Why does a good God promote suffering?

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

I'm sorry - what does this mean?

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I wrote something and then decided it was a mistake. I took objection to G.L's characterization of the world's estimated 700 million Buddhists and 2 billion Christians as useless. Then I realized that it was pointless to engage him. I couldn't figure out how to delete my post and so I just wrote wwwww.

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

:biggrin5:

4 Noble Truths:

The truth of suffering
The causes of suffering
The cessation of suffering
The path to the cessation of suffering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths

One man's useless is another man's useful.

Soundbites are a good way to communicate when you don't want much of a conversation.

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The Buddhist is neither noble nor human. Buddha was a monster from palace to Nirvana, from the unawareness of suffering to the detachment of suffering from one's being. Such a rejection of the world shows neither care nor compassion, just a childish immaturity.

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Originally Posted by G L Wilson

The Buddhist is neither noble nor human. Buddha was a monster from palace to Nirvana, from the unawareness of suffering to the detachment of suffering from one's being. Such a rejection of the world shows neither care nor compassion, just a childish immaturity.

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:lol:

... a childish immaturity... you're killing me.

I take it you don't know the Buddha's story, or the meaning of attatchment.

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Originally Posted by Darcy88

I wrote something and then decided it was a mistake. I took objection to G.L's characterization of the world's estimated 700 million Buddhists and 2 billion Christians as useless. Then I realized that it was pointless to engage him. I couldn't figure out how to delete my post and so I just wrote wwwww.

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No worries - I thought it was a text comment that I was unaware of. :biggrin5:

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

:lol:

... a childish immaturity... you're killing me.

I take it you don't know the Buddha's story, or the meaning of attatchment.

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I do not speak from ignorance.

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Originally Posted by G L Wilson

I do not speak from ignorance.

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So you should know that non-attachment is a state where the person who has achieved this is not attached in a negative way to people, places and objects.

One of the problems sentient beings face is a counter productive attachment to stability in the face of impermanence. Non-attachment recognises this, and allows unclouded compassion to be expressed but with the realisation that nothing stays the same.

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

So you should know that non-attachment is a state where the person who has achieved this is not attached in a negative way to people, places and objects.

One of the problems sentient beings face is a counter productive attachment to stability in the face of impermanence. Non-attachment recognises this, and allows unclouded compassion to be expressed but with the realisation that nothing stays the same.

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Metaphysics! Now I laugh.

The face of Buddha is a death mask.

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Originally Posted by G L Wilson

Metaphysics! Now I laugh.

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No it's an aim achieved through meditation. You're not demonstrating that youn know much about it.

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Originally Posted by G L Wilson

The face of Buddha is a death mask.

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Why are you being offensive?

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

The Buddha did say that it wasn't very productive to spend time investigating the distant past, and that a person should focus upon their current condition. he used the analogy of someone shot by an arrow where you wouldn't take time to find out where the arrow had come from, and who shot it before you had dealt with the wound.

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Yes, that makes sense. It probably doesn't matter from a current perspective on living one's life whether the universe had a beginning or not. It wouldn't change the practice.

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

No it's an aim achieved through meditation. You're not demonstrating that youn know much about it.

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One can have either metaphysics or Enlightenment, one cannot have both.

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

Why are you being offensive?

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I am not being offensive. It's a fact, look at any statue of Buddha and tell me that it is not true what I said if you can.

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Originally Posted by G L Wilson

I am not being offensive. It's a fact, look at any statue of Buddha and tell me that it is not true what I said if you can.

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I see what you mean - :biggrin5: - though I disagree. It's supposed to represent meditative equipoise.

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Originally Posted by YesNo

Yes, that makes sense. It probably doesn't matter from a current perspective on living one's life whether the universe had a beginning or not. It wouldn't change the practice.

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If God existed, it would change nothing.

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Originally Posted by G L Wilson

One can have either metaphysics or Enlightenment, one cannot have both.

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This is not true. from my understanding of the teachings.

In fact the two truths - which are about the realisation of Emptiness - talks of a realised being being able to view the ordinary world whilst contemplating Emptiness at the same time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_truths_doctrine

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Originally Posted by G L Wilson

I am not being offensive. It's a fact, look at any statue of Buddha and tell me that it is not true what I said if you can.

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The fat Chinese Buddhas.

http://www.allfreevectors.com/images...-image8736.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

This is not true. from my understanding of the teachings.

In fact the two truths - which are about the realisation of Emptiness - talks of a realised being being able to view the ordinary world whilst contemplating Emptiness at the same time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_truths_doctrine

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Interesting. I must confess my ignorance of this doctrine until now. Of two truths, both must be a lie. As Henry Ford said, "History is bunk." To me, natural philosophy has no rival and is the only truth.

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Originally Posted by G L Wilson

One can have either metaphysics or Enlightenment, one cannot have both.

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What are you talking about? Realizing the impermanence of all things is the core if not the definition of Buddhist enlightenment.