Buddhism, thoughts?

[lucrezaborgia]

Before I start sprouting away, what do people here know about Buddhism?

[Waldo L]

Buddhism is the following of Buddha's teachings, not the worship of Buddha. Buddha means enlightened one. Buddhists believe Buddha was a regular man who meditated and gained an understanding of the world and things above this world. The ultimate thing for Buddhists is nirvana, which is a state of nothingness (the removal of pain and happiness). Not exactly heaven as most Western beliefs describe, but that's the end destination for a Buddhist.

[JordanMaria]

Please Lucreza, spout away.

I bough a few e-books last month on Buddhism, but I think there were for more advanced believers because I felt like it wasn't explaining and sort of basics.

[bean]

If I remember my reading right, one thing is the belief that all suffering is caused by want and inability to attain.
Like I tell my world studies students, there are many commonalities between religions. Many religions try to understand why we suffer. Why do bad things happen? There is a lot more to this. I'm not super literate when it comes to these but I am learning.

I also tell them that if they can understand the beliefs of others, it promotes understanding. Understanding drives out fear. When fear is driven out, then hate usually follows it's ugly head out the door. My reading of history is essentially misunderstanding, fear, suspicion lead to intolerance, hate, prejudice, and mistreatment ranging from rudeness all the way to the worst possible things human beings could do to one another.

My kids are trying to understand the key essentials of world religions right now. I also tell them understanding does not mean that the student abandons their own beliefs or accepts other beliefs as true for them. It only means they are trying to understand where other people are coming from. If there was more of that in the world, I think it would be a better place.

[boymom]

Lisa Simpson is a Buddhist.

[RobMille]

I really really like the idea of unlearning everything, which I've always associated with Buddhism.

[TurningIntoDavid]

Peter Bishop (from the TV show Fringe gives Olivia a book called "If you meet the buddha on the road, kill him." Does that have anything to do with Buddhism? Because from his description it seemed like a pretty legit book.

[lucrezaborgia]

(04-22-2012 11:42 AM)TurningIntoDavid Wrote:  Peter Bishop (from the TV show Fringe gives Olivia a book called "If you meet the buddha on the road, kill him." Does that have anything to do with Buddhism? Because from his description it seemed like a pretty legit book.

It means that one should never stop seeking enlightenment. No one has all the answeres for themselves. Even Buddha relied on others around him to teach him. Being that the essecence of god is in us all, you never know who can show you something lifechanging and important. According to legend, Buddha was a wealthy prince who wanted for nothing. He even had a wife and child but he felt called to live a life of poverty and knowledge seeking. He also never claimed to have all the answers too.

http://www.ordinarymind.com/html/kill_the_buddha.html

[lucrezaborgia]

(04-22-2012 08:51 AM)JordanMaria Wrote:  Please Lucreza, spout away.

I bough a few e-books last month on Buddhism, but I think there were for more advanced believers because I felt like it wasn't explaining and sort of basics.

I have a few books I can look for when I'm at home

[MKxcomm]

I was working on a mission's trip in Thailand and visited the Jade temple. I can't describe it, but an amazing, palpable peace washed over me. It really shook me to the core and had me re-thinking my beliefs. I have an immense appreciation for the Buddhists I met in Thailand. They were so welcoming, of even us awkward whities. I never converted, but I still have no way of explaining the feeling I got in that temple.