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Buddhism is NOT a religion...
Comments
Nice to have you aboard....
Don't forget to add your piece to the new members' thread - if you want to, that is....
THIS QUOTE IS FANTASTICOAMAZIN'TOBETHINKING-UPON
This Non-Theistic vs Theistic argument is complicated by the fact that our thinking is not totally consistent at all times. Indeed, as we age the more we tend to get confused as we transition from place to place and from activity to activity. Give Peace a Chance and let people be people and gods be gods. Isn't that the main meaning of the Sanskrit word, Dharma, to be a rule unto oneself?
Perhaps reading the Hand Book for Mankind by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu might be helpful in this situation.
Jason
In Buddhism, as opposed to Hinduism, where the term Dharma often connotes duty, it's the exact opposite, letting the self get out of the way so that things are seen and appropriately responded to as they are.
Sometimes I think more wisdom can be had from analyzing pop icons (like Douglas Adams' books, the Simpsons, etc.) than reading assorted ancient texts.
I really need to know, man.
Pain is not good. I know. I work with the elderly.
Shalom-Aloha,
curious worker bee
Define Suffering? I meant for SOMEONE to define it in the Buddhist context, you know, as being caused by selfish craving. Zenmonk pointed out to me somewhere that the Pali term is Dukkha, “for which suffering is a poor translation. A better one is perhaps, 'unsatisfactoriness'.” That is helpful to me as far as it goes, but I have this theoretical problem. Much like this: although Marxism is basically a good antidote to unbridled capitalism, its basic proposition is flawed, that all value is based on the human labour that went into it.
To me, suffering is a result of being deprived of what is desirable, not so much not getting something I want. In short, if I am outdoors in sub-zero (-18ºC) temperatures for sustained periods, I am separated from what is desireable/normative: warmth. If I am ill, I am deprived of feeling well. If I am lonely, I am longing for human companionship. I would call none of these things selfish pursuits.
I repeat, suffering is a result of being deprived of what is desirable, not so much not getting something I want. As for me, working with the elderly (most of them afflicted), I want to be aware of suffering as much as I can and learn daily how to be more compassionate, friendly, pleasant, happy, reassuring, and resourceful.
Maybe all that I am saying is that maybe what the Buddha meant in his Second Noble Truth was:
MOST Unhappiness Is Caused By Selfish Craving.
(Don’t Understand.) What are some good things to read on this?
Longing for human companionship at least keeps people interested in the welfare of their fellows, and that interest is probably the bedrock of what motivates people to do their best so as not to be ostracized from society. I mean that Love is the Key to why things work as well as they do.
Lacking what is needed can teach us to appreciate things when we get them. (And we can't help but want what we need.)
Only a person who has experienced illness can truly understand the sick. (And the sick desire to be well.)
What I want SOMEONE to define, I guess, is how, specifically, Buddhism has brought joy and pointedness to their lives in a way that they can deal with the everyday unhappy, never-content tendencies of the untrained mind. What this world needs is people not burdened down with “unsatisfactoriness” caused by the untrained mind.
I really do LOVE the blessed Lord Buddha. Forgive me if, in places, I make no sense.
May Bliss Precede You
Let the Pathway Behind You Be Littered With Seeds Of Bliss
May Your Very Name Be Bliss
THANKS, Captain Ice-Man[/SIZE]
Through reading understanding and accepting the Four Noble Truths.
Through reading, understanding accepting and adhering to the Eightfold Path.
My life is richer through being simple.
My life is fuller by being less complex.
My joy is infinite through knowing about suffering, and craving
And this is why....
OTHER INSIGHTS ALSO SOUGHT!
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread, but will keep checking.
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread, but will keep checking.
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread, but will keep checking.
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread, but will keep checking.
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread.
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread.
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread.
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread.
I Will Not Repeat This Message On This Thread.
Fondly,
Nirvana
Ok. My insight...
"Buddhism is NOT a religion... "
Whats a matter?
Does it matter?
It doesn't matter to me.
What is a matter anyway?
Either way it really isn't important. "Religion" is after all a human term invented for higher cognitive functions such as speech. You can call it anything you want but the fact that Buddhism is still is.
I suppose "religion" is where you find it and what you call it.
But for me there are other things more helpful to focus on...
I agree.
Genryu,
You have taught me so much through this thread. I see more clearly now. Thank you.
The Buddha was the doctor, the Dhamma is his medicine (its yummy!!! much better than what I usually take:zombie: ) and the Sanga are like the nurses and orderlies......
I try to workout my own salvation diligently, I don't worry about God/Gods. Why should something that finite worry about something that's infinite???? I'm wormbait no matter what.........
"Be a lamp unto thyselves, seek thy own salvation".
Just my two cents.
You have to consider non-philosophical beliefs like karma and reincarnation that contribute to it as a religion. :type:
i don't view these as religious ideal's nor do i see how buddhism is a religion without a god or prayer... medititation is not about reaching a god or living forever nor does it have any such kind of meaning..
i agree that its a philosophy because it invites you to question it and although i really and i mean REAALLY don't understand how any religion like christianity or islam can fit into it.. people do ..
they retain their belief in allah or god and use buddhism to help them live their lifes.. so really .. for me its a philosophy and it teaches you how to live life it doesnt preach or make you pray and it has nothing to do with divine beings
i think lay people ( non buddhists with no knowledge of it ) see it as a religion because they don't understand it very well
"What I am saying comes from my own practice, which is limited."
and his own practice is experience.. what part of it is unsettling?
LOL! Yes, I do. Celebrin, I think HHDL is referring to his practice, which takes place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and goes so much deeper than our own that to call it limited makes ours sound non-existent. lol!
Everyone and everything is limited so i still don't see the relevance of whats unsettling , i don't think thats the meaning at all .
not sure i can even meditate as my spine is very uncomfortable a lot of the time.. not to mention just sitting with your legs crossed and sitting in such a position with that discomfort pretty much negates the purpose.. i can practise other meditation .. just not the main used one lol
OH BY THE WAY .. for the first time ever i passed mystery shopper at work!!
lol guaranteed before i started reading the book i could not smile.. unless. someone was smiling at me.. a lot lol
sooo guess who's a happy smiley person now lol
The question of whether Buddhism is a Philosophy or a Religion, is answered (certainly to MY satisfaction) here....
no person is perfect so yea.. no practise is perfect we all know this to be the truth so its not shocking
ya ya ya i agree
rubbish ! :ukflag:
joking folks,just dropped into say hello.i'll be back.
sorry for first post being off topic.
metta to all
alias shoey the dropout
give this ole beginner time to get used to all this new techno stuff.
seems like a friendly bunch.
well wishes
(sounds like Number 52 with rice....!!)
Yaaaayyyyy!!! That is soooo awesome! Really, really good news. The entire world changes when your face changes into a smile. Beautifully done, Celebrin!
Brigid
kinda like nothing can be described as a specific word.. no human is only deserving of their name
That's very true.
Sending you a hug through cyberspace. lol!!
Brigid
I think this is a great statement and sums up my personal view on philosophies and religions.
So, Buddhists take refuge in Buddha... does that make Buddha some kind source of ultimate truth? You said once (something like) that Buddhism is primarily about knowing and if you believe then you do not know. But you believe that there is no God and I don't think you can possibly know for sure... I don't understand. Maybe I am mixing something up but it seems that your disbelief in God is contradictory to what you were saying about belief in God. Because neither one who believes in God nor one who doesn't believe in God can prove their belief with 100% validity, so I see it as an impossible task to prove or disprove who god is or that such a one exists.
Buddhism will continue to be considered a religion whilst it continues to encumber itself with the trappings of one: rituals, ordinations, "rite words in rote order", initiations and esoteric teachings. And this, whatever the Pope may think!
Not, I would hurry to add, that I think religions are necessarily bad in themselves.
let moutons believe what they want.. they suffer needlessly and are too ignorant to do anything about it or understand much..
One is deeply moved by your commitment to the great compassion, Celebrin.
What is a Buddhist practice without compassion and what is conditional compassion but an expression to the skandhas?
i see a hell of a lotta moutons... all around me at work.. rushing,being aggressive, one acted like he wanted to hit me.. cus out network was down at work and i cudnt do a topup for his phone.. i was polite and tried 4 times to do it and explained it to him.. which he wouldn't accept.. and i didnt want to go into technical aspects of what a network is.. and how it works..
thats ridiculous for me to give him an ICT lesson at work, but i said the very basics... the network here is down temporarily we can't do anything external, like accept credit cards. I'm sorry but i can't help u
i cannot help him, cept be nice to him which i was. But these ppl don't notice when you are nice, it doesn't mean anything to them.Too caught up in selfish ways..
all i see is another person wasting their life, being ignorant of life.U expect me to compassionate, i am to a gd extent, but they are still wasting their life.
I think same of smokers... they killing themselves and fuelling their addiction to make themselves only happy when smoking. They are very weak minded, it is ignorance that they do this.. i still treat em as human beings.
We are all already dead, but im trying to be stronger, conquer my mind and learn.. these guys aren't bothered with anything.. they on par live in a mental ditch, physically weak minds and bodys.. due to ignorance.. to me they are practically walking ghosts.. corpses.. zombies.. u can't get through to them, they continue wandering about.
I like nice ppl, its like ppls faces.. the hard staring eyes of fear.. i don't wanna talk to that person, they are clearly mixed up and single minded. The person with a warm kind face.. yea pls.. id love to talk to u