Buddhism: Neither Theistic nor Atheistic

[Eudaimonist]

Whether physical or a state of mind, a pure land is a realm supposedly created by a Buddha, not merely a temple.

What do you mean by "realm"? If you mean a physical location, then it might as well be a temple. It could be any area of land. It could just be a "place".

If it is a state of mind, the physical trappings and location are irrelevant. No one would automatically be enlightened just because they visited that "place".


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[ananda]

What do you mean by "realm"? If you mean a physical location, then it might as well be a temple. It could be any area of land. It could just be a "place".

If it is a state of mind, the physical trappings and location are irrelevant. No one would automatically be enlightened just because they visited that "place".


eudaimonia,

Mark

I don't know, you'll have to ask the Mahayanists as to the exact nature of their Pure Land realms I may not fully understand their nature, as these realms seem to me to be contrary to what the historical Buddha taught and exemplified through his example and actions, as recorded in the earliest Buddhist suttas.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

IMO one path is hard and strait, and encourages elevation; the other is easy and wide, and encourages deprecation.

How we work makes a world of difference and this is something that I am glad for real-life practical demonstrations on. Specifically, I am reminded of the work of Thich Nhat Han - who actively worked with Dr. Martin Luther King and whose example of self-sacrifice has been inspiring. For more information about him, Dr. Martin Luther King recommended him when it came to his work in Vietnam. ...and for For more on where King was very open showing his support for others in differing religions when it came to common struggles, you can go here to see his Nobel Peace Prize nonimation (http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/theme/3371 )


Powerful demonstrations of walking the right path and seeing justice played out

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One can go both here ( http://plumvillage.org/press-releas...uther-kings-dream-comes-true-in-mississsippi/ ) and here (http://www.charterforcompassion.org...-peace/thich-nhat-hanh-and-martin-luther-king ) as it concerns seeing how Thich Nhat Hanh and Martin Luther King’s dream came true in Mississsippi

The dynamic of practical Buddhism is something that's missing today in many respects when it comes to being concerned for making a difference rather than being focused on the more esoteric aspects of life....

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[Yoder777]

buddhism doesn't believe in a creator, since it's usually accepted that the universe has always existed in some form, and there's no cosmic judge who rewards and punishes, since there's karma, which is like a natural law of cause and effect. but there is boundless compassion. not only is the universe itself an ocean of compassion, but there are infinite buddhas and boddhisatvas, going back to the eternal past, who've attained enlightenment for the purpose of leading all other beings to enlightenment. i don't know if that's god in a theistic sense, but i am not an atheist. i actually feel more loved by whatever compassionate being is out there than before i became buddhist. before, i thought there was some monarchical being who was punishing me whenever bad things happened in my life. now i see that life is suffering, and that there's no creator responsible for making it that way. there's no problem of evil that we have to solve, of how an all loving and all powerful creator could allow suffering in the world. but there is boundless compassion, an ocean of boundless compassion expressing itself in countless ways.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

How we work makes a world of difference and this is something that I am glad for real-life practical demonstrations on. Specifically, I am reminded of the work of Thich Nhat Han - who actively worked with Dr. Martin Luther King and whose example of self-sacrifice has been inspiring. For more information about him, Dr. Martin Luther King recommended him when it came to his work in Vietnam. ...and for For more on where King was very open showing his support for others in differing religions when it came to common struggles, you can go here to see his Nobel Peace Prize nonimation (http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/theme/3371 )


Powerful demonstrations of walking the right path and seeing justice played out

..........................

​

One can go both here ( http://plumvillage.org/press-releas...uther-kings-dream-comes-true-in-mississsippi/ ) and here (http://www.charterforcompassion.org...-peace/thich-nhat-hanh-and-martin-luther-king ) as it concerns seeing how Thich Nhat Hanh and Martin Luther King’s dream came true in Mississsippi

The dynamic of practical Buddhism is something that's missing today in many respects when it comes to being concerned for making a difference rather than being focused on the more esoteric aspects of life....

​

​

Concerning the ways Buddhists have taken on the struggles of Blacks in what they go through, I came across this recently and thought it was amazing...as it concerns the trans-cultural exchange between Blacks and Asians with regards to Kung Fu and the Shaolin arts...and no surprise when seeing the cultural exchanges, more said here in
The Afro-Asiatic Mashup

Martial mastery and the African origins of Shaolin

 

[Yoder777]

Rejection of a Creator God is one of Buddhism's foundational principles. If the universe required an outside cause, who created God? How could there be an all-loving, all-powerful Creator behind the suffering and evil in the world? Would belief in such a Creator be helpful to our enlightenment?

Buddhism, on the other hand, is not materialistic. There is a moral order to the universe known as karma. There is spiritual help for suffering beings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. There is an Ultimate Truth known as Nirvana. There just isn't a Creator or Judge in Buddhism, since Buddhism doesn't need one.

 

[juvenissun]

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?

What if I then told you that, instead of a God as we understand the term, there is a compassionate essence to the universe that is within each and every human being, and It is our true nature waiting to be born?

The origin problem is a thought which characterized the intelligence of human being.
Your "what if" totally ignored this landmark character of human intelligence.

A complete theology NEEDS to address the origin problem. For example, the origin of suffering. If you think this origin problem is important, then why not that origin problem?

 

[juvenissun]

Rejection of a Creator God is one of Buddhism's foundational principles. If the universe required an outside cause, who created God? How could there be an all-loving, all-powerful Creator behind the suffering and evil in the world? Would belief in such a Creator be helpful to our enlightenment?

Buddhism, on the other hand, is not materialistic. There is a moral order to the universe known as karma. There is spiritual help for suffering beings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. There is an Ultimate Truth known as Nirvana. There just isn't a Creator or Judge in Buddhism, since Buddhism doesn't need one.

Anything NEEDS a starting point. Even a cyclic process NEEDS a starting point.
God is the starting point of everything. Demand a starting point before a starting point is not an intelligent thought because time did not exist before the starting point. A starting point has nothing, and does not need to be created.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

Religions do an EXTREMELY poor job at understanding and explaining origins that do not pertain to the psychological. Creation myths are interesting in terms of Jungian symbolism, but from a fact-oriented point of view, every single one of them is a rather silly attempt at understanding the natural world through the lens of magic, i.e. the supernatural.
Like people believing that lightning is a divine weapon hurled to punish the wicked instead of a mindless and undirected atmospheric condition.

 

[dlamberth]

Anything NEEDS a starting point. Even a cyclic process NEEDS a starting point.
God is the starting point of everything. Demand a starting point before a starting point is not an intelligent thought because time did not exist before the starting point. A starting point has nothing, and does not need to be created.

It's our thinking brain the needs an explanation for everything that NEEDS a starting point. There is no starting point in infinity, or in God if that is ones point of reference.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Interesting...

 

[gord44]

It's our thinking brain the needs an explanation for everything that NEEDS a starting point. There is no starting point in infinity, of in God if that is ones point of reference.

Great point. I try not to see existence in a linear fashion. The past, present and future all exist already and not only that, every possible variation of the past, present and future already exist. Infinity. Everything already exists.

 

[dlamberth]

A complete theology NEEDS to address the origin problem.

So let me ask you something, what if one approaches living in the presence of God with out a theology? What might that look like?

 

[Yoder777]

It's our thinking brain the needs an explanation for everything that NEEDS a starting point. There is no starting point in infinity, or in God if that is ones point of reference.

If matter or energy cannot be created or destroyed, why does it need a starting point?

 

[Yoder777]

Just as Sukhavati is the Pure Land of Amitabha, our world is the Pure Land of Shakyamuni, since this is where he attained Buddhahood. Despite all the evil and suffering in this world, it's important to remember that Shakyamuni is in charge, leading all beings to enlightenment:

The Buddha said to Shariputra, "My Buddha land has always been pure like this. But because I wish to save those persons who are lowly and inferior, I make it seem an impure land full of defilements, that is all. It is like the case of heavenly beings. All ate their food from the same precious vessel, but the food looks different for each one, depending upon the merits and virtues hat each possesses. It is the same in this case, Shariputra. If a person's mind is pure, then he will see the wonderful blessings that adorn this land."
http://www.wisdomlib.org/buddhism/book/vimalakirti-sutra/d/doc116199.html

 

[juvenissun]

It's our thinking brain the needs an explanation for everything that NEEDS a starting point. There is no starting point in infinity, or in God if that is ones point of reference.

Exactly. The ultimate problem is the origin of human.

 

[juvenissun]

So let me ask you something, what if one approaches living in the presence of God with out a theology? What might that look like?

Is Buddhism a theology? Or a philosophy?
Either case, it NEEDs to address the origin problem.

 

[gord44]

Either case, it NEEDs to address the origin problem.

Why?

 

[juvenissun]

If matter or energy cannot be created or destroyed, why does it need a starting point?

This is a scientific knowledge. Are we talking about some which is much bigger than science? Or are you saying the Buddhism is limited by science?

 

[juvenissun]

Why?

Why why?