|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:43 am
Why Buddhism is a lot like ONE ASPECT OF CHRISTIANITY (only the one, though, for this thread at least).
Okay. To start off: you know those radio commercials promising peace of mind in Christ? What they are trying to tell others is that a life with high faith has few worries. Well, they aren't *lying*, exactly. But you have to look at it from a comparative theological point-of-view:
In buddhism, the basic idea is that everything is nothing and nothing is everything. So everything you do is just another contribution to the yin or the yang that IS the universe. This is very loosely explained, but to my point: in Christianity, God is omnipresent and omnipotent. Which means he is everything and knows/sees everything.
Zen=everything, God=everything, God=Zen, get it? Well, technically getting slapped in the face with a basketball is also zen, but that's not what they market in the yoga shop (gag). Or on Christian radio!
So. Why faith really is peace of mind. Faith is the knowing (without proof) that everything will be all right. Or not even all right, but full of purpose and preplanned and generally good for the universe in the long run. Life Just Is.
Striving for enlightenment is realizing that everything is, well, just IS. Life Just Is.
My point: peace of mind is just peace of mind. Whether because you understand that life is suffering (there is good and bad and no use worrying about either), or because you believe you will never suffer without a good reason (being tested, being punished)--either way the end line is "s**t happens" (atheist version, haha).
Discuss:
"You can't say 's**t happens' when your mom gets cancer." (or you don't want to 'turn to religion' for comfort)
"You can't be Buddhist and Catholic at the same time." (can so!)
"An open mind is more likely to find peace for itself."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:32 am
I think that all religions share at least some common aspects, so it's no shocker that buddism shares an aspect with Christianity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:01 am
I'm a religious pluralist, so I believe that all religions are ultimately expressing different parts of an ultimate God.
Besides, Buddhism is nontheistic, and it much more of a way of life than a religion, which means it's much more compatible with other faiths.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 12:52 pm
it seems to me that buddhism is more about UN-knowing than about knowing.
instead of faith, there is skepticism, clearing away of illusions.
and i would not so much say that peace of mind is the goal, as that escape from the misery of constant reincarnation is the goal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:53 pm
One issue with trying to reconcile Buddhism with Christianity is that in Buddhism the soul (if the sect believes in it) dies at death where as in Christianity the soul moves on to some form of afterlife.
The other issue is that there is no God in Buddhism.
You can be both but you lose something from both when you try reconcile them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 8:10 pm
rmcdra One issue with trying to reconcile Buddhism with Christianity is that in Buddhism the soul (if the sect believes in it) dies at death where as in Christianity the soul moves on to some form of afterlife. The other issue is that there is no God in Buddhism. You can be both but you lose something from both when you try reconcile them. This
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:09 am
"You can't be Buddhist and Catholic at the same time."
It was my understanding that Buddhism is more of a philosophical outlook than a religion, so that makes sense.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 7:54 am
rmcdra One issue with trying to reconcile Buddhism with Christianity is that in Buddhism the soul (if the sect believes in it) dies at death where as in Christianity the soul moves on to some form of afterlife. The other issue is that there is no God in Buddhism. You can be both but you lose something from both when you try reconcile them.
And Buddhism is nontheistic, meaning they neither deny or accept a higher deity. It is not a atheistic religion though, so it's actually very compatible with any theistic religion in that way. Since it never addresses a higher being in any way, the theistic faith is free to impose whatever doctrine it has.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:38 am
rmcdra One issue with trying to reconcile Buddhism with Christianity is that in Buddhism the soul (if the sect believes in it) dies at death where as in Christianity the soul moves on to some form of afterlife. The other issue is that there is no God in Buddhism. You can be both but you lose something from both when you try reconcile them. Maybe you will, but i don't think that those "lost things" are very important anyway, and if they would prove to be important, they can probably be added later on, anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:00 am
rmcdra One issue with trying to reconcile Buddhism with Christianity is that in Buddhism the soul (if the sect believes in it) dies at death where as in Christianity the soul moves on to some form of afterlife. And most sects don't believe in a soul at all - anatman is a core doctrinal point; and that equates to no soul, no permanent self. It's a point put there, I feel, to further differentiate Buddhism from Santana Dharma. 3nodding Quote: The other issue is that there is no God in Buddhism. No overdeity, like Judeo-Christian God at least. All deity mentioned in Buddhist canon is basically stuck in the same rebirth cycle as everyone else, and is really no more special than humanity - less so, in some cases, because the high lives they lead detract them from attaining enlightenment and moving on. Fact of the matter is, while they may be mentioned, there's no point worshiping any of the gods in Buddhism, because they're just like you. Quote: You can be both but you lose something from both when you try reconcile them. True. In the end, you will inevitably end up leaning either one way or the other depending on what you believe. You cannot be both fully.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:16 am
Tiina Brown rmcdra One issue with trying to reconcile Buddhism with Christianity is that in Buddhism the soul (if the sect believes in it) dies at death where as in Christianity the soul moves on to some form of afterlife. The other issue is that there is no God in Buddhism. You can be both but you lose something from both when you try reconcile them. Maybe you will, but i don't think that those "lost things" are very important anyway, and if they would prove to be important, they can probably be added later on, anyway. Only if you are trying to make a new religion or some sort of synthesis such as Christianity with Buddhism flavor, or Buddhism with Christian flavor. If it is possible to synthesis the two and come to terms with conflicting doctrine by throwing stuff out your going to come up with a religion that is neither Christian nor Buddhism.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:17 am
Byaggha rmcdra One issue with trying to reconcile Buddhism with Christianity is that in Buddhism the soul (if the sect believes in it) dies at death where as in Christianity the soul moves on to some form of afterlife. And most sects don't believe in a soul at all - anatman is a core doctrinal point; and that equates to no soul, no permanent self. It's a point put there, I feel, to further differentiate Buddhism from Santana Dharma. 3nodding Quote: The other issue is that there is no God in Buddhism. No overdeity, like Judeo-Christian God at least. All deity mentioned in Buddhist canon is basically stuck in the same rebirth cycle as everyone else, and is really no more special than humanity - less so, in some cases, because the high lives they lead detract them from attaining enlightenment and moving on. Fact of the matter is, while they may be mentioned, there's no point worshiping any of the gods in Buddhism, because they're just like you. Quote: You can be both but you lose something from both when you try reconcile them. True. In the end, you will inevitably end up leaning either one way or the other depending on what you believe. You cannot be both fully. Thank you for the clarification.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:22 am
freelance lover Actually a lot of Buddhists believe in reincarnation, and you are reincarnated until you reach Nirvana. Some just disregard the soul all together though, neither denying or accepting its existence. But it's not one's soul that reincarnates. In Buddhism, if the sect believes in the soul, it dies, otherwise it is non-existent. Quote: And Buddhism is nontheistic, meaning they neither deny or accept a higher deity. It is not a atheistic religion though, so it's actually very compatible with any theistic religion in that way. Since it never addresses a higher being in any way, the theistic faith is free to impose whatever doctrine it has. The practices can be incorporated into Christianity but when taken out of the context of Buddhism they mean something completely different. Byaggha correct me on this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:28 pm
rmcdra freelance lover Actually a lot of Buddhists believe in reincarnation, and you are reincarnated until you reach Nirvana. Some just disregard the soul all together though, neither denying or accepting its existence. But it's not one's soul that reincarnates. In Buddhism, if the sect believes in the soul, it dies, otherwise it is non-existent. Quote: And Buddhism is nontheistic, meaning they neither deny or accept a higher deity. It is not a atheistic religion though, so it's actually very compatible with any theistic religion in that way. Since it never addresses a higher being in any way, the theistic faith is free to impose whatever doctrine it has. The practices can be incorporated into Christianity but when taken out of the context of Buddhism they mean something completely different. Byaggha correct me on this.
The soul bit is contrary to what I've always been taught. That's interesting though, I should look into that. Sorry, I think I'm on crack or something. As soon as I saw the ataman bit I was like "wtf was I thinking?" I think the way I had it explained to me was that it's not really refered to as a soul because of Buddhism's beliefs in impermenence. It's not like the Christian concept of the soul, it's something that consitently changes.
I disagree that the practices when removed from Buddhism always mean something completely different. A lot of it is going to depend on the kind of Christiainty you're trying to mesh it with, but there are a lot of things to me that seem like they have the goals and ideoaology. I know of at least one scholar who is both a Quaker and a Buddhist. I read a pretty interesting article by her, maybe I should dredge it up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:49 pm
freelance lover I disagree that the practices when removed from Buddhism always mean something completely different. A lot of it is going to depend on the kind of Christiainty you're trying to mesh it with, but there are a lot of things to me that seem like they have the goals and ideoaology. I know of at least one scholar who is both a Quaker and a Buddhist. I read a pretty interesting article by her, maybe I should dredge it up. But those practices have a different meaning in a Christian context. In Buddhism the practices are supposed to bring a person to Enlightenment which frees a person of the cycle of reincarnation. Now are these practices supposed to do this for a Christian practitioner or rather why would a Christian practice these for this purpose? The answer is simple, one has to change the meaning and context of the practices for them to be consistent with Christianity. I'm sure this is going to come up so I'll address it now, gnosis and enlightenment are related in some ways but are fundamentally different concepts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
