This is an offshoot from Moona’s thread Islam v Hinduism thread but it’s a seperate subject by itself. I want to know what makes these religions great while others stink two inches down. I can’t usually be bothered any more with this stuff but I want to hear a bit more about this one.
Buddhism is great mainly because of two things:
- Absence of Gods
- Nirvana, grunge and Kurt Cobain
Jainism is great mainly because of two things too:
- Absence of a Creator; Gods are warm humans and not a set of pompous adjectives that act as gap-fillers in logic.
- Pooja Jain
india would have been better place if bhudism suceeded it gave
india oppurtunity to eliminate caste system .
Ok, so Buddhism and Jainism is God-free, we've established that. Many celebrities also endorse Buddhism, granted.
So what I gather is that anything goes, would that be right?
i didnt say anything about celebrities endorsing buddhism, but that's probably true too. but thats not the reason for its greatness, it's a mere consequence.
you dont see the implications a God-free religion carries. no more of the heaven and hell blackmail. no more dont-do-that-coz-God-said-so nonsense. understanding oneself, discipline and peace are given importance, instead of obsequience to a Creator. state separates cleanly from the church. state is free to impose its laws, and religion isnt going to be at contradiction.
sikhism by Nanak and deen-e-ilahi by Akbar carry very similar lines of thought, but Gautama Buddha and Mahaveera truly saw the light of humanism.
I’ve had a look here:
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/basic-guide.htm
For some of the basic beliefs and a lot of the ideas are very similar to stuff which was taught by Sufis centuries ago. IMO, seperating state from church is a good idea but it’s also a bit of a cop out to call a religion great when it needs the irreligious to do the work it can’t do itself.
Can you name me a country which is actually run on buddhist principles?
xtreme no country in the world uses koran,bible or geeta or torah
as constitution.
I said buddhist principles not buddhist constitution.
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Mr Xtreme: *
I said buddhist **principles* not buddhist constitution.
[/QUOTE]
i dont think bhudism call for running a goverment on bhudist
principle it is idividual and voluntary self improvemnt.
So you agree that life cannot run on Buddhist principles for ordinairy folk in general, that's why we have laws for the rest of us while Buddhists meditate in temples.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Mr Xtreme: *
So you agree that life cannot run on Buddhist principles for ordinairy folk in general, that's why we have laws for the rest of us while Buddhists meditate in temples.
[/QUOTE]
can you prove life can be run on islamic principles in pakistan?
stil pre-islamic tribal culture dominates crime and punishment
like honor killing . where you find word "honor killing" in koran?
primciple of islam was not used to to keep bangaldesh and westpakistan
toghether under one god and faith.
we aren't discussing Pakistan, I want to know why buddhism and Jainism don't stink and other religions do that's all. There's plenty of other threads discussing Pakistan, Islam, slavery etc. What this debate is about is the merits of Buddhism as opposed to other religions. Now while I like a lot of the philosophy in Buddhism, I don't see it practised much in reality. Why is that?
All the teachings of the Buddha can be summed up in one word: Dhamma. The Sanskrit form of the word is Dharma, but in the Pali language, which the Buddha spoke and in which all the Buddhist scriptures were written, it is softened to Dhamma. It means truth, that which really is. It also means law, the law which exists in a man's own heart and mind. It is the principle of righteousness. Therefore the Buddha appeals to man to be noble, pure, and charitable not in order to please any Supreme Being, but in order to be true to the highest in himself.
so xtreme do you think it is easy to practise ?
Just a few excerpts from the buddhist link above:
The five precepts are:
1)** To undertake the training to avoid taking the life of beings**. This precept applies to all living beings not just humans. All beings have a right to their lives and that right should be respected.
2)** To undertake the training to avoid taking things not given**. This precept goes further than mere stealing. One should avoid taking anything unless one can be sure that is intended that it is for you.
3)** To undertake the training to avoid sensual misconduct. **This precept is often mistranslated or misinterpreted as relating only to sexual misconduct but it covers any overindulgence in any sensual pleasure such as gluttony as well as misconduct of a sexual nature.
4) To undertake the training to refrain from false speech. As well as avoiding lying and deceiving, this precept covers slander as well as speech which is not beneficial to the welfare of others.
5) To undertake the training to abstain from substances which cause intoxication and heedlessness. This precept is in a special category as it does not infer any intrinsic evil in, say, alcohol itself but indulgence in such a substance could be the cause of breaking the other four precepts.
These are the basic precepts expected as a day to day training of any lay Buddhist. On special holy days, many Buddhists, especially those following the Theravada tradition, would observe three additional precepts with a strengthening of the third precept to be observing strict celibacy. The additional precepts are:
6) To abstain from taking food at inappropriate times. This would mean following the tradition of Theravadin monks and not eating from noon one day until sunrise the next.
7) To abstain from dancing, singing, music and entertainments as well as refraining from the use of perfumes, ornaments and other items used to adorn or beautify the person. Again, this and the next rule.
8) To undertake the training to abstain from using high or luxurious beds are rules regularly adopted by members of the Sangha and are followed by the layperson on special occasions
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Sounds pretty much similar to a very strict version of Islam except for the fact that there is no God involved apparently. But interesting nonetheless.
i agree with you it is a way of life. it is like secular humanistic principle
it appeal to basic human decency . greediness is root of all evil.
"So in everything,
do to others
what you would have them do to you,
for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
—Matthew 7:12
I have met Buddists who believe in a God & Jains too. Heck, one of my very religious Jain friends gave me Ganish as a gift.
DId they give you the Ganesh as a god reincarnate or as a symbol of good luck?
Humm .. I donno. She went to India & when she got back that's something I got as a homecoming. Maybe I will ask her if she believes in Ganish, though I don't have any reason to think she doesn't.
All I know is that all religions have produced fundamentalists and extremists. That can very well be seen in Srilanka. Buddhism is considered a very peaceful religion but what has been going on in this land of Budha and what the followers of this peaceful religion ( the Sinhalese Buddhists) have done isn't a secret.
The main point is every religion teaches peaceand harmony, yet it is the believers irrespective of which religion or tradition they are following that give it a particular twist and mould it in order to suit their own interests.