Buddhism (open discussion)

[GhostRider]

[?]I originally posted this as a seperate topic but I have deleted that and reposted the question here as it is better served to me and others as a question and not a seperate but quite alike post elsewhere... so here goes.

Now I know that Hinduism and Buddhism are seperate and enlightening theism's in their own right. But I notice a lot of similarities and was wondering if one of the major differences between Hinduism and Buddhism is that Hinduism is more spiritual whereas Buddhism is more philisophical?

Also, where did Buddhism draw its influence from Hinduism mainly or was more interdependantly thought out?

Thanks for your answers in advance.

[TruthSeeker]

"But I notice a lot of similarities and was wondering if one of the major differences between Hinduism and Buddhism is that Hinduism is more spiritual whereas Buddhism is more philisophical?"
- This is not correct(based on my knowledge and experience), but Buddhism do have a more "integrated" philosophical part than Hinduism. This does not make Buddhism less spiritual. Infact based on own research and experience(once again) I would say the opposite..

"..where did Buddhism draw its influence from Hinduism mainly or was more interdependantly thought out?"
- Buddhism has influence from Hinduism, as Hinduism has influence from Buddhism, as Christianity has influence from ..(could go on for ever here..). Both religions were more or less "interpedendantly thought out".

An interesting topic, so GhostRider I suggest you dig further into this great mystery. []

Best Regards,
TruthSeeker

[Nick]

There is a great little book that I came across back in the 90's called Taking the Path of Zen. It was written by Robert Aitken. While this book covers the Zen side of buddhism, it is a great read for those with an interest along those lines.

The back cover of the book reads in part: "Taking the Path of Zen will serve as orientation and guide for anyone who is drawn to the ways of Zen, from the simply curious to the serious Zen student".


Very best,

[sublime]

I've really enjoyed studying buddhism over the past couple years. I look at it more as a philosophy as opposed to a religion. I find that some books will refer to buddha as "Lord Buddha" which i do not do. If you do any searches on the four noble truths and then read the eight fold path, you can get a good idea as to what the philosophy of Buddhism really is about.

In regards to the spirituality of the religions, I think Buddhism is found within the self (as well as Hinduism) but with Hinduism, there are gods and goddesses (vishnu shiva krishna etc...) I met a Hindu on my campus who was handing out copies of the Bhagavad Gita which to my understanding is the philosophical book of Hinduism (much like their bible) he explained that his form of hinduism was a branch of it much like christians have methodist, baptist, catholic (if you still agree catholisim is christian haha). Anyway, i think they are in fact very similar. They are both accepting of other religions so if you are Christian and you would like to study hinduism or buddhism you can do so without feeling like you are doing something wrong.

i guess i would call myself a Buddhist christian??? i dont know i'm lost. [V]

[onefromsomewhereelse]

I guess I'm a buddhist Christian too; after talking over the years with many Hindus, Buddhists, etc., I find them to be very spritual people.  In my opinion, they are among the elect of God who have been given a new, spritual, heart at some point in their life.
The effect of this indwelling is that now they have had their spiritual eyes opened, and are seeking God in the best way they can.
Most of them will describe some point in their life when this change occured, and, surprisingly, it was not when they were seeking the things of God.

The only advantage, in my opinion, some Christians have is that they see the Creator as not some far away spirit, but as a warm, personal, fatherly spirit who is more concerned with their daily life than even they are with serving Him.

I say "some", because I find that, in spite of what they quote from the Bible, most Christians believe actually that they are saved by something they do, which makes them no different from those who they call "lost sinners" who believe the same way.
By "lost", I am not referring to the spiritually challenged, but rather the true seekers of God who just happen to not be Christians.

[taom1234]

Hi Robert,
My gripe with Budhism.  Budhist monks around 15 years ago performed a ritual on my girlfriend which attached an entity to her.  Is has scared the hell out of her for a long time.
She was born with her third eye open well into her teenage years before the monks closed her third eye and attached this negative entity. Do you know of anyone skilled enough to remove this "spell".  It relentlessy attacks her in her mind constantly reciting old relgious sayings and belittling her in every way shape and form.  When it gets worse she feels the pressure on her face as it if is "covering" her.  
I made another post like this in your Psychic Self Defense forum but since this forum is about Budhism specifically I was hoping someone skilled in courrupt Budhist rituals could help us.
I respect Budhists very much, but just like any relgion they have their share of corruptness.
It is obvious that the intention was to break her spirit and it is almost working as one time sheh trie to end her life to get away from this.  She is much more stable now and wouldn't think of trying that again. I  hope this forum could shed some light into resolving this.  Thanks kindly for any help.

[gamer666]

Buddha was a Hindu prince that lived a sheltered life, then he knew someone that died and was devestated so he ran away and didn't eat trying to find the meaning of life.  That didn't work so he started eating and wondered all around trying to find happiness, then one day sitting under a tree he became enlightened.  I'm not sure if the is enterly correct.  You can read books be the Dali Lama which is i think the reincarnation of Buddha.

My friends father was a Buddhist monk in Thailand, now he lives in the U.S.  but he is always happy and he's different form any one I know.

[aryanknight666]

It seems that alot of people here have seriously limited understanding and information about buddhism, the best example of this is those of you claiming to be "christian buddhists", I think this speaks for itself.

quote: Hi Robert,
My gripe with Budhism. Budhist monks around 15 years ago performed a ritual on my girlfriend which attached an entity to her. Is has scared the hell out of her for a long time.
She was born with her third eye open well into her teenage years before the monks closed her third eye and attached this negative entity. Do you know of anyone skilled enough to remove this "spell". It relentlessy attacks her in her mind constantly reciting old relgious sayings and belittling her in every way shape and form. When it gets worse she feels the pressure on her face as it if is "covering" her.
I made another post like this in your Psychic Self Defense forum but since this forum is about Budhism specifically I was hoping someone skilled in courrupt Budhist rituals could help us.
I respect Budhists very much, but just like any relgion they have their share of corruptness.
It is obvious that the intention was to break her spirit and it is almost working as one time sheh trie to end her life to get away from this. She is much more stable now and wouldn't think of trying that again. I hope this forum could shed some light into resolving this. Thanks kindly for any help.

This is an even more disturbing example of ignorance towards buddhism. No, there was no intent to break her spirit and there was no negative intent done on your girlfreind, nor did what these monks do have any negative consequences, I'd say it is purely in your girlfreind's head. Fair enough?

quote:Buddha was a Hindu prince that lived a sheltered life, then he knew someone that died and was devestated so he ran away and didn't eat trying to find the meaning of life. That didn't work so he started eating and wondered all around trying to find happiness, then one day sitting under a tree he became enlightened. I'm not sure if the is enterly correct. You can read books be the Dali Lama which is i think the reincarnation of Buddha.

I'm not even going to touch that one.

[Shinobi]

...

[aryanknight666]

I'll try and be a little more kind []

[aryanknight666]

and I'm not bashing buddhists at all - if thats what you're trying to imply, I have high regard for buddhism and am very knowledgeable on it. I was simply speaking of the ignorance shown towards buddhism.

[Jonas K strand]

hello! seems like you have some problems with what others is saying.

buddha wanted us to be sweet as milk and water.(?)
the american interptretation is, sweet as coffie and sugar.(i suppose) at the time we get upset we start hurting ourselves! thats what buddhas teaching is all about as i understand it. to me buddhas dhamma is not a religion. dhamma is not buddhism. dhamma is universal, no matter who you are.

so, if someone comes to us with something that loos like a piece of excrement,(ignorance for instance) we must not get angry. (eat it)

very best!

/jonas

[aryanknight666]

Buddhism is not a religion, nor is it a philosophy as it does not have suject and object. Rather it is an education, and sentient beings are the students.

quote:buddha wanted us to be sweet as milk and water.(?)
the american interptretation is, sweet as coffie and sugar.(i suppose) at the time we get upset we start hurting ourselves! thats what buddhas teaching is all about as i understand it.

Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings are all about escaping the endless cycle of death and rebirth (samsara) and reaching perfect complete enlightenment.

[Jarthur]

ok I'll bite

This is my beef with Budhism. I know it bears little resemblance to yoga except for being a spiritual path, but bear with me please.

When I was in my late teens, early 20's, I chose to study yoga because it offered everything I was looking for. I dove into it with all the enthusiasm of that age. I practiced the positions and concentration, visualization, meditation... and I was rewarded.

The changes came as promised and soon I began to have visions of beauty and profound depth. I began to understand to my amazment that I could expect a welcome from a system that could be of enormous help.

And that's when I realized to what extent it was all utterly foreign to me. Certainly I was being welcomed. And in the process I was accepting this as my spiritual path. I realized the enormous implications of this choice. I was accepting a path that has developed in a culture that is so completely a stranger to who I am that it's acceptance is equivalent to a denial of just that... who I am.

Budhism and yoga and etc etc have all been imported from cultures that certainly have very advanced systems for soul development and that's just it.  All systems have a mythology whether it's directly stated or implied. This serves as the ground that you stand on in your practice . You make this mythology real. In terms of your spirit, it defines where you come from, and the practice defines where you are going and how you'll get there. It could well be that in the end we are all going to the same place... maybe... but personally I suspect that the journey never ends so...

Anyway this is by no means an original beef. It's been stated and re-stated by western teachers many times.  But the reason I'm re-stating it again is because it has a great deal of meaning for me.

Many will say that the western mystery traditions all come from the east. The fact is that they have a development that is concurrent with their societies regardless of where they come from. They carry an evolution right into the present day and it's impossible to state the extent to which that symbiosis is important, It becomes manifest as you work in the discipline.

[aryanknight666]

and this has what to do with buddhism?

[Jarthur]

Thanks for the heads up aryanknight. The post may in fact not be appropriate for this thread. If that's the case, I hope one of the moderators will let me know and I'll delete it, or they are free to delete it themselves.

[samsara]

I understanding buddhism as all life is varying degrees of suffering which is caused by the ego and it's inherent beliefs which are all incorrect, and from these incorrect beliefs sufferring is caused and karma built up which when the physical body dies, the ego beliefs pull the essence back to a new body and the cycle starts again. Therefore only by addressing the incorrect beliefs of ego to realise the truth of reality (as form is also an illusion made by incorrect beliefs) can the cycle of rebirth be broken.

                                             Samsara

[Rin_Daemoko]

How interesting that one of the "incorrect beliefs" is actually the belief in cause and effect.  How is one liberated by karma?  By seeing that it isn't really there in the first place!

[samsara]

yeah, these beliefs are self and as self is emptyness, the beliefs too are also empty. how can "I" believe if "I" does not exist. Would it be fair so say that which  "you" are everything that is not self? Is the not self buddha nature??

                                           Samsara

[DreamWeaver]

What are the principal rules about Karma in Buddhism?I know a tiny bit but not alot.[]
Thanks

[samsara]

it is said that "ignorance" is one of the cause of karma build up  the belief of that which is called "Self" or "I" exists at all. Then the idea that we are seperate from each other which is caused though the belief of ego and form, when both are pure illusion. That's a bit of the theory. Essentially that which we say is "me" is not the ego, ego is empty and so is form. Hope that is a fair assessment.

It is probably best to read about it from teachers who have cleared the ego as ego also clouds descriptions as well as vision.

                                             Samsara

[overfien]

to find out more about karma.. visit the temple of Anubis in the "astral"..

and regarding meditation one thing alot of westerners get wrong is interpreting the meditation "Quietening of the mind" (duality/koan) best to be done prior to going to sleep.. or first thing in the morning.. instead of concentration that leads the astral quietening will take you to the casual (tiphereth) plane aka "6dim" also 2 other planes that exist in the 6th dimension are the buddhic (geburah) world and the atmic (chesed) world .  Inbetween the 6 and the 7 is(daath) or called the tree of knowledge.  The very greatest of monks you hear about stop here.  In there work.. because they are lacking the other 2 keys.

[Hand of Ganesha]

This article provokes one to rethink the current Buddhist Teachings and I am kinda agreeable to it.[8]

http://www.neptunethemystic.co.uk/spirit/buddhism-challenge.htm

[aryanknight666]

quote:As one of five current incarnations of Archangel Michael, who is known in Buddhism as Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, I have a few comments to lovingly make on the state of the Buddhist teachings today and how they could be brought up to date.

How does one convince themsleves that they are in incarnation of the archangel micheal, furthermore to propose that a judeao-christian mythological figure exists in a beleif system completely disconnected from judaism?
This also irritates me because it displays the almost psychotic obsession with love apparent in new age.

I read a little further down, but what more could she possibly say that isn't shot down by one crucial thing she has failed to notice:
Buddha Shakyamuni was never meant to be the first or last Buddha.
According to Buddhist teachings, when Buddhism is forgotten, another Buddha will revive its teachings.

[halfphased]

I say why bother with building up a pastlife resume.  Just teach the truth of liberation and that should be good enough.  

hrm, i'm very interested in hearing what you have to say about "the almost psychotic obsession with love apparent in new age", aryan.
Heh, i have a question, but I can't seem to formulate it into words.  Perhaps, the general is the way to go.  Would you please tell me about why you see the new age obsession with love as being almost psychotic?   Obviously, this is kind of a tangent topic, so feel free to PM if you don't want to post here.