Jodo Shinshu

[Antibush5]

Are there any followers of it on here?

 

[Engyo]

I know a little about it, but not much. Shinran and Nichiren were more-or-less contemporaries, so there are some similarities between the Jodo schools and Nichiren Buddhism.

 

[Antibush5]

I know a little about it, but not much. Shinran and Nichiren were more-or-less contemporaries, so there are some similarities between the Jodo schools and Nichiren Buddhism.

I know this is off topic, but I'm sure you will understand.
A friend of mine says that Buddhism believes in no god, is nihilistic and is probably one of the few religions where you have to work to actually die, I just wanted to know if he is right or wrong. What are the similarities between Nichiren and Jodo and what are the differences? Thank you for answering by the way .

 

[Marble]

Jodo is Pure Land Buddhism, they worship Amithabha Buddha.
Nichiren Buddhism worships the Lotus Flower Sutra with the Daimoku.

 

[Engyo]

I know this is off topic, but I'm sure you will understand.
A friend of mine says that Buddhism believes in no god, is nihilistic and is probably one of the few religions where you have to work to actually die, I just wanted to know if he is right or wrong.

Buddhism doesn't believe in an omnipotent creator deity. Buddhism is NOT nihilistic, although it may look that way from a very cursory glance.
i'm really not clear about what your firend means regarding 'having to work to die'; that doesn't make sense to me.

What are the similarities between Nichiren and Jodo and what are the differences? Thank you for answering by the way .

I will look for some comprehensive papers that explain this. In a nutshell, what Marble said is accurate, with one caveat - I don't like to use the word 'worship' because it has connotations for followers of Abrahamic faiths that don't apply to Buddhism. I would rather use honor or venerate in place of worship.

 

[wmjbyatt]

A friend of mine says that Buddhism believes in no god, is nihilistic and is probably one of the few religions where you have to work to actually die

That's HILARIOUS. It's not strictly true, but an understandable position for someone who has made a study of Buddhism without an attempt to actualize it. I've spent many hours trying to tease apart the difference between Buddhism and nihilism in conversation with friends grounded in Western existentialisms.

The work to actually die part, though, that's funny. I've never thought of it that way before.

 

[koan]

One dosen't need to work at dying, one needs to work at dying without returning.

 

[Antibush5]

Buddhism doesn't believe in an omnipotent creator deity. Buddhism is NOT nihilistic, although it may look that way from a very cursory glance.
i'm really not clear about what your firend means regarding 'having to work to die'; that doesn't make sense to me.
I will look for some comprehensive papers that explain this. In a nutshell, what Marble said is accurate, with one caveat - I don't like to use the word 'worship' because it has connotations for followers of Abrahamic faiths that don't apply to Buddhism. I would rather use honor or venerate in place of worship.

If its not nihilism, then what is the buddhist belief of the soul?

One dosen't need to work at dying, one needs to work at dying without returning.

But if you arn't comeing back to life any more, thats pretty much true death, the ones before were basically just holidays from life.

 

[Engyo]

If its not nihilism, then what is the buddhist belief of the soul?

According to Buddhism there is no eternal, independently existing soul, especially in the way that the Abrahamic faiths conceive of a soul. Take a look at the teaching of the Five Aggregates.

But if you arn't comeing back to life any more, thats pretty much true death, the ones before were basically just holidays from life.

YOU aren't coming back to life as the same individual, but life does go on. See the above link again, as well as the Buddha's teaching of the candle flames regarding rebirth.

 

[Antibush5]

According to Buddhism there is no eternal, independently existing soul, especially in the way that the Abrahamic faiths conceive of a soul. Take a look at the teaching of the Five Aggregates.

YOU aren't coming back to life as the same individual, but life does go on. See the above link again, as well as the Buddha's teaching of the candle flames regarding rebirth.

Your first link does not work friend.
If *I* do not exist, and this lifetime will not be again, and there is nothing inherent, then it is nihilism, is it not?

 

[Engyo]

Your first link does not work friend.

Buddhism Teacher -- The Five Aggregates

If *I* do not exist, and this lifetime will not be again, and there is nothing inherent, then it is nihilism, is it not?

That depends on exactly which definition of nihilism you are using, then doesn't it? According to Wikipedia:

Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.

Buddhism sees life as having all three of those, although again, they are very different than the way they are seen in the Abrahamic faiths.

 

[Antibush5]

Buddhism Teacher -- The Five Aggregates

That depends on exactly which definition of nihilism you are using, then doesn't it? According to Wikipedia:
Buddhism sees life as having all three of those, although again, they are very different than the way they are seen in the Abrahamic faiths.

I mean something more akin to metaphysical nihilism or materialism: there is no soul, therefore, there is no afterlife.

 

[Engyo]

I mean something more akin to metaphysical nihilism or materialism: there is no soul, therefore, there is no afterlife.

OK, from that definition, then yes Buddhism is nihilistic, in the sense that the 'after' life is no different than this life. In fact, this life IS the afterlife for 'your' previous existences.
Also remember the caveat: Buddhism says that there is no eternal, independently-existing soul, which is different from denying the existence of any soul at all.

 

[koan]

Why does one expect that this life in Samsara, is the only type of life? Just because one doesn't understand what other type of life there may be, doesn't mean that other forms don't exist.

 

[wmjbyatt]

Why does one expect that this life in Samsara, is the only type of life? Just because one doesn't understand what other type of life there may be, doesn't mean that other forms don't exist.

It seems like a semantic thing to me. "Life" as word-symbol refers to a particular category of phenomena that occur within our physical universe, which is, in my mind at least, identifiable with Samsara.

 

[koan]

I didn't mean the physical universe. The terms, life and existence are just words. How does one explain the unexplainable?