What is inaccurate with those communities who bring offerings to a sculpture?

[The Emperor of Mankind]

What level am I on? If you think you are on high level then you are an ignorant idiot.

I'm just loving the respect for other faiths on display here. Well done, you're a great advert for Islam.

 

[sovietchild]

I'm just loving the respect for other faiths on display here. Well done, you're a great advert for Islam.

Thank you.

 

[psychoslice]

What level am I on? If you think you are on high level then you are an ignorant idiot.

I myself am on no level, whatever level your on then that your business, and please don't out-rightly call me an idiot, I don't run to the staff, so take heed from me, thank you.

 

[buddhist]

The direction, praying in a specific direction is different than praying for the object,
Muslim don't pray for the Kaaba itself and not worshiping it as compared to worshiping
a sculpture such as Buddha.

I meditate in a specific direction too (towards my Buddha statue).
I don't pray for the Buddha statue itself, nor do I worship it.

 

[sovietchild]

I myself am on no level, whatever level your on then that your business, and please don't out-rightly call me an idiot, I don't run to the staff, so take heed from me, thank you.

No buddy called you an idiot.

 

[psychoslice]

No buddy called you an idiot.

Just keep it that way.

 

[FearGod]

I meditate in a specific direction too (towards my Buddha statue).
I don't pray for the Buddha statue itself, nor do I worship it.

So you put the Buddha in front of you as a direction.

 

[FearGod]

I'll ask a question Kirran asked in another thread. Hypothetically speaking, assume for a second that the Kaaba was moved out of Masjid al-haram and to a new site. Where would Muslims face when they pray? Would they still face towards Mecca or would they face where the Kaaba had been moved to?

The direction is toward the mosque, you can't move the mosque to another place.

We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.(2:144)

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

The direction is toward the mosque, you can't move the mosque to another place.

We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.(2:144)

Okay. So if the Kaaba were taken out of Masjid Al-haram and moved somewhere else then Muslims would still face towards the Great Mosque?

 

[Jeff Strehlow]

What is incorrect with those communities who bring offerings to a sculpture?

In order to get something, you need to invest in something. What kind of investment is bringing an offering to a sculpture? What kind of a profit will they have in return? Is it a game of skill or is it a game of stupidity – lottery?

“Your trash is someone else’s treasure.” Those communities might as well give it to 3rd world countries, if they have it so much. The Prophet Muhammad said, Allah said: “Spend [on charity] O son of Adam, And I shall spend on you.”

I grow up in Ukraine. When I was a kid we didn’t have much food on the table. Sometimes I had to go to the neighbors back yards just to collect some apples and cherries because we did not have any food at the house. My mother would make some pancakes to sell it on the streets just to survive another day. Why do those communities investing ‘energy’ in sculptures when they could instead invest it in 3rd world countries? What are they doing? There is much greater profit if those communities would collect all the food that they don't need, and then give it to the others who are in need. Those sculptures are useless, they have no profit. Those communities are not deceiving no buddy but themselves.

“Those who spend in charity will be richly rewarded.” Quran 57:7

In Buddhism people make offerings of such things as flowers and fruits. You might see it as giving offerings to statues, but that is not what is happening. The statues represent Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and that is who the people are making the offerings to. I'm sure there are many people who do it because they personally expect to get something out of it, but the ultimate reason for doing it is to show reverence to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Ultimately, any merit (benefit) obtained from doing it is to be shared with all sentient beings. In that way it is a selfless act. If you think that the offerings are wasted, well they aren't. Others who come to the temple get to see the flowers. The fruits are later given away or eaten by the monks at the temple. Sometimes when I've gone to a temple they gave leftover fruit to me.

 

[SomeRandom]

Sarcasm is a subtle form of bullying.

Think Sarcasm is Funny? Think Again

Pftt. Even the author says to use it, albeit sparingly. But has obviously not ever travelled to places like the UK or Australia. Sarcasm is how we bond, how we talk to one and other and how we strengthen friendships. The yanks of course seem to prefer people laughing with them than at them. Brits on the other hand will go out of their way to get people to laugh at them.
"Subtle form of bullying" said by those who can't quip back fast enough.
Also this.
Big Surprise: Harvard Study Shows that Sarcasm is Actually Good for You

 

[FearGod]

Okay. So if the Kaaba were taken out of Masjid Al-haram and moved somewhere else then Muslims would still face towards the Great Mosque?

Yes it's, as the quran states towards the mosque and the Kaaba is in the mosque.
It's all about organizing the direction of praying towards one specific point.

 

[sovietchild]

Pftt. Even the author says to use it, albeit sparingly. But has obviously not ever travelled to places like the UK or Australia. Sarcasm is how we bond, how we talk to one and other and how we strengthen friendships. The yanks of course seem to prefer people laughing with them than at them. Brits on the other hand will go out of their way to get people to laugh at them.
"Subtle form of bullying" said by those who can't quip back fast enough.
Also this.
Big Surprise: Harvard Study Shows that Sarcasm is Actually Good for You

The Prophet Muhammad said, “Honesty certainly leads to goodness, and goodness leads to paradise. Truly, a man keeps speaking the truth until he is inscribed as being true through and through. And lying leads to going wrong, and going wrong leads to hell. Truly, a man lies and lies until he is inscribed as being a liar through and through” (Muslim, 4.2012–13: 2607. S).

 

[SomeRandom]

The Prophet Muhammad said, “Honesty certainly leads to goodness, and goodness leads to paradise. Truly, a man keeps speaking the truth until he is inscribed as being true through and through. And lying leads to going wrong, and going wrong leads to hell. Truly, a man lies and lies until he is inscribed as being a liar through and through” (Muslim, 4.2012–13: 2607. S).

And sarcasm can reveal the truth about things. Besides it is so not a good idea to take everything a person says literally. English is way too mangled for that to be a good idea ever. Also, people who can comprehend and deliver sarcasm may be more intelligent by default. And it's such a fantastic deflection of bullying. Nothing better than biting back with one's words against a neandathalic idiot bully.

 

[Kirran]

The Prophet Muhammad said, “Honesty certainly leads to goodness, and goodness leads to paradise. Truly, a man keeps speaking the truth until he is inscribed as being true through and through. And lying leads to going wrong, and going wrong leads to hell. Truly, a man lies and lies until he is inscribed as being a liar through and through” (Muslim, 4.2012–13: 2607. S).

Sarcasm isn't lying, because there's no intent to convey untruths. Everyone involves understands it's sarcasm, that's the point.

 

[Vinayaka]

Sarcasm isn't lying, because there's no intent to convey untruths. Everyone involves understands it's sarcasm, that's the point.

I don't understand.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Yes it's, as the quran states towards the mosque and the Kaaba is in the mosque.
It's all about organizing the direction of praying towards one specific point.

Thanks for clarifying. Another hypothetical question, if I may. Assuming (again) that the Kaaba was relocated to a place outside of Masjid al-haram, what do you think would happen during the Hajj? Would Muslims circumambulate the spot where the Kaaba used to be? Would they circumambulate the Kaaba at its new spot? Or would they do something else altogether?

 

[Kirran]

I don't understand.

Lying is about intentionally conveying false information, right? So if you're not doing that, then it's not lying.

So I was painting the toilets at SV with a community member, and an elderly Swami comes in, and shortly afterwards another of the swamis, who asks how we're getting on. We say 'Yeah, it's fine, but Swami Satya's getting in the way!' and he laughs and says 'You're making a nuisance of yourself swami?'

Swami Satya wasn't getting in the way. Everybody in the room knew that he wasn't getting in the way. The use of this sarcasm did not convey the false information that he was getting in the way. So I don't see how it is a lie.

 

[HeatherAnn]

I suppose you could think of any holy book - the Bible, the Quran, Torah, tao te ching - as a false gods/idols.
It's not a statue of a personified spirituality - but the writings of people who are deemed as if infallible gods.
The books, the statues - they are not GOD... but they are symbols that help some people connect with God.
Ideally, we can close our eyes and imagine God/GOoD - because ultimately "the kingdom of God is within you" - but for many, something more concrete is desired.

Still, it's a valid point that people who invest too much in their religion are missing the mark (sinning) if they don't spend even more energy etc. on helping those in need. I believe - and I think the heart of many religions is - that the essence of spirituality is loving others - specifically helping those less fortunate when you have the means to do so.

 

[Vinayaka]

Lying is about intentionally conveying false information, right? So if you're not doing that, then it's not lying.

So I was painting the toilets at SV with a community member, and an elderly Swami comes in, and shortly afterwards another of the swamis, who asks how we're getting on. We say 'Yeah, it's fine, but Swami Satya's getting in the way!' and he laughs and says 'You're making a nuisance of yourself swami?'

Swami Satya wasn't getting in the way. Everybody in the room knew that he wasn't getting in the way. The use of this sarcasm did not convey the false information that he was getting in the way. So I don't see how it is a lie.

I loved playing dumb at school. One kid, family from Lebanon, seemed to beg for it. He'd have snow peas or carrots for lunch, and I'd ask with a straight face, 'What kind of strange vegetable are you eating today, _________? Did you get it from an import store?'

Then he'd go on and on trying to explain to me how it was a common Canadian vegetable, but I'd say I'd lived in Canada all my life, and never seen it. It was fun for the watchers. Eventually he'd catch on.

Yes, Kirran I understand. But people who have never seen sarcasm or gentle teasing don't easily get it. A bit like idioms to any ESL person.

The monks I know have awesome senses of humour too. When Boss mentioned to a senior swami that the grass must grow fast in Hawaii, he said dryly, 'Yes we just cut this yesterday'. (It was like 3 feet tall, and overgrown.