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Joined: Dec 2005
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BellaOnline Editor Wolf
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BellaOnline Editor Wolf
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,582 |
Yes, I would agree with Alexandra. As a Christian, I could not follow Buddha or his teachings because it would be taking away time from God.
God wants us putting no other gods or idols before Him. Theremay be some similar teachings between Buddha and Jesus, but in the grand scheme of things, we, as Christians must follow God, Jesus and the Bible as the Word of God.
Whether or not your religion subscribes to this way of thinking, ours does and that is what we are told to do as Christians.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,901 Likes: 1
Chipmunk
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Chipmunk
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,901 Likes: 1 |
No, Jeanette, Buddhism IS a religion, very definitely. And as Buddhists, we do not ascribe to the existence of a deity. A Christian might follow Buddhist practises, but one cannot be both a committed Christian and a devout Buddhist. There is some contradiction there, and some opposing views.
To follow Buddhism, one must take Refuge, to be a Buddhist. It means taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma (all his teachings) and the Sangha (the community, which can mean several things, in scrutiny....)But the Buddha's teachings speak of an absence of a deity. So strictly speaking, a God-believeing Christian would find it almost impossible to completely follow na Buddhist path.
Fundamentally, what you say is right, but not strictly accurate.
And please understand, I do not say this to be argumentative or controversial, I am merely responding to your point. I speak with respect.
With much metta, and thank you for contributing.
I see your point. But religion require worship and faith, Buddhist do not worship Buddha only follow his teachings. Faith is based on trusting something that is not proven. I consider and have been told that it is more of a way of life then a religion. There is a commandment that states not taking any Gods before the CHristian God or worshipping idols, therefore combining the 2 is plausible
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Zebra
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Zebra
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,313 |
Ok, I take your point. I love this discussion, I hope you do too...
Let me just point you to this passage, by way of an explanation....
Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?
The Buddha referred to his teachings simply as Dhamma-vinaya -- "the doctrine and discipline" -- but for centuries people have tried to categorize the teachings in various ways, trying to fit them into the prevailing molds of cultural, philosophical, and religious thought. Buddhism is an ethical system -- a way of life -- that leads to a very specific goal and that possesses some aspects of both religion and philosophy:
It is a philosophy.
Like most philosophies, Buddhism attempts to frame the complexities of human existence in a way that reassures us that there is, in fact, some underlying order to the Universe. In the Four Noble Truths the Buddha crisply summarizes our predicament: there is suffering, it has a cause, it has an end, and there is a way to reach the end. The teachings on kamma provide a thorough and logically self-consistent description of the nature of cause-and-effect. And even the Buddhist view of cosmology, which some may at first find farfetched, is a logical extension of the law of kamma. According to the Dhamma, a deep and unshakable logic pervades the world.
It is NOT a philosophy.
Unlike most philosophical systems, which rely on speculation and the power of reason to arrive at certain kinds of logical truths, Buddhism relies on the direct observation of one's personal experience and on honing certain skills in order to gain true understanding and wisdom. Idle speculation has no place in Buddhist practice. Although studying in the classroom, reading books, and engaging in spirited debate can play a vital part in developing a cognitive understanding of basic Buddhist concepts, the heart of Buddhism can never be realized this way. The Dhamma is not an abstract system of thought designed to delight the intellect; it is a roadmap to be used, one whose essential purpose is to lead the practitioner to the ultimate goal, nibbana.
It is a religion.
At the heart of each of the world's great religions lies a transcendent ideal around which its doctrinal principles orbit. In Buddhism this truth is nibbana, the hallmark of the cessation of suffering and stress, a truth of utter transcendence that stands in singular distinction from anything we might encounter in our ordinary sensory experience. Nibbana is the sine qua non of Buddhism, the guiding star and ultimate goal towards which all the Buddha's teachings point. Because it aims at such a lofty transcendent ideal, we might fairly call Buddhism a religion.
It is NOT a religion.
In stark contrast to the world's other major religions, however, Buddhism invokes no divinity, no supreme Creator or supreme Self, no Holy Spirit or omniscient loving God to whom we might appeal for salvation. Instead, Buddhism calls for us to hoist ourselves up by our own bootstraps: to develop the discernment we need to distinguish between those qualities within us that are unwholesome and those that are truly noble and good, and to learn how to nourish the good ones and expunge the bad. This is the path to Buddhism's highest perfection, nibbana. Not even the Buddha can take you to that goal; you alone must do the work necessary to complete the journey:
"Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge."
Despite its non-theistic nature, however, Buddhist practice does call for a certain kind of faith. It is not blind faith, an uncritical acceptance of the Buddha's word as transmitted through scripture. Instead it is saddha, a confidence born of taking refuge in the Triple Gem; it is a willingness to trust that the Dhamma, when practiced diligently, will lead to the rewards promised by the Buddha. Saddha is a provisional acceptance of the teachings, that is ever subject to critical evaluation during the course of one's practice, and which must be balanced by one's growing powers of discernment. For many Buddhists, this faith is expressed and reinforced through traditional devotional practices, such as bowing before a Buddha statue and reciting passages from the early Pali texts. Despite a superficial resemblance to the rites of many theistic religions, however, these activities are neither prayers nor pleas for salvation directed towards a transcendent Other. They are instead useful and inspiring gestures of humility and respect for the profound nobility and worth of the Triple Gem.
From this link:
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Last edited by Alexandra; 04/05/07 02:25 PM.
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Chipmunk
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Chipmunk
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Wolf
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Wolf
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Posts: 5,004 |
Tibetan Buddhists on this forum say that they do not agree that Buddhism is an off shoot of Hiduism. That is a canard being spread. I consider and 80 million Hindus in India consider Buddha as the 9 th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is given in all the scriptures of Hinduism.
What surprises me is this-
These buddhists speak that they believe this or that without thinking of the scriptures. They are not open to new facts and stick with their ideas. Why do not they open the windows of their mind?
I want to make one more observation- As most of the members on this forum are not aware much about Buddhism, whatever is spoken by few Buddhists here is taken as Gospel truth.
Imagine one of the Christian members from here participating in a predominant Buddhist forum. The members in that forum will start believing what this christian member says as the gospel truth.
I have refrained myself from commenting many times so as to avoid bad blood. But if you really want to know the truth about Buddhsim, google it. Do not believe what the Buddhists say here as the truth. Do not get brain washed with wrong ideas. These Buddhists on this forum are certainly not the last word. Pl. google.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,313
Zebra
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Zebra
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,313 |
Thank you CDM, I would advise the same thing. As you well know, I have said many times that what I say should only be taken as my learning and understanding of the subject, and that in consulting other Buddhists, there may be different versions. But what I have said is with candour and honesty, and I have never misled anyone.
Very kind of you to come back with this reminder, I hope others will note.
Hugs and metta.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,901 Likes: 1
Chipmunk
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Chipmunk
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,901 Likes: 1 |
Alexandra, I do appreciate your post dated 4/5/07 where you provide the philosophy/not philososphy, religion/not religion passage. I have studied Buddhism for a little over a year now, more specifically Gelugpa, Tibetan. I have read many books but my only access to temple is through Tibetan monks that live locally to me. I claim not to be an expert like someone private messaged me. I will not be an expert until I achieve enlightment. I do enjoy the discussion on this forum even though there are only a few of us participating. I have learned much thus far. Namaste'
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,313
Zebra
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Zebra
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,313 |
hello, Jeanette, just back from a week's break....
I too would never claim to be an expert, particularly on Tibetan Buddhism, let alone any other - ! I have been practising Buddhism for fourteen years now, and officially "Took Refuge" around 7 years ago.... But even as the Buddha himself instructed, I personally take nothing at face value, and examine everything thoroughly before taking it to heart, or leaving it respectfully aside.... and I always encourage others to do likewise.
But exploration is such fun, and so let's walk together!!
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,313
Zebra
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Zebra
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,313 |
Jeanette, I laso tried sending you a PM, but it keeps coming back as 'error on page'. Could you tell me if you actually got it? If not, I'll try again. If you did receive it, then the system has a headache or may be just sulking - !!
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,901 Likes: 1
Chipmunk
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Chipmunk
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,901 Likes: 1 |
You can always email me at either domesticviolence @ bellaonline.com or preschool @ bellaonline.com and take the spaces out. We just switched servers for the forums so there may be a problem. If you don't mind, send a message to the administrators through the contact us button down near the bottom of the page.
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