BS: Any Buddhists out there?

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Stu
Date: 11 Mar 10 - 12:34 PM

"What if happiness did not lie in some outer objective or destination? What if one was happy just to be?"

You've got it LH! Most buddhists would agree that is the point - to be able to truly dwell within the moment, free from distraction and unperturbed by (but not unaware of) your surroundings. To be able to see without the fog we gather between us and the real world. It's one heck of a skill and a step on the road to enlightenment, and I always thought that Zen buddhism comes close to articulating how this works. Basic Tibetan Buddhist meditation teaches how to do this and can be very inspiring.

Look at a tree. What do you see? We would call it a tree, but it isn't, it just is. It is being and regardless of what we name it, the inferences we draw from looking at it, the associations we make from it; it is simply itself.

Desire is a result of attachment, it's not the same as compassion and is a result of us wishing to possess something; a motivator to be sure but a distraction to a Buddhist seeking enlightenment.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Mar 10 - 11:59 AM

"By Jove, I think you've got it!"

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Amos
Date: 11 Mar 10 - 11:44 AM

Resistance in all its many forms is also a great source of suffering.

It tends to splinter the understanding into combative fragments.

Being completely in the moment (a rare state for anyone) is indeed happifying, absent desire and resistance. A wonderful state of mind in which to chop wood and draw water.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Mar 10 - 11:23 AM

Attachment is indeed a great source of suffering. I remember, for example, the acute suffering I discovered again and again in my youth when becoming emotionally attached to this or that young woman...

Desire is another source of suffering...but it can also be a useful fuel for supplying motivation. Working that out could lead to quite a discussion. ;-)

What if one was already happy...here and now? What if happiness did not lie in some outer objective or destination? What if one was happy just to be?.....rather than to be someone, something or somewhere else than one is now?

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Amos
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 12:04 PM

If the history of our various churches has taught us anything, it may be that the subject and substance of the wisdom is not the organization thereof.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: GUEST,jeff
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 11:53 AM

Honestly, Peter T I fail to find any indication of you deserving an Esq. following your name. No one or nothing is on trial here. Shallow intellectuals speak out of passion rather than ponderance. Not genuinely educated persons such as you. Relax, yours truly has simply given an explanation. One can find extremists in any belief system. What turned me off joining NSB at a crucial time in my life was in a meeting one of the leaders, who was Japanese let it slip that the western mind could practice the faith and improve their life condition, but lacked the subtlties to reach enlightenment in one lifetime. I took affront to that and called him out on racism in a rather large public forum and was ushered out by some of the members. But, I took it on myself to do an independant study of the history of the faith and decided it wasn't for me and the aforementioned gentleman's racism was a product of the enviornment of his culture. But, also came to the conclusion that the faith itself was well intended, though some within it were misguided as with any religion.

The Spanish Inquisition, Nazi Gemany, Idi Amin, Dick Cheney, Stalin, etc. History is rife w/monsters of all types acting in the name of something be it religion or power. That's not an indictment of organized faith, but I can see how your direct experience could lead you to be so reactive re this particular branch of Buddhism.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Stu
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 04:39 AM

I got interested in Tibetan Buddhism some years ago, and went to various teachings including HH The Dalai Lama at Manchester Free Trade Hall and even met his sister Jetsun Pema a few years later.

The best thing about buddhism is it encourages rigorous questioning of itself. It eschews the dogmatic, controlling approach of the monotheistic religions and nurtures debate and self-discovery of it's knowledge. It's teachings are guidelines for a way of living that transcends the need for a structured church or a catechism and instead centres on your relationship with your teacher. It's quite possible to practice buddhism and not actually be a buddhist.

Buddhism's (and the Dalai Lama's) main teaching is compassion. Pure, unjudgemental compassion towards all living beings regardless of who they are, how they slight you. It teaches that attachments are wrong and our attachments are the source of our unhappiness in the world.

As a system of psychology, Buddhism is a millennia ahead of western practices. I've been subject to both and the Buddhists have it down in a way it's difficult to believe; mind you, they've had 2500 years to get it to the point it is now and that time has meant a refined, sophisticated an considered system of thought has emerged.

My advice would be to start with the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Soygal Rinpoche. It's an excellent and inspirational book, and might be the first steps on a very interesting journey.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Janie
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 12:42 AM

I am not buddhist. I have a very rudimentary knowledge or understanding of any of the principles of Buddhism that may be universal principles of all all divisions of Buddhism. Base on that limited knowledge and understanding, however, I think cultivation of Zen principles and practices promotes healing and acceptance in a huge way.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Mar 10 - 11:55 PM

There is a monk in Japan who has found a new way to present the sutras, appealing to the young folks...I heard about him on NPR, but couldn't find the program. Here's a bit about him with a video: MC Happiness.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Peter T.
Date: 09 Mar 10 - 11:26 PM

That's Buddhism. No proselytizing, and no harassing or phoning people up and making threats against them if they leave (I helped a Nichiren Shoshu flee the cult many years ago).   They chant fast non-stop for hours on end, inducing a high (I've been there).   The money making thing is a steal from evangelicals -- praying for real estate.


yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: GUEST,bankley
Date: 09 Mar 10 - 05:47 PM

Herbie Hancock practices NSB and got Miles into it for awhile before he died...

I tried , years ago, but just don't have much rapport with tribe mentality be it this form of practice or conventional Church...
tho they all have their place

I got to say that chanting did improve and deepen my voice

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 09 Mar 10 - 05:27 PM

Peter Owen Jones, Anglican Vicar, did an excellent series last year on different faiths. The one on Buddhism was wonderful.

Just thought some of you may enjoy reading about it and watching some of the videos...

Around the World in 80 Faiths - BBC Website


Around The World in 80 Faiths - Youtube

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 09 Mar 10 - 05:16 PM

Anyone who discovers anything that rapidly improves their life becomes very enthusiastic about it and starts telling other people about it.

This is just as true of people who find a new diet that works well for them or a new way of fixing their car or cleaning their counters or growing garden plants.

Oddly enough, however, those people are not labelled "cultists" by other people when they go around enthusiastically tellin others about what they've recently discovered or experienced. ;-) You only get the label of "cultist" when your enthusiasm takes some religious or spiritual form. This may say just as much (or indeed more?) about the prejudices of the labeller as it does about those of the labelee.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 09 Mar 10 - 03:36 AM

"There's nothing sinister in the intent of NSB. The evangelical fervor comes from excitement in seeing one's life change and wanting to share it(shakubuku). Not unlike becoming a born again Christian."

I'd never heard of Evangelical 'Buddhism' before. Yeck! I thought the Buddha advised actively AGAINST proselytisation? My approximate understanding was that you ignore or subtley deflect the first two enquiries about your Buddhist practice, and only on the third enquiry do you engage in any discussion about it.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Mar 10 - 11:33 PM

What do Buddhists call Vegetarian Military Rations?

Army Tofu ...


I know where the door is...

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Amos
Date: 08 Mar 10 - 11:25 PM

AN excellent start!!


A

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Mar 10 - 11:16 PM

If it gave Tina Turner the courage to get away from Ike and get her own life back, I see no reason to attack it.

There's a purpose behind sustained chanting. It can quiet the mind after awhile. When you quiet the mind and become silent within, you can become keenly aware, perhaps for the first time, of something much greater than the mind. When you do that, you are on the first steps to enlightenment, according to the Eastern traditions.

I say this as one who almost never succeeds in quieting his mind! It keeps me awake at night. It talks endlessly. It has bedeviled me all my life with its busy complications and its obsession to fill every moment with a barrage of thoughts. I have begun to realize, though, what it is doing, and I'm not as easily fooled by it as I once was. That's a start.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Peter T.
Date: 08 Mar 10 - 09:01 PM

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case.

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: GUEST,jeff
Date: 08 Mar 10 - 12:01 AM

Cult is an easy catch-all. They wear white at large functions for ease in identification of members than any rules. The original Buddha was from India who wrote 88,000 Sutras some of which were as simple as brush your teeth after meals, wash your hands before and after eating, don't eat rotten food, etc. Some of the same principles show up in Proverbs written largely by Solomon and Lemuel. Nichiren(Rencho, originally)was a Buddhist who decided that the entire 88,000 teachings could be distilled down to the most fundamental called the Lotus Sutra. Repetition of the aforementioned phrase and recitation of the LS could raise one's life condition and lead to enlightenment. Which is the highest life condition according to NSB. Life conditions being described from the lowest(Hell) to enlightenment w/learning in the middle someplace. One could be in a life condition of tranquility until someone throws a glass of water on you. Then anger is the life condition unless one has chanted enough daimoku to remain unfazed according to this belief system. Not that you're wrong just mis-informed. There are millions of well intended people involved in this practice.


There's nothing sinister in the intent of NSB. The evangelical fervor comes from excitement in seeing one's life change and wanting to share it(shakubuku). Not unlike becoming a born again Christian. One experiences wanting to spread the Gospel, hence the word 'witness' in 3 forms. Active, passive verbs and noun. To the point of being obnoxious, sometimes.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Peter T.
Date: 07 Mar 10 - 01:06 PM

Nichiren Shoshu is a cult and and a contemporary evangelical ripoff of Buddhism (there was in fact a real Buddhist named Nichiren who was an interesting character). It has nothing to do with Buddhism. Stay far away from these people.

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: GUEST,jeff
Date: 07 Mar 10 - 12:22 AM

Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism involves chanting nam-ee-yo-ho-ren-gay-kee-yo over and over and is referred to as 'chanting daimoku' (die-moe-kue) One does this in front of a scroll called a Gohonzon kept in a protective box called a Butsadan(Boot-sa-dahn). One, also does a recitation of the Lotus Sutra twice per day called Gongyo. Included is the lighting of candles and incense. The altar area is really quite nice w/a green plant(usually Pothos), fresh fruit and a copper gong rung w/a padded ringer. This is done by the chanting and Gongyo leader.

Supposedly, chanting diamoku raises ones life condition to a higher level thereby attracting material benefits to one's self.   It will raise one's spiritual life as well when dealing with issues in this plane of existance. The ultimate goal is world peace with 1/3 practicing NCB, 1/3 in support and 1/3 against.

One notable practitioner of this form of Buddhism is Tina Turner who turned to it as a result of a friend's encouragment during an oft recorded difficult time period in her life.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Peter T.
Date: 06 Mar 10 - 03:12 AM

Like all religions with a long lifetime(s), Buddhism appeals to different people in different ways. It contains a really stripped down Buddhism (Zen), an exuberant Buddhism (Tibetan), a quiet Buddhism (Sri Lankan), a humble Buddhism (Pure Land), a wayward Buddhism (Korean), and so on. A little something for everyone, down to the last blade of grass.....

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 06 Mar 10 - 02:59 AM

edit:


which - while interesting - IMO can represent an intellectual distraction (and worse) in many spiritual paths.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 06 Mar 10 - 02:56 AM

"To actually practice it...rather than just talk about it or think about it...one would have to undertake a lot of personal disciplines."

Yeah, unlike Christianity - Buddhism is a 'doing' thing rather than a 'faith'. It's all about the practice. I try to incorporate elements of Buddhist practice into my daily life without getting too bogged down in the philosophy, which IMO can represent an intellectual distraction (and worse) in many spiritual paths.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Mar 10 - 12:37 AM

Not necessarily. Buddhism, if practiced according to "the middle way", would avoid going to extremes...thus would be practical and moderate in dealing with life and would not veer too far from what is generally considered "normal".

Extreme asceticism, for example, is not the middle way in life.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Amos
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 01:56 PM

Any Buddhist worth his salt is pretty "out there", doncha think? I mean, that's the whole idea, right?


A

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Fortunato
Date: 05 Mar 10 - 01:31 PM

Out where?

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 03:53 PM

Snow Lion Publications is a good source for books and paraphernalia.

And, here is one of my fav. Buddhist Mantras on youtube.

I'll post more, later. Thanks for refreshing this!

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 01:26 PM

Buddhism certainly forms part of my spiritual world-view, though that doesn't specifically make me a Buddhist. I include Buddhism, Taoism, the Yogic tradition, and esoteric Christianity in my set of spiritual interests...as well as Native American spirituality and various other traditions.

It's all various angles of the same thing anyway as far as I'm concerned.

But I'll say this...Buddhism is one of the wisest and most balanced spiritual traditions out there.

To actually practice it...rather than just talk about it or think about it...one would have to undertake a lot of personal disciplines. I don't do much of that at this point, though I study the concepts a great deal, so I wouldn't call myself "a Buddhist", just someone who likes and respects Buddhism and relates to it well, that's all.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: GUEST,FolkGiant
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 01:00 PM

I am rather a "Christian Buddhist", if you will.

I was raised in evangelical Christianity, fell away, discovered first Mahayana and then Zen Buddhism later in life and find that the teachings of Gautama Buddha and Yeshua of Natzeret ("Jesus") are practically identical. Save, of course, for the Hindu influences from Gautama Buddha's upbringing and the obviously Orthodox Judaism that informed the teachings of Jesus.

I would suggest that one stay away from the "Buddhist" books at the big-chain bookstores. Visit monastery websites or ask practitioners; the stuff at the chains is as likely to be from an "armchair lama" as it is from anyone with something real to contribute to your studies.

Regards (Namaste),

FG

Subject: RE: BS: Any Buddhists out there?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 12:29 PM

I'm searching through my entire long list of all my posts, looking for something in particular, and keep getting sidetracked by various old discussions, including this one. I hope that at least a few of you share my interest in this topic and perhaps have something new to add since two years ago...

My first awareness of Buddhism came courtesy of a favorite author, Jack Kerouac. I realize that some folks don't take Kerouac seriously, for any number of reasons, but I always have and still do.

I'm interested in what anyone, especially any actual Buddhists out there, might have to say about "Some of the Dharma," "The Scripture of the Golden Eternity," and "Wake Up: The Life of The Buddha."

I'm aware of the opinion, held by some, that this writer's awareness and presentation of Buddhism might be insufficiently serious. I, on the other hand, feel pretty strongly that the brand of "beatnik Buddhism" that emerged in the mid-20th century (courtesy of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and others) has been a very significant element in the ongoing evolution of American culture, Western Civilization, and indeed the entire world.

Here's an intresting-enough paper of the subject:

http://www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/Miscellaneous/KerouacBuddhism.html

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: Wesley S
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 04:32 PM

This is just a small part of a larger article about religious affiliations that can be found currently on CNN.com - I thought it might be of interest:

The full story

The excert:


Among other findings involving smaller religious groups, more than half of American Buddhists surveyed were white, and most Buddhists were converts.

More people in the survey pool identified themselves as Buddhist than Muslim, although both populations were small -- less than 1 percent of the total population. By contrast, Jews accounted for 1.7 percent of the overall population.

The self-identified Buddhists -- 0.7 percent of those surveyed -- illustrate a core challenge to estimating religious affiliation: What does affiliation mean?

It's unclear whether people who called themselves Buddhists did so because they practice yoga or meditation, for instance, or claim affiliation with a Buddhist institution.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: Leadbelly
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 02:44 PM

Do respect all creatures, even worms and insects, and don't do any harm to them! I think that's a wonderful approach,

Manfred

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: Amos
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 02:43 PM

God forbid. I was discussing the nature of religion. I think Buddhism is one of the best religions out there. ANd of course, as such, it is a philosophy of life. I disagree with allowing theists to pretend the word applies only to worshippers of their kind.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: redsnapper
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 01:55 PM

Amos... are you a Buddhist?

I am, and have been for the past 10 years. I have also taught in a Buddhist monastery. Please do not presume to tell me what Buddhism is or isn't, or trivialise what I said.

Respectfully,

RS

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: Amos
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 01:25 PM

RS:

The whole model of enlightenment, and the return therefrom by Buddha as bodhi, in order to teach others, makes it completely unambiguous that the spiritual nature of Self is the focus of things. He is not talking about seeking the center of your brain, or your solar plexus, for goodness' sake!



A

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: redsnapper
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 12:50 PM

As an aside, and agreeing fully with Peter T, some of the cited early texts are for real enthusiasts and scholars only. A great deal of what there is, and what is studied and debated in monasteries, is commentaries by commentators on other commentators and is far removed from the earliest tests. Again, as Peter T says, Buddhism is hugely diverse.

RS

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: redsnapper
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 12:45 PM

Amos,

That is true of course and the essence of a religion is shared belief or feeling. But most people interpret the word religion as having spiritual connotations. Most Buddhists do have spiritual belief but many do not. Since an adherence to Buddhism essentially comprises a journey towards "the centre of oneself" and an understanding of the nature of things some, perhaps the narrow-minded and silly amongst us (;>), do argue that it is a philosophy of life rather than a "classical" religion.

Poppagator,

The majority of Buddhist monks are members of a particular tradition, e.g. in the Tibetan tradition Gelugpa (the Dalai Lama's tradition), Kagyu, Nyingma and Sakya (and some would argue Bonpa as well). Each of these has a long tradition up to 1000 or more years) and tends to have its own main focus in practise, e.g. in Gelugpa, study and learning; in Kagyu, meditation) although these are not mutually exclusive. Theravadan (or "Southern", e.g. Thailand, Sri Lanka) Buddhism has its own tradition as does Zen Buddhism. Many practitioners in the West are not necessarily affiliated to any particular school or tradition.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: Peter T.
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 12:38 PM

Speaking as a Buddhist, a bit of information that may be helpful:

There is no one perfect collection, and certainly no bible. The Buddha's teachings are not "scripture", they are testimonies and pointers. Lots of people cite "The Dhammapadda", which is a selection of texts. I have always found it incredibly boring.

"The Buddhist Bible" is not very good -- it is a collection of very old, superseded translations.

There are some compilations that are better than others -- a recent one put out by Penguin of "Buddhist Scriptures" is pretty up to date. I have a fondness for an old collection by Edward Conze from the same publisher. The real problem is that Buddhism is very, very diverse; and every compiler has a bias.

There is a lovely "Life of the Buddha" which is a synthesis of a lot of sutras by one of the Theras (can't think of his name).

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: Amos
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 12:00 PM

The lack of a theist icon in no way reduces the status of Buddhism as a relilgion. The notion that "to be a religion you have to worship a deity" is pure-dee narrow-minded and silly.

HEre are fivedefinitions from various sources, one humorous:

Oxford dictionary definition (theistic): "1 the belief in a superhuman controlling power, esp. in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship. 2 the expression of this in worship. 3 a particular system of faith and worship. ...
www.ecotao.com/holism/glosoz.htm

[from Latin religare to bind back, implying obligation; or from relegere to select, distinguish among various elements for the choosing of the best; ponder] In theosophy individual religion of conduct means faith in his own essential divinity as a source of wisdom and an unerring and infallible ...
www.theosociety.org/pasadena/etgloss/red-roos.htm

A cloak used by some persons in this world who will be warm enough without one in the next.
www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/lit/humor/TheFoolishDictionary/chap19.html

(Latin: religio, ligo, "to bind together") A way of seeing, thinking, and acting inspired by questions about what things mean: ie Where did we come from?, What is our destiny?, What is true?, What is false?, What is my duty or obligation?, What is the meaning of suffering? ...
www.nmhschool.org/tthornton/world_religions_working_definiti.php

An organized set of beliefs and faith regarding the spiritual or metaphysical world. This includes beliefs regarding an afterlife, the soul, theology and the existance and nature of gods, types of spirits inhabiting the world, and similar items. ...
www.jashan.net/

---

At its most essential, religion is a quest for spiritual truths or higher meaning for life int he world. This may involve postulating a Super Being, or it may not. If it does it may or may not involve giving it a name. If named, it may or may not involve obeisance, mandatory moral codes, and/or rituals. It amy or may niot involve a community of agreement. Some might say that the truest religious perspective one can find is the one to which no-one else has agreed! :D


A

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 11:46 AM

Another difference between Buddhism and many religions familiar to us westerners is the absense of a hierarchy or governing body ~ no Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury, etc., no synods, no official meetings or councils. At least, none that I know of.

Of course, there is the Dalai Lama, who serves as a sort of national/political figurehead for Tibetan Buddhists as well as a spiritual leader.

I have also wondered about Buddhists monks for a long time, at least since the late 1960s when we learned of some such monks immolating themselves for the sake of protest in the steets of Saigon. I don't imagine that they are organized into "orders" in the sense of Western/Christian monastic groups. Is each monastery completely independent? Does any person or group "certify" them?

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: redsnapper
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 11:01 AM

I agree PoppaGator.

Buddhism is not a religion in the sense of, say, Christianity, Islam or Judaism in there there is no recognised deity, i.e. it is non-theistic. Also many practitioners, myself included, regard it as a philosophy for living one's life rather than a religion.

The majority of Buddhists, particularly in Eastern Buddhist schools, adhere to a strongly spiritual dimension but that is by no means universal and that is down to one's personal beliefs. Many Western Buddhists however tend to prefer an agnostic "dogma and belief-free" practice of the type described by Stephen Batchelor in his book Buddhism without Beliefs but, again, this is at the centre of some considerable debate in Buddhist circles (where would we be if everyone agreed on such things!).

RS

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: GUEST,Chicken Charlie
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 10:52 AM

I suppose by now we established that it's Buddhists, followers of Buddha.

Yes, they do have sacred texts. The Tripitaka (Three Baskets), however is huge, and a great deal of it is rather boring. Sending somebody there for Buddha quotes, IMO, is rather like hearing someone say they need a friend and handing them a phone book for greater Los Angeles.

There are two Buddhist texts which purport to be biographies of Buddha. One is the Lotus Sutra, which recounts his life in hyper-miraculous terms. The other is the Dhammapada (Path of Duty), which assumes that Lord Buddha was a human being who by meditation became enlightened. For the quickie version, search "eightfold path."

Chicken Charlie
(who once taught a course in comparative religions) :)

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 10:18 AM

Some (including the publishers of an American Buddhist magazine) would argue that Buddhism is not a "religion" at all, but rather a "non-theistic philosophy."

As someone with significant interest in, but no real indepth knowledge of, Buddhism, I take this to mean that Buddhists recognize the existence, and indeed the primary imortance, of a spiritual dimension, but they do not believe in petitional prayer or in miracles.

In other words, there is no supernatural personality who will grant your request to be exempted from the hard-and-fast spiritual rules of karma and dharma ~ it's up to you to get yourself aligned with spiritual reality. In other words, in more Weternized and "folkier" language, to "get right with God" ~ not to expect God to do you any special personal favors.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: bankley
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 07:57 AM

I once knew a waitress who was a Zen Nudist.....

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 07:10 AM

Pantheist Agnostic? Is that a bit like a left-hand Spinozan going round the wicket?

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: artbrooks
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 04:41 AM

...I knew a Zen Baptist once.

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: harpmolly
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 12:53 AM

Sorcha: At least it's in the BS section. ;)

In all seriousness, it's below the line, right? And if it brings people with something in common together, what's the harm? As long as no one's preaching conversion/hellfire and brimstone (of any stripe), it doesn't really bother me. And as for sparking arguments/flamewars (admittedly a possibility with religious threads), a Buddhist thread probably doesn't run too much of a risk. ;)

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: harpmolly
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 12:40 AM

Dave Polshaw...ooh, a Yen Buddhist! So noble of you, to take the burden of the world's corrupting wealth on your shoulders. Pterry would be proud *sniffle*.

(Slightly OT: My father saw that I'd put "Pantheist Agnostic" as my religious leanings on Facebook, and asked me if I'd joined some weird cult or something. ;))

Subject: RE: BS: Any Bhuddists out there?
From: Sorcha
Date: 25 Feb 08 - 12:13 AM

More religion? On a music site? Wonders never cease.
Sorry, I just do get tired of religion here. Politics too.