimes, that seeds were planted in your mental continuum long in the past and now you have karmic potentials that will blossom at any moment. This explains why, for instance, many Tibetan lamas who led very constructive lives were thrown into Chinese concentration camps for no apparent reason; it was to exhaust old karmic debts. The same man who wrote this article also confesses that it's very common and expected for western Buddhists to not believe in literal rebirth, or as he dubs it--dharma-lite. This is perfectly fine, though keep in mind, it more or less eliminates Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism because they depend on developing bodhicitta to become a bodhisattva which necessitates rebirth.