Buddhism: Neither Theistic nor Atheistic

[smaneck]

No. That's not what the account says. It says that he is condemned for "denying the eternal God"

You realize Buddha had no knowledge of Yahweh? The creator god for him was Brahma, not exactly the same sort of god.

I know a teaching of Buddhism is the general goodness of a person,

You are confusing Buddhism with Confucianism, I think.

However in Buddhism the central human problem is ignorance, not sin.

I was living near New Orleans when Katrina devastated the area and what I experienced was not a sense of overwhelming goodness. I witnessed corruption and volatility.

I lived through Katrina as well, although I wasn't in New Orleans. It was only a Category 1 when it hit us in Jackson. I think it brought out the best and worst in people.

In any case, it's a bleak way of looking at the world, and God.

 

[Pink Spider]

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[Yoder777]

This is the closest I've seen the Buddha in traditional Buddhist literature described as what theists would call God:

I take refuge in the Buddha, the greatly Compassionate One, the Savior of the world, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, of most excellent deeds in all the ten directions; And in the Dharma, the manifestation of his Essence, the Reality, the sea of Suchness, the boundless storehouse of excellencies; And in the Sangha, whose members truly devote themselves to the practice, May all sentient beings be made to discard their doubts, to cast aside their evil attachments, and to give rise to the correct faith in the Mahayana, that the lineage of the Buddhas may not be broken off.
https://whatdobuddhistsbelieve.wordpress.com/the-ocean-of-nirvana/

It's interesting to note that this is the Buddha being described as an awakened man, rather than a Creator or judge.

 

[El' LeJeune]

In any case, it's a bleak way of looking at the world, and God.

I disagree, I think it's bleak to stick our head in the sand and try to drown out reality. My understanding of our need for God has given me a greater reverence and love for God. I appreciate the sacrifice of Christ much more than someone who is ho-hum about his or her wrongdoings. It also gives me a greater empathy and compassion for people. I can sincerely look at a person or situation and honestly know that I am no better than him or her in any way.

In other words, I love God because I know what he saved me from; both in this life and in the next. I love people because I know that I am no better than any of them.

 

[gord44]

I disagree, I think it's bleak to stick our head in the sand and try to drown out reality. My understanding of our need for God has given me a greater reverence and love for God. I appreciate the sacrifice of Christ much more than someone who is ho-hum about his or her wrongdoings. It also gives me a greater empathy and compassion for people. I can sincerely look at a person or situation and honestly know that I am no better than him or her in any way.

In other words, I love God because I know what he saved me from; both in this life and in the next. I love people because I know that I am no better than any of them.

I am glad that works for you, but it doesn't work for everyone. I prefer to experience the divine in this existence then go 'all in' on the existence to come where our personalities are most likely destroyed when we die anyways. So we should do our part now to help God. I do believe from my studies and experiences that the Christian way of life doesn't really advance God's work. It either slows it down, stops it, or in worst case scenarios reverses any progress.

 

[Winepress777]

What if I told you that the universe has always existed in some form, so there's no need for a Creator, and that there's a natural law of cause and effect, so there's no need for a Judge who rewards and punishes?...

Then I'd say you were in violation of Holy Scriptures which show quite otherwise.

 

[ananda]

Not that much different. It just isn't eternal:

http://reimacram.blogspot.com/2013/08/japanese-buddhist-depiction-of-hell.html

Neither is the Christian hell (or heaven) eternal

 

[Yoder777]

Then I'd say you were in violation of Holy Scriptures which show quite otherwise.

Which holy scriptures? Not the Buddhist holy scriptures. Your comment proves nothing.

 

[smaneck]

My understanding of our need for God has given me a greater reverence and love for God.

I don't need to posit that God will torment people for all eternity because they don't believe certain things to know my need for God.

 

[Winepress777]

Which holy scriptures? Not the Buddhist holy scriptures. Your comment proves nothing.

It proves everything. Of this, there is no shadow of turning, these are the only Holy Scriptures, and Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God First Begotten from the dead. There is no hope in any other;

(Rom 1:1) Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,


(Rom 1:2) (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)


(Rom 1:3) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;


(Rom 1:4) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

If it isn't Jesus resurrected, it is false doctrine. false scriptures. Only in them will you find the Way the Truth and the Life. Peace

 

[El' LeJeune]

I prefer to experience the divine in this existence then go 'all in' on the existence to come

I prefer to experience both.

where our personalities are most likely destroyed when we die anyways.

Jesus told us that we would experience a conscious existence in the afterlife where we would remember all of our past experiences and lives on Earth.

Personally, that is the best part of Heaven!!!

So we should do our part now to help God.

We do. The apostle James tells us that "faith without works is dead" I recent survey I read stated that over 88% of the charities in the world are Christian founded. 82% of charity volunteers/ financial contributors are self identified Christians.

I do believe from my studies and experiences that the Christian way of life doesn't really advance God's work. It either slows it down, stops it, or in worst case scenarios reverses any progress.

How do you define God's work? If you define it as putting one's self out in order to help others than the numbers above side with Christians.

 

[ananda]

... over 88% of the charities in the world are Christian founded. 82% of charity volunteers/ financial contributors are self identified Christians....

Perhaps all this proves is that Christians prefer to leave the responsibility of charity work to middlemen instead of doing the charity work themselves?

 

[smaneck]

Jesus told us that we would experience a conscious existence in the afterlife where we would remember all of our past experiences and lives on Earth.

Where did he tell you that?

I recent survey I read stated that over 88% of the charities in the world are Christian founded. 82% of charity volunteers/ financial contributors are self identified Christians.

Who conducted the survey?

I find that hard to believe given that Myanmar ranked first in the percentage of people who give to charity (85%). In terms of percentages both Thailand and Indonesia were ahead of America. Now if you are just talking about dollars given, those figures are probably right because Christians are usually richer. (Due to Western imperialism, of course.)

 

[Yoder777]

It proves everything.

No, insisting that something is absolute truth just because the Bible says so proves nothing. You might as well be claiming that the earth is 6,000 years old and that Flintstones was a true story because the Bible says so.

If it isn't Jesus resurrected, it is false doctrine. false scriptures. Only in them will you find the Way the Truth and the Life. Peace

If the Buddha didn't attain enlightenment for the enlightenment of all beings, it is a false doctrine. False scriptures. Only in the Buddha will you find the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Namaste.

 

[El' LeJeune]

Perhaps all this proves is that Christians prefer to leave the responsibility of charity work to middlemen instead of doing the charity work themselves?

You should re-read my statement. 88% of charities in the world are christian FOUNDED. This means that christians put in the blood, sweat, tears, time, money, and energy into getting the charity off the ground. 82% are christians who actively volunteer their time, energy, and finances into the charity to keep the work going.

 

[El' LeJeune]

Where did he tell you that?

Luke 16:22-28 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’"

 

[Yoder777]

You should re-read my statement. 88% of charities in the world are christian FOUNDED. This means that christians put in the blood, sweat, tears, time, money, and energy into getting the charity off the ground. 82% are christians who actively volunteer their time, energy, and finances into the charity to keep the work going.

Christianity, being the largest religion in the world in terms of sheer numbers, is unsurprisingly responsible for a great deal of charities. Many people who are either atheist, belong to a non-Christian religion, or are just culturally Christian donate to Christian charities out of the kindness of their hearts, but without necessarily agreeing with the religious message behind them.

I don't think we should engage in a contest over whose charity is better, but instead we should be supportive of any organization that sincerely helps the needy. Here is a list of Buddhist organizations that are helping the people of Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha that's been ravaged by two recent earthquakes. Are you willing to support them?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/americ...nizations-working-on-the-ground-in-nepal.html

Tzu Chi Foundation is the largest Buddhist charity in the world, founded by Cheng Yen, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee who is widely regarded as the Mother Theresa of Taiwan:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-09-04/features/9409040139_1_buddhist-taiwan-master-cheng-yen

 

[smaneck]

Uh, a parable which speaks of the dead remembering is hardly a statement that we will remember everything.

Luke 16:22-28 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’"

 

[Gxg (G²)]

[

. It is true that Buddhism is not atheistic.

A lot of Buddhist have noted otherwise often.... many a Buddhist monk/leader have noted that:

 

[Gxg (G²)]

I know a teaching of Buddhism is the general goodness of a person, but real life experience tells me that people are generally corrupt. T

Even within Buddhism, there has been demonstrations of where human nature has generally tended more so toward evil than goodness...and the principles of peace do not always play out when it comes to things being taken more off-track.