I almost became a serious Buddhist

[JosephineB]

I don't think you come back as an ant etc if you've already been in human form do you?

[JosephineB]

If you want to just meditate and clear your mind of negativity, then yes, I can understand why people choose it.[/quote]

How much did you look into it? I haven't looked at it a great deal but know there's more to it than that!

[Wally]

Originally Posted by Rain95

Do you like or respect any religion ď members besides Buddhists?

Some of my best ex friends are Buddhists

[Wally]

Originally Posted by JosephineBloggs

If you want to just meditate and clear your mind of negativity, then yes, I can understand why people choose it.

How much did you look into it? I haven't looked at it a great deal but know there's more to it than that![/quote]

i didnt become hardcore

Originally Posted by Wally

Some of best ex friends are Buddhists

A pity you see people only as religion - how limiting, I'm sure your friends are quite happy though.

Aren't you Christian? God taught to see all as your brothers and sisters. Jesus had some great wisdom for sure - whether it is applied or not is up to each of us

JL

Originally Posted by JosephineBloggs

How much did you look into it? I haven't looked at it a great deal but know there's more to it than that!

A practical book is "What the Buddha Taught" by Rev. Walpola Rahula

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Wally

yeah fair enough but Reincarnation sobered me up. I don't want to come back as an ant, ardvaak or antelope in the next life. There are some other challen ging beliefs I don't recall right now. But hardcore Buddhism doesn't sound that "moderate" to me.

If you want to just meditate and clear your mind of negativity, then yes, I can understand why people choose it.

yes, the is extremism of 'hardcore' in Buddhism and other religions is contradictory where Buddhism explicitly teaches moderation. Most of us who hang out in this section are not Buddhists, but see value in the teachings of Buddha. It's true that Buddhism is remote in the sense that everyone walks their path alone, but the 'sangha' is socially cohesive and that's important within the overall practice, but it can also be (even tends to be) exclusive and sect-like, same as other religions. What we call 'metta' is the essentially the same as 'love thy neighbour' and the virtues are kindness and so on are just like Christian virtues.



The dhamma, which is basically the way of nature and the teachings on nature's way, is universal, so the sectarian divisions within Buddhism and other religions is only a cultural phenomena, and not particularly important in the spiritual sense.


In the end, be it Buddhism or Christianity or any other spiritual tradition, you just gotta take the good with the bad because that's how life is.

Some good words from Gem.

Notwithstanding, at heart, I see all the religions and spirituality of the world in the same manner - at heart. The blossoming is the same.

And mystics recognize it as such even though the words used may differ.

JL

Hafiz:

I Have Learned so Much

I
Have
Learned
So much from God
That I can no longer
Call
Myself

A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim,
a Buddhist, a Jew.

The Truth has shared so much of Itself
With me

That I can no longer call myself
A man, a woman, an angel,
Or even a pure
Soul.

Love has
Befriended Hafiz so completely
It has turned to ash
And freed
Me

Of every concept and image
my mind has ever known.

From: The Gift Translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Laughing At the Word Two

Only

That Illumined
One

Who keeps
Seducing the formless into form

Had the charm to win my
Heart.

Only a Perfect One

Who is always
Laughing at the word
Two

Can make you know

Of

Love.

From: The Gift
Translated by Daniel Ladinsky

[Wally]

Originally Posted by Gem

In the end, be it Buddhism or Christianity or any other spiritual tradition, you just gotta take the good with the bad because that's how life is.

Some Christians might take offence to that. Being they believe that Jesus Christ IS the truth.
According to the Catholic Catechism, other religions can contribute to the truth and have fragments of it. But the fulness of truth is expressed in Catholic Christianity.
I myself fear that we who partake in theological discussions of the "truth" online may not be ideal ambassadors for our particicular faith. Yes, as you suggest, our virtuous behaviour is what counts most, but for me, the search for truth and God, will always have an intellectual element.
My father was a far more virtuous man than me but never spoke a word about God or jesus Christ. yet his whole life was like a prayer to God. But Im different to him. I had the opportunity to have an education and I feel it is my responsibility to approiach Christianity in a different way.