Happy Atheist Forum

Hello, I am a rather new Buddhist, and can be classified as an atheist, as well as a proponent of happiness. My worldview can be described as total nihilism. I am a philosophical proponent of the doctrine of emptiness (from only really recently, so I feel like spreading it around), the idea that all is empty, and only nothingness exists.

Although, I am more so a proponent of compassionate, peaceful, generous, and honest living. I'm hoping to have interesting discussions with people who I expect to be well-informed, and interesting.  

I look forward to offering my input to discussions in the fora.

Welcome to the forum, Quan Yin.

Welcome.  If you want to know more about anatta, check out http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html)
It is an excellent index to the oldest teachings of the Buddha.  You may find a different take on emptiness (sunnata).

Quote from: "Quan Yin"I am a philosophical proponent of the doctrine of emptiness

Hello Quan, I look forward to hearing how the above helps with the following.

Quote from: "Quan Yin"I am more so a proponent of compassionate, peaceful, generous, and honest living.

Welcome!  Lovely to have you.  

Welcome Quan Yin

Would it be true to say that living in Halifax with winter approaching you're going to have a lot of time to explore you new world view?

Regards
Chris

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Pay no attention to the above posts, they are all trolls.

BTW, welcome!

Hiyas.  I'm pretty sure something exists, though.  If nothing else, these words you're reading exist in your head.

Quote from: "The Magic Pudding"

Quote from: "Quan Yin"I am a philosophical proponent of the doctrine of emptiness

Hello Quan, I look forward to hearing how the above helps with the following.

Quote from: "Quan Yin"I am more so a proponent of compassionate, peaceful, generous, and honest living.

Because the Buddha achieved the only objective truth, and ultimate reality. When the Buddha achieved Nirvana, his most important realization was not the nature of existence, and the nature of himself -- but the correct path to enlightenment. He then can anchor subjective things, onto objective reality. He then understands that the path to enlightenment is through peace, compassion, self-awareness, honesty, and detachment.

When the Buddha achieved Nirvana, he understood that it was more important to perpetuate the dharma, than it was to actually achieve Nirvana -- and he spent the rest of his life, and the rest of his realizations of Buddha nature in pursuit of that.

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"Hiyas.  I'm pretty sure something exists, though.  If nothing else, these words you're reading exist in your head.

But my head doesn't. My head is a object of perception, and objects of perception are illusions, generated by spikes of broken-symmetry, in a sea of quantum potentiality, in a void. All is void.

Thanks for all of the welcomes.

Hey, hows it going?  I'm pretty new here myself, but these folk seem like a good bunch.

Also, I will want at least 1 picture of thise legendary Maritime snow days in the coming months.  You guys get some epic snowfall over there.  WE're lucky if we get 2 feet here in Alberta.

Quan Yin,

What school of Buddhism are you studying?  I have been reading the Tipitaka, the oldest known record of Buddhist teaching.  I do not have a teacher or guru but one is not required by the original teachings although teachers are traditional in many schools.  Perhaps you are studying the texts of the Northern Schools.

For those who know little about Buddhism, there are many schools of Buddhist practice.  Some are so involved in ceremony and hierarchy that they resemble Catholicism.  Others are relatively free of ceremony and are closer in form to the Quakers.  Zen tends to fall in between.  They all cover the same basic ideas but there is differences in how things like emptiness and self are described.  These differences do lead to confusion.

There are even forms of Buddhism that are considered by most Buddhists to be quasi cults.  These forms are easy to spot because they claim to be "the one true Buddhism" and teach based on texts that were written 1000 years after the Buddha's death.  These forms tend to collect a lot of money from the followers; require absolute reverence for the founder of the school and a require unquestioning faith in the teachings of that founder. They vary from cults in that they don't require members to leave or ignore non Buddhist members of their families.

Quote from: "notself"Quan Yin,

What school of Buddhism are you studying?  I have been reading the Tipitaka, the oldest known record of Buddhist teaching.  I do not have a teacher or guru but one is not required by the original teachings although teachers are traditional in many schools.  Perhaps you are studying the texts of the Northern Schools.

I'm studying everything, beginning with scholarly analysis, and examination of the philosophies, and tradition. Admittedly originally I had no interest in the actual literature, because I had no interest in what Buddhists thought about Buddhism. Just as I wouldn't talk to Christians to find out about Christianity. I favor the scholastic approach -- to examine the ideas, principles, and traditions from an observer position. I only now wish to read everything, because I think that the thrust of it is true.

I am currently looking for a Guru, for meditation practice. I must experience Nirvana. I must totally negate the self, in both mental space, and in reality.  

QuoteFor those who know little about Buddhism, there are many schools of Buddhist practice.  Some are so involved in ceremony and hierarchy that they resemble Catholicism.  Others are relatively free of ceremony and are closer in form to the Quakers.  Zen tends to fall in between.  They all cover the same basic ideas but there is differences in how things like emptiness and self are described.  These differences do lead to confusion.

It is difficult to represent the truth, using only fictions.

QuoteThere are even forms of Buddhism that are considered by most Buddhists to be quasi cults.  These forms are easy to spot because they claim to be "the one true Buddhism" and teach based on texts that were written 1000 years after the Buddha's death.  These forms tend to collect a lot of money from the followers; require absolute reverence for the founder of the school and a require unquestioning faith in the teachings of that founder. They vary from cults in that they don't require members to leave or ignore non Buddhist members of their families.

Yeah, the meditation instructors around where I live charge $90 dollars for like two lessons... and the Buddha isn't suppose to even touch gold, and silver... but I guess cash and credit is just fine.

I need a Guru that knows what he's talking about, and isn't clinging to the bulge of my wallet.

Quote from: "Roganthis72"Hey, hows it going?  I'm pretty new here myself, but these folk seem like a good bunch.

Also, I will want at least 1 picture of thise legendary Maritime snow days in the coming months.  You guys get some epic snowfall over there.  WE're lucky if we get 2 feet here in Alberta.

The weather projections for this year are frighting as well. Not looking forward too it.

Quan Yin,

If you are interested in a scholarly approach I suggest that you begin by reading the actual suttas/sutras.  These teachings are the oldest found and are believed to trace back to the time of Buddha.  In the Southern School these teachings are known as the Tipitaka.  In the Northern Schools they are known as the Agamas.  

Much of what you are saying on other threads are not the actual teachings of Siddhattha Gotama but are teachings of much later origin based on a mixture of the original teachings filtered through Chinese culture and religious beliefs.

Here is the link to the index by topic of the Tipitaka. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-su ... tml#anatta (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html#anatta)  Unfortunately, there is no equivalent online source for the Agamas.  I think you will find it interesting to read the actual teachings on anatta (not self), sunnata (emptiness), and patika-samupadda (dependent co-arising).  If you really want to get into it, I recommend the study of "Wings to Awakening".
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... index.html (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/wings/index.html)

You are quite correct to be suspicious of gurus who charge a fee for any teaching.  Donations are of course welcome but should never be required.  A monk or nun who charges for a dhamma teaching is in violation of the Vinaya (the code of discipline).  Although a good teacher is helpful on the path, it is possible to practice without a personal teacher.  Thanks to the internet one can interact with Bhikkhus and Bhikkunis from all over the world through their writings, audio talks and videos.  A good virtual teacher is always better than a bad conventional teacher.  

Best wishes for you in your studies.