Does the concept of "random" exists for Buddhists?

Discussion in 'Eastern Philosophy' started by identityless, Sep 5, 2005.

  1. identityless Registered Senior Member

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    From my understanding, the concept of "luck" "magic" "divine intervention" and "random events" does not appear to be compatible with Buddhist philosophy. For everything that happens, there are various causes to it. Bad things can happen to good people, good things can happen to bad people, not because of a simple stimulus-reaction events, but from the chains of other people karma and your own karma - law of natural causes.

    It appears unlike mystic religions like Shamanism with the concept of evil/good spirits, Christianity with blessings, divine intervention, or miracles, Buddhism does not focus on these random luck beliefs, but everything can be explained from a scientific point of method and reasonings. To be specific, I'm referring to large scale randomness as an unexplainable mystical events or big miracles, not merely a roll-a-dice or gambling kind of randomness.

    Do true Buddhists have the concept of "goodluck" "blessings" or "miracles"? However, I understand that other schools of Buddhism may incorporate/blend their indigenious cultural beliefs like in Shinto-Buddhism with the concept of hungry spirits or folks Buddhism in Southeast Asia with cultural concepts like ancestor worships and "good/bad karma" - but what about pure Buddhism from its original form during the time of the Buddha?
     
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  3. kmguru Staff Member

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    The universe came to being from a seed DNA or say an equation, a very long equation...since there is nothing outside the Universe, nothing can be random as the equation unfolds. That is cause-effect.

    In a local environment, one can have randomness, since there can be outside influences...
     
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  5. Koolz Registered Member

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    Buddhism is all about breaking cycles and systems such as karma, suffering, and the ego. In other words, yeah, in the backround its all based on cause and effect. But in the practice such things are abhored.

    "Learn the rules so that you know how to break them properly." ~The Dalai Llama

    Buddhism is a religion. Yes, there are still things of that nature in it.
     
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  7. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Buddhists do tend to acknowledge unexplainable mystical events and miracles. Or rather, it is more or less common for Buddhists to believe this. However, Buddhist philosophy concerning cause and effect isn't the point of Buddhism, only a sideline. So, "pure" Buddhism is only really concerned with the spiritual development of the individual.

    Cause and effect does not discount miracles, since all miraculous things that have ever occurred have had causes.
     
  8. c7ityi_ Registered Senior Member

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    I think random may be like the word miracle. It is something which we don't understand yet, so we call it random. Randomness is said to exist in the quantum world, but what the physicists are seeing is their own mind; particles being in many places at the same time, travelling in space as easy as in time (memory)... Randomness is just a concept, and it is created "by our mind".
     
  9. nameless Registered Senior Member

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    Created in our mind, just like the illusion of 'time' and it's bastard illusory child, 'cause and effect'. Cause and effect is merely an outdated and crude way of saying 'two aspects of the same event'.
    Cause and effect are delusion (believed illusion).
    Sorry Buddhists. I realize that if what I say were 'true', that would create many problems for a 'believer'. The whole 'reincarnation thing' for instance...
     
  10. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Popping the nonexistant bubble, thanks nameless.
     
  11. EmptyForceOfChi Banned Banned

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    everything is about change, the tao, buddhism, Zen everything will always be changing forever taking a new form, As the wheel of life turns.



    Learn the tao
     
  12. Tavas Registered Senior Member

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    Depends on which branch of buddhism you are refering to. By even suggesting a "pure buddhism" you are asking for endless debates from their scholars.

    In some countries, buddhist monks "assist" in fortune telling, in others, it is a rite of passage or a political affliation. So your answer would be yes and no. Be however prepared to answer this, "why is it important to ask what your actions will explain"
     
  13. iFARKurMADER Registered Member

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    first of all, buddism is not a religion. if you are going to define something as religion because of the requirement to pray to a god/idol/whatever, then really, buddism is not a religion.

    no where in any buddist scriptures did the buddha ask people to pray to him like he is a god, but paying RESPECT yes, and that is just to serve as a reminder of his teachings. In fact, buddha is against people praying to a wooden figure and expect your life will be blessed. No, because he knows that is not gonna happen.

    "So why you see people pray in temples, pray at home to figurines etc?"

    because its convenient! people see what THEY WANT TO SEE! ask the auntie in temple burning incense what is the teaching of buddha, i doubt she knows. even if she knows, she do not really understand.

    BUddism is a very big wisedom of being an happy person no matter what happens to you. i can go on and on about Jing gang Jing, Fa Hua JIng, Po Luo Jing and a few others but its better that people who are interested go read up.

    before i end, dun think that what you read is the "truth"

    not in his exact words, buddha said before "Do not believe my words simply because i wrote it down. challenge me teachings if you need to, for then, would you find the path YOURSELF to enlightment"
     
  14. kmguru Staff Member

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    That is correct. The traditional view of God has been taken out of Buddhism. That does not mean, there is no integrated intelligent communication network in the Universe. Even human body communicates among each other cells. When you have a damage, the pain process provides repair and support system. The feedback mechanism work very well and so is the predictive mechanism of the brain - otherwise you can not catch a ball.

    And so does the prayer part. The Universe is a highly integrated process. Think of the prayer as a pain signal. After all, you pray for a specific goal. Some are well connected to the network and their prayer gets answered...others are not....for whatever reason.

    Communication is a necessary part of the living Universe.
     

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