BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Atheist Hello fellow athiests

He might have thought he was a 'bad' Buddhist,,but in fact, it's a person's personal choice - if they profess to be a practising buddhist - whether they give these things up or not...

A buddhist doesn't have to give up alcohol, drugs or meat to be a buddhist - unless they become ordained as a monk or Nun.... and whilst the first five precepts advise those practising, to refrain from these things, the ultimate choice - and consequences thereof - remain with the person....

Sorry....
Didn't mean to get too deep... <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Hi

Many athiest boards do tend to attract what I call evangelical athiests. They troll boards looking for a fight to use logic against faith. The forums here are too well moderated to allow that junk to go on.
I dont beleive in the continuance of consciousness after death. If a soul or life force flows from me at death i won't know. That makes the concept of a god a moot point for me.
When i made my other post here I was hoping to draw others to define atheism as they see it and how they develope their moral codes. Elle's post is a great example for what I was hoping for.
The word to me is a thiest, with out a personal god. Some athiest boards define themselves in varying forms from no belief to the hypercritical of any belief.
I also posted to let others kow where i am coming from when i post in the other forums here.
I enjoy being around persons of faith and have enjoyed placing myself in their world view to experience (however shallowly i can) thier expressions of faith through rituals. Jesuit and buddist teachers can make this very uncomfortable.
The religious board here i most enjoy is the buddhist board as it seems the most tolerant to others world views.

Buddhists look at it this way.... there is an energy... a force that moves within the body, keeping it growing, flourishing, renewing itself and healing... and ultimately, when you die, this Energy does not die with you.
This has been recognised as a scientific fact in that it is agreed that Energy cannot be either created nor destroyed...it can be channelled and manipulated, controlled and focussed, but that's it....
So when you die, this energy does not die with you, it moves on....

I can elaborate on this elsewhere, and in more detail. In fact, I may start a re-birth thread, in the Buddhist forum....



Could you elaborate and tell me how and why you have found this? (especially with regard to the latter....)



I personally take this as a compliment, and thank you kindly.
if you would like a link to a specific Buddhist forum, to which I belong and Moderate on, I will PM you, if you like.
But only by request.... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I wish i was more eloquent.

Jesuits because they are so skilled in philosophical discourse i feel like a a freshman physics student talking with Steven Hawkins.

Being fixed in linear western thought i am challenged to follow what is being said to me by the buddhist teachers, which was probably their intention. I also find it difficult to let thoughts go unattended (see the butterfly but do not look at it lol) and relax while maintaining a specific sitting posture and proper breathing.

Whomsoever has taught you that there can only be one specific posture, and one specific method of breathing (and I'm not suggesting anyone specifically has) does you a disservice...
There are countless hundreds of people for whom, due to physical, medical reasons, 'traditional meditative postures are out of the question.... their meditation is no less valid...

First of all, focus on your meditation, but in as comfortable but alert a way as possible.

Do not try to cease thinking.
This is impossible.
Your brain is designed to think, and always will.
To attempt to stop it altogether is unwise, and impossible.

The important is to sit on a chair, a stool, the floor, or simply kneel... But be comfortable.
Allow yourself a moment or two to 'fidget' whilst you 'aclimatise' the body to your intended practise.

Start with five minutes. Or less if you prefer. Quality, not quantity.

Breathe in through the nose, and out through the nose.
That is all.
Dont force, alter or regularise the breath.
Don't count the breath.
Don't visualise it as anything other than it is.
Do not fixedly watch it's path or trajectory...
Simply generally observe the movement of the body and the sensation of the breath in your nose, and on your upper lip, as you breathe in, and out.
Without commentary...
That is to say, don't think "I'm breathing in....
I'm breathing out....."

Just breathe.

the whole point of Buddhist Masters is definitely to challenge where you are now. Any discomfiture might be viewed as a mental resistance to the challenge of their teaching.
If so, rather than focus on the teaching and its challenge, ask yourself why the resistance has arisen.....?


Is this what you were looking for in a response?

Or shall I just butt out.....?

Thanks for the reply.
I also think they were gently reproofing me as i was earnestly trying to learn buddhism with a capital L. As in teach me so i can take notes and regurgitate it later.

Oh, I think he's actually quite proud of being "bad". LOL.



Hi Aing <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I know exactly what you mean. This is why I tend to avoid hanging out on boards where I don't belong. I love a good religious debate, but I consider myself a baby spiritually. (This stems from having delved deeply into two different and opposing religions, and then finding my truth in a more atheist understanding of the universe.) I've started from scratch three times, so I have a lot to catch up on if I'm going to hold my own in debates with people who know their stuff. That I don't mind so much if we can have an interesting and respectful discussion.

What bugs me is when people just flat won't even give me a chance to speak, let alone actually listen to anything I have to say to see if I perhaps have a point worth debating.



That is the way I understand it too, that we are energy beings, ongoing whether we exist in a human body or as part of the force of the universe, or whatever - as our free energy selves we may well be completely unaware of our existence, or we may be fully aware of the entire process. For example, I have this feeling, an inkling rather than a belief, that my husband and I have known each other in a previous incarnation. We recognised each other, in fact I recognised his entire family even though I'd never met them before.



Alexandra, I'm thoroughly enjoying your input here as always.

Thank you so much.... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

There is so much to be said on the topic of re-birth from a Buddhist perspective (as opposed to reincarnation, which is a quite different matter altogether) and it is both a complex and convoluted subject....
I'll be happy to start a thread, and post some links as reference...
Currently, I am pushed for time, so I shall probably do this tomorrow...

I don't like the word "rebirth" as it has too Christian a connotation to my ears, but it sounds like (re)incarnation is not the word I'm looking for either. (I think I need to start using my dictionary more <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ) Let me use a nice safe word from computing terminology: "format"!

"My husband and I have known each other in a previous format, whatever that may have been."

The term 'Re-birth' was a Buddhist one long before it was ever Christian....'Punarbhava' was long held to be the norm, as Buddhism (and Hinduism) do not regard Life as a linear continuum, (Born, lives, dies goes to Heaven) as does Judaism, Islam and Christianity....

Christianity (I cannot speak for the other two) did at one point not argue that re-birth was possible, but around the 11th century, this idea became untenable to those who held Ecclesiastical Power, because it lessened the Authority of God (as interpreted by them) and in consequence, their own.
So a demonic alternative was threatened, as a hurdle to finding an Eternal existence with God, and the notion of returning to 'pick up the pieces' abandoned.
Remember that the vast majority of the populace in those times had little or no knowledge of reading and writing, and those privileged enough to enjoy an education were mostly Men....The Gentry, or the Priesthood, and those dedicated to a Monastic existence....