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Growing closer to God
banned_crab
Veteran
They say by doing good deeds with right intention you grow closer to God. In my interpretation this means you are growing closer to 'becoming' God.
So what are some good deeds that I can do that are listed in religions?
I really only know forgiveness thats all, im not good with religion stuff.
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Comments
@heyimacrab Soooo you want to become "God"? What does God mean to you?
@AldrisTorvalds - oh! oH! OH! Can I answer pleeeeease?????
j/k
I think you should check with whoever said that in the first place. And while you're at it, ask them if you have correctly interpreted the meaning of what they say.
I think trying to become anything misses the point.
Giving money to people is a good start.
My bank account details are.......
;-)
My face is really scrunched up and with a pained look I think, "yeah..."
Sort of. Had I never thought to become enlightened, I would have never realized how far I had to go to get there...or how close I always was. Duality makes speaking useless sometimes...but anyway...
All beliefs can get us into trouble...does it really matter which one leaves us last? And incidentally, as there is no voice inflection in type - I know that many ask questions to which they already know, or believe they know the answer. I wasn't asking that way.
In all seriousness though, do you really need a religion to tell you what a good deed is?
You gotta be kidding.
Thats true but to 'Miss the point' is atcually the defintion of a sin. Therefore you are saying that my quest to find good deeds is a sin.
Are you for real or is this all a joke?
I apologize for my bad choice of words. I had no idea that it meant that.
At first I was going to just say "Generosity/giving/dhana", but the words "becoming God" in your OP bothered me.
Whats wrong with becoming god. God is forgiving,generous and unconditionally loving. Everything that you experience which is 'good' about yourself is your god self,the great self,the atman whatever you want to call it. Every negative feeling is your animal/human self who is selfish.
My confusion with this is that you state that you don't know much about religion. That makes me assume you are perhaps an athiest?
Then you start typing things about sin, god, atman etc.
I think I am best to leave this thread alone as I am just becoming more confused.
Take care!
Well, a Buddhist person would perhaps say that Compassion, Mercy, and Love for many would be positive things to cultivate. To me, becoming God misses the point, as others have said, while finding good things to do -- well each chooses his or her own set of things to try to do good. That is, to my thought, why Karma/Kamma is also taught, to keep us from getting to much of egoistically acting or wanting to. Many of us think that even wanting to be God is something not to be wished for, while joining God due to good works is something to be wished for.
So, I believe in an infinite being, though not a wrathful one, more an encouraging one. I, in my humble monkeyness, need a reason to do good. Different strokes, though, on that.
Becoming god doesnt mean what you think it is. It is simply allowing my Light side to shine through godly deeds. Forgiveness and love are not of humanity but of god. So by experiencing love and forgiveness I can experience god. I am not becoming anything but rather experiencing god until I evolve from human.
Some people blend Buddhism with God/God religions, but overall, Buddhism is usually non-theistic in the sense that there is not an all powerful, all knowing, superior being that created all and is in charge of all. For me, that idea doesn't work and I tend to be (for myself) more of a "God, as I know Him to be, does not exist" kind of person. Most, though not all, Buddhists tend not to believe in God and Sin in the way you have mentioned, which is why your post is met with confusion.
In Buddhism, striving often means clinging, which is exactly what Buddhism teaches to avoid.
So it really depends what you mean by God and what you mean by Sin and good deeds. In Buddhism, one doesn't do good deeds in order to achieve something. It is a natural result of a training of the mind.
I'm a little confused on the mentions of God and Sin in the way you have brought them in a Buddhist forum. It's possible you have reconciled God and atman and Godself. But to most others, those terms mean different things.
If you would liken God to enlightenment (as opposed to some minor middle eastern deity) then the good deeds to start bringing you closer to God/enlightenment would require your manifestation of the 4 NT & 8 FP.
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I misunderstood your definition of God at first. Sorry.
First of all, the word "sin" is a word totally alien to the Buddhist tradition. There are skillful and unskillful actions. Actions that produce good results, actions that lead to suffering. Choice is yours.
And again, as it has been said above, Buddhism is a non-theistic religion/belief, which leaves the concept of "God" out of the equation.
And then, what if instead of getting closer to God or aiming to be like a God, you simply practiced to become a better version of yourself?
Being the best person you can ever be is enough of a task for a lifetime (maybe more), so figure trying to be like God!
Good actions are actions that you carry out for their own sake, without any hidden agenda, without any thought of praise, without any stock-taking. You simply do good because you have understood that's the way to live. We don't talk about doing good. We simply do it.
my thinking says: well, till we experience the ultimate truth directly by ourselves, till then whatever we do, there is always a hidden agenda behind it for doing that thing, whether that hidden agenda be unskillful or skillful.
Stop avoiding common knowledge . . . and Google (is your friend)
http://www.giyf.com/
At the moment you are acting licke [sic] a Shape Shifting Cod, something fishy there . . .
_. . . and now back to the inner lite . . ._ :wave:
"Becoming closer to God" asserts that there is some separation from God. But if God is considered to be omnipresent, how well would such a separation square with reality?
And maybe a similar question could be asked of "enlightenment."
Good actions mean nothing if there is no right intention. Too many people try to be a good "Person". But the word "person" derives from Greek language and it actually refers to the masks worn in a play. I dont want to be a better person, because that is just an illusory sense of self. To become God means to actually feel forgiveness and love through my heart instead of through my mind.
In Tibetan Buddhism (and in other forms as well, as I understand) heart and mind aren't meant to be separate. The idea that they are is an entirely western construct. I don't agree that good actions mean nothing if the intention is not there. There has to be some sense of good/proper/right intention if a person is to do a good act at all. Of course, one has to be operating from a true sense, as we all know "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" but of course I am talking about operating from that place of heart.
Sometimes, one has to fake it until they make it though. When learning a new way of living, we have to work our way up to that true, right intention by performing good deeds no matter what the motivation happens to be. If the motivation is to make ourselves feel good, people the deeds were directed at still benefit. The deed doesn't cease to be a good deed if your motivation was feeling good yourself. In time, as you progress through practice and understanding and the doing of good deeds, you will come to do them just because it is the right thing to do, motivated truly by love and compassion. But one cannot simply postpone doing good deeds until they are there. Then you just deprive yourself of the practice and deprive others of being recipients of good deeds.
I personally used to always do good deeds for selfish intent. I didnt realize it until I thought about it, I believe it is true about most people. We do it for some selfish motif down the line. Being honest with yourself is important or else youll always be in the wrong. I wanted to find the right intentions and I found them in buddhism. Metta meditation is one of the only things ive ever done with good intent.
I've heard it said that as we grow we go from:
Unconsciously self centered to;
Consciously self-centered to;
Consciously other centered to;
Unconsciously other centered.
Once you reconcile the trouble with the words 'self' and 'other' you probably have a good Buddhist road map as well.
Thanks this Is a great post. What Is a
buddhist road map.
I'm also suck between consciously self centered and consciously other centered.
@heyimacrab what you are expressing is a view closer to advaita vedanta rather than buddhism. However even an infinite self is still bound by the concept of a self. Its my perspective that buddha nature is pure, bright, luminous and boundless awareness.
What Is a buddhist road map...
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The Buddhist road map is the Dhamma.
You're also simply 'stuck'.
The diverse topics of your threads genuinely concern me.
Are you on medication or under a therapist at all?
I"m serious.
anybody who goes to a psychologist ought to have his head examined
@heyimacrab, I think I like you. You're a bit auto-didactic (self-taught) and some of what you say would then fall on ears incapable of listening. But it's your ears that count for you!
Oh, Hamartia (Greek, for "missing the target.") Lotsa folks on NB wouldn't know that.
Growing closer to 'becoming' God, as you call it @heyimacrab, is what the Russian Orthodox call Apotheosis (or divinization or deification). It's based on the philosophy that our essential nature is divine and that we are called upon to refine that and bring it to a higher level. One person above, Lonely Traveller, I believe, said this was an Vedantic ideal and that is true so far as it goes, overlooking Christian thought. Another said that the concept of sin was foreign to Buddhist tradition. That might be true to a point, but the idea of sin is not foreign to the societies in which Buddhist Dharma prevails over other spiritual thought systems.
@heyimacrab, HHDL uses the term "God" in many of his writings. I'm not at all concerned that he'll have a lot to answer for in future lives, though.
I, for one, am not concerned about your mental health. I think I'd find you quite open, friendly, and well-integrated within yourself.
Thank you, you seem to understand. I come here to speak to open minded 'outsiders' of society but it seem that I only find more people who sound like my mother. I dont tell anybody this stuff because they would think im crazy and sure enough it happens in a place were I would think it to be appropriate.
I don't think anyone thinks you are crazy, but we probably largely sound like your mother because we are mostly old enough to be your mother, LOL. Older adults tal from different places of experience than young people. Believe me, I go through the same discussions with my 17 year old, and they inevitably end in "One day, you'll be an adult an you'll understand." And it's true, because once upon a time, my parents told me that, and low and behold, it's true. And their parents told them, and again, at least mostly true. Perspectives change greatly when you go through life. Buddhists aren't outsiders of society. We just live within it in different ways, and even then, only if our practice is going well. We are still quite subject to all the influences and difficulties.
Is it true? most of these users are old mothers? No its not true. Mothers dont know how to use computer.
I was using a computer before you were born.
Your not a mother your a robot
Is that what I said? Or did I say that the uses here are probably mostly old enough to be your mother?
I'm a mother. Been using a computer since 1984ish and been on the internet since 1993. My mom is almost 60, and she also uses a computer and the internet. Astounding!
The majority of the users who participate regularly here, are quite a bit older than 20. Not all, of course. But quite a few. So the perspective on life topics will be coming from a generation or more removed from you.
You want to get so close to the gods that you're indulging in "hubris". Yes, you can google that, I guess. Remember the gods punished human beings for hubris.
And I'm sure your mother is right. All along. Whatever.
And we all mothers use computers. We don't sit around knitting socks any more.
And before you were born, there were the Buddha, and Plato, and Socrates, and Confucius, and Jesus, and Einstein, all a good bunch of oldies. Yes, some good things happened before you were born. The world began long before you were born.
Had some rough experiences there, have you? You wouldn't be alone!
You aren't crazy.
Why did you assume there are open-minded 'outsiders' of society here? How did you come to know that's who you were supposedly speaking to? I'm not picking on you. This is a genuine question. We all do this, we assume stuff about others that's based on our needs, rather than what the other people really are. As it is you are so disappointed that in truth we are just 'us'. I could let that get to me . . . :P
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MODERATOR NOTE:
This is predominantly a Buddhist forum, created to discuss matters predominantly concerned with using a Buddhist approach.
It's not a general chat forum for use as a place to vent and talk about any old thing you just pluck out of thin air. Neither is it a substitute for professional psychology, psychiatry or therapy.
If you want to simply "noodle " as @genkaku so eloquently puts it, go on facebook, or other similar social networks.
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And to be perfectly direct with you, I am of the opinion that speaking to a therapist should not be so disrespectfully dismissed. There are members of this forum who have needed to, and still need to avail themselves of such assistance.
Your pseudo-humorous reply is frankly, insulting and belittles both them and the care and assistance they are receiving.
Either have a bit more respect for members here, or accept the consequences of your glib rudeness.
They say by doing good deeds with right intention you grow closer to God. In my interpretation this means you are growing closer to 'becoming' God.
So what are some good deeds that I can do that are listed in religions?
I really only know forgiveness thats all, im not good with religion stuff.
If you seek to convince others then I suppose there is a purpose in telling others.
If you seek to convince yourself then again I suppose there is a purpose in telling others.
Otherwise, what drives you to tell others (here or anywhere else)?
You say that you're not good with religious stuff and are seeking good deeds to espouse so either you can grow closer to god / become god.
This seems like a religious idea though - how can you personally embark on this quest if underlying it, you acknowledge that you're not good at religious stuff?
One benefit of bouncing ideas around is that one is provided with a different perspective which in turn may serve as a catalyst for a personal shift in perspective. If one encounters consistent derision, there is an argument to suggest that perhaps some part of the confusion rests at home or at least I suppose it begs an honest enquiry.
God is an insider, not an outsider. Being human is a far greater accomplishment than being Cod. People mean well, make use of their experience, expect their experience to be different to your expectations. More platitudes available . . .
:wave: :thumbsup:
Apotheosis (You can google that, too!) is not hubris.
Fortunately, we are at present steering pretty clear of politics...
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What the heck is that, anyway? What is it about us, on this forum, that makes you term us as 'outsiders'...? What have we done to deserve that term of ostracism..?
You may feel that way but please trust me, I do not identify with that term at ALL.
And I sincerely doubt anyone else does either..
Is he saying that in our Western culture we are outside the mainstream? If that is what he means, I guess I can understand the statement...sort of.
What he's doing is hubris, not apotheosis. And I'm done here.
@heyimacrab in the Opening Post said, I think innocuously enough:
Claire Booth Luce is credited with saying:
Censorship, like Charity, should begin at home. But, unlike Charity, it should end there.
I think that in certain instances she'd say the same about censure. Whence cometh all this unfriendliness? Let people be who they are and follow the bliss in their own hearts.
Are you done, @Nirvana...?
Care to get back to topic, now? (That was a rhetorical question, by the way.)
I agree with you fed with the exception that I don't believe you or anyone on here can give a diagnosis. Even a professional therapist would need to interview imacrab in person to determine if he/she is mentally ill rather than simply read posts on here.