Buddhism

[Tank]

I have just watched a programme on the BBC The Seven Wonders Of The Buddhist World Review

Has anybody here had any experience of Buddhism?

[Too Few Lions]

I think Buddhism's an interesting religion, but like most religions it's been able to create its own history. I think the first evidence of Buddhism is from the reign of Ashoka (269 BCE to 232 BCE) yet Buddha is still generally looked at as a historical figure who lived some 300 years earlier.
Personally, I suspect Buddhism probably isn't as old as it claims to be, and might well be a result of the Hellenising of India after Alexander the Great's conquests and the creation of Indo-Greek kingdoms. It might be a syncretising of Greek and Hindu religion / philosophy, much as Christianity resulted from the influence of Hellenism on Judaism, and Mithraism combined Greek and Persian ideas.

Still I grew up loving 'Monkey' and was taught some valuable Buddhist philosophy at an early age whilst watching Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy battle various brightly coloured demons!

[Tank]

Thanks TFL.

I have spent the morning reading this site BBC Religions - Buddhism

[palebluedot]

Buddhism is ok by me.  I dont recall them prosletysing of flying planes into buildings.

I always tend to add that its not really a religion - more of a state of mind.

[Tank]

Buddhism is ok by me.  I dont recall them prosletysing of flying planes into buildings.

I always tend to add that its not really a religion - more of a state of mind.

This appears to be the case.

[Crow]

Buddhism is ok by me.  I dont recall them prosletysing of flying planes into buildings.

I always tend to add that its not really a religion - more of a state of mind.

This appears to be the case.

But when Buddhism and Christianity combine all levels of craziness breaks loose i.e. the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack.

I haven't had much experience with Buddhism except with the concept of meditation but am familiar with the teachings. I agree with palebluedot's statement the teachings seem to be more about how you can live your life, not how you should live your life.

There are elements in the teachings that I agree with such as the 4 noble truths, as my experiences in life so far have made me come to similar conclusions.

The First Noble Truth is the existence of suffering. Birth is suffering; growth, decay, and death are suffering. Sad it is to be joined with that which we dislike. Sadder still is the separation from that which we love, and painful is the craving for that which cannot be obtained.

The Second Noble Truth is the cause of suffering. The cause of suffering is lust. The surrounding world affects sensation and begets a craving thirst that clamors for immediate satisfaction. The illusion of self originates and manifests itself in a cleaving to things. The desire to live for the enjoyment of self entangles us in a net of sorrows. Pleasures are the bait and the result is pain.

The Third Noble Truth is the cessation of suffering. He who extinguishes self will be free from lust. He no longer craves and the flames of desire find no material to feed upon, thus they are extinguished.

The Fourth Noble Truth is the Middle Path that leads to the cessation of suffering. There is salvation for him whose self disappears before truth, whose will is bent on what he ought to do, whose sole desire is the performance of his duty. He who is wise will enter this path and make an end to suffering.

I also like that emptiness is considered with highest regard. It seems to be the most rational of religions I have come across.

Edit: i watched a bit of the show but had to head out, will hopefully get time to watch it later on today.

[Too Few Lions]

Buddhism is ok by me.  I dont recall them prosletysing of flying planes into buildings.

I always tend to add that its not really a religion - more of a state of mind.

Yeah, Buddhism's always come across to me as being fairly tolerant and laid back for a religion. It's what I imagine some schools of Greek philosophy were like.

I've never really known where religion ends and philosophy begins, they both seem to overlap quite heavily to me. Some religions (like Buddhism) seem close to philosophy, and some philosophical schools seem close to religion.

Plato's teachings were very similar to Buddha's (and Jesus'). He taught that the soul was trapped in the body and the material world, and could only escape these material shackles by turning to philosophy and rejecting money, wealth, power and material things. He also taught that the philosopher's soul would be the one that ascended closest to Zeus / God after death, yet we look at Plato as being a philosopher and not a saviour / religious figure. I guess we view philosophy as something different and far more secular than the Greek did a few thousand years ago.

I think ultimately you have to judge a religion (or any other ideology) on the actions of its followers, and I don't think Buddhism has a long bloody history or persecuting and butchering non-believers or 'heretics' within its own faith like certain other religions I could mention...

[Crow]

Buddhism is ok by me.  I dont recall them prosletysing of flying planes into buildings.

I always tend to add that its not really a religion - more of a state of mind.

Plato's teachings were very similar to Buddha's (and Jesus'). He taught that the soul was trapped in the body and the material world, and could only escape these material shackles by turning to philosophy and rejecting money, wealth, power and material things. He also taught that the philosopher's soul would be the one that ascended closest to Zeus / God after death, yet we look at Plato as being a philosopher and not a saviour / religious figure. I guess we view philosophy as something different and far more secular than the Greek did a few thousand years ago.

Personally I don't see the Buddhist philosophy (similarly with Taoism) as a rejection of material things, but rather clarifying that they are only material creations that only bring disappointment if they are lusted over, and is unnecessary to do so.

[Sweetdeath]

I absolutely adore Buddhism.  It's a beautiful, peaceful philosopsy, or state of mind (as one user mentioned.)

I was engulfed in Bddhism for about five years. I read everything and anything about it.  I think buddhism teaches beautiful principles that are actually practicle and they never, ever preach hatred, unlike all other religions.

Despite being atheist, I still do enjoy reading many buddhist philosophies.
Also, buddhist hell is hell core.  I LOL.

[Too Few Lions]

Buddhism is ok by me.  I dont recall them prosletysing of flying planes into buildings.

I always tend to add that its not really a religion - more of a state of mind.

Plato's teachings were very similar to Buddha's (and Jesus'). He taught that the soul was trapped in the body and the material world, and could only escape these material shackles by turning to philosophy and rejecting money, wealth, power and material things. He also taught that the philosopher's soul would be the one that ascended closest to Zeus / God after death, yet we look at Plato as being a philosopher and not a saviour / religious figure. I guess we view philosophy as something different and far more secular than the Greek did a few thousand years ago.

Personally I don't see the Buddhist philosophy (similarly with Taoism) as a rejection of material things, but rather clarifying that they are only material creations that only bring disappointment if they are lusted over, and is unnecessary to do so.

true, maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'very', and just left it at 'similar'! I was also thinking along the lines of the perfected / enlightened soul escaping the material universe (in Platonism) or cycle of samsara (in Buddhism) after death

Thinking of what you were just saying about Buddhism, it reminded me of one of the  Sentences of Sextus, a Greek philosophical text probably from the first century BCE;

'Think that you suffer a great punishment when you obtain the object of corporeal desire; for the attainment of such objects never satisfies desire.'

[Medusa]

There are actually a few Satanists I know who dabble in Buddhism. I am way too violent to ever get with it. But I like the idea behind it.

[DeterminedJuliet]

My husband would consider himself a secular Taoist, and the philosophies of both Buddhism and Taoism appeal quite a lot to me. 

[Tristan Jay]

There are actually a few Satanists I know who dabble in Buddhism. I am way too violent to ever get with it. But I like the idea behind it.

This is absolutely mesmerizing.  There's this compelling quality about you, being frank about personal violence, while at the same time you communicate in a way that is well reasoned, charitable, and benevolent (with tinge of edginess).  That's just my perception, mind.

It reminds me of a something I read that John Lennon said (I can't find it, so I can only paraphrase an approximation).  He reflected on himself and felt that he did have violence within him (and there's incidents that describe him losing control) and that's why he made so much proactive effort to be pacifistic, he knew that other humans needed the message that he himself very badly needed.

Commenting on Buddhism, I've done some tentative reading, and got a book to explore the ideas in more detail.  I feel that, despite my frustrations with massive political-religious constructions that develop around a core of worthwhile spiritual mentality teachings, the core teachings can help.  I think I have to reject the organized political bodies; by their very nature it seems to me that they take away from each individual's experience with how they receive spirituality.  My feeling is that homogenizing spirituality trivializes the poetry of individual-level spirituality (while keeping in mind the problem of the occasional crazies that spring up with their harmful interpretation and actions).  Just thinking aloud (that is to say, thinking through typing).

[Medusa]

There are actually a few Satanists I know who dabble in Buddhism. I am way too violent to ever get with it. But I like the idea behind it.

This is absolutely mesmerizing.  There's this compelling quality about you, being frank about personal violence, while at the same time you communicate in a way that is well reasoned, charitable, and benevolent (with tinge of edginess).  That's just my perception, mind.

It reminds me of a something I read that John Lennon said (I can't find it, so I can only paraphrase an approximation).  He reflected on himself and felt that he did have violence within him (and there's incidents that describe him losing control) and that's why he made so much proactive effort to be pacifistic, he knew that other humans needed the message that he himself very badly needed.

Commenting on Buddhism, I've done some tentative reading, and got a book to explore the ideas in more detail.  I feel that, despite my frustrations with massive political-religious constructions that develop around a core of worthwhile spiritual mentality teachings, the core teachings can help.  I think I have to reject the organized political bodies; by their very nature it seems to me that they take away from each individual's experience with how they receive spirituality.  My feeling is that homogenizing spirituality trivializes the poetry of individual-level spirituality (while keeping in mind the problem of the occasional crazies that spring up with their harmful interpretation and actions).  Just thinking aloud (that is to say, thinking through typing).

Well thank you. I take that as a compliment. I'm a nice gal for sure. Pretty easy going. But I also get very passionate about things (ask my fiance!) I guess you could say I'm a frisky cat! I'll let you pet me but when I'm done I'll scratch your eye out.