Should we even try describe?

[Howard Is]

The Tao that can be played on the harmonica, might be.
---Naykidape

“If you can’t play the harmonica, put a sock in it”
Johann Sebastian Neumann

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Buddha rejected a perceptual error labelled as self.

Anatta does not translate as ‘no self’, it means ‘not self’.

Buddha said the momentary arisings of the sense of “I” were a false identification that gave rise to an illusion of a permanent self in the sense of ego, or a permanently exiting entity, but those momentary arisings are anatta.

You think you know what ignorance is, right ?

So I could say ‘there is no you to know anything’

But that would be a dumb annoying thing to say, wouldn’t it ?

What is it that knows anything ?

Maybe not a tiny pixie behind your eyes, but something...

I'm pretty simple. The Buddha said things changed and nothing is static. So when things are constantly change, there is nothing left to be fixed. So, the essence of god (that fixed soul or so have you) cannot exist because everything is in the process of change by the vehicle of cause and affect.

When one realizes there is nothing fixed, their a fixed higher power, destination, or type of being devolves. You're in a state of "Be".

Ego, Self, Hate, etc and all that people think these are fixed emotions (i.e. inherited sin) but they're not. Likewise with compassion, love, etc.

There is nothing to know because there is no "you" to learn anything. There is no identity, everything is in flux. What you learn and know you use to cultivate yourself but don't see it as fixed knowledge. That's where the illusions come in.

Outside of this, I had to reread what you said, your tone...

I'm pretty simple. I don't like using mystic words for reality. It's a distraction. The Buddha used a lot of analogies and stories so that people understood what he was saying based on whatever analogy they felt met their needs of understanding and wisdom. Under it all, life is pretty simple.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Tony, it's a question.

A question that offered answers to framework any discussion.

To me the Buddha is everything, Buddha is life.

Regards Tony

 

[Unveiled Artist]

A question that offered answers to framework any discussion.

To me the Buddha is everything, Buddha is life.

Regards Tony

How so?

The Buddha isn't god. How is Siddhartha your life?
(Scratches her head. Usually I hear this about god not a person)

 

[Spirit of Light]

How so?

The Buddha isn't god. How is Siddhartha your life?
(Scratches her head. Usually I hear this about god not a person)

As a Buddhist, I believe that when Siddhartha become Buddha (buddha means enlightened one) he surpassed human beings and become a higher being, but he kept his human body more the 40 years to teach and guide his followers so they also could be guided toward Enlightenment. Now soon 2600year after his passing what we are left with is his teaching. So we can not ask Buddha Sakyamuni for guidance, but we can use his teachings for guidance toward our own realization of enlightenment. That means of course that Buddha is very important to us, but we do not (should not) worship him, but see him as our teacher

 

[Spirit of Light]

If you cant describe "sidharthaa', why are you a 'buddhist'?

I mean, it

Siddhartha is the earthly name of the one we today know as The Buddha, but buddha means enlighten one. But as a Buddhist (follower of Buddha's teaching) what I do is to try to understand how Siddhartha became enlighten. But to describe fully and in a righteous way what an enlighten being actually is, I believe I must become enlightened my self to do that.
But there is not only one form of enlightenment status. Sakyamuni (Siddhartha) became a Tathagata and as far as i know, that is the highest form of enlightenment (maybe there are a level higher then Tathagata) But the 4 others who are in wisdom level below- The four are the Stream-enterer, Once-returner, Non-returner, and the Arahant then Tathagata.

 

[Spirit of Light]

And you don't mention these, why? You havent mentioned these.

I have not described what a Buddha truly is, only started to describe the path to get there I would not understand the wisdom a Buddha have, because I am far from that level of wisdom. So I do try to be careful in describing the knowledge of Buddha

 

[Unveiled Artist]

As a Buddhist, I believe that when Siddhartha become Buddha (buddha means enlightened one) he surpassed human beings and become a higher being, but he kept his human body more the 40 years to teach and guide his followers so they also could be guided toward Enlightenment. Now soon 2600year after his passing what we are left with is his teaching. So we can not ask Buddha Sakyamuni for guidance, but we can use his teachings for guidance toward our own realization of enlightenment. That means of course that Buddha is very important to us, but we do not (should not) worship him, but see him as our teacher

I remember him living thousand life times before his last death. Higher being? Like god of Christianity?

Supreme being that is creator and is the destination? Union with god?

There are many gods and goddesses who, in mahayana tradition and sutta look for enlightenment to.

The Buddha isn't a phrophet. That's abrahamic. People pray to (at least when I got my precepts at zen temple) the nun was saying each Buddha statute we become Buddha's thoughts. Very loosely translated.

Higher being? Do you worship Buddha as god?, Higher beings doesn't mean worship.

That's the difference between Baha'i and Dharmic teachings. Do you see them the same??

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Siddhartha is the earthly name of the one we today know as The Buddha, but buddha means enlighten one. But as a Buddhist (follower of Buddha's teaching) what I do is to try to understand how Siddhartha became enlighten. But to describe fully and in a righteous way what an enlighten being actually is, I believe I must become enlightened my self to do that.
But there is not only one form of enlightenment status. Sakyamuni (Siddhartha) became a Tathagata and as far as i know, that is the highest form of enlightenment (maybe there are a level higher then Tathagata) But the 4 others who are in wisdom level below- The four are the Stream-enterer, Once-returner, Non-returner, and the Arahant then Tathagata.

It takes many life times to get where The Buddha is. He did tell his examples to keep his teachings in sutras.

Understanding? In reading? In practice?

 

[Spirit of Light]

I remember him living thousand life times before his last death. Higher being? Like god of Christianity?

Supreme being that is creator and is the destination? Union with god?

There are many gods and goddesses who, in mahayana tradition and sutta look for enlightenment to?

The Buddha isn't a phrophet. That's abrahamic. People try to (at least when I got my precepts at zen temple) the nun was saying each Buddha statute we become Buddha's thoughts. Very loosely translated.

Higher being? Do you worship Buddha as god?, Higher beings doesn't mean worship.

That's the difference between Baha'i and Dharmic teachings. Do you see them the same??

First of all, No I do not worship Buddha, only see him as my teacher (the teachings are my teacher now)
Sakyamuni was the first to reach enlightenment in the way he did it (to my knowledge) and he created the teaching we today call Buddhism (He called it Dharma/Dhamma) So Yes for those of us who follow his teaching we could become enlighten too, but I am not sure we can get to Tathagata level or only Arahant level. But both is a form of enlightenment "level"
I know not much about Mahayana Buddhism so i can not answer for them

Dharma is found everywhere, but I believe that every religion has its truth but we see it in different ways. So i try to not reject any religion or spiritual beliefs.

 

[Spirit of Light]

It takes many life times to get where The Buddha is. He did tell his examples to keep his teachings in sutras.

Understanding? In reading? In practice?

The suttas tell us how we need to behave and how we need t cultivate our mind and body to be able to enlighten to his wisdom. (enlightenment path) And a lot of it has to do with letting go of attachments to earthly things or mental issues. an example could be letting go of jealousy, hate, greed, delusion, anger, but also to let go of the need for toxins like cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and so on. it is not enough to just believe in Buddha and let him "fix" ur problems, we must learn to live with both suffering and happiness in our lives, but be not attached to any of them

 

[Desert Snake]

But, no matter. No buddhist has said anything besides what we might surmise in a atheist type religion, that seems to be the idea.

 

[Spirit of Light]

But, no matter. No buddhist has said anything besides what we might surmise in a atheist type religion, that seems to be the idea.

Some Buddhists today are Atheists, others are not. Personally, I believe there to be countless God, Buddhas Tao`s or Dao`s and probably beings I do not know about. but I only follow the teaching of Buddha Sakyamuni.

 

[Howard Is]

But, no matter. No buddhist has said anything besides what we might surmise in a atheist type religion, that seems to be the idea.

Buddhism is a practice not a belief, notwithstanding that a buddhist may also have beliefs.

There is a hypothesis, backed by empirical evidence.
There is a method to be employed to obtain repeatable results.

Buddha made it explicit that there are questions which Buddhism will not answer, nor is intended to answer.
They are called acinteyya - the imponderables.

Buddha said thinking about them is a pointless waste of time, and can drive you a bit crazy.

The goal is freedom from the suffering caused by craving and aversion.

It is self transformative psychology, not to be judged as a cosmological or theological proposition.

I hope that is useful.

 

[firedragon]

Since we human beings can not truly understand what God or a Buddha is. Should we even try describing them with our own human words?

Can we even give them respect if we try describing them to other human beings when we do not fully understand God or Buddha?

Well. Buddha and God are conceptually to Bery different things. Buddha is a man with birth, sickness, death, old age. That's the buddhist teaching. So he is already a man.

What you are talking about seem to be about anthromorphisation of God.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Well. Buddha and God are conceptually to Bery different things. Buddha is a man with birth, sickness, death, old age. That's the buddhist teaching. So he is already a man.

What you are talking about seem to be about anthromorphisation of God.

Siddhartha was cultivating his mind and body and by this cultivation path, he awaken to the enlightenment and become a Tathagata Buddha ( it is the wisdom level ) So No he was not a God as you see in the Abrahamic religions. and he is not the Creator of this cosmos we live in,His mission on earth was to teach human beings to become enlightened to the truth too.

 

[firedragon]

Siddhartha was cultivating his mind and body and by this cultivation path, he awaken to the enlightenment and become a Tathagata Buddha ( it is the wisdom level ) So No he was not a God as you see in the Abrahamic religions. and he is not the Creator of this cosmos we live in,His mission on earth was to teach human beings to become enlightened to the truth too.

Yep. Exactly. So you cant put the buddha and god in the same equation. Different concepts altogether.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Yep. Exactly. So you cant put the buddha and god in the same equation. Different concepts altogether.

God is mostly talked about in Abrahamic religions when it comes to they believe in a creator god.
In my understanding, there are countless Gods and countless Buddhas. They teach different cultivation paths. So even they are not the same, they are similar. Personally I do not believe in a creator God
But if you do @firedragon that is ok to me, i Not going to disrespect you because you see a Creator God

 

[firedragon]

God is mostly talked about in Abrahamic religions when it comes to they believe in a creator god.
In my understanding, there are countless Gods and countless Buddhas. They teach different cultivation paths. So even they are not the same, they are similar. Personally I do not believe in a creator God
But if you do @firedragon that is ok to me, i Not going to disrespect you because you see a Creator God

Yet again, buddha and god are two different concepts. So cant put them in the same equation as the o.p

 

[Spirit of Light]

Yet again, buddha and god are two different concepts. So cant put them in the same equation as the o.p

Ok