I'm converting...

[Rongi]

...to Buddhism

Why? I want to be at peace I guess. I'm tired of being stressed out all the time.

[AChimp]

Why bother going to the trouble of converting to anything? Just buy a decent laxative and you'll be fine in a couple days.

[Rongi]

Tried it

[GAsux]

You're probably just not masturbating enough. Maybe you could check out Vince's web site for motivation.

[Rongi]

Tried it

[GAsux]

If it didn't make you happy than you just did it wrong.

[ItalianStereotype]

hmmm...maybe the laxative AND the masturbating? for a little flavor, throw in a border-jumper to videotape you and pleasure himself to German pedophile scat.

you can also be a Buddhist AND be christian/jew/muslim/whatever. buddhism isn't an established religion, so you can do whatever.

[Bennett]

Originally Posted by ItalianStereotype

buddhism isn't an established religion, so you can do whatever.

sarcasm? how is this so?

[Vibecrewangel]

Mr. Stereotype is correct.

Buddhism is a philosophy not a religion.

[Bennett]

please, explain further...

[Vibecrewangel]

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow a path - a path which ultimately culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood.
Because Buddhism does not include the idea of worshipping a creator God, it is not see it as a religion in the normal, Western sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straightforward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. Thus Buddhism addresses itself to all people irrespective of race, nationality, or gender. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion.
There are around 350 million Buddhists and a growing number of them are Westerners. They follow many different forms of Buddhism, but all traditions are characterised by non-violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and, usually, by the practice of meditation


His very last statement sets Buddhism apart from what is otherwise called religion: "Now, don´t believe my words because a Buddha told you, but examine them well. Be a light onto yourselves."


( Copy / Paste from a few sites. )

[Sethomas]

Buddhism refers to the teachings of the Buddha, whose actual name was something like Sidharta Guatama. I"m spelling that wrong, but oh well. Sid never made any profound religious teachings, he merely taught about the philosophical aspects of nature and self-discovery. Like Taoism, these philosophical notes were applied to several different religious factions, most of which actually predate the Buddha himself. For example, the "fat Buddha" as you often see in garden statues actually represents Hotei, a Chinese God of laughter and joy. In real life, Sid was actually quite annorexic.

So yeah, you can apply the philosophy of Buddhism to about any religion you want. Even atheism.

[Vibecrewangel]

YAY SETH!

[mburbank]

Buhdism, which evolved in the East, is not imnpossible, but very difficult for a Westerner born and bred, to practice.

"Chop wood, carry water" ought to easily translate to "flip burgers, telemarket subscriptions to TV guide" but in practice, immersed in our own culture, we find this nearly impossible.

"Do what you need to do and do it as a contemplation of the Divine" is perhaps an even better translation, and it should be no problem to do so while asking if the patron would like fries with that.

[Rongi]

Thanks guys. I'm going to a monestary(sp?) upstate during the summer

[Bennett]

I guess I'd say that I agree and disagree.
First of all, saying that Buddhism is nothing more than the teachings of Sidharta is a little vague. Like Christianity, there have been many interpretations of this basic teachings that have branched into many, many forms of Buddhism, some of which are vastly different on points of emphasis. There are strict texts, there are strict rituals and rites of worship, although they do not worship what you could call a creator god.

Zen Buddhism I think would be the closest to what is being described here, because that really focuses on the meditation rituals, technique, etc. Zen Buddhism tends to focus little on texts or the worship/admiration of previous Buddhas/bodhisattvas.

While I agree that many aspects of Buddhism can be easily applied to a philosophical perspective, but what religion is not like this? There are aspects of every religion that one can absorb and turn into a way of thought, perhaps it is easier with Buddhism because there is no God.

The fact that it deals with the structure of the universe and the afterlife are important aspects that I think make it more than just philosophy, and again it does depend on which form of Buddhism you are talking about.

[Vibecrewangel]

Buddhism in general is more closely related to quantum mathmatics (physics especially) than it is to traditional religion.


Not that it isn't spiritual....it is very spiritual. But it is about the self and the whole. (The singular and the infinite) Not about gods.

[Miss Modular]

I might as ask a question that's been hanging over my head for awhile, and I might as well ask it here.

What's a good introductory book to Buddhism? If anyone has any good recommendations, let me know.

[Sethomas]

Eh, for Eastern Philosophy in general, I recommend The Tao of Poo and The Te of Piglet. They're cute and informative.

[Vibecrewangel]

Again I say.....

YAY SETH!!!!


Mod, I wish I could name a few, but my understanding of Buddhism is better than my knowledge of it. I have a good Zen Buddhism introduction at home. I'll let you know what it is when I get home.


It's probably something simple too like....Intorduction to Zen Buddhism.....

[James]

Think of it this way. Buddhism has more in common with being a homosexual than being a Christian.

Hope that helps.

[Rongi]

You're not even trying anymore

[James]

Originally Posted by Rongi

You're not even trying anymore

Umm, what?

[Grazzt]

It's pretty hard to be a faithful member of a major religion and a Buddhist at the same time, since some of the philosophies of both are in opposition. For example, the afterlife. Buddhism states that you pretty much lose yourself in Nirvana, a state of oneness with all. However, most religions say that you ascend to a higher plane of existance, and live out eternity in pure bliss. Or burn forever.

One could try to mesh things together, but it would be a hell of a task.

[Sethomas]

Umm, I don't think that Nirvana is an image of the afterlife, dude.