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What are People's thoughts on Buddhism VS Spirituality?

DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
edited November 2010 in Buddhism Basics
What are people's thoughts on Buddhism VS Spirituality? Can one Ascend through Buddhism?

Comments

  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited October 2010
    How is there a "versus"? The spiritual path (spirituality) in Buddhism is one of the cessation of suffering through one's own efforts. As such one can "ascend" beyond the states of woe (as well as the heavenly realms) by following the Noble Eightfold Path and developing one's view rightly through insight-meditation, or Vipassana.

    If you mean to equate Buddhism and a specific other religion, it's not easy to do. The goal of Buddhism is liberation from suffering in this life; it isn't a set of things to simply believe in, or as a device to make sure one "ascends" to heaven and not hell. In Buddhist concept, there is no permanent abode, and so ascent into a heavenly realm can not be an ultimate goal.

    Buddhism does not deny the teachings of other religions, nor does it acknowledge the truth of them. It is concerned solely with suffering and the cessation of suffering; both of which can be known in this very life, conditions allowing.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Would it not be a better view to see Buddhism as a support for spirituality? To see them as somehow in opposition may be to confuse categories.
  • edited October 2010
    I have a problem with word spirituality. I don't know what it means.

    I certainly don't believe in spirits or souls. From that perspective I don't believe in spirituality. And what has drawn me to buddhism was precisely the logical aspect of it, and the recognition of no self that can be separated from the body.
  • edited October 2010
    Yes, please clarify the words "spirituality" and "Ascend".
  • thickpaperthickpaper Veteran
    edited October 2010
    For me "spirituality" is about the irreducible and emergent phenomena of human existence. It doesn't need to be mystical, but it is certainly a whole new kind of thing not found in science and nature.

    In the sense that ""love" is an emergent/transcendent/irreducible relation between two or more individuals, "spirituality" is a relation been an individual and their place in reality.

    Dharma may be or may not be mystical, but it is certainly spiritual, in my opinion.
  • edited October 2010
    ^ so basically emergent/transcendent/irreducible = subjective abstract experience ?
  • edited October 2010
    Epicurus wrote: »
    ^ so basically emergent/transcendent/irreducible = subjective abstract experience ?

    ???
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Spirituality is a process rather than a state or accumulation of beliefs and practices.

    It starts with a collection of concepts and convictions. In Buddhism, for example, the Four Noble Truths and how we understand them Other concepts may also be present, along with presuppositions and prejudices about, say, Ultimate Reality (God, liberation, and so on). Included in this concatenation are beliefs about who 'I' am, how this 'I' relates to others and the world around me and the purpose, if any, of these convictions.

    This ensemble lead us to make choices about values, likes and dislikes and our life-style and plan. These choices are then underpinned by supportive practices, leading to our individual response experiences. What is often described as 'spirituality' refers to these practices and experiences. These do not, however, stand alone; they are contingent and dependent on the other loci.

    It is these experiences strengthen or challenge our concepts and conviction, to maintain them or to change.

    When I was first shown this model, I realised that it can be applied far beyond what is normally deemed 'spiritual'. Indeed, it may be seen as a description of scientific method with experiment and supportive evidence as the supportive practice locus

    I am grateful for this model to Sister Ishpriya. I have it in schematic form and shall be posting it on my blog.
  • edited October 2010
    ???

    Thickpaper used the example of "love".

    Love is a purely subjective abstract concept. It's not present in the world of "facts".
  • thickpaperthickpaper Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Epicurus wrote: »
    ^ so basically emergent/transcendent/irreducible = subjective abstract experience ?

    No, I don't think so. Lots of all experience is subjective, and lots of it is abstract.

    When I say "emergent" I mean that something new arises in the world, that wasn't there before, wasn't introduced from outside and isnt reducible or explainable to what was there.

    Wonderful things can arise from nothingness:)

    namaste
  • JoshuaJoshua Veteran
    edited October 2010
    @ Simon - pretty interesting, the chart that is.

    I had to really think about it for a moment and apply examples to it. But yeah, I believe that's quite possibly spirituality right there ;)
  • edited October 2010
    thickpaper wrote: »
    No, I don't think so. Lots of all experience is subjective, and lots of it is abstract.

    When I say "emergent" I mean that something new arises in the world, that wasn't there before, wasn't introduced from outside and isnt reducible or explainable to what was there.

    Doesn't that kind of go against the laws of karma and causality buddhism holds dear?
  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Thank you everyone.
  • thickpaperthickpaper Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Epicurus wrote: »
    Doesn't that kind of go against the laws of karma and causality buddhism holds dear?

    Hmmmm why would that be?
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Wow... is there gonna be a fight? Is it on pay-per-view, or can I watch Buddhism vs. Spirituality for free?

    :)
  • edited October 2010
    thickpaper wrote: »
    Hmmmm why would that be?

    Well cause and effect. Any one thing that exists, does so because there was something else that enabled that. Causality.

    There's nothing that just "emerges" out of nothingness.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited October 2010
    The way I like to express the same thought is that there is nothing new; no birth and no death, only change. Such is the law of impermanence, and so with karma and conditionality do all transient phenomena arise and pass away.
  • thickpaperthickpaper Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Epicurus wrote: »
    There's nothing that just "emerges" out of nothingness.

    But that is what emergence is, getting something from nothing.

    If you believe that here are no independent things, which is a key tennet of dharma, then must you not also believe that all conditioned things arise from merely the interconectedness of other things (themselves arisen from other connections in change).

    The dharmic mind emerges from the interrelations of form, perception, sensation etc

    The ripening of karma is emergence.

    Enlightenment emerges from practice.

    Matter emergence from the arrangements of its components.

    The middle path emerges from nothingness.

    Emergence is one of the most important aspects of reality and dharma.

    Trancendence is the highest form of emergence.

    I suspect you have or had a mistaken view of what emergence is?

    namaste
  • KundoKundo Sydney, Australia Veteran
    edited November 2010
    Mountains wrote: »
    Wow... is there gonna be a fight? Is it on pay-per-view, or can I watch Buddhism vs. Spirituality for free?

    :)

    I'll bring the popcorn if you bring the soda :lol:
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