Thread: Couple of Q's about religion in general

Through family im Christian/catholic but im more Universalism.

God=Love is what alot of ppl say.
Here are some good links
http://www.buddhaweb.org/
http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/buddhaintro.html
http://www.fwbo.org/buddhism.html

My interpretation of buddhism is that it is to become one with oneself or be divine. There is no creator god, but one learns to ge into the enlightened state. You have to let go of desires, be selfless.

Yeah my lazy but is back after too long away... no LD's to report

Anyways... I saw a very good description of what ZEN is somewhere. Lost the site now The only one I can remember is if you built a fence around it there would be nothing inside
And some other much learned guy saying after long meditation "I have learned that my eyes are horizontal and my nose is vertical"

Don't mind the od spot of Taoist philosophy myself:
"To regard the fundamental as the essence, to regard things as coarse, to regard accumulation as deficiency, and to dwell quietly alone with the spiritual and the intelligent -- herein lie the techniques of Tao of the ancients."

I don't think I could give a breif description of what I belive in.

Hi Tsen,

I hesitate to call my worldview "Buddhism," but it is highly informed by and largely in accord with the teachings of the Buddha as I understand them so far. You'll find a lot of different kinds of "Buddhists" out there, as with any religion--some as dogmatic as any born-again right-winger, others so vague and ill-informed that they could fit any religious category, or none.

My view of what the Buddha taught: First, beliefs aren't central, practice is. The Buddha's aim was to eliminate suffering and the causes of suffering; his path was to develop a clear view of all phenomena, without any prejudice or obscuration; his means on this path was meditation. Having attained his aim for himself, he set out to teach others, and did so for fifty years, generating a large body of texts (transcripts of verbal instruction). All of the teachings on rebirth, karma, no-self, etc. are only aids, however--one can come to an intellectual understanding of any of these, but without applying effort to meditation to verify them for yourself, you cannot escape the causes of suffering.

The central insight that freed the Buddha from suffering and opened all knowledge to him was dependent origination. There were many teachers in the Buddha's time--different schools of Brahminism were the most "traditional" and dominant, holding that there was a creator-entity that must be worshiped, and that he valued his priestly caste above all others. Others taught of an ultimate "self" that could be realized through meditation. The Buddha studied under the most famous teachers of his time for six years, and found them lacking. He practiced extreme asceticism, barely eating and abusing his flesh nearly to the point of death, all with little result. Finally, he took a bowl of rice and milk offered by a peasant woman, then chose a nearby tree, sat down, and vowed not to rise until he had solved for himself this problem of suffering. He saw that all the "Ultimates" and "Ideals" were illusory--there was no supreme being, nor any ideal self. Everything instead depended on everything else for its form and identity. Nothing existed in and of itself in any lasting way, but instead all forms were impermanent, all things depended on almost infinite causes, and gave rise to almost infinite future forms. Suffering depended upon attachment and aversion to these impermanent forms, and fundamentally upon ignorance or forgetfullness regarding the real state of things, the deep unity of all phenomena.

I'm offering, of course, my limited understanding. For a broad view of many different schools of Buddhism, check out E-SANGHA at http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php? --it's the most active and diverse Buddhist forum I've found. I'd also recommend The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, by Sogyal Rinpoche, and The Way of Siddhartha, by David SomethingHindi (I forget, and I gave the book away). The first is an overview of Tibetan Buddhism through all the stages of life; the second is a very down-to-earth biography of the Buddha, from childhood to death.

Xisdence--be careful with FWBO. While there are definitely some devoted practitioners among them, there has also been a pattern of sexual misconduct in the organization, from the founder on down. I've heard specifically of bad experiences with the New Zealand branch within the past couple years. It is a British organization, and you know where the English traditionally send their troublemakers

Taosaur pretty much explained the Buddhist fundamentals. Let me clarify what he said alittle more. Buddhist believe that suffering is created by our thoughts, our material desires, our negative egos in general. Our minds can create our own bondage. Contrary to popular belief Buddhists do not revere Buddha as "God". Buddha(s) (there have been more than one), are considered to be enlightened ones who reincarnate for the specific purpose of teaching others. A prophet as you will. Buddhists generally consider "Jesus", and others like him, to have been a profit as well. Buddhists merely strive to reach the same level of awareness and consciousness as the Buddha. So he is deeply respected and revered, but not treated as "God." He is treated/considered a Master. Buddhists feel that with practice and self discipline that anyone can reach nirvana.

I personally don't believe in any one religion in it's entirety. In fact I think religions in general are too restrictive, because they set boundaries and limits to what may be considered truth and practice. Some are worse than others. Many different religions have some wonderfully insightful passages and practices but I think the "truth" of how everything flows together can only be found inside you. But I do incorporate alot of Buddhist and Taoist practices/meditations into my daily life. When you begin to practice or simply study/research a particular religion or sacred texts, you'll simply "know" intuitively what is "Truth." It will resonate as truth throughout your entire being. The one thing about Buddhism is that it has a tendancy to stress the "spiritual", but does not incorporate the importance of the physical. Sitting on the grounds of a Buddhist Monastary will help you tremendously in your development while you are there. But can you maintain that same center of bliss or "Zen" when you return to the "real world."

So I think it's important to read up on many different religions and go with what feels "right" to you, not having to stay in one specific label. Of course if you read up on other religions and decide you want to practice one in it's entirety, than that may very well be your path. And at least you will be correctly informed on other types of religions and their beliefs/practices. Too many times I hear people make statements out of ignorance.

But anyway......Another topic where I just couldn't help myself.

I didn't vote because right now I'm non-religious. Atheism is definitely a religion that professes faith in a materialistic universe explained by science. I understand that all religion is a result of family or peer influence, or the desire(ironic for buddhists) to achieve happiness.

"Religion is the opiate of the masses."

I believe it was Twain who said that, and he was right. Religion cannot be logically arrived at without relying on potentially false premises. Buddhism is a way of life that seeks to minimize suffering and adopts a view of the universe based on what would be best in order to achieve this. I think most religions are a way of attaining the same goal: the end of suffering. It is this hope that religions offer, and that so many people cling to without reason.

Maybe it is worth clinging to, in a world without moral absolutes it definitely seems worth it, but it is difficult, once you realize the uncertainty of everything, to throw reason aside and embrace a belief is difficult.

If you choose a religion choose wisely, choose the one that you think will make you as happy as possible, or fullfill whatever ends you want it to.

When nothing can be proved in the positive, and very few things in the negative, maybe it is better to forget about proof, reason, and guidance all together and live in the way of your choosing without reason.

Athiest.

Originally posted by reikigirl
Buddha(s) (there have been more than one), are considered to be enlightened ones who reincarnate for the specific purpose of teaching others.

A lot of Buddhists would disagree with that statement, on a number of grounds, and many others would agree with it wholeheartedly.

Buddhism is pretty diverse. It has developed over 2600 years, widely spread out in often isolated societies, usually with no Vatican-type institution stomping out "heresies," or divergent views and practices. Like I said, I hesitate to say I am "Buddhist" or a practitioner of "Buddhism," because these terms mean almost nothing on their own, and because I haven't taken refuge under any of the various specific traditions included under those terms. I can only say that my worldview is largely informed by the teachings of the historical Buddha and those who carry his various lineages, and by practices derived from those teachings.

I agree with many of the ideals of Buddhism that I've heard, and many more of the ones that you have just informed me of. Buddhism seems like a great idea, not always as a religion, but just as a set of values in general. They've got the right idea about helping the world and such. Thanks for the input, guys!

Anybody else have any questions about another religion?

Originally posted by Tsen
Buddhism seems like a great idea, not always as a religion, but just as a set of values in general.

Great point. I don't necessarily think placing Buddhism under the religion umbrella is an accurate depiction. In the popular sense of the term "religion", then yes perhaps you might be able to make that argument. I think it is less likely to make such an argument in a more traditional sense of the term; which is why I prefer to view Buddhism as a "life philosophy" or a "philosophy of life".

As a side note, on books about Buddhism, "What the Buddha Taught" by Walpola Rahula is a fantastic resource for any Westerner in breaking into the philosophy and wrapping your head around the teachings of the Buddha. Rahula wrote this book specifically with the Western reader in mind, and the end contains a wonderful selection of sermons and sayings by the Buddha. Really a great book.

I am a wiccan, aka a witch.

Some of you knew that.