Buddhism Anyone?

by LaurenM 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  LoveUniHateExams

  They are now allowing ladies to become llamas ... is that the reincarnation belief again?
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  SecretSlaveClass

  LoveUniHateExams:

  LOL. No but that would be funny - the Dalai Lama can only be a lady if he is reincarnated as one. Both because it would be a revered lady, but also insinuate that he he had some bad karma as the Dalai Lama in his previous life.
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  Xanthippe

  Do we necessarily need a belief system though Lauren? How about learning about the world and the universe and looking for any evidence for life after death and/or God, but also develop a philosophy for ethical and contented living. Rather like planning a trip but arranging the flights, accommodation and other details yourself instead of accepting a package deal.
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  datto

  My passport says I'm a Buddhist. i used to dislike this religion when I was in my teens. After studying about other religions and eventually I became an atheist, I gotta say that I'm very thankful that it all began with Buddhism. It would be much more disastrous if things would've begin with the JW.

  Yes many people use Buddhism to make it a cult but the most they can take from you is some of your money. Compared to JW, they make way less damage to your brain.
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  cappytan

  Cofty's comment is exactly why I say I'm a secular buddhist, if people ask me.

  I agree with the tenets of the philosophy...but I don't agree with the supernatural stuff the traditional buddhists believe in.
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  marmot

  Ditto what Cappytan said. I'm more of a Pastafarian with Buddha-flavored meatballs.
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  DATA-DOG

  When I take a religious quiz, I always test as a Taoist.

  Funny Buddha story. So I'm in Chicago and a Buddhist Monk makes eye contact with me on a busy street. Everyone else ignores him. He looks like a cool dude and I contemplate launching a flying kick. Instead, I look him in the eye and walk right up to him.

  "Buddah bless you, Buddha bless you.", he says.

  I reply, " Thank you."

  He then places a nice bracelet of prayer beads on my wrist and gives me a Buddha token. He then proceeds to pull out a small book. I think to myself that it could be the "Book of Life", LOL!!!!!!

  I then notice that his book is a ledger of sorts. It contains a list of names and dollar amounts.

  "How much Buddha bless??", he inquires.

  "I have no cash.", I inform him, which was true.

  He puts his book away, removes the bracelet from my wrist and takes back his token. I walked away not giving a shit! Evidently Buddha is broke too!

  DD
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  trevor

  It's all the same deal. The aim is to escape death. Death is not the end if we join the right sect and contribute enough, we can live again. Call it a philosophy; call it a religion, it the same scam. My brother left the JWs, only to be sucked into the Buddhist community.

  Freedom is accepting that death is the end. That can be a relief once you adjust to reality.
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  fulltimestudent

  Cofty: There might be elements of it's teachings that appeal to you but it does not make sense.
  Do you really believe that you will be reincarnated and that your actions in this life will determine whether you will be a cow or a flea in the next?

  Now let me ask a question, if when you die, there is no longer an 'you,' then what is there to re-incarnate? Well the correct answer in at least some Buddhist schools is that there is a 'trace' that can be re-incarnated, but your going to be rather bloody lucky to find a Buddhist that can explain a 'trace' to you.

  So yeah! there's some appealing ideas in Buddhism and lot of misconceptions also. I like going to Buddhist temples but sadly, it has as much bullsh*t in it as Christianity has, and as Bonsai pointed out as many sects.

  Every time Buddhism moved to another country, it changed. In China, it became totally overwritten by Chinese thought, which is called Chan buddhism. When Chan eventually moved to Japan, it became Zen buddhism, which is popular in the USA.

  The two main streams of Buddhist thought are the Theravada school in Sri Llanka and S.E. Asia and the Mahayana in East Asia (including the Tibetan form).

  The original (Gautama) Buddha, has multiplied to many others who may all have their own paradises. Many scholars suggest that in some way Jesus was influenced by Buddhist missionaries. That's difficult to prove, but as I've come to appreciate, Judaism was affected by many other lines of thinking, and is not and was never, a line of pure worship existing through the milleniums.
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  DATA-DOG

  Buddha and Jesus as College roomates. One the best shows you will ever see.

  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-P4BJdOMce8

  DD