The Eternal Covenant of God: Does it exist within Hinduism and Buddhism?

[Dawnofhope]

There are several theories on the origin of the term 'Hindu' besides the 'east of the Sindhu' one. I used to have a link to a paper that contained several alternate theories. I can't find it that easily.

Editted to add link ... ANTIQUITY AND ORIGIN OF THE TERM 'HINDU'

I'm unable to open the link unfortunately.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Bs. We have overridden none of the laws of nature. We just use the brain that evolution gave us, no more. We're still apes wired to live as tribal hunter-gatherers in the African plains.

Sure, you can choose that view.

Regards Tony

 

[Aupmanyav]

To be clear I never said you have lost your humanity and have I never thought it. That's why I don't see you or most people here as 'on the other side of the fence' Hindus - Wikipedia

Well, even people on different sides of the fence can have a nice talk with each other. Though something more than this is optional.

Does He not manifest Himself from time to time to push back the darkness and to bring righteousness?

That is where we will differ. Brahman in non-dualist 'Advaita' Hinduism is the only entity existing in the universe. Therefore, whatever you see is Brahman only - all the time - through the ages. If one do not see that, then one is in error due to the effects of 'maya', not realizing its illusionary power. Brahman to Maya is like electricity and its effects, light and its effects, heat and its effects, magnetism and its effects.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I wish there was a "confused" icon on this. Ha.

In the Dharma there isn't a "chosen people." There are many lineages and schools that have their own understanding and practice of Dharma but not to where there is a line of chosen. If anything, each person is to his own understanding of Dharma. There are, of course, holidays where people come together and worship for lack of better words.

For example, in christianity there is a consensus that they came from the jews; the jewish teachings. In The Dharma there is no "one bloodline" in practice. You have people in Japan [of course] that differ from India [if it's still practiced there, I don't know], which is different from, I don't know Vietnam. Jews and christians try to stay together in their given "covenant." I remember you saying Bahai rules are only applicable to Bahai just as Jews. Christian are a bit funny on this, though.

I think the only thing The Buddha kept in the Dharma he taught from Hinduism was the cultural part, like the existence of gods and goddesses and all of that. As for the practice he rightfully said god [hindu] does not lead one to enlightenment. It's a barrier. It's not atheistic, as one thinks; it's polytheistic. It's just not focus on the "one god" scenario. Which is different than covenants where one god sends his people to do X and share Y among people who wish to share their faith.

Shrugs. Anyone can find anything in common with anything. Synchronization is getting popular these days especially with the younger religions that reject the traditions of the church or religion in general.

I guess what they do have in common is the result of their individual practices. They all tend to promote compassion. Most tend to say people are in their own spiritual path without comparison to one's own. Maybe a few in between actually share some history given the geography and christian colonization and unfortunate influence.

It depends on how you want to see it. The Dharma isn't a covenant where "things have to be X way to follow The Buddha [as if following god]." So,....

The realisation of Dharma is accompanied by the understanding of universal or cosmic laws. Buddha taught the path that enables us to free ourselves from negative karma and suffering. Through His Teachings we can achieve enlightenment and free ourselves from the cycle of rebirth (Samsara). Are there any parallels with the Abrahamic Faiths? We may or may not see it. Just because we don’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t it exist. Should we gain a glimpse it could be maya, an illusion deceiving us.

 

[Aupmanyav]

The realisation of Dharma is accompanied by the understanding of universal or cosmic laws. .. Through His Teachings we can achieve enlightenment and free ourselves from the cycle of rebirth (Samsara).

Buddha was hardly concerned about Cosmic laws. He said contemplating on them vexes the mind and may cause madness. He also had a different meaning of 're-birth' than there being a soul which goes into another animal body.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

The realisation of Dharma is accompanied by the understanding of universal or cosmic laws. Buddha taught the path that enables us to free ourselves from negative karma and suffering. Through His Teachings we can achieve enlightenment and free ourselves from the cycle of rebirth (Samsara). Are there any parallels with the Abrahamic Faiths? We may or may not see it. Just because we don’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t it exist. Should we gain a glimpse it could be maya, an illusion deceiving us.

I know there is a lot of ways one can compare. For example, people take karma as sin of some sort. Then rebirth as a type of heaven. Maya as a form of satan. Things like that; so, if you compared it like that, yes. They have much in common. You'd have to change the definitions to match secular western [The Age of Reason; The Enlightenment? https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/enlightenment I forgot how to make links] reasoning though. Is this part of your country history?

How do you define freedom from samsara? Some compare it to heaven and others union with god. How do you see it?

It's not an "it" or noun, that's the thing. There's nothing to see. In abrahamic faiths it's always involved with a type of noun: evil, one, heaven, god, so have you. It's a concrete name to define something. "This is X; we experience X" type of thing. I've never experienced practice of Dharma in full but I guess that's a good term for it. Practice. Process. Change. Verb. Karma. For lack of better words.

Maya isn't a "thing". It's not a noun. It's kinda compared to satan, usually. I'm just going by what I know, I'd say going by buddhist cosmology for what I know is maya is not an actual being that, how can I say, influences you like satan. It's an incarnation of a state of being itself, best put. Deceiving? Our current State of Being-our mind-is illusion. Our Mind-our Selves-our deceived; no one is deceiving us. "Maya" as a noun does nothing. Maya is an incarnation/a analogy or whatever term that just means our own minds are stuck in delusions. It means static; not subject to change. You can call it an incarnation of our attachment [analogy of what it is doing to us; an analogy, though]. It represents the delusions/attachment as our state of being [not original sin] or state of mind, I guess. "It" does nothing.

Can I ask, what is "negative" karma?
There is just karma. How is it negative or positive?

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To tell you honestly, I don't know how to compare abrahamic faiths with eastern ones. One cannot just meditate and "get it." So, I honestly don't know where to start. Hindus aren't really open to describe anything really beyond the basics. So, -our- views are highly limited.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

The realisation of Dharma is accompanied by the understanding of universal or cosmic laws. Buddha taught the path that enables us to free ourselves from negative karma and suffering. Through His Teachings we can achieve enlightenment and free ourselves from the cycle of rebirth (Samsara). Are there any parallels with the Abrahamic Faiths? We may or may not see it. Just because we don’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t it exist. Should we gain a glimpse it could be maya, an illusion deceiving us.

To piggy back on Aupmanyav, if I may. Cosmic laws are static and eternal. The Buddha taught everything is in constant motion. Cosmic Laws are considered an endpoint, a destination. The Buddha taught rebirth, cycle, state of being, not where to go but how to be. The Dharma has a lot of Indian Cosmology in it; but, to compare it to abrahamic-bible, bahalluah, I don't know, Quran, would be stretching it.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Sure, you can choose that view.

Regards Tony

It's not a matter of choosing a view. That's just facts from science. What you said is just nonsense.

 

[crossfire]

Maya was Buddha's mother who died soon after childbirth. I do agree that Buddhism focuses on processes rather than looking for a substance that cannot be found.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

It's not a matter of choosing a view. That's just facts from science. What you said is just nonsense.

Science has no Facts about how creation has come into being, just theories.

Thus the theories I have embraced can be just as valid as fact.

Regards Tony

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Science has no Facts about how creation has come into being, just theories.

Thus the theories I have embraced can be just as valid as fact.

Regards Tony

Actually, we do have facts about the beginning of the cosmos. We know it is the result of the expansion of a singularity, that is still unfolding. So you're being disingenuous. I wasn't talking about that, however. I was talking about evolution and there's no debate that evolution occurs.

 

[Vinayaka]

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To tell you honestly, I don't know how to compare abrahamic faiths with eastern ones. One cannot just meditate and "get it." So, I honestly don't know where to start. Hindus aren't really open to describe anything really beyond the basics. So, -our- views are highly limited.

I don't think it's possible either. So incredibly different. The people who do, alter one or both rather drastically. So then it's not a comparison at all, but just fiction.

Let's compare a rock to a giraffe ... but first, in order to make it realistic, let's say the rock is alive, and has a long neck.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

To piggy back on Aupmanyav, if I may. Cosmic laws are static and eternal. The Buddha taught everything is in constant motion. Cosmic Laws are considered an endpoint, a destination. The Buddha taught rebirth, cycle, state of being, not where to go but how to be. The Dharma has a lot of Indian Cosmology in it; but, to compare it to abrahamic-bible, bahalluah, I don't know, Quran, would be stretching it.

I see both eastern and western thought are needed. The mysticism and the law.

I see it as a magnet, two poles repel, opposing poles attract.

Regards Tony

 

[Vinayaka]

I see both eastern and western thought are needed. The mysticism and the law.

I see it as a magnet, two poles repel, opposing poles attract.

First one needs to know what eastern thought is. You can't just call an orange an apple, and then believe it's an apple. .

 

[TransmutingSoul]

First one needs to know what eastern thought is. You can't just call an orange an apple, and then believe it's an apple. .

That is also applicable in reverse.

Regards Tony

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Actually, we do have facts about the beginning of the cosmos. We know it is the result of the expansion of a singularity, that is still unfolding. So you're being disingenuous. I wasn't talking about that, however. I was talking about evolution and there's no debate that evolution occurs.

That singularity is known, the source is our One God.

This tablet is from that source, it is how creation unfolded; (Provisional translation).

Tablet of the Universe

From a material perspective life is evolving, bringing about an ever advancing civilisation. Science will come to know that to really know, spirit and faith are needed.

Regards Tony

 

[Vinayaka]

That is also applicable in reverse.

Regards Tony

Absolutely. The existence of prophets is a western thought. The idea that they don't exist and aren't necessary is eastern. You can't combine the two as they are directly contradictory.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

That singularity is known, the source is our One God.

This tablet is from that source, it is how creation unfolded; (Provisional translation).

Tablet of the Universe

From a material perspective life is evolving, bringing about an ever advancing civilisation. Science will come to know that to really know, spirit and faith are needed.

Regards Tony

You know nothing about any "source" in terms of facts, unless you worship black holes. That's just your religious beliefs. Even evolution isn't about "progress". Progress is a human concept. Natural selection just brings about adaptations that promote survival.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

You know nothing about any "source" in terms of facts, unless you worship black holes. That's just your religious beliefs. Even evolution isn't about "progress". Progress is a human concept. Natural selection just brings about adaptations that promote survival.

I see knowledge is more than material senses and that not all want to embrace, or even consider that knowledge.

Their neglect of it, does not diminish it for me.

Regards Tony

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I see knowledge is more than material senses and that not all want to embrace, or even consider that knowledge.

Their neglect of it, does not diminish it for me.

Regards Tony

You don't have spiritual knowledge, you have what some books told you. Real spirituality is experiential. The way I hear some Baha'is talk about their god on here, they might as well be atheists.