Nonsense in Buddhism

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Sana
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Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Sana »

Now I replied to this video to clear some things up.
But I'll post it here since you most likely wont reply on youtube and I'll make it more detailed.

Reincarnation wasn't the core belief. The original teaching of the Buddha was to end suffering and ideas of god. He encouraged debate just as people do today. Now after he died, his small group of followers who he taught for many years decided to take on the responsibility of spreading his teachings to the suffering people of the earth. The Hindus of lower class were ecstatic about this religion and ideas of equality, but it isn't popular, especially to the thousands who weren't of lower class. So the previously Hindu followers decided to make it more appealing to other Hindus by integrating stories of extreme proportions about the Buddha and his teachings. As Buddhism traveled trough India the extreme stories became more common to the point that it is permanently accepted. The Buddha being athiest and ascetic wouldn't accept those stories about him being born that way and so on.

As Buddhism came closer to China, it too also adapted to it's environment there. At first the poor loved Buddhism, but Confucian officials were afraid of Buddhism because if the official religion were changed they would loose their positions and jobs. Now as Buddhism started to merge into China ideas of wealth, fortune, and luck were integrated. That is why they use the Budai(the fat monk of wealth) in resturants and stores and have golden statues. So this type of Mahayana Buddhism is really based on fortune rather than the original teachings of suffering. [I really hate Chinese Buddhism for making him look like a god but I shouldn't hate. I'm part Chinese but I think Chinese are really stupid, that's the reason we are bad at driving and lots of them are reverting to Christianity and western ideas of Capitalism even though they are communist.]

The same goes for Japan. Buddhism integrated with Shintoist beliefs and and some other beliefs to form more Mahayana branches. Zen Buddhism in particular is the idea of becoming enlightened through meditation and relaxation.

This is the reason for the many branches of Buddhism around the world. The integration with previous religions caused the many different religions. I think there was a word for this adaption or evolution but I don't remember the word. They shouldn't be called Buddhism in my opinion.

Well I'm done. I hope next time Mr. MenoftheInfinite that you please be specific on which branch you are critiquing. And btw you kinda look like Santa Clause. Just a bit.
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Diebert van Rhijn
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Diebert van Rhijn »

Hmm, wasn't that video mostly about Ajahn Brahm? Abbot of some monastery and director or adviser or patron to several Buddhist societies and centers around the world? I guess it was just an example of what goes around as Buddhism these days? Do you really think it was a bad example?

You're plainly wrong about this not being part of the core Buddhist teachings. Buddhism does not limit itself just to the "original teaching of the Buddha" just as Christianity does not limit itself of the ten commandments or one or two gospels. There are enough ancient "core" Buddhist texts which go deeply into the mechanisms of reincarnation. And even leaving the idea thrive among followers without addressing the grave errors equals a passive type of support for it among many leaders and teachers.

Check out also Kevin's Insanity in Buddhism which especially indicates Tibetan Buddhism and of course the "current" Dalai Lama. He also brings up the largest Buddhist internet forum where reincarnation is clearly still a hard core belief and unquestionable too! Try it some time :)
Sana
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Sana »

No I'm talking about the original philosophy of the original Buddha's teaching. He is against holy beliefs and would debate about it.

When the Buddha started Buddhism he just taught anyone who would listen to him, which was a handful of people, and he would teach them up until his death. He and his philosophies broke away from the traditions of India but for that reason it could never be popular in India.

And reincarnation is a traditional Hindu belief so why it became attached to Buddhism.
Sana
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Sana »

"Reincarnation wasn't the core belief."

I respect that you have this position, and yet a great many Buddhist teachers believe that it *is* a core belief. They believe that karma does not function without literal rebirth, and without karma there is no Buddhism.

I'd like to think that the Buddha had nothing at all to do with this stuff - and he probably didn't . My impression was that he began teaching precisely to counter this very nonsense.

KevinSolway
I see your point and I agree.
It is expected that Hindu ideas have to be combined if Buddhism is to ever survive.

But quite frankly I do not support spiritual leaders, I see no point, its not very independent. I want to find the universal truth not someone's perspective.

And quite frankly I am starting to believe in reincarnation. I saw this old British program/show where they showed examples of reincarnated children and how they remembered some of their past lives and where they lived. I forgot what it was called but I saw it on youtube.
I also saw this docu mentary(for some reason cu + m is used often enough to be blocked) called the Unmistaken Child which you can also find on youtube. One of the first docu mentaries I ever watched on PBS.

Buddha traditionally broke free from Hindu beliefs, society, and his wealth. But as I mentioned in my reply to Diebert, Buddhism can never survive without adapting. So Theravada Buddhism is therefore a byproduct.

When people believe in Buddhism they think they are supposed to do spiritual things such as pray and whatnot.
There is no original Buddhism, there are only byproducts. But there are also nice byproducts such as Free Thinkers and philosophies and a sense of nature. Sorry for being biased.
Kevin Solway
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Kevin Solway »

Sana wrote:And quite frankly I am starting to believe in reincarnation. I saw this old British program/show where they showed examples of reincarnated children and how they remembered some of their past lives and where they lived. I forgot what it was called but I saw it on youtube.
Well there's no reason inherent in nature that our thoughts and memories can't be transferred relatively intact, after we die. Perhaps, before the brain dies, aliens take a full digital copy, copy it on a hard disk, and then transfer it into a new body, but much of it gets lost due to noise in transmission?

Nobody has ever suggested a plausible mechanism whereby this kind of transfer can take place. And if it were true, one would expect to see evidence for it everywhere.

And why is the mechanism so incredibly faulty, and so short-lived that nobody remembers their past lives? These questions need a very good explanation.

But if there is a physical explanation for how thoughts are transferred from one person to another after death, then this should be a matter for science, and not Buddhism and philosophy.
Sana
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Sana »

Yes. I guess science is the only way. I guess Buddha's teachings deteriorated along the way; through the ages.
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Blair
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Blair »

Sana wrote:I also saw this docu mentary(for some reason cu + m is used often enough to be blocked)
Documentary
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Diebert van Rhijn
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Diebert van Rhijn »

No, Sana is correct. See also Anti-spam measures
New users receive an error if they use certain forbidden words in posts or signatures. The error reports the trigger word to help you find and remove it.
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Blair
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Blair »

K, fair enough, sorry Sana.

Can you extract a list of all forbidden words, DvR?
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Diebert van Rhijn
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Diebert van Rhijn »

Blair wrote:Can you extract a list of all forbidden words, DvR?
Just extract them from your own fucking posts!
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Blair
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Re: Nonsense in Buddhism

Post by Blair »

Deaf leopard
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