What is Buddhism?

[scapularkid8]

I’m curious about it, but I can’t seem to find any straight answers as to what exactly Buddhism is…I guess we will know a tree by the fruit it bears, and the only fruit I can see on this tree is confusion!

What’s the point of Buddhism?

 

[justinthemartyr]

It seems to me that buddhism is for those who want to believe in something, yet do not want it to be God, or anything like God, or a god of any kind. They want to be at one with everything, nature especially and others on this earth. They want to find whatever it is within them that helps them to reach a sort of spiritual nirvana, and be able to serve others and be selfless without the help of anything like God.

I know a few buddhists that go against the grain and believe in God, yet like the eastern spirituality of buddhism. the two sort of support each other and contradict each other at the same time.

One cannot be catholic and hold to strict historic buddhist beliefs, for that would mean that you would have no reliance upon God. It seems that it would be more of a self help thing than a God help religion.

 

[ibkc]

Buddhism is difficult to understand for many Westerners because its point of view is very Eastern. Reincarnation is taken for granted in the cultures where Buddhism thrives, and it is also taken for granted that suffering among humans is a given. Suffering, they teach, comes about because of ignorance. The point of Buddhism is to remove oneself, via contemplation and meditation, from the never-ending cycles of suffering in this world and reincarnation into more lives of suffering. A person who achieves this is called “enlightened.” Once this has been achieved, the enlightened one, or bodhisattva, goes on to help others leave the cycle of suffering behind, and also to help suffering people who are in immediate need.

Buddhism is non-theistic. Not atheistic - non-theistic. Meaning it neither endorses or denies any deity or religious system. That said, some world religions aren’t really compatible with Buddhism because they start from different premises even though they address some of the same concerns.

I’m sure plenty of people can quibble with this, but as far as I am concerned, this is it in a nutshell. Buddhism is not evil.

 

[BluesPicker]

Well,

 Buddihism,  I don't know I studied it.   One can't truly achieve the goal they seek without Christ.  The Apostle Thomas  died in India. There are the Thomasmiite Catholics from the Church he brought to India in communion with the Church of  Rome   there is a possibility that this  Gospel that  Thomas spread was incorporated into  Buddhist theology..

  The question is it evil or not,  I  can only say that  without Christ and following your Faith  to me looks like risking your soul.

BluesPicker

 

[BeeSweet]

You would probably do best to read some Alan Watts. Alan Watts was at one time an Episcopal minister, he has an excellent grasp on comparative religion, especially where Christianity and Buddhism are concerned. The Way of Zen was his ground breaking title on the subject, published in the 1950’s. Start there. Another author I’ve heard good things about on this subject is the late Thomas Merton, a Trappist Monk. I’ve been thinking about buying Mystics and Zen Masters, it looks like a good read.

 

[Alexius]

It is about be at peace now. They do not worry about “afterlife” or God, just being at peace. To me, the whole idea of reincarnation is pointless. I mean, if one cannot remember their past lives, then how are they to improve? It is said that a bodhisattva is shown all of his past lives, but that is after enlightenment. On top of that, there isn’t one type of Buddhism. There are Theravadas, Mahayanas, Zen, Pure Land, etc. All of them claim to be the true path, yet their practices and beliefs are different–not that this means anything, because the same is true in Christianity aswell. Buddhism is kind of like a philosophical response to Hinduism. So many gods and rituals, let’s just get to the basics. Don’t worry about whether God exists or not. Just focus on being at peace with yourself. Kind of foolish if you think about it…

Prayers and petitions,
Alexius

 

[paarsurrey]

I’m curious about it, but I can’t seem to find any straight answers as to what exactly Buddhism is…I guess we will know a tree by the fruit it bears, and the only fruit I can see on this tree is confusion!
What’s the point of Buddhism?

Hi

To know what is true Buddhism, one should know about Buddha, for which please read a thought provoking article at:
alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_2_section_2.html

I think, your confusion would be removed. You would taste some good fruits, I think.

Thanks

 

[thistle]

Hi

To know what is true Buddhism, one should know about Buddha, for which please read a thought provoking article at:
alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_2_section_2.html

I think, your confusion would be removed. You would taste some good fruits, I think.

Thanks

Buddhism is simply another false religion along with Islam, Hinduism etc etc. Christianity is the only true religion. It was founded by God while the others which are all false were founded by man.
What I would say though is that among the fasle religions only Islam is violent and hate filled.

 

[thistle]

Hi

To know what is true Buddhism, one should know about Buddha, for which please read a thought provoking article at:
alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_2_section_2.html

I think, your confusion would be removed. You would taste some good fruits, I think.

Thanks

Buddhism is simply another false religion along with Islam, Hinduism etc etc. Christianity is the only true religion. It was founded by God while the others which are all false were founded by man.
What I would say though is that among the false religions only Islam is really violent and hate filled.

 

[Sagefrakrobatik]

Buddhism is simply another false religion along with Islam, Hinduism etc etc. Christianity is the only true religion. It was founded by God while the others which are all false were founded by man.
What I would say though is that among the fasle religions only Islam is violent and hate filled.

Thats a pretty BOLD statement. Do you care to back that up with facts?

 

[paarsurrey]

Islam is really …hate filled.

Hi

Kindly mention just one hate sentence about Jesus, Mary and the Apostles in Quran. Islam respects Jesus, Mary and the Apostles. I love them.

Thanks

 

[thistle]

Hi

Kindly mention just one hate sentence about Jesus, Mary and the Apostles in Quran. Islam respects Jesus, Mary and the Apostles. I love them.

Thanks

The Quran denies the divinity of Jesus. That is blasphemy and born out of hate for Christians. The Quran also tells Muslims not to make friends with Jews and Christians.

 

[thistle]

Thats a pretty BOLD statement. Do you care to back that up with facts?

Which one? I made several statements.

 

[paarsurrey]

Quote:
Originally Posted by paarsurrey
Hi

Kindly mention just one hate sentence about Jesus, Mary and the Apostles in Quran. Islam respects Jesus, Mary and the Apostles. I love them.

Thanks

The Quran denies the divinity of Jesus.

Hi

I think it is a sort of confirmation that there is no hate sentence in the Quran, not even one, about Jesus, Mary and Apostels. It is they who matter most.

Thanks

 

[hopelessrom_grl]

I’m an ex-Buddhist…I never really understood it, so that’s why I left when i found Jesus

All I know is that it teaches that in life you have to do good deeds to accumulate as much good karma as possible so that you’ll be reincarnated into a better life

those with bad karma might end up as animals or poor people

and the point is to get rid of desire to reach Nirvana, which means you got out of the painful cycle of karma(reincarnation and cease to exsist)

some Buddhist do worship different gods…I use to worship Chinese gods…now I realise that I’m wrong and I am now an RCIA canidate

 

[thistle]

Hi

I think it is a sort of confirmation that there is no hate sentence in the Quran, not even one, about Jesus, Mary and Apostels. It is they who matter most.

Thanks

It is Jesus who matters most because he is God and the Quran denies this which is blasphemy. Are you saying blasphemy is not a sign of hate??

 

[scapularkid8]

Hi

I think it is a sort of confirmation that there is no hate sentence in the Quran, not even one, about Jesus, Mary and Apostels. It is they who matter most.

Thanks

Okay that’s great, but this thread’s title is “What is Buddhism” not “What is Islam”…please discuss this somewhere else. Sorry for being a stickler, but that’s off topic.

 

[scapularkid8]

It seems to me that buddhism is for those who want to believe in something, yet do not want it to be God, or anything like God, or a god of any kind.

I would have to agree with this. I have a friend who is borderline atheist and fully agnostic who wants to become Buddhist. I did not understand this. The thing that really gets my goat about Buddhism is the relativism of it all. You’re allowed to believe anything and nothing all at the same time.

Buddhists say that “it’s not a religion, it’s a way of life”…isn’t that what Christianity is supposed to be? I think we differ in that Buddhism attempts to escape suffering, while Christianity embraces it as a liberating struggle.

 

[inthecloud]

Another author I’ve heard good things about on this subject is the late Thomas Merton, a Trappist Monk. I’ve been thinking about buying Mystics and Zen Masters, it looks like a good read.

Very good book.
Buddhism is a agnostic religion. You can be a atheist, politheist or a theist and be a buddhist.
Is more about reaching the Nirvana by yourself. And breaking the chains of reincarnations.

 

[scapularkid8]

Is more about reaching the Nirvana by yourself. And breaking the chains of reincarnations.

Hmmm. Why would I need to do that when I can learn the true meaning of suffering and purify my soul to reach God? They do have interesting philosophies nonetheless…faulty, but interesting.