I may have found a religion

Yes little old me
The person who slates religion....

However I have stumbled across Buddhism..
It seems a more relaxed take on religion,
I am taken with the 8 fold path;

Wisdom

1. Right View

2. Right Intention

Ethical Conduct

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

Mental Development

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

***********

Any Buddhists on here?
Does anybody have any views on this religion?

It's another religion that claims peace. Yet, it's slaughtering other people.

And I mean what's happening in Myanmar (Burma)... The Buddhist government is murdering the 4% Moslims in there.

Really?!

doesn't tie in with path number 4 does it?

A very wise mystic saw religion as a path and not a destination . The Dali Lama thought of him as a very close friend

http://newlotus.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/20639

Darren: I wish you had not started this religion thing again.

For all who claim to know about Buddhism or Jainism learn about it first before putting it in print. Neither religion preaches war or slaughter in any form. No goats, cows or ants...forget human slaughter. They are known for their preachings of absolute strict non-violence. When I say absolute, it means WITHOUT EXCEPTION, even when attacked (unlike Islam). You can throw abuses or hurt them verbally or physically and they are not supposed to retaliate. Decades ago, China overtook Tibet by force, but no Buddhist ever murdered any Chinese or retaliated by force. They do not train suicide bombers or carry guns for offense or even self defense. To be a true Jain or Buddhist, you have to give up all violence in any form, cleanse your thoughts completely from such actions.

Governments (Myanmar) are not religion, with the exception of Communism (a state religion), where the State owns you and directs you in every way possible.

If we learn anything at all from these ancient religions, it is Peace and non-violence, and a path to enlightment through self righteousness and doing good for others, not tit-for-tat or seeking heaven by our mortal actions (like killing or converting non-believers).

Darren, were you not the one protesting against religious debates vehemently, and now you start one up!

I wasn't protesting vehemently
just having a winge

this wasn't meant to be a debate really, just interested in what peoples thoughts are about this religion.

I have read as you state that they are strictly non-violent.
Hence why I was suprised about LP's comment.

I like the idea of peace, non violence, self satisfaction

plus on a side note I have been known to shave my head from time to time........Meditation looks interesting as well.....sitting and pondering.

Darren I do see where your reasons for posting this thread lie.. not to debate, but to get peoples thoughts and views on Buddhisam.. I find it refreshing.. Meditation itself is a powerful form of spirituality in itself... Being Wiccan, I meditate often in nature.. any form of spirituality that gives you peace is a beautiful thing... Follow your heart Darren... there are negative angles on any form of religion and as long as you follow the positive path.. it can't be wrong :-)

I agree mainly with what A Lonely Soul said.

No major religion preaches violence. Some people do and sometimes in the name of or behind a religion. There is a huge difference between religious values and organised religion run by people who are flawed (all people are). Politics and organised religion get mixed up too often.

If everybody from every religion stripped it back and really followed the core values like a lot of people already do, what a different place the world might be.

Darren I don't know a huge amount about Buddhism but it is essentially good at its core values and if it appeals to you, why not learn more about it and go for it. I never did much meditation myself but I know it can be a great experience to explore

Thanks Maples and Colm, and thanks Michael for your link, (that was some reading phew)

ALS - you make some good points.

Http://youtu.be/GogjFO8GNEo

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, that what made me learn and love Buddhism.

Buddism and violence are opposites, Abed, but anyone can commit crimes in the name of any religion. Look at those who claim to be religious groups and watch how many crimes they're committing in the name of Islam...

Darren, for over forty years I have followed a path comprised in large part of Buddhist tenets, in particular the Mahayana view (large raft) and most specifically Zen. To follow any religion in its entirety is beyond my ability, but there is much to that religion that is valuable.

I think here we are talking of Buddhism and not about other religion, particularly Islam!

Buddhism is a peaceful religion and Darren if you find it your path, go for it!

Obviously, you aren't going to turn a terrorist/inhuman if you completely adhere to it!

The teaching of Buddha is really good but as a religion I believe it is fragile.
Since Buddha was a philosopher and his teachings were plain philosophy as well as it was peaceful and mind calming, many people followed him and then they worshiped him after his death. that is what makes it fragile, never worship the person just follow his teachings if u see it right.
I don't know anything more but hope my opinion helps :)

Edit:Check this link about Buddhism and war it can be helpful

http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/war.htm

I'm a big fan of Buddhism. It's nice to compare/contrast/and combine elements from Buddhism and Taoism for balance.

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP6YDANbPKc

Http://www.yemencom.net/news.php?action=show&id=9794

http://islamstory.com/ar/node/34704

450 Buddhists, NOT the government, have attacked Muslims in their homes, burned them, starved them to death, raped their women, slaughtered their necks, and prevented the government from declaring the law which makes them true citizens...

"And it's a peaceful religion :)
And it's a peaceful religion :)
And it's a peaceful religion :)

They are known for their preachings of absolute strict non-violence :)

They are known for their preachings of absolute strict non-violence :)

--

Oh gimme a break.

-

And God, please make it closer.

:)

Amusing, how majority of the humans would kill or indulge in charity for the chance of being judged with mercy on the day of judgement, and not because of his compassion for his fellow beings. Is a human taming his beasts solely because he fears a severe punishment? is it the only reason to be good? Shall our morality be subjected directly to the existence of god and be absent in his absence?. .then are we not worse and more fallen than the animals?.. at least they dont have a conscience to decide what is right or wrong. They merely obey their biological programming.

The purpose of religion, from what I have read and as per my deductions, is to help an individual achieve self realization. Many paths have been established during the course of thousands of years. Non violence takes the same amount of courage as engaging in violence. If one chooses to adapt the ways of Buddhism, he must not only refrain from physically engaging in violence, but emotional and mental hatred as well. Should one harbor anger and resentment towards another, then that would not do. Either way, violence or non-violence is a choice.

One can choose the path he/she likes. Ultimately they aid the same final purpose. Only the methods differ. You cannot adapt to selective protocols of a religion. Celibacy is important as you may know, in Buddhism. Slowly one must learn to diminish sexual desires. Followed by all worldly desires, and practice renunciation as well. Meditation everyday is compulsory. Religions are not harsh particularly, they need complete surrender. One will in time mold himself to gain complete control over his senses and rise above desires. The oscillating mind will become steady.

The whole of a religious community will not be judged together. Individuals personally will have to answer for what they have done. It would be wise to keep our slates clean =)

And everything above could be stated true if god exists in the first place, of course. He/she/it may or may not exist. None the less, we are all we have.

God, they say:

Whom he kills,
who can save?
Whom he saves,
who can kill?

Darren, be Wiccan like me.I'm joking. Buddhism is fantastic too.

^LOVE Wiccans. Very peaceful, earthy people.

All religions have some basic rules that define what is good conduct and what kind of conduct should be avoided. In Buddhism, the most important rules are the Five Precepts.

1. No killing Respect for life
2. No stealing Respect for others' property
3. No sex ual misconduct Respect for our pure nature
4. No lying Respect for honesty
5. No intoxicants Respect for a clear mind

#1 - The Buddha said, "Life is dear to all beings. They have the right to live the same as we do." We should respect all life and not kill anything. Killing ants and mosquitoes is also breaking this precept. We should have an attitude of loving-kindness towards all beings, wishing them to be happy and free from harm. Taking care of the earth, its rivers and air is included. One way that many Buddhists follow this precept is by being vegetarian.

Buddha is not God. Buddhism, like Jainism preaches inner spirituality, not worship of God. It is non-theistic (most traditional Buddhists do not worship him as God). Buddha was a spiritual teacher, like the Jain Tirthankars (24 in all). He who understands the purpose of life through his teachings is "enlightened". Those who wish not to follow his path (Myanmar masacre of June 2012) have already renounced the core principles of his teachings.

"The Buddha is the guide.
The Dharma is the path.
The Sangha are the teachers or companions along the way."

Throwing mud on a Teacher, who taught how to respect life, because his pupils commited sins, will not smear a religion, the 4th largest in the World. Even Dalai Lama (Pope of Buddhism) cannot come close to what Buddha taught in the Myanmar case, as to date he has failed to denounce what some in his faith did.

Seek Buddha within (enlightment), not outside...is what Buddha really preached. He never preached Tit-for-tat either or killing people who din't believe in him (#1 above)

Every religion has adherents guilty of atrocities. I do not think it is any consolation to admit universal guilt nor does it serve any useful purpose to practice universal blame.

We each make our own choices on what we do; we must take the responsibility to make these choices based on what is right and good and not from anger or righteousness.

People kill people regardless of their religion, race, or ethnic background. Is that even up for debate anymore?

It's not christians, it's not muslims, it's not buddhists, or Jews. It's people.

^^ Well said Jordan!

:)

LP...in your second post your provide three links..the first one asked for my email address and password to enter so...I was a little wary about that...the second two were written in Arabic so...can you expain them to me or...maybe, if possible post and english translation?

The 1st one is a youtube video...
I think you can watch it if you have an account only.

The 2nd and 3rd you can translate them on google translate from Arabic to English.

I did try that and couldn't seem to do so?....

I don't know.. it works for me!

There are zillion videos like them on utube..

Yeah..I guess so...I'll look into them tomorrow when I get over my jetlag but..like everything on youtube I have to wonder just how accurate they are...

You have the choice to believe through multiple researches, not just through what ur media tells u... ( I have people in Australia, US, France... and they tell me what the zionist-ruled western media says and ignores to say :)

so you have another choice to just ignore, as well.
simple.

The difference between 450 Buddhist's attacking and killing people and 450 Muslims doing the same is that the Buddhists won't be doing it for religious reasons. They are people doing violent acts that happen to be Buddhists. They might be democrats and astrologists and vegans too, but we don't say "450 vegans killed a group of people" because being vegan has nothing to do with violence. It might be also true that 450 Muslims killing a group of people are doing it for purely non religious reasons, but the chances of that are very slim given how all encompassing their faith is to their morality on every major issue

It is literally impossible to interpret the Buddhist teachings as a justification for any kind of violence. The same can't be said for Islam or christianity and anyone who says otherwise is so very wrong.

That really is the end of the discussion.

In any case Darren, I have a lot of respect and time for Buddhist ideas, because there is no god and its all about personal responsibility and hyper awareness of cause and effect.

...
..

Darren or anyone: Care to answer my quizzes?

1) What was the name and location of the world's most ancient University (or seat of academic learning), that no longer exists (thanks to a religious zealot!). Some would contest that it was Moroccan or in Egypt, but it does not really matter, as this qn is related to Buddhism that you are interested about.

2) Who founded/contributed to its prosperity? Why did he become a Buddhist?

3) Who destroyed it, in which year and why?
(The library had so many ancient books that it is said that it took 3 months to burn down completely!)

4) How many students were enrolled in it during its peak?

It might be useful to learn things we never do enough from our history textbooks. Go for it. Just use Dr. Google - I know you have no choice but to use my religion (Bing and others just don't cut it) for this search. :)

Let me invite Adreamer (our little poetry lady Madison) to answer some parts of this quiz as well, as I know she practices Buddhism to some extent. :)

^ The contents burned for more than six months actually. The Nalanda University, Bihar, India.

Nice try ALS, I googled it, but I am not going to be drawn into a muslim debate.

Thanks Kevin, that is what first caught my attention, 'no god!'

It is all about improving as a person, being more tolerant etc.

Darren,
Look for this book for a good overview of Zen:

Zen Flesh Zen Bones, Paul Reps & Nyogen Senzaki (compilers)

you probably already have this one:

The Teachings of the Compassionate Buddha, E. A. Burtt

EDIT: I have gone through several copies of Zen Flesh - I read it frequently & give it away often.

Gaurav: Thank you for the answer to qn #1, but qns 2-4 can still use answers for those who wish to try it...should be fairly easy and educational.

Hey Darren: You are the one who wanted to start a Buddhism debate, now you shirk.

This is Buddhism we are talking about, in this thread aren't we? and a bit of history. But I can understand. :)

Goodbye thread!

Thanks Larry

ALS, the bit I googled blamed muslims for the burning of this university.......

Hence why I didn't want to be drawn into a Muslim debate....

I admire your restraint, Darren.
Even if provoked, it is good to carry on with the search for understanding than to get sidetracked.

As I see it, this thread was a celebration, not a challenge.

Got a buddhist zen joke for you all.

3 buddhist zen monks are sitting meditatin under a tree. They have been there for 6 hours without speaking or moving when out of nowhere a bird flies by very close to them. 3 hours later the first monk opens his eyes and says

"you know, I think that bird was blue"

He then closes his eyes. 6 hours later the second monk in the group opens his eyes and says.

"You know, I think that bird was purple."

10 hours later the 3rd monk in the group opens his eyes and stands up and says.

"If you two are going to argue about it, I'm leaving!"

:)