budhism?

[tigerlily46514]

buddhism?  my friend is going buddhist....i looked it up, apparently the buddha was kinda atheist...?
Should i be worried about my now-buddhist pal?    
anybody got any thoughts on buddhism?

~jean

[crocofish]

Buddhism is fairly godless, although I have seen some interfaith versions of Buddhism that incorporate god references.  I have attended some Buddhist services, and they tend to be less dogmatic than Christian services, but I still find many of their ideas are more faith based than rational thought based.

[myleviathan]

I went to a buddhism meeting once at my university. They taught us a sacred chant that was supposed to be some sort of life cure-all. Even though I think all religion is make-believe, being buddhist is way cooler than being a Christian.

[Jolly Sapper]

Speaking of Buddhism..

http://www.theoryofeverythingcomics.com/god/DM/index.htm

Interesting cartoon.

[Whitney]

I like most of the philosophical parts of buddhism and according to some buddhists you can be a buddhist without believing in the supernatural aspects.  Basically, if I had to pick a religion, it would be buddhism...it's a genearlly peace loving religion that does not encourage converting others.  Some types of buddhism are atheistic in nature while others worship Buddah like a god.

[Kawano]

I went to a buddhism meeting once at my university. They taught us a sacred chant that was supposed to be some sort of life cure-all. Even though I think all religion is make-believe, being buddhist is way cooler than being a Christian.

unfortunately sir you have encountered what is known as Nichiren Daishonen Buddhism (spelling may be wrong). In that particular sect of Buddhism the followers believe that a japanese buddhist monk had at one time found that organized religon to be corrupt and untruthful (sound familiar?) but here is where the story takes a strange turn, he supposedly secluded himself from the world in order to find what was "true" buddhism, yada yada yada. anywho it boils down the practice of chanting the phrase "NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO" followed by a recital of what is known as the lotus sutra in japanese. which cannot possibly do any good to anyone. But for the sake of argument i will state that the old japanese lotus sutra that they chant ,once interpreted, is actually a very interesting study of old japanese philosophy and culture. but thats about it.

it would do you well, that is if you care to understand what more traditional buddhism is, to read the book How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life which if the title is taken at face value might not interest you. But never judge a book by its cover.

or you can visit www.buddhanet.net for more info on buddhism.

my personal take on it is, ITS NOT A religion. its a way of living and a way of interacting with the world that surrounds us. as Einstein once said about buddhism

Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. -Albert Einstein

If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism. -Albert Einstein

A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe'; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compasion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.
-Albert Einstein

Here's another quote from Einstein that I love. It is my signature at the bottom of my emails:

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. -Albert Einstein

[myleviathan]

it boils down the practice of chanting the phrase "NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO"

I'm impressed - that's exactly what it was. I was trying to remember the chant but it's been a while.

my personal take on it is, ITS NOT A religion. its a way of living and a way of interacting with the world that surrounds us.

I tend to disagree that Buddhism is not a religion. It probably differs from sect to sect, but it's still very supernaturally centered.

[pjkeeley]

Buddhism, like every other religion, is about overcoming our selves, as if there were something wrong with being human. It teaches that life is suffering, and that to overcome suffering you must therefore cease to live. Thus, the ultimate goal of Buddhism is annihilation of the self, which is seen as a release from the birth-death cycle of reincarnation. However, you can only stop reincarnating once you stop having desires and transcend the self by way of meditation and enlightenment. As usual, being a religion, fun does not enter into the equation.

 

So, in sum, Buddhism is a life-denying religion that promotes asceticism and the avoidance of pleasures. The best that can be said of it is that, as far as religions go, it is relatively benign.

(By all means correct me on any of this, this is just my understanding of Buddhism.)