Some questions about Buddhism

smiaras

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Yoda

Smiaras said:
In terms of a moral life, I take Buddhism revolves around the fact that you are trying to be a better person. Yet how far is this principle meant to go?

One strives to remove as many impediments to enlightenment as one can.

Why is it that Buddhists give up things like alcohol and try in general to restrain themselves?

Same reason anyone else does. It's healthier, and conducive to a clear mind.

Are we not here to celebrate life?

Are we? That may be something we do, but I don't know if it's the purpose for us being here.

From this point of view I am not talking about the excesses in life ie drugs, etc.

Life can be celebrated with or without Guinness, of course. For my part (though you didn't ask) I have not sworn off alcohol.

Are most Buddhists vegetarians?

Many are. Many are not.

I'm not sure what this involves but I was reading up on the Four bodhisattva vows and it seems that the first two essential mean to avoid causing harm to other living creatures.

If eating meat bothers you, don't.

So whats the whole deal about clothes and food then?

We wear clothes because it's cold. We eat food because we need fuel. Or are you talking about leather or something?

Its also something that confuses me from the five percepts (the first one).

Not sure what you are quoting here.

In terms of right livelihood, Buddhism seems to preach that you should be happy with your lot.

Not so that one wouldn't work to improve one's lot. Buddhism teaches that you shouldn't whine about your lot though. There are reasons which caused it.

What about how Buddhist principles affect your job? Say if you wanted to be a lawyer and you find yourself in the position of protecting a guilty client? This is just a hypothetical case but is the general idea that you should do what you think is right, rather than selling out to be successful.

You can't give up your Buddhist principles expediently just to make a buck. (Well you can, but you can also expect to reap the fruits of such volitional action.) You can't be a Buddhist arms dealer. I'm not sure you can really be a Buddhist publican. As a lawyer, if you knew your client were guilty, I think your Buddhist ethics would preclude you from lying.

Do Buddhists believe in the existence of a god?

Some do. Some don't. None, I think, believe in the interventionist God of Abraham.

Or how do they explain the existence of life in general?

I'm happy enough with the Big Bang and all that followed, to the extent that our theories and observations are accurate.

In terms of the capitalist society we live in, there is a lot of talk about being content. There is some analogy I read about buying something just for the sake of wanting it, then when the wrapping is off you sort of forget about it and go about thinking of the next thing you want.

What's your point? That consumerism for its own sake is wrong? Buddhists would tend to agree. At the same time, Buddhists don't have to be ascetic. I like to have nice things and comfortable things at home. For instance, I prefer hand-made Stephen Pearce pottery rather than delft pressed out by some machine in Taiwan. Of course, I look forward to the January sales....

If we attempt to aspire to be better people what are Buddhist perceptions of comedy in general as in most cases it mocks people?

Real laughter is an expression of joy. Are you wondering about satire and sarcasm? Satire can be healthy for society – though I don't know if governments ever get the point. There is a kind of nasty humour, though, designed to evoke laughter by hurting someone's feelings, tearing them down, that sort of thing. I think Buddhists find it distasteful.

On karma, what do the Buddhists think about the handicapped?

In Buddhist thought, karma is the fruit of volitional action. It's not a punishment meted out for bad behaviour. If I understand you rightly, you're assuming that being handicapped is a punishment (I could be wrong though). Buddhism teaches that there are causes for everything. Not all of those causes are moral though. Tibetan Buddhists believe that with enough mindfulness, or with the help of the living, a self/soul which is in the Bardo can choose an auspicious rebirth. To the Tibetans, of course, "auspicious" means in this case "likely to get you enlightened". Apart from all of that, though, Buddhists think about the handicapped with compassion, just as they do everyone else.

What about one of the Buddhist ethics where you are supposed to refrain from singing, dancing and the use of items to beautify the body?

I have never heard of this. Buddhists are not puritans.

What is this all about and what is Buddhism's views of tattooing?

I don't think "Buddhism" has a view of tattooing. I met an old Tibetan lama who had tattoos on his hands: a little right spinning and a little left spinning swastika, one at the place between the thumb and first finger meet. Personally, I think that the current fascination with tattooing is rather a vulgar fad, and in 40 years there will be a lot of faded and sagging tattoos out there.

What different forms of Buddhism exist and what are the difference between them?

This is a big question and I'm not going to take it up just now. Actually I think this was discussed on another thread and I will look it up and link to it here, or I'll answer it again on this thread.

What is the role of the Dalai Lama?

He is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, which is not quite the same thing as saying that the Pope is the head of the Roman Church. What is his role? To live a Buddhist life and to be an example to everyone.

How does one become a Buddhist?

You take your refuge in the Buddha, you take your refuge in the Dharma, and you take your refuge in the Sangha. I'll hunt up some more specific information and post it when I can.

What's does Buddhism involve, i.e., in terms of religious practice?

It depends what you mean by "religious practice". Meditation is useful. Some Buddhists find communal practice, which meditation, chanting, and so on, to be useful or fulfilling. Some Buddhists just try to live the dharma in their lives.

Phew thinks thats all the question in my noggin for the time being.

It's a lot of good questions. The responses I give are not normative, they're just what I think. Please keep up the discussion!

mickmacdublin

Rather than quoting I'll take your post under themes:

Alcohol:
Moderation or abstention from intoxicants in encouraged - it helps keep the mind clear - if one is training one's mind thru meditation getting off you face regularly is a bit counter productive - like a dieter binging on donuts every so often. Buddhism does celebrate life - all of life - in all its forms. I don't think getting rat-arsed is a particularly good way to celebrate life. Peronsally I do not drink or smoke.

Vegetarianism
I am mostly vegetarian - but I do not go out of my way to avoid meat. Probaby as many beings are killed in the production of a lettuce as are in the production of a steak. Same idea for clothes made from animal products.

Right Livelihood
This means not doing any job that is explicitly harmful - often difficult to tell in some jobs (does the bank you work in for example deal with corrupt dictatorships??) Some are clearly to be avoid, pimping, drug dealing, selling arms etc. As a Buddhist you try to make your life and the life of all beings better in everything you do - work included.

God
Buddhists are non-theists. They do no believe in a creator God. How did we get here? - we've always been here! Something does not come from nothing.

Comedy:
Comedy doesn't have to mock and as Master Yoda points out satire is often very beneficial. Cruel humour though is not good.

Karma:
Indeed those who are handicapped or suffering due to something beyond their control are in this situation, according to Buddhsit thought, because of their past actions. Just because we may be reasonably better off simply means that we are experiencing the fruits of good past deeds. This may not be so in the future. We have been circling Samsara from beginningless time we have accumulated many positive and negative karmic imprints in our mindstreams and when the correct conditions arise these ripen. When seeing someone whose situation is worse than ours a Christian might say there but for the grace of God go I - a Buddhist would say there but for temporary karmic conditions go I.

Singing and Dancing:
The prohibition for this is for monks and nuns. Lay people can take special vows (for a day only usually) which include this precept but it is so they can devote their time fully to practice.

Tattoos:
I know some Buddhists with tattoos. Luckily I also know some Buddhist with taste.

Different forms of Buddhism
In the East they are usually different lineages of teachings coming from different disciples of the Buddha. They also usually incorporate different national or regional flavours. In the West there have been a few people who have tried to set up their own forms of Buddhism.

Dalai Lama
He is the political head of the Tibetan people and an important teacher in the Tibetan Gelug school. he is highly regard though by all Tibetan Buddhists. He is also a great ambassador for Buddhism and has a lot of respect but no authority in other countries or traditions.

Becoming a Buddhist:
By taking refuge as Yoda explains - though some people think you can even dispense with this. I do not.

Religious practice.
Pretty much as Yoda outlined above. Buddhism really is a doer's religion. Just believing that the teachings are right will get you nowhere. You gotta get yer ass on the cushion!

Mick

Yoda

From the Drepung Loseling Institute:

Unlike Christianity, there is no one symbolic gesture or ritual that is required for one to become a "Buddhist." Rather, becoming a Buddhist is more a factor of attaining an inner transformation through the acceptance of certain principles and concepts. This means that a Buddhist practitioner (as opposed to a "Buddhist") often internalizes these values well before he or she admits to such a title. And, it may well be that a practitioner of another religion may internally ascribe to most Buddhist principles without acknowledging or affirming a departure from their original beliefs. Nevertheless, the key component to Buddhist practice is the recurring affirmation of "refuge" in the Three Jewels. These are the Buddha (or teacher), the Dharma (the "truth", Tao, or Way – or Gospel), and the Sangha (or religious community, i.e., support group of fellow seekers). There is, however, a specific ritual called a Refuge Ceremony in which a person can formally declare as the specific occassion of becoming a Buddhist. During this ceremony certain refuge prayers are recited in front of a teacher, a minimum of basic lay vows are taken, and sometimes a "Dharma name" is confered by the teacher. However, as stated above, it is the internal conversion not the external event that denotes a Buddhist practitioner.

Mick said that he thinks you can't dispense with taking this, but I'm not sure what he means. I would certainly agree that it is good to mark one's taking to the path with some ritual and seriousness, and reciting the formula is a good way of doing that. But I don't think it's necessary to take vows before a teacher, or to receive a "Dharma name". It may be helpful to some new Buddhists, but there's no magic to be had by promising before an "authority". Or there might not be a teacher available. In any case it is the Buddha whose teachings we follow; note that Lee Yu Ban below says that using an image of the Buddha is suffucient.

From the How to become a Buddhist (A DIY Guide):

A person becomes a Buddhist by taking the Three Refuges, that is the Buddha, The Dhamma or his Teachings, and The Sangha or the community of enlightened beings. The Buddha said:

"To take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha and to see with real understanding the Four Noble Truths, – Suffering, the Cause of Suffering, the Transcending of Suffering and the Noble Eightfold Path that leads to the transcending of suffering, This indeed is a safe refuge, it is the refuge supreme. It is the refuge whereby one is freed from all suffering."

To take refuge, it is best done with the guidance of a monk. However, if such a person is not available, one may take refuge before an image of the Buddha. Place this image, which may be a statue,a picture or even a computer graphic such that when you kneel before it, it is at the level of your head or higher. Kneel before the image and put your palms together at your chest. Compose yourself, calm your mind and bow three times to the image such that your palms and forehead touches the floor. Then recite the following formula in Pali, which is the ancient language of the scriptural texts.

Namo tassa, bhagavato, arahato sammā sambuddhasa
Namo tassa, bhagavato, arahato sammā sambuddhasa
Namo tassa, bhagavato, arahato, sammā sambuddhasa

Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi,
Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi,
Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Dutiyaṃpi Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi,
Dutiyaṃpi Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi,
Dutiyaṃpi Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

Tatiyaṃpi Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi,
Tatiyaṃpi Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi,
Tatiyaṃpi Saṅghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

This means:

Homage to Him, the Exalted One, the Worthy One, The Supremely Enlightened One
Homage to Him, the Exalted One, the Worthy One, The Supremely Enlightened One
Homage to Him, the Exalted One, the Worthy One, The Supremely Enlightened One

I go to the Buddha as my refuge.
I go to the Dhamma as my refuge.
I go to the Sangha as my refuge.

For the second time, I go to the Buddha as my refuge.
For the second time, I go to the Dhamma as my refuge.
For the second time, I go to the Sangha as my refuge.

For the third time, I go to the Buddha as my refuge.
For the third time, I go to the Dhamma as my refuge.
For the third time, I go to the Sangha as my refuge.

Is it important to chant in Pali? I think so; just in a ritual sense, it places one in a cultural context, speaking the same words that Buddhists have for centuries. Many years ago, when I took Refuge, I remember I said them in English as well as Pali; I think that's important too.

Trojan

Just an observation - it's a lot more ritualistic than I expected from such a seemingly open-minded religion/belief system/X (subsitute your favourite term). The internal conversion is certainly the most important thing (to me) that is mentioned here.

Yoda

It's not all that much ritual. It's saying Yes, Yes, Yes! Imperfect and attached as they are, many people find a moment of ritual, i.e. rite of passage, to be helpful. You are right, of course: the ritual without the internal conversion is meaningless.