What About Buddhism Then?

tony007 wrote: »

People who call themselves Buddhists are different to people who are Buddhists.

And as I expected, the No True Scotsman fallacy pops up in this thread. They walk like Buddhists, they quack like Buddhists, so they are Buddhists. Would you go up to one of those Buddhists and tell him (it's always a man) "you're not a true Buddhist"?

Next you're be telling us that Buddhist clergy are fundamentally different to Catholic clergy e.g. they would never abuse children. Right? :rolleyes:

tony007 wrote: »

People who call themselves Buddhists are different to people who are Buddhists.

No true Scotsman, eh?

Wibbs wrote: »

You could argue similar about Christians.

Not quite.

Christianity does teach that people who are different are wrong and will burn in hell.
Buddhism doesn't, it has more of a "treat everyone nicely" gist to it.

BizzyC wrote: »

No we haven't, in fact it is a religion.

It's both really. There are parts of the world were it fulfills a role as a religion, with all the cultural trappings that come along with that and there is also a philosophical perspective.

tony007 wrote: »

No it's not. People who call themselves Buddhists are different from the Buddhist belief.

But all muslims and christians are the are homogeneous??

There are aspects to Buddhism that are good. I'll grant that. Meditation helps calm the mind. However it's been found that meditation releases the same chemicals in the mind that prayer does. So you could get the same benefits from being a muslim who prays 5 times a day. Although at least an average person can practice meditation, separate from the religion,

Either way, Buddhists, Muslims, scientologists etc... are just different people drinking different cool aid.

https://www.youtube.com/feed/UC6M_EhnSSdTG_SXUp6IAWmQ

I've always had an Interest in Buddhism since I was a teenager. About 3 years ago I came across some Dharma Talks on YouTube by an English Monk living in Western Australia. Ajahn Brahm is his name. He is and English Monk of many living in Western Australia. Buddhist Society of Western Australia is what they call themselves.

The Monks stream their talks over the internet and pace them onto their you tube channel. One a week goes up generally.

Frankly, Buddhism has changed my outlook on life completely. Buddhism for me is a philosophy on how to live life, how to react to life and how to be in life. It's brought a peacefulness in my mind, myself worth and esteem has risen dramatically. Buddhism is also very induced with Science. The main monk in the talks I listen to has a vast arrange of Education. He was a teacher, studied science and Biology to name a few. Went to Cambridge UNI.

Before I studied Buddhism, my mind would constantly race. I mean, I’m a deep thinker always have been and always will be. I was constantly living in the future or dwelling on my past. Buddhism taught and teaches me to live in the moment because at this moment is where it's all happening. This simple teaching has helped me tremendously with controlling my thoughts or not controlling them would be the correct way to put it.

I Meditate any time I can. It took me a lot of practice but Meditation for me has brought some wonderful experiences. I always heard Monks' say Meditation is better than Sex. My response, whatever. This one day, while meditating, I found it very easy to settle my mind and thoughts while watching my breathing. After 15 minutes of this, a warmth I’ve never felt in my life glided all over my body. It was so intense and beautiful I had to pull myself out of it as I could not handle the intensity of the feeling. I also see beautiful lights and colors while meditating, it can be so tranquil and peaceful it’s a gift.

The only way I could describe this feeling would be a similar feeling to a Rush when you’re on XTC. It was simply beautiful but more pleasurable and natural. I've only ever been able to reach this point 2 times in 3 years of meditation.

I find Meditation helps reduce stress, helps clear my mind, helps me not to think and find peace within. It also help me learn more about myself. I've learned about my ego, I've learned to let go and most importantly, to be kind and to live in this present moment.

I’m forever grateful that I found Buddhism and look forward to new Dharma talks as they come along.

sombaht wrote: »

Definition of religion
noun
[mass noun]
the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

Can you please tell me what God or gods did the Buddha teach about?

Regards,
cathal

Do you really want this to come down to competing dictionary definitions? Dictionaries are written by people i.e. they are not perfect and authoritative. for a counter-example, try this from dictionary.com:

re·li·gion [ri-lij-uhn]
noun
1.
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2.
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3.
the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4.
the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5.
the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

(emphasis added)
The "superhuman controlling power" from your definition doesn't have to be a god. If Karma controls everyone's lives, doesn't that qualify as a "superhuman controlling power"? We're not going to reach a consensus on this question by reaching for the dictionary, so I refer you back to what I said earlier: "if it walks like a duck ..."

BizzyC wrote: »

It is recognised as a religion, in the same ways as chritianity, judaism, islam et al. are.
If you want to argue what the dictionary says, then call the government and have it re-classified.

Pull out any information on Religion in Ireland and Buddhism will be represented.
In Ireland, it is a religion, get over it.

It may very well be (mistakenly) recognised as a religion and even mis-represented as such, but that still doesn't make it so. Continue referring to it incorrectly as a religion if you so wish but Buddhism at the end of the day is a philosophy, deal with it.

Cheers,
sombaht

bnt wrote: »

If Karma controls everyone's lives, doesn't that qualify as a "superhuman controlling power"?

I wouldn't say karma "controls" everyone's lives. It impacts on our lives certainly but control? No I don't think so.

Cheers,
sombaht

Mardy Bum wrote: »

There is karma though which is as good as a man in the sky and equally irrational.

That's a fair point however the thing with Buddhism is nothing is set in stone, question everything and only settle for what makes sense to yourself.

Karma is basic fundamental law. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. Newton's laws of motion states this for example.

I've yet to fully understand Karma and I wonder if it exists myself. It's a journey. It's the same with reincarnation, I study and learn from Buddhism however I'm yet to full believe or understand reincarnation as such. I do believe however, our bodies are just vessels for our consciousness and what happens to our Consciousness when we die intrigues me. Does it die with our bodies or does that energy transfer off and implements itself into the universe? For me that is beautiful questioning of life.

Nothing is set in stone and Buddhism encourages you to question even the Buddhist beliefs and teachings.

Blisterman wrote: »

If you believe a supernatural force such as karma has an impact on people's lives, then that's a religious belief.

Karma literally translates as 'doing'. It's nothing more than the role that's been thrown at you by life. Some people go their whole lives without ever really making a decision themselves, they're pushed around by life; to be a Buddha is to choose you're own path and be liberated from Karma.

bluewolf wrote: »

It's a non-theistic religion
Sure, there is a philosophy bit only which you can take - but the rebirth parts are more religiony

As previously stated, Buddhism functions in certain societies as a religion would in western society, and inherits all the cultural trappings that come along with that. Power corrupts etc.

I think of reincarnation like this:

The universe is all one big, organic moment. To take events separately from the whole is to miss that everything is mutually independent on everything else, undifferentiated. Time is nothing more than a way of measuring change, it doesn't exist.

Your entire identity is a story told to you by your culture. 'You' are really nothing, 'You' are just a set of eyes experiencing 'being' from one perspective; all you are is what your organs experience, nothing more.

Before you were born you were in the same state as after you die, absolute, untraceable nothingness.1

All life is the same as you, coming and going to exactly where you're going, just a vessel through which experience runs but wrapped in an ego and shaped by the environmental minutia of their current existence and experiencing different modalities of consciousness.

We agree that at our most basic level are the same. Everything we've placed on top of this 'being' is just drama.2 All life is the same. Everything is the same. We've realised that we(all life) are just the universe experiencing itself and our sense of identity is stopping us from realising 'I' doesn't have to stop at the boundaries of our bodies. We are the timeless universe, as experienced through a set of sensory organs, made out of that very universe.

We've looked at our lives and realised that every high has a corresponding low, that what comes up must come down, that everything is impermanence and when you die you leave all behind, so pursuit of material wealth and goal oriented quests for happiness are a needless expansion of horizons, a falsity based on the promise of a future that doesn't exist and all exploitation is just you hurting yourself. This awakening has led us to a higher plane of existence(from my experience), free from the illusions of the game of life and has brought us closer to pure understanding and eternal contentedness.

Any god talked about in Buddhism is not the same as talking about the Abrahamic god, who makes the sun rise everyday by effort; I'm saying that you're god and the sun happens to rise because you do too.

You're it. I'm it. Everything is it!

1+2: Are the basis of reincarnation, for me. We're all the same and time doesn't exist, so you're basically living each life separately but we're all the whole. Even if you don't believe in reincarnation directly, it's a great reason for nonviolence!