What do you know about Buddhism?

[Lyndon]

deities are very important to Tibetan Buddhism, not so much with Therevada.

 

[Glaurung]

The school helps people who have particular trouble shaking off the baggage of theism of whom had difficulties with the more conventional forms of Buddhist practice due to their attachment with the belief of gods or gods.

Buddhism in all its traditional forms (especially Mahayana) has always been functionally theistic. It may not accept the notion of a creator, but when you pray to the bodhisattvas or implore salvific help of Amitabha you're engaging in theism even if you don't want to call it as such.

I think westerners who present Buddhism as being totally in line with a modern materialist mindset are engaging in a project of dishonesty. Unless you think bodhisattvas, karmic merit and rebirth are scientifically verifiable realities.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Buddhism in all its traditional forms (especially Mahayana) has always been functionally theistic. It may not accept the notion of a creator, but when you pray to the bodhisattvas or implore salvific help of Amitabha you're engaging in theism even if you don't want to call it such.

I think westerners who present Buddhism as being totally in line with a modern materialist mindset are engaging in a project of dishonesty.

I don't see Buddhism as even viable with all that baggage being lugged around.

 

[Glaurung]

I don't see Buddhism as even viable with all that baggage being lugged around.

The central claim of Buddhism has always been that it holds the means to escape cyclical nature of existence in Samsara. Without at least that Buddhism makes no sense. No point working towards Nirvana if we all inescapably achieve it anyway after a single lifetime. (Assuming that nothing survives death).

If you want a philosophy that teaches detachment without the 'baggage' of all manner of blatantly religious and metaphysical claims, then just adopt Stoicism.

 

[syo]

what would you ask about buddhism?

why is there desire?

 

[Spirit of Light]

why is there desire?

There are many forms of desire, but human beings do have craving, craving for things they have in the past or craving for what they want now or in future.
And when they do not have it, they suffer from this craving, and anger, jealosy, dispear, greed will arise in their mind, this again lead to more suffering both for mind and body.

to end this we have to let go of the attachments to those thing we craving, it means when we have let go of all attachments that lead to craving we will find that we no longer suffer from past experiences and we no longer craving for what we do not have

 

[syo]

There are many forms of desire, but human beings do have craving, craving for things they have in the past or craving for what they want now or in future.
And when they do not have it, they suffer from this craving, and anger, jealosy, dispear, greed will arise in their mind, this again lead to more suffering both for mind and body.

to end this we have to let go of the attachments to those thing we craving, it means when we have let go of all attachments that lead to craving we will find that we no longer suffer from past experiences and we no longer craving for what we do not have

yes, but why desire exists in the first place? did God made it? did nature made it? If nature made it, does that mean that nature turned against us?

 

[Spirit of Light]

yes, but why desire exists in the first place? did God made it? did nature made it? If nature made it, does that mean that nature turned against us?

Gods or Buddhas do not have desire
Human beings create the craving from other attachments, specially from jealosy to other people.
Why can i not have it when you have it?
Why did you give to him when you do not give me?
Those questions arise when someone have jealosy.

When you do not have craving or jealosy you can watch someone get something and be happy for them without thinking anything negative toward them or others. You are then free from craving for what you do not have

 

[syo]

Gods or Buddhas do not have desire
Human beings create the craving from other attachments, specially from jealosy to other people.
Why can i not have it when you have it?
Why did you give to him when you do not give me?
Those questions arise when someone have jealosy.

When you do not have craving or jealosy you can watch someone get something and be happy for them without thinking anything negative toward them or others. You are then free from craving for what you do not have

ah! I see it now, thank you.

 

[Spirit of Light]

ah! I see it now, thank you.

Very welcome