Buddhism

[ahab]

so lately I've been reading a lot about 'the buddha' and buddhism, see I always thought that buddhists worshipped buddha, but as far as I can tell buddhists dont worship a god per se, more a personal god. Are there any buddhist comrades in here? I am REALLY interested in learning more, I agree with a lot if not everything i've read about it so far from the five precepts and the whole meditation and organic living stuff, even into politics. Its all very interesting and I want to learn more

[RedStarOverChina]

It's usually not a good sign when a lefty shows "appreciation" for archaic superstition.

Buddhists are really good at sophistry and disguising the true nature of their religion...After all, they'd been debating with other religions for 2,000 years.

What exactly did you like about Buddhism?

The five precepts ("five noble truths")?

[Janus]

see I always thought that buddhists worshipped buddha, but as far as I can tell buddhists dont worship a god per se, more a personal god
There are many different variations of Buddhism. Some do worship/venerate various different buddhas.


even into politics
Except that the practical manifestation of Buddhism in the political sphere has resulted in some of the most backward nations in East Asia such as Tibet for instance pre-1949.


I am REALLY interested in learning more
There are a lot of websites about Buddhism and various Buddhist organizations that you can check out. There are also books, videos,etc. written or created by Buddhist masters and scholars alike that help to better explain the religion and practice.

[ahab]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12, 2007 05:53 pm
What exactly did you like about Buddhism?

The five precepts ("five noble truths")?
I like a lot of what it says, it makes a lot of sense like the four noble truths:
1. Life is suffering;
2. Suffering is due to attachment;
3. Attachment can be overcome;
4. There is a path for accomplishing this.

the whole meditation part of it and unlocking the other 90% of your brain. the five precepts yes, and the overall push towards being a better human being. Now like I said I dont know a lot and thats what I hope to learn, a lot of the spiritual stuff and the explaination of the afterlife I dont know yet, but just from the overview I've seen it seems pretty cool

[Dr Mindbender]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12, 2007 06:41 am
so lately I've been reading a lot about 'the buddha' and buddhism, see I always thought that buddhists worshipped buddha, but as far as I can tell buddhists dont worship a god per se, more a personal god. Are there any buddhist comrades in here? I am REALLY interested in learning more, I agree with a lot if not everything i've read about it so far from the five precepts and the whole meditation and organic living stuff, even into politics. Its all very interesting and I want to learn more
Buddhism isnt a form of theism, (some have even disputed wether it should even be regarded as a religion) its a philosophy which dictates that human beings can acheive a state of perfection called 'buddhahood' by practicing meditation and compassion to all other living things, hence their big hang up on animal products. The buddha statue is used as a symbol of inspiration, it is not a form of idle worship. Rather than believing in an afterlife, buddhists believe that their souls will reincarnate, and transfer to another living entity like a flame passing from candle to candle. The lifeform they become will depend on 'karma' and the merit of their deeds during life. So the most compassionate will get to become human again, while the evil-doers will become shit-eating bacteria.

[Janus]

the whole meditation part of it and unlocking the other 90% of your brain
Actually, your brain usage isn't limited to only 10%, that's a myth.


It's usually not a good sign when a lefty shows "appreciation" for archaic superstition.
I usually find it ironic how such superstititions are adopted by Westerners at a time when they are being shed by many East Asians due to the major problems wrecked by the religious and traditional dogma in the later 19 and early 20th centuries.


Now like I said I dont know a lot and thats what I hope to learn, a lot of the spiritual stuff and the explaination of the afterlife I dont know yet, but just from the overview I've seen it seems pretty cool
I think a lot of Westerners get interested in East Asian religions for superficial reasons such as its outside appearance and its general mystical and mysterious nature. However, few realize/understand the actual traditions and manifestations of such religions in the Orient and how their reactionary nature was responsible for many of the problems that it faced when the European powers originally invaded.

You can become and develop yourself as a human being without delving into such mysticism and superstition. But if you're simply curious about the religion, then I recommend reading some of the introductiory material written by the major Buddhist practitioners as well as the actual texts of the religion.

Buddhanet (http://www.buddhanet.net/)

[luxemburg89]

the whole meditation part of it and unlocking the other 90% of your brain.

That '90%' is, as proposed by psychologists, your unconscious. Delving too deep into that could make you unhappy and could result in anxiety disorders. The nature of the unconscious is such, or so says the theory, that we are not meant to consciously process it. I hate to be Freudian - well this is perhaps more Baddeley than Freud - but the unconscious is perhaps meant to remain that way. My main qualm with Buddhism is that knowing everything would make you depressed; There is nothing more to know and you know everything bad as well as good. The search for knnowledge is dead, the search for happiness is nulled by equal misery - Buddhism seems to be foolish to me. But hey, that's just my opinion.

[Dr Mindbender]

it is not possible to know 'everything' by definition, because the universe around us is constantly changing.

[Janus]

My main qualm with Buddhism is that knowing everything would make you depressed
Except that's not the main goal of Buddhism, they don't seek knowledge in and of itself. Buddhists seek to develop themselves through meditation and life as well enlightenment in order to transcend their "psychological bounds" or "mental fetters". In order to achieve the type of calm that most seek, meditation is particularly stressed for purposes of practice and focus.

[ComradeRed]

Originally posted by ahab+June 12, 2007 04:35 pm--> (ahab @ June 12, 2007 04:35 pm)
[email protected] 12, 2007 05:53 pm
What exactly did you like about Buddhism?

The five precepts ("five noble truths")?
I like a lot of what it says, it makes a lot of sense like the four noble truths:
1. Life is suffering;
2. Suffering is due to attachment;
3. Attachment can be overcome;
4. There is a path for accomplishing this. [/b]
Actually, according to the Lotus Sutra, there is no number 4 ;)

[Eleutherios]

Originally posted by ahab+June 13, 2007 12:35 am--> (ahab @ June 13, 2007 12:35 am)
[email protected] 12, 2007 05:53 pm
What exactly did you like about Buddhism?

The five precepts ("five noble truths")?
I like a lot of what it says, it makes a lot of sense like the four noble truths:
1. Life is suffering;
2. Suffering is due to attachment;
3. Attachment can be overcome;
4. There is a path for accomplishing this. [/b]
Whether or not you "like" it is irrelevant. What is relevant is whether or not these beliefs are true. It amazes me how often religious types confound what is actually true with what they are most comfortable believing in. There is a difference. A huge one.

the whole meditation part of it and unlocking the other 90% of your brain.
It also amazes me how many people still buy the urban legend that we only use 10% of our brains. All neurologists agree: we use 100% of our brains, and there is a damn good reason for that. Natural selection prefers the animal that gets the most efficiency out of its body, and there is no reason an animal would evolve a large, complicated organ like the human brain that uses up a lot of precious energy and then fail to use it to anything more than a tenth of its potential.
http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percnt.htm