An important question to BUDHISTS about BUDHISM

S

shekhar1438

Registered Member
Hi there,
I really appreciate and like the concepts of BUDHISM. But, i have trouble understanding one important concept which Budha taught us.


  • Budhism says that there is no SOUL, no SELF and it is only an illusion. At the same time, BUDHISM talks about re-incarnation. What does Budha mean when he talks about re-incarnation?


  • If there is no soul, no self and no re-incarnation (i guess budhism even says there is no GOD as we perceive it today) how can we teach our generation to be good and behave properly? I believe that, it is the concept of GOD and the fear of unknown which puts the responsibility squarely on the lap of many uneducated people and make them behave properly in the society.
    Fear of unknown is what keeps most of the people from becoming barbarics. Don't you think so?

Please educate me on this point. I highly appreciate everyone for their responses. Thank you all.
 
I'm not a Buddhist, but I'd like to address your second question...
Simple.
Karma and compassion.
Everything you do has an effect on everyone around you, and everything they do has an effect on you.
If you beleive that, then accepting personal responsibility and accountability for your actions is the natural result, as it improves life for others and yourself.
Living virtuously is not difficult, in fact it is easier than not.

If you think it is good and healthy to control people based on fear, then I honestly don't understand what concepts you appreciate and like about Buddhism at all.
 
What is "good" behavior? Sounds like a pretty relative concept to me. It's good for me to eat a steak, but pretty bad for the cow. Societies have used many different types of gods - some you would consider good, others quite bad. Was the Aztec god that demanded human sacrifice a "good" god? The Aztecs thought so, but I don't. The concept of god is not tied to any given set of morals. Therefore, the concept of god is not necessary for a society to behave "well" as you perceive it. The concept of god is mostly used as a mechanism to control others.
Controlling others is not simply limited to the fear of the unknown. How about the fear of death, dismemberment, ostracization, eternal damnation - you fill in the blank - the fear of ______________? Hitler didn't use a god to control the masses - but many other fears. I'm sure you could make the people behave "well" through the use of other fears besides the fear of the unknown. The concept of god is just another tool in the arsenal of the powerful.
 
one_raven said:
If you think it is good and healthy to control people based on fear, then I honestly don't understand what concepts you appreciate and like about Buddhism at all.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply and I appreciate and understand your concern. I, personally, do not think that people must/should be controlled by fear. I think you misunderstood (or) I didn't explain the situation exactly.
 
shekhar1438 said:
Thank you for your reply and I appreciate and understand your concern. I, personally, do not think that people must/should be controlled by fear. I think you misunderstood (or) I didn't explain the situation exactly.
Click to expand...
I can understand that.
Try rephrasing.


Did you read the article I linked to?
 
one_raven said:
I can understand that.
Try rephrasing.


Did you read the article I linked to?
Click to expand...

Yes I read it. It was indeed a beautiful article.

Let me try to rephrase and better express myself for the previous question.. I appreciate your patience..
Thanks dude!!!
 
Acting good out of fear isn't really true goodness. Even Jesus says that.

About reincarnation, bodies are constantly being "incarnated" are they not? And society lives on through them, doesn't it? There is no soul, but also nothing is separate, therefore the body never really dies.
 
shekhar1438 said:
Hi there,
I really appreciate and like the concepts of BUDHISM. But, i have trouble understanding one important concept which Budha taught us.


  • Budhism says that there is no SOUL, no SELF and it is only an illusion. At the same time, BUDHISM talks about re-incarnation. What does Budha mean when he talks about re-incarnation?
Click to expand...
Gautama Buddha says there is no atman (soul) but there is cittam (consciousness, mind) and that reincarnation happens through the mind...he even talks about past lives, etc...


  • If there is no soul, no self and no re-incarnation (i guess budhism even says there is no GOD as we perceive it today) how can we teach our generation to be good and behave properly? I believe that, it is the concept of GOD and the fear of unknown which puts the responsibility squarely on the lap of many uneducated people and make them behave properly in the society.
    Fear of unknown is what keeps most of the people from becoming barbarics. Don't you think so?

Please educate me on this point. I highly appreciate everyone for their responses. Thank you all.
Click to expand...
Gautama Buddha taught that karma and rebirth were true, past lives exist and that knowing the past lives of others was possible, etc...he also taught that gods and goddesses were real and existed.......

Doing good through fear is horrible, but still better than doing bad through courage.....
 
Enlightened persons only say things in order to show you your own ego, and in order for you to seek your own truths.
They speak mostly in parables.
 
raven is a liar, he is a buddhist i saw him at buddhas birthday party in london. (was a good day actualy).


and whats with the capital BUDHIST.


peace.
 
EmptyForceOfChi said:
raven is a liar, he is a buddhist i saw him at buddhas birthday party in london. (was a good day actualy).
Click to expand...

One of these days you are going to make me post why I am not a Buddhist, and bore the hell out of everybody.

The introduction alone is over 2 pages.
 
one_raven said:
One of these days you are going to make me post why I am not a Buddhist, and bore the hell out of everybody.

The introduction alone is over 2 pages.
Click to expand...

if this is about why you dont like bieng down on your knees, due to your old job as a homosexual whore wich emotionaly crippled you.


i totaly want to hear it.

peace.
 
one_raven said:
As for your first question:

Try reading this article, and see if helps make sense for you.
Click to expand...

From the article;
"that the Buddha taught the anatta or not-self doctrine, not as a metaphysical assertion, but as a strategy for gaining release from suffering: If one uses the concept of not-self to dis-identify oneself from all phenomena, one goes beyond the reach of all suffering & stress. As for what lies beyond suffering & stress, the Canon states that although it may be experienced, it lies beyond the range of description, and thus such descriptions as "self" or "not-self" would not apply."

I agree with Raven in this instance, Buddha did not make metaphysical statements.

The middle path he taught is a path between nihilism and externalism, and also between self and not self. Many Buddhists seem to forget this and get stuck in the notion of exclusively not self; but in my opinion this is not the path of middle way.

Many branches of Buddhism are also non dualist for the same reasons; that descriptions of self and not self cannot describe or be applied to the state that is freedom from suffering.
 
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