ok i am a buddhist and it really pisses me off how everyone thinks that its a hypocritical religon saying "how can you be taught self disclipine from a god that weighs 500lbs?" thats not even a buddha! thats the soon to be buddha that everyone uses as a symbol, the actual buddhas are very muscular, fit and wise.

but theres also the point that buddhas are not gods, they are just humans who have followed a path of divinity and wisdom, and have reached nirvana. but there are gods in another realm, ruled over by many gods, or just very powerful beings that have no influence over the other realms

just letting everyone know that cuz it pisses me off.

Yeah, many people have horribly skewed beliefs about eastern religions because the beliefs and practices of many of these religions are very different from western religions, specifically Christianity. I agree with many of the principles of the Eightfold Path, and I think they would help to improve one's life. The belief in reincarnation and the existance of gods I don't agree with however. I do like the fact that Buddhism doesn't claim to be the one and only path to salvation.

thank you, a sane person i can talk with, who agrees

quote:Originally posted by anti gravity:

Yeah, many people have horribly skewed beliefs about eastern religions because the beliefs and practices of many of these religions are very different from western religions, specifically Christianity. I agree with many of the principles of the Eightfold Path, and I think they would help to improve one's life. The belief in reincarnation and the existance of gods I don't agree with however. I do like the fact that Buddhism doesn't claim to be the one and only path to salvation.

If I remember correctly, there are 84,000 'dharmas' that lead to liberation; being that there are 84,000 forms of mental disposition.

Also, I never understood why many people are so aversive to the concept of rebirth. I wish someone could explain that to me. One major factor is 'human pride.' That is, placing your sense of self-worth on a higher plateau than that of the animal kindgom. Granted, there are differences between humans and the lesser animals.

quote:Originally posted by Demunic:

the actual buddhas are very muscular

Cite?

quote:Originally posted by Demunic:

ok i am a buddhist... blah blah blah bullshit

ok you're a 14 year old white kid with an emo hair cut from columbus ohio, you're not even close to anything remotely buddhist.

I don't think you're a buddhist, because it doesn't sound like you know a damn thing about Buddhism. However, either do I... So I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt.

I have never once heard such criticisms of Buddhist thought. You're either from an area full of backwards thinkers, or you just affiliate yourself with such people.

My criticisms with Buddhism, lie in it's striking similarities and characteristics of nihilism.

quote:Originally posted by anti gravity:

Yeah, many people have horribly skewed beliefs about eastern religions because the beliefs and practices of many of these religions are very different from western religions, specifically Christianity. I agree with many of the principles of the Eightfold Path, and I think they would help to improve one's life. The belief in reincarnation and the existance of gods I don't agree with however. I do like the fact that Buddhism doesn't claim to be the one and only path to salvation.

QFT

Well, I thought about the contradictions in Buddhism. You shall not desire, yet you end up desiring not to desire. It's all stupid. You don't have free wheel. pun. lolz.

quote:Originally posted by mustache rider:

ok you're a 14 year old white kid with an emo hair cut from columbus ohio, you're not even close to anything remotely buddhist.



ok ur right on the 14 and columbus account, but i really am buddhist, not the best buddhist as well i just began being a buddhist a month or two ago, but i do know the basics. also its not an emo cut, its a mohawk...get it right



and most scupltures of many buddhas show them being muscular or atleast pretty fit.



and also yea my friends are pretty stupid when it comes to religon and alot of things im interested in. that and they love riduculing eachother just because its fun to laugh at eachother.

btw genecks, thats a great point. but if my desire is to have no desire, than what will happen when this desire is fulfilled? nothing? will i just not want anything more in life? spiritual content :P

oh and nurotik, i always believed in some type of reincarnation because i think of the human soul being something like a static wave or pulse and when we die it moves onto another being to which it forms into the brain, which would explain why some people are like dead people from long ago, and how near death experiences(ones where you die but are brought back from say the ER) make you die then come back with no brain activity. like its what the brain creates or something, idk its not a very well devolped theory, but something i can believe in all the same to explain everything

quote:Originally posted by Demunic:



ok ur right on the 14 and columbus account, but i really am buddhist, not the best buddhist as well i just began being a buddhist a month or two ago, but i do know the basics. also its not an emo cut, its a mohawk...get it right



and most scupltures of many buddhas show them being muscular or atleast pretty fit.



and also yea my friends are pretty stupid when it comes to religon and alot of things im interested in. that and they love riduculing eachother just because its fun to laugh at eachother.

btw genecks, thats a great point. but if my desire is to have no desire, than what will happen when this desire is fulfilled? nothing? will i just not want anything more in life? spiritual content :P

oh and nurotik, i always believed in some type of reincarnation because i think of the human soul being something like a static wave or pulse and when we die it moves onto another being to which it forms into the brain, which would explain why some people are like dead people from long ago, and how near death experiences(ones where you die but are brought back from say the ER) make you die then come back with no brain activity. like its what the brain creates or something, idk its not a very well devolped theory, but something i can believe in all the same to explain everything

Yeah. You're definitely not a Buddhist.

quote:Originally posted by Genecks:

Well, I thought about the contradictions in Buddhism. You shall not desire, yet you end up desiring not to desire.

The only reason there is a contradiction there is because of the way you wrote it and apparently understand it. I get what you mean, but there is no commandment that says, 'shall not desire.' There are no commandments at all that tell people what they will do.

Buddhism does teach that if one wants to be free of suffering than one needs to put an end to desire. Yes, this does lead to a desire to be free of desire, but there is a process to it and this desire is a step in that process that helps to free oneself from many of the varied desires one already has and have habitually conditioned into their mind. This desire to be free from desire is one of the last things that one gives up because it is a useful tool.

Buddhist recognize these things and accept them and eventually give that tool up. It seems that you however merely stopped thinking about it when you ran into what seemed to be a contradiction.

quote:Originally posted by Kazz:

Yeah. You're definitely not a Buddhist.



why? because i choose to believe how rebirth works? these are the kinds of ppl that have been pissing me off lately...

and Seriously, that is one of the main reasons i chose to become buddhist, because i wish to be free of all desire and be at peace with myself. i want so many things in life, but ive begun to slowly narrow it down.

Buddhists = they would be too busy meditating to visit Totse.

we dont meditate all the time...

quote:Originally posted by Genecks:

Well, I thought about the contradictions in Buddhism. You shall not desire, yet you end up desiring not to desire. It's all stupid. You don't have free wheel. pun. lolz.

"shall not" would be christianity

"you probably shouldn't if you would like to reach the full potential of spiritual enlightenment" would be buddhism

[This message has been edited by Delysid (edited 03-06-2007).]

ty delysid

yea buddhism, most of it is, you probably should do this if u want to achieve this.its not like, do this and burn forever, dont do this and ull rest eternally. its follow your path the best you can, and one day after many lives you may achieve nirvana. its like a processs, you start out bad, you get better and better, or worse, and eventually you either achieve nirvana at some point, or you just continue to be something of malice and maybe never achieve it.

quote:Originally posted by Kazz:

My criticisms with Buddhism, lie in it's striking similarities and characteristics of nihilism.

Buddhism transcends both the nihilistic and eternalist philosophies. The only way to understand (within the confines of conceptual logic at this point in time) is to eradicate any dichotomous view.

quote:Originally posted by Demunic:



btw genecks, thats a great point. but if my desire is to have no desire, than what will happen when this desire is fulfilled? nothing? will i just not want anything more in life? spiritual content :P



what was meant that was because your desire is to be relieved of desire, that desire will never be fulfilled, cos you will always have that desire.

although, this is not an inconsitentsy, its just a way of making it so the people who want it so much cant get it cos they dont understand.

if you didnt have any desires except the above one, youd be almost there, youd just have to get rid of that last one, by stop caring (in a way). it took the budha 7 lifetimes to do it, its not easy

I'd like to ask those here who don't know a thing about buddhism to stop telling this guy if he is or isn't buddhist. I took a world religions class recently, and he's got all his points right so far. As far as other religions that don't force their viewpoint as the only one, Hinduism is another (might be confusing it with islam, anyone know?). Anywho, please look into these things before you come onto a thread like this and start trolling when all he wants is an intelligent discussion

quote:Originally posted by Zenning:

As far as other religions that don't force their viewpoint as the only one, Hinduism is another (might be confusing it with islam, anyone know?)

No, you're definately not confusing it with Islam. Islamic belief is strongly rooted in the idea that it is the one true path to salvation (Although Muslims have historically been tolerant other Abrahamic religions, namely Judaism and Christianity).

Hinduism is a very tolerant religion, mainly because it has one factor that makes it unique from many other large religions. Hinduism was not founded upon the teachings of one person, but rather a loose collection of similar beliefs and practices. There is no central prophet, no set holy book, and no standardized religious rituals. If it weren't for this openness to religious diversity in classical India, Buddhism might never have evolved.

For a Buddhist, you haven't seemed to even attempt getting over physical pleasures (Haircuts, internet, computers). And the fact you aren't even trying means you aren't really a Buddhist. Try being an 'Anarchist' that's hip with our generation!

As soon as you find the buddha, kill it. You are not walking the talk because you are fighting something. If you are fighting than you are on the wrong path. Honestly, if you on this website you are probaly on the wrong path.

quote:Originally posted by Zenning:



I took a world religions class recently,





quote:Originally posted by Zenning:



Hinduism is another (might be confusing it with islam, anyone know?).



You made it out to seem like that "world religions" class makes you some kind of expert on the subject. Yet you mix up hinduism and fucking islam? What exactly DID you manage to pull out of this class?!

Not only have I read a short biography on Siddhartha Gautama (no, not the hesse book), but I've actually read through the three parts of the Tripitaka(sp?) as well.

I highly doubt this kid knows anything about the 8 fold path, the 4 noble truths, the 5 precepts, or what it means to walk a middle path. In fact I would love to see him explain the illusion of the ricebowl... or the Buddha's unique upbringing.

Also, he already is wrong about the fat buddha. In all of my reading, I've heard only two interpretations of why Buddha is depicted so fat... the first is that it's a metaphor of Siddartha himself with his "huge soul and compassion". The second, more likely source of the fat buddha comes from some later Buddhist monk, who carried his cloth bag around all day, and was just way loving and kind. His figure became the idol for the compassion within buddhist thought.

And I'm sorry... but I think it takes a lot of faith to see Buddhism as anything more than nihilism. I lack that faith... therefore it resembles a life-denying philosophy I could never follow myself.

People call your Buddha fat? Deal with it. You're going to have to understand that to live means to suffer. Thats in NT#1, baby.

You're going to need to let go, and stopping getting "so pissed off".

[This message has been edited by Kazz (edited 03-07-2007).]

quote:Originally posted by Kazz:

You made it out to seem like that "world religions" class makes you some kind of expert on the subject. Yet you mix up hinduism and fucking islam? What exactly DID you manage to pull out of this class?!

Not only have I read a short biography on Siddhartha Gautama (no, not the hesse book), but I've actually read through the three parts of the Tripitaka(sp?) as well.

I highly doubt this kid knows anything about the 8 fold path, the 4 noble truths, the 5 precepts, or what it means to walk a middle path. In fact I would love to see him explain the illusion of the ricebowl... or the Buddha's unique upbringing.

Also, he already is wrong about the fat buddha. In all of my reading, I've heard only two interpretations of why Buddha is depicted so fat... the first is that it's a metaphor of Siddartha himself with his "huge soul and compassion". The second, more likely source of the fat buddha comes from some later Buddhist monk, who carried his cloth bag around all day, and was just way loving and kind. His figure became the idol for the compassion within buddhist thought.

And I'm sorry... but I think it takes a lot of faith to see Buddhism as anything more than nihilism. I lack that faith... therefore it resembles a life-denying philosophy I could never follow myself.

People call your Buddha fat? Deal with it. You're going to have to understand that to live means to suffer. Thats in NT#1, baby.

You're going to need to let go, and stopping getting "so pissed off".



I believe this 'fat Buddha' that's gained such much contraversy is the bodhisattva Hotei. His image is similar to that of Santa Claus; a very merry demeanor and would arbitrarily give gifts to children on his travels.

Also, if Buddhism was purely nihilistic, I highly doubt it could concide with the concept of this middle path. Sure, it has nihilistic elements, but that's only one side of the coin. Buddhism expounds the two-fold truth of both the absolute and relative intertwined. The most emphatic doctrines of nihilism that I can recall at the moment are the three marks of existence:

anatta: no-soul

anicca: impermanence

dukkha: 'suffering' or the inherent unsatisfactory conditions of all phenomena

However, the gist of Buddhism is the cultivation of both wisdom and compassion. Lop-sidedness occurs when one is developed more than the other; a kind-hearted fool or heartless sage. Compassion, in the broadest sense, is what throws adherence to nihilism on its ear.

Ugh...bad Chinese food.

quote:Originally posted by Demunic:

ok i am a buddhist and it really pisses me off how everyone thinks that its a hypocritical religon saying "how can you be taught self disclipine from a god that weighs 500lbs?" thats not even a buddha! thats the soon to be buddha that everyone uses as a symbol, the actual buddhas are very muscular, fit and wise.

but theres also the point that buddhas are not gods, they are just humans who have followed a path of divinity and wisdom, and have reached nirvana. but there are gods in another realm, ruled over by many gods, or just very powerful beings that have no influence over the other realms

just letting everyone know that cuz it pisses me off.

You're not a very good Buddhist.

I think you should try to understand WHY these people say this sort of thing, as opposed to bitching about it on an internet forum.

Please review the Eightfold path and realise your mistakes.