Buddhism is the best religion... if you had to pick one.

Love that comment about Illusion vs reality... How right you are in that regard. Tell us more along those lines... Bring it on... I absolutely love it in a grand way. Seriously. That is the finest comment I have read on here in quite a while.

 

I'm no Guru - I'm a Catholic. If you like to learn something about the way how the human mind is working then there are lots of possibilities. Maybe cou can try to understand the biological and psychological dimensions of our brain for example. Immanuel Kant for example tried to find out in his philosophy what we are able to know and what we are not able to know.

I'm myselve only able to give you the advice to try to do everything with a pure heart - although the older we grow the more difficult this seems to be - but it's not really difficult. And I can tell you: God loves you always - even in this moments no one else seems to love you anymore. But his love is unconditioned. He loves you always more than anything else in this world. I don't know how he's doing it - but I'm sure this is true.

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At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child, whom he placed among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—becoming like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. http://youtu.be/YaqQnhBtxaI

 

What is God? Is this some all powerful personality?

 

Next question?

http://youtu.be/VK7jNQxNoU4

 

Buddhism is not for me--if I were forced to choose a religion, it would have to be Wicca. Freedom, not restriction, no set rules, no real dogma, and on and on. In fact, although I am an atheist, feel free to call me a Wiccan, since I abide by there basic premise, (here paraphrased) "and it harm no others, have at it".

 

There are a few parallels between Buddhism and Christianity's basic precepts..
however as already touched on, Buddhism does not maintain any concepts of divinity.

 

When Buddha found his way he was not sure about what to do after he was awakened. Because he was not sure about the right way he asked for a miracle. And the miracle told him "Yes - teach the people". Whom did he ask and who had answered?

http://youtu.be/jXYwtQvOCLk

 

Zen Buddhism has no gods, other sects, denominations or cults of Buddhism do.

 

The eye I'm using to watch god is the eye god is using to watch me
Meister Eckhart

http://youtu.be/W9uT39TsChc

 

That's Taoism, which is different, though similar in some ways.

 

In its earliest days, Buddhism taught that full enlightenment was only available to the monks. Laypeople need not apply. I can't stand that. Especially since the laity was sometimes treated as a necessary evil, a second-rate way of life whose primary purpose was to make it possible for the monks to live life the way they needed to in order to reach Enlightenment. I know Mahayana Buddhism changed that, but it still drives me crazy that a religion that is supposed to be about the "Middle Way" is so extreme about forsaking the mundane world for the sake of their version of salvation.

I'm also a little iffy about the whole "reality is an illusion" thing. I know there is some truth to it, but I'm always nervous about the way people preach about it.

And I have trouble accepting any religion that rejects romantic love . . . and alcohol.

Lastly, the whole vegetarianism thing might work for some people, but not for everyone. Buddhism skirted the issue by saying that it was sort-of okay to eat meat, so long as you weren't the one who killed it, but this resulted in butchers, hunters, farmers, leather workers, etc. being treated as untouchables.

Taoism is more palatable. If it weren't for the doctrine of Hell, Christianity would be more palatable as well.

 

I'm a fan of Stephen Mitchell's translation of the Tao. He's also put out a "Second Book of the Tao" which is writings by various teachers since Lao Tzu and quite good.

 

Buddhists generally drink alcohol,, but Theravada Buddhist monks and nuns are forbidden to do so. I've seen Tibetan monks drink beer. My Theravada Buddhist friends love a drink as much as the next person.

We lived in Sichuan Province for three months and the project my wife was managing dealt with Tibetans. Tibetans are huge meat eaters and a group of them will consume vast quantities of meat (beef) in one sitting.

I asked our Tibetan friends about this and the rule is, if you've raised it, you can kill it for food. They rarely take food from the wild unless absolutely necessary. Another interesting point is that most commercially sold meat is slaughtered by Muslims (Uyghurs) in Halal fashion. They also love a beer and make alcohol from fermented Yak's milk (quite nice actually).

 

And I know plenty of Muslims that drink and eat pork and plenty of Christians who engage in premarital sex.. I don't doubt that there are Buddhists out there that ignore their religious precepts. Every religion has members that ignore parts of their religion's teachings. Intoxication and killing animals for food has been forbidden in Buddhism since its incarnation. The Noble Eightfold Path further forbids dealing in any business that involves alcohol or dead animals (two of the five businesses forbidden under Right Livelihood).

The Five Precepts are common to all Buddhist schools, they are taken by both lay and monastic Buddhists.

 

Do you know any Rastafarians who don't smoke pot?

 

lol, I imagine those aren't quite as common. I have known one or two non-nudist Wiccans though.

 

Heh heh. Hallelujah for that!

 

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Precepts

So I doubt about the word "generally". Alcohol and Buddhism seems to be in general not compatible.

http://youtu.be/hDdeNwlJ44U

 

If you ever go to a Buddhist country you will find that he is right.

 

I don't have much time for ANY religion.
The more aggressive, and bigotted it is, (Islam for example) the less I like.
I say we should all go back to worshipping nature. The "Green man" policy in Britain. Just think. Doing a wicker man thing with all the politically correct types instead of Edward Woodward.....
A bumper harvest !

 

As I'm living in a Theravada Buddhist country where Buddhism is in every fabric of society, alcohol runs freely. I've seen the same in Cambodia and Thailand.

I've been to many Buddhist ceremonies and festivals, when after the ceremony is usually ended with some kind of party where alcohol is taken. Weddings, births, funerals etc.

Lao Buddhism is a little different to other forms of Theravada Buddhism as it also combines many rituals from animist societies from the many ethnic groups. One in particular is the baci.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baci

 

Buddhist is like an Ethnic Unitarian Universalist with some Naitive American crap thrown in.

 

Rubbish!!

You obviously never been to a Buddhist country..

 

But ,but I live in Northern California (Near Mount Shasta)

 

What has that got to do with Buddhism?