Buddhism,

[sc9108]

Is there any believers here ? ,

[LitNetIsGreat]

I wouldn't say Buddhism is about belief, but rather about practice and understanding.

I flirted a little with some of the ideas of Buddhism a while back to the extent that I would say that I am now about 5% Buddhist. :D

Seriously though it has got some interesting concepts going for it, but whether or not I want to, or can, unattach myself from beer and books, music, cycling, travel etc, is seriously doubtful.

[UFO420]

I might be. Are there any good Buddhism reads?

I think LaVeyan Satanism is pretty interesting...

[LitNetIsGreat]

I might be. Are there any good Buddhism reads?


The Dharmapada is the unofficial Buddhist text, you can find it online if you google it.


I think LaVeyan Satanism is pretty interesting...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaVeyan_Satanism

Hmm, sounds extremely weird to me and quite funny, are you sure this if for real?

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth


1 Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.

2 Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.

3 When in another’s lair, show them respect or else do not go there.

4 If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat them cruelly and without mercy.

5 Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.

6 Do not take that which does not belong to you, unless it is a burden to the other person and they cry out to be relieved.

7 Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.

8 Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

9 Do not harm little children.

10 Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.

11 When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them. [16]
:lol: :lol:

[grotto]

Someone will be along shortly to tell you all about it and how you “should” live your life, when they do, completely ignore them.



Something to ponder in Buddhism.


The Hsin Hsin Ming

The Great Way knows no difficulties, except that it refuses to make preferences.
Only when freed from love and hate does everything become clear and undisguised.
A hair's breath of difference, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.
If you wish to see it before your own eyes, Have no fixed thoughts, either for, or against anything.
The conflict of longing and loathing, --This is the disease of the mind.
When the deep meaning is not understood, Peace of mind is disturbed to no purpose...
As long as you remain in one extreme or the other you will never know Oneness.
Pursue not the outer entanglements; Dwell not in the inner void;
Be serene in the oneness of things, And dualism vanishes of itself.
When you strive to gain quiescence by stopping motion, The quiescence thus gained is ever in motion;
As long as you tarry in the dualism, How can you realize oneness?
And when oneness is not thoroughly understood, In two ways loss is sustained:
To deny the reality of things is to miss their reality;
To assert the emptiness of things is to miss their reality.
Wordiness and intellection – The more with them the further astray we go:
Cutting off all speech, all thought, There is nowhere that you cannot go.
Returning to the root, we gain the essence; Following after appearances, we loose the spirit.
For the moment we see within, We have surpassed the emptiness of things.
Changes going on in an empty world, All arise of our own ignorance
Seek not for the truth, only cease to cherish opinions.
Religiously avoid following, Carefully avoid pursuing it;
If there is the slightest trace of right and wrong, The way is lost in a maze of complexity.
The two exist because of the One, But hold not even to this One;
When a mind exists undisturbed, Everything in the world offers no offense.
When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist.
The subject is quieted when the object ceases, The object ceases when the subject is quieted.
The object is an object for the subject, The subject is a subject for the object:
Know that the relativity of the two rests ultimately on one Emptiness.
In the void, both are not distinguished, And each contains in itself the whole world;
When no discrimination is made between this and that, How can one-sided and prejudiced arise?
To live in the Great Way is calm and vast, For it nothing is easy, nothing is hard:
When we attach ourselves to an idea, we lose our balance; It is sure to go the wrong way;
When we are not attached, all things follow their own courses, While the Essence neither departs nor abides.
Obey your own nature of things and you will walk freely and undisturbed.
Just let things be in their own way and there will be neither coming nor going.
When thought is in bondage the truth is hidden, for everything is murky and unclear.
The burdensome practice of judging brings annoyance and weariness.
What benefit can be derived from distinctions and separations?
To walk the course of the One, Hold no prejudiced against the world of senses and ideas.
Indeed, to accept them fully is identical with true Enlightenment.
The wise man strives to no goals; While the ignorant bind themselves.
The Truth has no distinctions; only fools ignorantly clinging to this and that
It is their own mind that creates the illusion -Is not this the greatest of all mistakes?
The ignorance cherish the idea of rest and unrest,
Illumination destroys likes and dislikes.
All these pairs of opposites are created by our own ignorant inference.
Why should we trouble ourselves to take hold of them?
Gain and loss, right and wrong – Away with them once for all!
If an eye does not sleep, All dreams will by themselves cease:
If the Mind retains its absoluteness, All things are as they are, of a single essence.
To understand the mystery of this One-essence is to be release from all entanglements.
When all things are viewed in their oneness, We return to their nature and remain where we ever have been.
Forget the wherefore of things, And we attain to a state beyond analogy;
Movement stopped and there is no movement, Rest set in motion and there is no rest;
When both cease to be, How can the Unity subsist?
Things are ultimately, in their finality, not bound by rules and measures, subject to no law:
In the Mind harmonious with the Way all self-centered straining ceases, we find all strivings quieted;
Doubts and irresolution are completely cleared, True faith is confirmed.
With a single stroke we are freed from bondage; nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing.
All is void, lucid, and self-illuminating; There is no exertion, no waste of energy.
This is where thinking never attains; This is what knowledge cannot fathom.
In the higher realm of reality, There is no self, no other-than-self.
To come directly into harmony with this reality, just simply say when doubt arises, `Not two.'
In the being "not two" all is the same; There is nothing that is not included.
No matter when or where, enlightenment means entering this truth.
This Absolute Reason is beyond quickening time and extending space, an instant is ten thousand years;
There is no here, no there; The Infinity universe stands before your eyes.
Infinitely large and infinitely small; no difference, for definitions have vanished and no boundaries are seen.
What is, is not, What is not, is.
Don't waste time in doubts and arguments that have nothing to do with this.
One thing is all things; All things are one thing, without distinction.
To live in this realization is to be without anxiety about non-perfection.
To live in this faith is the road to non-duality, because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind.
Words! Words! The way is beyond all language, this is where words fail;
For it, there is no past, no present, and no future.


Pretty much it in a nut shell.

[NikolaiI]

I might be. Are there any good Buddhism reads?

I think LaVeyan Satanism is pretty interesting...

A really great book about Buddhism is called Entering the Stream.

Also there are lots of good books and articles by various Lamas. Alan Watts also wrote some good books about different ideas.


Is there any believers here ? ,

I am, I am always interested in discussing it, though I don't find too many around here who are.


The way I look at it, pretty much all humans have within them more strength than they know. Buddhism teaches that all have buddha nature as their pure nature. It's not dogmatic, but it's a search for the self, and Buddhism does have definite teachings, it isn't nihilistic. Buddha nature is boundless. Sometimes there's a concept referred to as Big Mind. When we are placing the sense objects as the highest value, when we are grasping and when we haven't developed our mind, then it's small mind; very limited. We think we are the ego. But below all the temporary objects of attention, our mind is like a vast ocean - that is our nature.

At least, just a thought to start conversation :)

Also I believe that doing good without attachment is the best way to live. I would say Buddhism teaches that. And it's the center-post of Hinduism as well.

Entering the Stream, a compilation of poems, sutras, articles, and so on, has also the Hsin Hsin Ming (Inscription on Trust in the Mind), the poem grotto posted - written by Seng Ts'an, the sixth patriarch of Ch'an Buddhism. It has a different version of translation, the best one I've read. I agree it's also one of the best poems.

[sc9108]

I definitely believe in Buddhism teachings, I can't say I live by it that'd be a lie,But am definitely trying to,

And I even believe down to the detaching yourself from your possessions and,, well I don't believe detach yourself from your family is what it means but more know that no one nor thing lasts for eternity, And that means these things can't make you happy for eternity,

So you need to find what truly makes you happy, Like helping others etc,
I do in knowledge also and not telling lies,

I think all religion is just examples, And you take some of those examples that you can live by and what will fit into your life,

Its no point me saying I'll never lie again or will never drink alcohol again etc,
Because in todays live in this year life has changed so much to what is was back when religion started,

[sc9108]

Buddhism is also the 4th biggest religion in the world, And is one of the oldest too Buddha was born 500 years before Christ, so theirs definitely something to it.

[sc9108]

No one else commenting :( ?.

[NikolaiI]

I definitely believe in Buddhism teachings, I can't say I live by it that'd be a lie,But am definitely trying to,

And I even believe down to the detaching yourself from your possessions and,, well I don't believe detach yourself from your family is what it means but more know that no one nor thing lasts for eternity, And that means these things can't make you happy for eternity,

So you need to find what truly makes you happy, Like helping others etc,
I do in knowledge also and not telling lies,

I think all religion is just examples, And you take some of those examples that you can live by and what will fit into your life,

Its no point me saying I'll never lie again or will never drink alcohol again etc,
Because in todays live in this year life has changed so much to what is was back when religion started,

Although I am sure he was not the first to say this, I think the Dalai Lama receives the credit for saying, "My religion is kindness." I think generally the greatest truths are the simplest, and that's a good way of putting it.

Having said that, there's more to Buddhism which is valuable to learn; about karma, realms of consciousness, and so on. So I would say, most simply it is an ideal of kindness, but also there is a great deal of knowledge worth learning.

Most inherently Buddhism is about knowing truth... or, the most advanced stage in Buddhism, or Enlightenment, is a deep, mystical understanding of the highest truth of reality. I would say that's the goal, and also that Buddhism teaches that the goal is attainable. Buddhism states that our fundamental nature is buddha nature, full of knowledge and bliss, and that it's possible to attain enlightenment in this life.

There's an allegory within both Buddhism and Hinduism, of a house which has been boarded up. Even if it's been dark for ten thousand years, if you break it open and let the sunlight in, the darkness vanishes.

For me part of Buddhism, and this is my own personal practice, is creating the aspiration. I desire to understand what the power of mantras are. I use them in my life as positive force, formation, and suggestion. Life is the result of causes, in some ways, an accumulation of formations and suggestions; seeds which inevitably bear fruit at some time - I use mantras, sutras, and so forth as aides in my practice, really just in my life, and then the rest of try to live according to my ideals (such as respect of others, and so forth)...

A powerful tool for peace is simply cultivating the mind. I'm still a beginner in Buddhism but I recognize the importance of this and work on it as much as possible.

[sc9108]

I love the fact that Buddhism doesn't single people out and it doesn't have strict rules like most religions, And its mostly about doing things for the right reasons.

[blazeofglory]

Is there any believers here ? ,

Buddhism is more of a way than belief.

[Zee.]

Yeah the term "belief" isn't very accurate. It is a way of life and something incredibly personal in the sense it's a journey of I suppose, self evolution.

I come from a Buddhist family + i'm buddhist

[NikolaiI]

I would say Buddhism is about understanding oneself. And beliefs aren't a bad thing. Some beliefs are, some are not. Buddhism isn't necessarily about escaping belief.

How belief shapes us - belief can shape us and our lives for the good or for the bad. If we think everything is bad, then it may become so. While if we think that people are good and trustworthy, then we may have more trustworthy relationships in our lives. Not necessarily but it's a good example of belief in our lives.

I wouldn't say Buddhism would be against beliefs, but it would examine the fact that beliefs are continually shifting.

[LitNetIsGreat]

But overall though, Buddhism is not a belief system, it is as they said and I expressed earlier, an approach to life. It is not a 'faith' at all, but a living philosophy.

[NikolaiI]

It is actually about understanding the universe, reality, or ourselves. And it's fairly vast. The three schools of Buddhism are the Theravada, the Small Vehicle; the Mahayana, the Great Vehicle, and the Vajrayana or Tantra, the Diamond Vehicle. Each of these is centered upon different premises and has different goals.

Theravada Buddhism is mainly centered on the eightfold path and individual liberation.

Mahayana Buddhism is a bit more esoteric; in Mahayana you have Zen, Pure Land, and several others. Pure Land is centered around the vows of Amitabha, the foremost of which assures that anyone who utters the name of Amitabha before they die will be reborn in the Western Pure Land, the land of Pure Land Amitabha. The mantra they use is "Namo Amituofo." There are many reasons to be born in the Pure Land, including the fact that all the birds, trees, and indeed the whole environment and anything in the environment sings the dharma.

Vajrayana Buddhism focuses mainly on the teacher-student relationship. Milaprea, the 11th century saint-poet from Tibet, was a prime example of this. His life is truly amazing. As much must read as Miyamoto Musashi from Japan. Vajrayana Buddhism has dakinis, buddhas, bodhisattvas, ghosts, and many other beings. The female Buddha of Wisdom Vajrayogini, if I am not wrong, is a Tantra or Vajrayana Buddha.

[stephofthenight]

If budhism isnt a belife per-say but a way of life. Than you could have a budist (right word?) who was also a different belife as far as creation/god goes?

Sorry, curious
steph

[sc9108]

I suppose a few do belief in a god, But I think that most people who belief in god kind of go against the teachings of Buddha :/ ? but Buddha even said question everything don't believe what others say just because they say its true, and even question his teachings,

So if you question that their is a god thats fine thats your outlook!

[NikolaiI]

I suppose a few do belief in a god, But I think that most people who belief in god kind of go against the teachings of Buddha :/ ? but Buddha even said question everything don't believe what others say just because they say its true, and even question his teachings,

So if you question that their is a god thats fine thats your outlook!

There are differences of opinion among practitioners. A lot of times Theravadin Buddhists reject anything supernatural, while the existence of dakinis and Buddhas is essential to Vajrayana, and Boddhisattvas to Mahayana. In Pure Land Buddhism, for instance, Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha of Infinite Light.

Does this mean there's an infinite light? Some Hindus consider God to be just this.

Anyway, a little while ago I came across two passages in a work a few centuries old called "Stopping and Seeing," which were rather illuminating (to me) and I haven't forgot them. They were: "The Buddha is equal to the realm of reality," and "The Buddha is equal to the cosmos."

And don't forget there are many who consider God to be simply the universe.

In my opinion, whether you think Buddha is nothing, a person, the cosmos, or infinite light, it's up to you.

While most Buddhist practitioners today, again, especially Theravadins, reject God, mainly on the argument that if God were infinite and good, then he would alleviate all suffering. But then what is true? Are we not currently in illusion? If we knew truth, wouldn't we be enlightened, aware of our buddha-nature? What would an enlightened person see? What would Shakyamuni Buddha say?

There's a quote attributed to Shakyamuni Buddha which was always special to me..

The Buddha said, "I consider the dignities of kings and lords as a particle of dust that floats in the sunbeam. I consider the treasure of precious metals and stones as bricks and pebbles. I consider the gaudy dress of silk and brocades as a worn-out rag. I consider this universe as small as the holila fruit. I consider thelake of Anavatapa as a drop of oil which one smears the feet. I consider the various methods of salvation taught by the Buddhas as a treasure created by imagination. I consider the profound doctrine of the Buddhas as precious metal or priceless fabric seen in a dream. I consider the teaching of the Buddhas as a flower before my eyes. I consider the practice of Dhyana as a pillar supporting the Mount Sumeru. I consider Nirvana as awakening from a day dream or nightmare. I consider the struggle between the heterdox and orthodox as the antics of the six (mythical) dragons. I consider the doctrine of equality as the absolute ground of reality. I consider all the religious works done for universal salvation as like the plants in the four seasons."

Note this: "I consider the doctrine of equality as the absolute ground of reality."