NationStates Jolt Archive

As an agnostic, I'm pretty committed to the idea of not knowing whether there is a god or not. But recently I've looked into Buddhism, and even though I don't agree with the Buddhist beliefs about some of the spiritual things, I totally agree with most of its philosophies, like kindness, responsibility, and finding yourself. I like it because its more of a philosophy than a religion. What do you guys think about it? And are any of you actually Buddhists?

Buddhism is the act of cleaning your own house.

That just about sums up buddhism for me.

It seems to be a very peaceful religion.

I have never had a Buddist knock on my door, or try to legislate their morality on me.

I think they have a good thing going.

i love buddhism.

i wish i had the opportunity to study it in depth, but i lack the time and resources for new books and as far as i know, the nearest buddhist temples are accross town (plus i'm unsure of the procedure for showing up at one...) the library by my house had some good books, but i'm away at school now.

the closest i've come to a "religious experience" was during my study of buddhism. i was attempting to meditate.

my only disagreement is the no drugs or alcohol thing (wastes human cosciousness) i don't consider the experience of other states of consciousness to be a waste at all. i think it allows for a different perspective on things.

Ultimate peace and Enlightenment.

Well,a Zen Buddhist *wouldn't* think about buddhism, if he could help it. I think.

"What did buddhists do when the Taliban tore down the two giant stone Buddhas? Nothing. What does a Buddhist Terrorist do? Goes in the middle of a busy street, douses himself with kerosene. Foosh. Self barbeque. Other people killing eachother in the name of God are going, 'What the fu*k are you doing?!?'
'Making you deal with your sh*t!' " -Robin Williams.

Buddhism is cool. The world would probably be a better place if more people followed it.

I would too, except I disagree with a few bits, like karma.

"What did buddhists do when the Taliban tore down the two giant stone Buddhas? Nothing. What does a Buddhist Terrorist do? Goes in the middle of a busy street, douses himself with kerosene. Foosh. Self barbeque. Other people killing eachother in the name of God are going, 'What the fu*k are you doing?!?'
'Making you deal with your sh*t!' " -Robin Williams.
umm... the self immolation of a monk in (was it vietnam) was not a terrorist action. i know he wrote this huge note of why he was doing it.

and it is a better way of showing disagreement (though still a last resort) than say, becoming a suicide bomber. taking other people down with you only increases the anger directed towards your cause. if you just take yourself out, it shows that someone was disgusted enough, passionate enough about a cause, and desperate enough to see this as the only way of drawing attention to their cause.

i'm sure that wasn't a good explanation.. but i tried.

I never quite understood why Buddha isn't more popular in the States.
Look at him: A really fat happy guy who lies around doing nothing.
What better example for the Yanks to look up to?

umm... the self immolation of a monk in (was it vietnam) was not a terrorist action. i know he wrote this huge note of why he was doing it.

and it is a better way of showing disagreement (though still a last resort) than say, becoming a suicide bomber. taking other people down with you only increases the anger directed towards your cause. if you just take yourself out, it shows that someone was disgusted enough, passionate enough about a cause, and desperate enough to see this as the only way of drawing attention to their cause.

i'm sure that wasn't a good explanation.. but i tried.

'Try not! Do! Or do not! There is no try." -Yoda

i love buddhism.

i wish i had the opportunity to study it in depth, but i lack the time and resources for new books and as far as i know, the nearest buddhist temples are accross town (plus i'm unsure of the procedure for showing up at one...) the library by my house had some good books, but i'm away at school now.

the closest i've come to a "religious experience" was during my study of buddhism. i was attempting to meditate.

my only disagreement is the no drugs or alcohol thing (wastes human cosciousness) i don't consider the experience of other states of consciousness to be a waste at all. i think it allows for a different perspective on things.


Tisk, buddhism doesnt have an authoritive core of codified doctrine like the western external idolator religions.

If you would like to alter your consciousness with drugs or alcohol, by all means be careful not to hurt yourself or somone else.

I never quite understood why Buddha isn't more popular in the States.
Look at him: A really fat happy guy who lies around doing nothing.
What better example for the Yanks to look up to?

Pecos Bill?

I never quite understood why Buddha isn't more popular in the States.
Look at him: A really fat happy guy who lies around doing nothing.
What better example for the Yanks to look up to?


Probably because anyone turned on by that who then read up on buddhism would learn that siddhartha gautama buddha was an ascetic. And that just doesnt jive so well with americans.

Also, the image of fat buddha is a symbolic one, meant to show his contentment and joy.

Pecos Bill?

For lack of a better word:

Shazam!

Well,a Zen Buddhist *wouldn't* think about buddhism, if he could help it. I think.

har dee har har ;)

Probably because anyone turned on by that who then read up on buddhism would learn that siddhartha gautama buddha was an ascetic. And that just doesnt jive so well with americans.

Also, the image of fat buddha is a symbolic one, meant to show his contentment and joy.

Or it could be that fact that we were build by mostly Christians, are mostly Christians, and probably will remain mostly Christians. If anyone looked up on Jesus they would know that he was most likely Arabic. Yet we are still Christian.

On a lighter note I love buddha statues. Its so fun to poke them in the stomach :) .

Tisk, buddhism doesnt have an authoritive core of codified doctrine like the western external idolator religions.

If you would like to alter your consciousness with drugs or alcohol, by all means be careful not to hurt yourself or somone else.
it's one of the big thingies though.

i think it's right consciousness or thought?

it's one of the big thingies though.

i think it's right consciousness or thought?

yeah, 1 part of the 8-fold path:

1. Right view is the true understanding of the four noble truths.

2. Right aspiration is the true desire to free oneself from attachment, ignorance, and hatefulness.

These two are referred to as prajña, or wisdom.

3. Right speech involves abstaining from lying, gossiping, or hurtful talk.

4. Right action involves abstaining from hurtful behaviors, such as killing, stealing, and careless sex.

5. Right livelihood means making your living in such a way as to avoid dishonesty and hurting others, including animals.

These three are refered to as shila, or morality.

6. Right effort is a matter of exerting oneself in regards to the content of one's mind: Bad qualities should be abandoned and prevented from arising again; Good qualities should be enacted and nurtured.

7. Right mindfulness is the focusing of one's attention on one's body, feelings, thoughts, and consciousness in such a way as to overcome craving, hatred, and ignorance.

8. Right concentration is meditating in such a way as to progressively realize a true understanding of imperfection, impermanence, and non-separateness.

umm... the self immolation of a monk in (was it vietnam) was not a terrorist action. i know he wrote this huge note of why he was doing it.

and it is a better way of showing disagreement (though still a last resort) than say, becoming a suicide bomber. taking other people down with you only increases the anger directed towards your cause. if you just take yourself out, it shows that someone was disgusted enough, passionate enough about a cause, and desperate enough to see this as the only way of drawing attention to their cause.

i'm sure that wasn't a good explanation.. but i tried.
I remember years ago walking past a record store that had a big poster of Rage against the Machine's album cover in the window - the pic of the Monk burning. If you've ever seen it, you'll know how powerful a picture it is. He's sitting in the lotus position and looks completely at peace while totally consumed by flames.
Anyway, just as I was walking past a guy who was staring at the pic intensely turns around, grabs my arm and says:"That man died for his beliefs and religion, and he's still going to Hell because he didn't worship Jesus"
Far be it for me to put words into God's mouth, but I figure that someone so noble in spirit that he was willing to do that to himself as a protest against war and misery is someone God would want next to him, as opposed to a smug narrow-minded sanctimoniuos bigot as was confronting me now.
And I told him this.
He got so wild he started shouting at me about how ppl fought in the War so I could be here today (WTF?) and I should think about that. Warming up, I lied and told him I was German so I supported the other side. I then told him that there's no Christian proof God exists - however Islam, Buddhaism and Hinduism have very strong arguments for His existence.
That really set him off. He became totally incoherrent and yelling that I was going to Hell. I told him that was fine as I would have good company with all my friends. I also said I'd prefer it there if Heaven meant putting up with hypocritical unctuous assholes who feel they have the right to pass judgement on others who have done far more than they ever will.
Bored at this point - and because my bus was approaching - I asked him what the colour of the sky was in his world.
I got on the bus with a barrage of half-formed insults and abuse.

For me, he summed up everything that's wrong with Born-again Christians. The fact they think themselves superior to everyone else. I live in a Buddhist society and so far no-one has ever tried to convert me, tell me I'm going to Hell (pretty impossible really as they don't have one) or annoy me with their beliefs. The only thing I have happen to me has been a monk coming up and asking for donations for his temple and giving me a Buddhist bracelet.

where do you live, demented hamsters?

Probably because anyone turned on by that who then read up on buddhism would learn that siddhartha gautama buddha was an ascetic. And that just doesnt jive so well with americans.

Also, the image of fat buddha is a symbolic one, meant to show his contentment and joy.
Well, Jesus preached tolerance to all, pacifism and turning the other cheek. Yet a majority of Americans claim to be totally committed to his teachings.
So I'm sure they'd conveniently overlook the parts of Buddha's teachings that may run contra to what they want, and only focus on the more 'useful' parts.
Like being really fat and happy.

where do you live, demented hamsters?
Hong Kong. Yes I know it's not a strong Buddhist society, but it is the dominant religion here. You see them everywhere with their wee shaved heads and brown sheet-togas.

it's one of the big thingies though.

i think it's right consciousness or thought?



Depends on if you're the sort of buddhist who makes strict adherance to the kind of stuff put out by organizations like the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai in japan, sort of buddhist-bibles one could say.

Bear in mind though that buddhism is a wide ranging collection of philosophies and that you should feel no compulsion to take the teachings of any one as authoritive.

A very good book on the topic is "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse.

It's a very small book and Hesse won the nobel prize for literature.

It would be in the literature or fiction section, it isnt a philosophical treatise or anything.

You should be able to pick it up at a borders or waldens or barnes and noble for about 6$, or used for a dollar. Libraries should also have it.


Additionally, if you've read it before, read it again, and again.

I do :)

It's a really cool religion except it's hard to take any (white) person seriously when they say they are a budhist as most people are budhists couldn't tell you one of the four truths. Most people who think they are budhist's just do Yoga once a week and burn some incense and try to meditate about all the stuff they want to buy when they go shopping later. I'm agnostic myself I just don't know what to think.

It's a really cool religion except it's hard to take any (white) person seriously when they say they are a budhist as most people are budhists couldn't tell you one of the four truths. Most people who think they are budhist's just do Yoga once a week and burn some incense and try to meditate about all the stuff they want to buy when they go shopping later. I'm agnostic myself I just don't know what to think.


The wide ranging collection of ideas that make up buddhism are a result of the open-endedness of the eight-fold path (which is of course, the 4th noble truth :P)

There are quite a few differing ideas on just what exactly makes up the eight 'rights.'

None are correct or incorrect, different ones are correct for different individuals at different times.

It is a plague on the soul.

As an agnostic, I'm pretty committed to the idea of not knowing whether there is a god or not. But recently I've looked into Buddhism, and even though I don't agree with the Buddhist beliefs about some of the spiritual things, I totally agree with most of its philosophies, like kindness, responsibility, and finding yourself. I like it because its more of a philosophy than a religion. What do you guys think about it? And are any of you actually Buddhists?
Yea, I study Theravada Buddhism. The teachings of the Pali Canon are good stuff. And honestly, I think I'd be lost without them. You'll have to be careful about which tradition you study though. The Mahayana tradition, which produced the most popular and well-known strains of Buddhism, has been co-opted for all sorts of ill-purposes. The original Bikkhus or 'Monks' who broke off from the Theravada tradition called their tradition 'The Greater Vehicle,' called Theravada 'The Lesser Vehicle.' That may serve to illustrate a bit about that tradition.

A great website to explore is Accesstoinsight.org. It has lots of the Pali text and the Bikkhu who runs the site has written all sorts items for beginning students. You can download and print any of the material there freely. The great thing about the Buddhist community is that people are often eager to make available as many resources as possible.

Good luck with your search.

Depends on if you're the sort of buddhist who makes strict adherance to the kind of stuff put out by organizations like the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai in japan, sort of buddhist-bibles one could say.

Bear in mind though that buddhism is a wide ranging collection of philosophies and that you should feel no compulsion to take the teachings of any one as authoritive.

A very good book on the topic is "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse.

It's a very small book and Hesse won the nobel prize for literature.

It would be in the literature or fiction section, it isnt a philosophical treatise or anything.

You should be able to pick it up at a borders or waldens or barnes and noble for about 6$, or used for a dollar. Libraries should also have it.


Additionally, if you've read it before, read it again, and again.

I do :)
i'll make sure to go grab a copy after exams. :)

It's a really cool religion except it's hard to take any (white) person seriously when they say they are a budhist as most people are budhists couldn't tell you one of the four truths. Most people who think they are budhist's just do Yoga once a week and burn some incense and try to meditate about all the stuff they want to buy when they go shopping later. I'm agnostic myself I just don't know what to think.
so an asian person is more likely to be a better buddhist though they do the same things as the flakey white buddhist you describe?

well, good to know that only certain races can belong to certain religions.

and isn't yoga a hindhu thing?

<--- Vajrayana (Tibetian) Buddhist.



i love buddhism.

Your name would tell me so. :D
For those who don't know:
A dakini is a female supernatural being whose purpose is to help those in pursuit of spiritual advancement overcome obstacles. 'Dakini' literally means 'She Who Goes Through the Air'. Dakinis are often depicted as dancing figures with wrathful expressions.

http://buddhism.about.com/cs/tibet/g/Dakini.htm

i wish i had the opportunity to study it in depth, but i lack the time and resources for new books and as far as i know, the nearest buddhist temples are accross town (plus i'm unsure of the procedure for showing up at one...) the library by my house had some good books, but i'm away at school now.

My suggestion is to call them and ask.

the closest i've come to a "religious experience" was during my study of buddhism. i was attempting to meditate.

my only disagreement is the no drugs or alcohol thing (wastes human cosciousness) i don't consider the experience of other states of consciousness to be a waste at all. i think it allows for a different perspective on things.



it's one of the big thingies though.

i think it's right consciousness or thought?


yeah, 1 part of the 8-fold path

One of the Five precepts.
1. Do not kill
2. Do not steal
3. Do not indulge in sexual misconduct
4. Do not make false speech
5. Do not take intoxicants

5. Do not Take Intoxicant Do not take Intoxicant

Buddhism emphasises wisdom. Taking intoxicant will descend and lose the seed of wisdom. Intoxicants, such as drugs, liquor, smoking, etc., are harmful to health. It seems that taking intoxicant is not hurting others. However, if we are drunk and lose our consciousness, we may easily commit evil deeds and hurt others. Therefore, one who breaks this precept will tend to break all other precepts along with it.

The fifth precept is based on respect for mental health. It guard against the loss of control of one’s mind. It is particularly important to those who meditate because, by refraining from taking intoxicants, they can more easily cultivate awareness, attention and clarity of mind. Thus the observance of the fifth precept not only contributes to happiness in the family and peace in society, it also prepares a person for the practice of Mental Development.

It's a really cool religion except it's hard to take any (white) person seriously when they say they are a budhist as most people are budhists couldn't tell you one of the four truths. Most people who think they are budhist's just do Yoga once a week and burn some incense and try to meditate about all the stuff they want to buy when they go shopping later. I'm agnostic myself I just don't know what to think.

Yeah. But there really are a lot of serious Buddhists westerners. Really, to be considered a Buddhist, one should have formally taken refuge in the Triple Gem.

The first two steps in the process of becoming a lay disciple of the Buddha are the going for refuge (sarana gamana) and the undertaking of the five precepts (pañca-sila samadana). By the former step a person makes the commitment to accept the Triple Gem -- the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha -- as the guiding ideals of his life, by the latter he expresses his determination to bring his actions into harmony with these ideals through right conduct. "Going for Refuge - Taking the Precepts", by Bhikkhu Bodhi (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/wheels/wheel282.html)


Yea, I study Theravada Buddhism. The teachings of the Pali Canon are good stuff. And honestly, I think I'd be lost without them. You'll have to be careful about which tradition you study though. The Mahayana tradition, which produced the most popular and well-known strains of Buddhism, has been co-opted for all sorts of ill-purposes. The original Bikkhus or 'Monks' who broke off from the Theravada tradition called their tradition 'The Greater Vehicle,' called Theravada 'The Lesser Vehicle.' That may serve to illustrate a bit about that tradition.

You may find this interesting: "Basic Points Unifying The Theravada and the Mahayana" Ven. Walpola Rahula (http://www.serve.com/cmtan/buddhism/Misc/unify.html).

A great website to explore is Accesstoinsight.org. It has lots of the Pali text and the Bikkhu who runs the site has written all sorts items for beginning students. You can download and print any of the material there freely. The great thing about the Buddhist community is that people are often eager to make available as many resources as possible.

I'll secomd that on Access to Insight (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index.html
)! It's a very good source.
Here are some more of my favorites:
Achariya Doug Duncan Sensei, My teacher (http://www.dharma-japan.org/)
The Dzogchen Foundation (http://www.dzogchen.org/)
Buddhism at About.com (http://buddhism.about.com/)
Buddhist Studies WWW Virtual Library (http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Buddhism.html)
A lighter side of Buddhism (http://www.serve.com/cmtan/buddhism/Lighter/)

huh. i read the tibetian book of the dead and it said that a dakini was an angel...

lol.

i haven't known the proper meaning of my screenname.

I must say that I take a different view of buddhism than you.

It may be that my exposure and pondering of buddhism has been mostly of the chinese chan and japanese zen varieties.

I consider that there is fundemental truth in the idea of the four truths and eightfold path, but that what constitues what makes up "right" thought &c. can be different for different individuals.

Personally, i do not consider buddhism to be the property of any institution.

In short, I believe that as suffering is caused by desire, and as desire is a function of objects and experiences that one does not possess, understanding the unity of all things removes the distinction between what one 'has' and 'doesnt have' and therefore removes desire.

the eightfold path, in my view, becomes achieved implicitly when this understanding is experienced (or not experienced, or whatever phrase you like to use for it :p )

I'm not trying to convince you to take up my view of things, just letting ya know what my perspective is. Would love to hear yours.

so an asian person is more likely to be a better buddhist though they do the same things as the flakey white buddhist you describe?

well, good to know that only certain races can belong to certain religions.

;)

and isn't yoga a hindhu thing?

Vajrayana uses some yoga yechniques as partof it's tantric practice (http://www.khandro.net/Buddhism_tantric.htm).


"Yoga and Buddhism", by David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) (http://www.hindu.org/publications/frawley/yogabuddhism.html)

I must say that I take a different view of buddhism than you.

It may be that my exposure and pondering of buddhism has been mostly of the chinese chan and japanese zen varieties.

I consider that there is fundemental truth in the idea of the four truths and eightfold path, but that what constitues what makes up "right" thought &c. can be different for different individuals.

Personally, i do not consider buddhism to be the property of any institution.

In short, I believe that as suffering is caused by desire, and as desire is a function of objects and experiences that one does not possess, understanding the unity of all things removes the distinction between what one 'has' and 'doesnt have' and therefore removes desire.

the eightfold path, in my view, becomes achieved implicitly when this understanding is experienced (or not experienced, or whatever phrase you like to use for it :p )

Can't say I argue with any of that. :)

osaka ni sunde iru hito ga mita,

nihongo ga hanashimasu ka?

日本語が読むことが出来ますか？

out of curiosity, what is the proper thing to do in meditation... is it to clear your mind and try not to think anything?

or is it to kind of let your thoughts float by?

'cause i've heard both from different sources and i find it really annoying to try to stop all my thoughts. i can get the two big trains of thought to quiet down, but there are still 5 others i can hear...

out of curiosity, what is the proper thing to do in meditation... is it to clear your mind and try not to think anything?

or is it to kind of let your thoughts float by?

'cause i've heard both from different sources and i find it really annoying to try to stop all my thoughts. i can get the two big trains of thought to quiet down, but there are still 5 others i can hear...

It is just to relax and see where your mind takes you. if one thought takes over let it, just stay relaxed and take your time. Its does not matter how you do it, but trying to force thoughts out of your mind won't work, as that is concentrating too hard. Just relax and let the thoughts drift by as sooner or later there will be no more thoughts and it will extremely relaxing....just don't fall asleep! ;) :p :D

huh. i read the tibetian book of the dead and it said that a dakini was an angel...

lol.

i haven't known the proper meaning of my screenname.

:) Well, you could say they are, in a way. There are many different ways to view the Tibetan deities.

out of curiosity, what is the proper thing to do in meditation... is it to clear your mind and try not to think anything?

or is it to kind of let your thoughts float by?

Both. They are two different types of meditation.


'cause i've heard both from different sources and i find it really annoying to try to stop all my thoughts. i can get the two big trains of thought to quiet down, but there are still 5 others i can hear...

Very common. :) Here's some help. (http://meditationproject.com/Shoulds.htm[/url)

But the best thing you can do is find a teacher. Give the temples you mentioned above a call. :)

osaka ni sunde iru hito ga mita,

nihongo ga hanashimasu ka?

日本語が読むことが出来ますか？
Hai. Yomu to hanashimasu. Kedo, kanji yowai.

so desu ka

kanji ga daisuki desu ga, tokidoki kanji ga muzukashii desu ne.

ima nihongo o benkyou shite iru, nihongo no 2-nensei da.

しつれいします、

ごぜん　１時だよ。

ねたいですよ。：）

おやすみなさい～！

しつれいします、

ごぜん　１時だよ。

ねたいですよ。：）

おやすみなさい～！

Oyasumi. :)

What a pleasant and calm thread this is, far better than all the aggro you get on some of the religious rubbish spouted on here. Listen very carefully......one hand clapping......

How many types of buddhism are there?

Most chinese buddhist i know claim their buddhist, but their actually a mix of taoist and ancestrail worshiping. (With all the fat buddha for good luck and wealth, plus Guan Gong *the red face war-dude* and other gods, and praying to ancestors for good luck.)

Zen Buddhism is mix of Japanese God and buddhism Am I right? The one where they use the stick and make those 'tok tok' sounds. :p

The one I tend to hear about being the 'original' buddhism is about where they meditate, live a simple life and try and shakeoff all material wants. Then they can achieve transcendence to Nirvana (nothingness) (?)

----------------------------------------------------------------

And people that say buddhism is a very peaceful religion, there's kinda some half-truth in that.

I think the true buddhism like in Tibet, they don't advocate violence, and when violence erupt, they run. Like the Tibetan monks when the communist came.

The other buddhism, like in Thailand, if threatened, they go in and kill all those terrorist even those hiding in the mosque. :D

osaka ni sunde iru hito ga mita,

nihongo ga hanashimasu ka?

日本語が読むことが出来ますか？

atama ga totemo waruideska? :) :) Just jokin.

As an agnostic, I'm pretty committed to the idea of not knowing whether there is a god or not. But recently I've looked into Buddhism, and even though I don't agree with the Buddhist beliefs about some of the spiritual things, I totally agree with most of its philosophies, like kindness, responsibility, and finding yourself. I like it because its more of a philosophy than a religion. What do you guys think about it? And are any of you actually Buddhists?



I'm an atheist myself, an absolute materialist, so reincarnation for instance can only come as sonsense to me, but that doesn't interfere at all with my inclination towards Buddhism. It's a philosophy, a way to cope with the universe, the world, society, life ... and definitely not a religion. Beware of new age mumbo jumbo, which is no more than flaky kozmik debris and do stick to the Buddha's own teachings (Theravada, Hinayana).

Still:

"Do not believe in what ye have heard. Do not believe in traditions, because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything because it is renowned and spoken of by many. Do not believe merely because the written statement of some old sage is produced. Do not believe in conjectures. Do not believe in that as truth to which you have become attached by habit. Do not believe merely on the authority of your teachers and elders"...

And that includes the Buddha himself, as he was well aware.

How many types of buddhism are there?

Three main branches: Theravada (aka Hinayana or Savakayana), Mahayana, and Vajrayana (aka Mantrayana or Tantrayana). Theravada literally means "old school". It's promenant in South and South-east Asia - Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka. It focuses on individual enlightenment, and is considered the oldest form of Buddhism. Mahayana means "greater vehicle". It's common in China, Japan, Vietnam, and Korea, and it focuses on bringing all beings to enlightenment. Vajrayana means "diamond/lightning vehicle". It's based on esoteric tantric teachings.

Most chinese buddhist i know claim their buddhist, but their actually a mix of taoist and ancestrail worshiping. (With all the fat buddha for good luck and wealth, plus Guan Gong *the red face war-dude* and other gods, and praying to ancestors for good luck.)

Yes and no. Buddhism of China, as I understand it is very mixed up with local folk religion. But the same can be said for Vajrayana as well, and possibly even more so. More importantly, most "Buddhists" in China, as well as the rest of Asia, are only nominally Buddhists.
BTW, the fat, laughing Buddha is the Bodhisattva Maitreya.

Zen Buddhism is mix of Japanese God and buddhism Am I right? The one where they use the stick and make those 'tok tok' sounds. :p

Zen is just the Japanese name for the Chinese Ch'an school. It wasn't especially influanced by Shinto ("Japanese God"), but does have some Taoist influance.

The one I tend to hear about being the 'original' buddhism is about where they meditate, live a simple life and try and shakeoff all material wants. Then they can achieve transcendence to Nirvana (nothingness) (?)

Theravada is probabaly what you are thinking of.

And people that say buddhism is a very peaceful religion, there's kinda some half-truth in that.

I think the true buddhism like in Tibet, they don't advocate violence, and when violence erupt, they run. Like the Tibetan monks when the communist came.

The other buddhism, like in Thailand, if threatened, they go in and kill all those terrorist even those hiding in the mosque. :D

Well, one of the very basic foundations of Buddhism is don't kill. However, as I said above, most Buddhists are only nominally so. You'll find lots of violence throught the history of Buddhism - including Tibet.

I'm an atheist myself, an absolute materialist, so reincarnation for instance can only come as sonsense to me,

Buddhism is essentially an atheistic religion, although alot of folk religion deities have been added.

Still:

"Do not believe in what ye have heard. Do not believe in traditions, because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything because it is renowned and spoken of by many. Do not believe merely because the written statement of some old sage is produced. Do not believe in conjectures. Do not believe in that as truth to which you have become attached by habit. Do not believe merely on the authority of your teachers and elders"...

And that includes the Buddha himself, as he was well aware.

The old koan says it best: "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." (http://www.ordinarymind.com/koan_killing.html)

:p

Thanks for clearing it up. Good we have someone knowledgeble in Buddhism here in the forums.

Btw do you know Jesus? :D J/k

Thanks for clearing it up. Good we have someone knowledgeble in Buddhism here in the forums.

Btw do you know Jesus? :D J/k

Well, I have a friend who's Yidam (http://buddhism.about.com/cs/tibet/g/Yidam.htm) is Jesues Christ.... (in complete seriousness!). Also, my teacher often speaks of "Christ Consciousness".

I don't believe in the factual teachings of karma and reincarnation -- there's no evidence for such things -- but the moral and philosophical aspects of it are appealing.
"Do not believe in what ye have heard. Do not believe in traditions, because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything because it is renowned and spoken of by many. Do not believe merely because the written statement of some old sage is produced. Do not believe in conjectures. Do not believe in that as truth to which you have become attached by habit. Do not believe merely on the authority of your teachers and elders"
What's that from? It sounds almost like science.

Still, real Buddhists seem to revert to believing in gods and saints like Kannon, as if those beings had real power to work miracles, as opposed to being purely symbolic or historical.

I wonder what would happen if Buddhism ever caught on in America. Wouldn't the economy collapse? We're trained to define ourselves in terms of what we buy, drink, drive, and wear, instead of what we can create. We're also told constantly that buying things will give us happiness, fame, sex, and respect; advertising is based on the idea that people can be made to buy things they don't need.

What a pleasant and calm thread this is, far better than all the aggro you get on some of the religious rubbish spouted on here. Listen very carefully......one hand clapping......


Ah, nichiren

I'm an atheist myself, an absolute materialist, so reincarnation for instance can only come as sonsense to me, but that doesn't interfere at all with my inclination towards Buddhism. It's a philosophy, a way to cope with the universe, the world, society, life ... and definitely not a religion. Beware of new age mumbo jumbo, which is no more than flaky kozmik debris and do stick to the Buddha's own teachings (Theravada, Hinayana).

Still:

"Do not believe in what ye have heard. Do not believe in traditions, because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything because it is renowned and spoken of by many. Do not believe merely because the written statement of some old sage is produced. Do not believe in conjectures. Do not believe in that as truth to which you have become attached by habit. Do not believe merely on the authority of your teachers and elders"...

And that includes the Buddha himself, as he was well aware.


Precisely, I think the great diaspora of buddhist ideas owes in large part to the fact that buddhism has never carried a strong authoritive core of beliefs, with the four noble truths themselves being simple observations rather than mandates or commandments.

Somone asked how many kinds of buddhism there are:

I answer:
There are innumerable, infinite buddhisms.
Buddhism is just the path towards 'enlightenment' or 'peace' or whichever word you choose to use.

I looked into it a bit, considered dabbling my way inside, but inevitably decided against it. Cool stuff, though. The Hsi Lai Temple over here is absolutly stunning.

I don't believe in the factual teachings of karma and reincarnation -- there's no evidence for such things -- but the moral and philosophical aspects of it are appealing.

There are ways of seeing both completely in a scientific manner.

Still, real Buddhists seem to revert to believing in gods and saints like Kannon, as if those beings had real power to work miracles, as opposed to being purely symbolic or historical.

Some do, some don't.

I wonder what would happen if Buddhism ever caught on in America. Wouldn't the economy collapse? We're trained to define ourselves in terms of what we buy, drink, drive, and wear, instead of what we can create. We're also told constantly that buying things will give us happiness, fame, sex, and respect; advertising is based on the idea that people can be made to buy things they don't need.

Personally, I think the west is due an eruption of Buddhism. It shouldn't collapse the economy. It'd sure shake it upthough. :D