BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Buddhism Discussion on A supreme Being, Higher Power, God

HI Alexandra

I am really enjoying reading about buddhism and one of the things I really like about it so far is that unlike christianity you are allowed to question it - infact it is encouraged.

For my part, nobody ever objected to my asking questions...It's just that the answers I received were not, to me, entirely satisfactory.... or I would be told I was too inquisitive, and that I was cheeky or impudent....(This normally from nuns who couldn't think of a more appropriate or satisfactory answer....) <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Buddhism almost insists that you ask questions - and keep asking them until the subject is exhausted... and sometimes, so are you....!

If ever I come across something that tangles my poor little brain-cells up, I usually put it to one side for a while (It is not always a good idea to try too hard!) or I put it to various Buddhist friends, for open debate.... and usually, we arrive at a concensus everyone agrees on.... Lively debate is a most illuminanting thing, especially in Buddhism, because you can't off-load the question and leave it as someone else's responsibility for the solution...You have to 'own' it....

Alexandra:

I didn't have a point in my previous post. It was simply a response to the sub-thread elle/patience had on the reactions of the mining families.

Thank you for clarifying, Lynn...Just curious....:)

Wow, what a great discussion!

I don't think there's enough space on this entire forum to describe my spiritual beliefs or my thoughts on a higher power...perhaps someday if I write out the huge essay that would contain all this, I can post a link to it. If any of you have a very long trip, it could provide reading material to keep you busy...

Just to jump into the conversation and Lynn's mention of spiritual communion and silence, I think Lynn's sentiments on this are beautiful, and she's not the only one to mention this...

"We need to find God, and God cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature--trees and flowers and grass--grow in silence. See the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence. The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life." ~ Mother Teresa

For those of you who don't believe in god, you could substitute "peace" for "god" and "meditation" for "prayer" and it still all fits....

I guess this is also why I disagree with the means of worship of many American christians...I tell you, I have visited churches that were so noisy I was frightened!

A very good friend of mine posted this comment on another forum, with regard to faith:

"The thing is to see directly. If you see then you know. If you know, there is no need for belief. This is why the Dharma is a matter of, 'Come and see.' Not, 'Come and believe.' "

I have nothing but admiration for those who wholeheartedly and faithfully put their Lives in the hands of God, i truly
do...

However, in my experience, I have met too many who purport to do so, but fail to "walk the talk"...I have had the experience of knowing some who confine and reserve their spiritual and religious devotion to one hour on a sunday morning - then come out of the church and swear like troopers, because someone has had the gall to block them into their parking space - !

And I would say this....
Where there is room for Faith in your Heart, there is room for doubt. By very virtue of the definition, faith implies putting your belief into an unknown quantity....

Like the little boy, who having walked along to the end of the wall, is preparing to leap into his daddy's arms and be caught....
There is always that moment of hesitation, because the child is summoning up the courage to literally take that Leap of Faith.... What if he DOESN'T catch me.....?

Speaking for myself, Buddhism leaves me in no such doubt. I am earnestly encouraged to question, to question and to question, again and again and again, until I am satisfied with the answers....And to date, I have never ever been let down.
That is not to say that the solutions and answers provided are always easy, palatable or agreeable. Some of the directions and guidelines provoke and awaken a great deal of denial, resistance and reluctance...But difficult though it may have been to follow through, the answers have never been wrong, or ambiguous. And they have never demanded of me that I wait and see, or just trust....

Hi Alexandra

Just come across this saying - have you heard it?

" I like your Christ,I do not like your christians,your christians are so unlike your christ"
_ Mahatma Gandhi.

Ah, gandhi....He's one of my heroes...

"Be the change that you want to see in the world."

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mohandas_gandhi.html

I love that one! But for Evil people out there they might read it in a completley different way.

Evil people don't usually read Gandhi....!! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />