i found buddhism!!!!!

[Silver]

Originally Posted by sky123

In Buddhism there is no creator...

Yes.

There are deities but they are from Hinduism, and other religions around at the Buddha's time that he studied and learned from. Bottom line as I understand it coming from the Buddha, is for each of us to decide what is true and not to argue over philosophies, semantics, etc. I think the Buddha and Buddhists may speak of these deities and what they stood for, but only by way of reference and not some sort of deep belief - they were more symbolic I think.

Am I right or am I wrong here? I don't know for sure how to approach it.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Silver

Yes.

There are deities but they are from Hinduism, and other religions around at the Buddha's time that he studied and learned from. Bottom line as I understand it coming from the Buddha, is for each of us to decide what is true and not to argue over philosophies, semantics, etc. I think the Buddha and Buddhists may speak of these deities and what they stood for, but only by way of reference and not some sort of deep belief - they were more symbolic I think.

Am I right or am I wrong here? I don't know for sure how to approach it.

Well Silver for what it's worth I think you are right...
Tibetan Buddhism is a mixture of Old Bon with it's religious folklore/ deities/ protectors etc: they merged together to form what we have now, it is full of myths which pre-date Buddha...

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by Silver

Buddhism is probably the only so-called religion that puts the responsibility for figuring out what is true to each of us on the individual themselves. The Christian religion, for example, has been operating for quite some time, as the Sunday church roles are crumbling down around the ears of Christianity in modern times. It's because (partly) that the responsibility for any portion of human function has been wrested from each of us as individuals...sounds kind of like a gov thing doesn't it. And the world itself and societies in it have been sorta rickety because of this theft, so to speak, of our personal opinions AND more importantly our responsibilities. 'God' religions have been warping human society for a very long time - seems like forever the things we hear about and read that are so insane - come from beating our chests/breasts/whatev over 'God's' word and we end up killing each other.

I for one am protective of Buddhism - my understanding of it, anyway - because we've done some crazy things because some voice in the sky or words on a page told us - dictated to us to do this or do that, don't do this or don't do that. I'm not going to argue any longer about semantics on this thread, but the above is what I was prompted to say, even if it doesn't make sense to anybody else here. Ah well...Be well!

But if there is a creator, that creator is with you regardless of what path you take. That's all I'm really saying.

[Silver]

Originally Posted by BlueSky

But if there is a creator, that creator is with you regardless of what path you take. That's all I'm really saying.

Yes, and so is karma. Maybe what befalls us is all our faults, with or without a god or gods. I'm far more concerned with signs of negative karma payback/whatev, that we have to change, and not because some invisible guy in the sky threatens us.

I kind of think that suicides will be rampant if it was ever (seemingly) proven that there is no 'god' - too many have lived too long side-stepping their own responsibility for how bad stuff happens, counting on forgiveness to save the day and their own behinds. So much of the Christian Bible evidently has been deliberately or otherwise mistranslated up through history, so it's hard for people to get it right.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by BlueSky

That's because in Buddhism or what Buddhism has become, there is no you and therefore there can be no other.
You may see otherwise but that's my point, it's a religion with different beliefs.

That is not what Buddhist believe so I can see where you are confused.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by sky123

' look if you do a b will happen ' ????????

It's not my version, read some of the Pali Cannon you will see for yourself it's Buddha's teachings.
Has science found devine beings, yidams deity's etc: ?

I know it is an amazing thought but buddhism is a system of practices. The practices and states of mind for each practice has been studied over and over again for thousands of years. You know what the result should be from a practice so you know when to move to higher level practices.

It is what makes traditions, traditions :) So do a and b will happen just like it was described in the Dzogchen The Practice of Contemplation thread.

The Pali Cannon was just the first translations that were presented. It is a myth to think it is the only accepted teachings of the Buddha.

Science misses a lot of things with regard to spirituality now doesn't it?

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by Silver

Buddhism is probably the only so-called religion that puts the responsibility for figuring out what is true to each of us on the individual themselves. The Christian religion, for example, has been operating for quite some time, as the Sunday church roles are crumbling down around the ears of Christianity in modern times. It's because (partly) that the responsibility for any portion of human function has been wrested from each of us as individuals...sounds kind of like a gov thing doesn't it. And the world itself and societies in it have been sorta rickety because of this theft, so to speak, of our personal opinions AND more importantly our responsibilities. 'God' religions have been warping human society for a very long time - seems like forever the things we hear about and read that are so insane - come from beating our chests/breasts/whatev over 'God's' word and we end up killing each other.

I for one am protective of Buddhism - my understanding of it, anyway - because we've done some crazy things because some voice in the sky or words on a page told us - dictated to us to do this or do that, don't do this or don't do that. I'm not going to argue any longer about semantics on this thread, but the above is what I was prompted to say, even if it doesn't make sense to anybody else here. Ah well...Be well!

Buddhism is about the techniques much more than the sutras.

If you really want to learn both go learn it from the source... choose a temple and ask someone who has spent there entire lives learning it from within a tradition.

[Silver]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

Buddhism is about the techniques much more than the sutras.

If you really want to learn both go learn it from the source... choose a temple and ask someone who has spent there entire lives learning it from within a tradition.

I've only been interested really interested in Buddhism the past 2 years...I want to learn as much as I can about it. I also believe that it's the kind of thing that evolves over time, and as long as people find something worthwhile about it, they will put it into a more modern interpretation so as to improve their understandings about all things Buddhist. That's my take - that's me, anyway. So, I'd like to know if you can give an example or two of what you mean by 'is about the techniques much more than the sutras', if you could.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by sky123

Well Silver for what it's worth I think you are right...
Tibetan Buddhism is a mixture of Old Bon with it's religious folklore/ deities/ protectors etc: they merged together to form what we have now, it is full of myths which pre-date Buddha...

Zen works with Deities and they are not Tibetan.

Always with the disparaging of an ethic group.

Buddhism does not deny that there are in the universe planes of existence and levels of consciousness which in some ways may be superior to our terrestrial world and to average human consciousness. To deny this would indeed be provincial in this age of space travel. Bertrand Russell rightly says: "It is improbable that the universe contains nothing better than ourselves."

Yet, according to Buddhist teachings, such higher planes of existence, like our familiar world, are subject to the law of impermanence and change. The inhabitants of such worlds may well be, in different degrees, more powerful than human beings, happier and longer-lived. Whether we call those superior beings gods, deities, devas or angels is of little importance, since it is improbable that they call themselves by any of those names. They are inhabitants of this universe, fellow-wanderers in this round of existence; and though more powerful, they need not be wiser than man. Further, it need not be denied that such worlds and such beings may have their lord and ruler. In all probability they do. But like any human ruler, a divine ruler too might be inclined to misjudge his own status and power, until a greater one comes along and points out to him his error, as our texts report of the Buddha.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/a...a/godidea.html

or

"Here, bhikkhus, a certain person abides with his heart imbued with loving-kindness extending over one quarter, likewise the second quarter, likewise the third quarter, likewise the fourth quarter, and so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself; he abides with his heart abundant, exalted, measureless in loving-kindness, without hostility or ill-will, extending over the all-encompassing world.

"He finds gratification in that, finds it desirable and looks to it for his well-being; steady and resolute thereon, he abides much in it, and if he dies without losing it, he reappears among the gods of a High Divinity's retinue.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....125.nymo.html

There is much, much more from the Pali Canon :)

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by Silver

I've only been interested really interested in Buddhism the past 2 years...I want to learn as much as I can about it. I also believe that it's the kind of thing that evolves over time, and as long as people find something worthwhile about it, they will put it into a more modern interpretation so as to improve their understandings about all things Buddhist. That's my take - that's me, anyway. So, I'd like to know if you can give an example or two of what you mean by 'is about the techniques much more than the sutras', if you could.

Hi Silver,

The following thread is a post from a book about the Dzogchen Practice of Contemplation.

It is a meditation practice that evolves from a sitting practice to a state of being.

Hope you enjoy.

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...=contemplation