Buddhism — path to enlightenment or just more bullshit?

[drifter]

You see, I hear the argument all the time that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion. Hell, who hasn’t heard that argument. The problem I am having, however, is the more I read about Buddhism, the more respect I gain for it. But I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around the Four Noble Truths. That’s right, people. These tenants are nothing more than spiritual bullshit meant to twist the brains of followers to a Buddhist vision of perfection. A vision which is, dare I say, contrary to evolution.
Buddhism may very well be ahead of its time, but in today’s society the fundamental basics ask man to avoid his most basic evolutionary function–desire. It’s what made man man. Without the constant pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and stuff; Homo erectus would heave perished in the African Plains. In today’s society, we’ve held a magnifying glass to that desire.

 

[drifter]

Life means suffering:

What? Did I miss something here? Who really suffers today? Like Christianity, this Buddhist principle is best applied to those who lived hundreds of years ago. It certainly isn’t something that fits as well today. Granted, life blows chunks at times. You can’t escape the fact that some nut job is going to do a celebration stomp on your heart at some point in your life. Most of us will deal with some financial issues. We might even get struck by lightning once or twice, but we cannot define life as suffering.
If I told you, “Life means bliss,” you’d look at me like I was an idiot. Why then, are we so willing to equate life with suffering? Simple answer. We are the most whiny, pessimistic beings on planet earth. We love to complain about everything. How often did Homo erectus sit around grunting about being depressed? Never! He picked up a spear, chased down a Water Buffalo, and stabbed it in the throat. But homo sapien ain’t homo erectus. While deer, bears, and rabbits have developed an instinctual fear of gunshots, homo sapien has developed an irrational fear of stock market decline and expiration dates of milk. We were no different 2,500 years ago. Sometime during the rise of civilization, the problems which used to make survival the most difficult tasks on earth became so easy to overcome that man was able to do less important things–like create religion. It’s tough to argue that Buddhism isn’t a religion when the beginning of it’s most fundamental belief structure draws you in the same as any other religion…by telling you your life sucks.

 

[drifter]

The Origin of Suffering is Attachment:

This principle is definitely right, but the idea that attachment will always lead to suffering is the same as saying all babies are cute. Some of them are, but some of them are the ugliest damn things you’ll ever see. I’m pretty attached to a lot of things. This attachment brings me great joy. My work make me happy, my car makes me happy, my house make me happy , and this site makes me happy....Ect .All three will cease to exist, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to suffer because of it. You may classify it as suffering, but the loss will be short-term when considering the length of my life. I was pretty sad when my grandfather died. He was a huge part of my life. Today, I don’t even think of him that often. If i have kids and my kids don’t last longer than I do, I’ll be devastated, but my life will go on. The basic idea of this truth is repeated in a different form today " money can’t buy happiness.” Bullshit. Yes it can. Anyone who tells you money can’t buy happiness has never slept under bridge.
Again, I can make the opposite argument. The origin of joy is attachment. Who can argue with that? Meeting someone and falling in love is attachment. Having children creates attachment (dumpster babies excluded). Both of these are good things which may lead to suffering, but never attempting to gain anything and avoiding all attachment will only lead to more suffering. Not to mention, if Buddhists aren’t trying to attain anything, what was the point of Quang Duc lighting himself on fire in South Vietnam? You don’t burn to death to make a statement about nothing. Perhaps he was attached to something after all. If that’s the case, what a stupid way to die.

 

[drifter]

The Path to the Cessation of Suffering :

This refers to the “Eight-fold Path” which can help eliminate suffering. The basic idea here is to end suffering, one must give up there desire for things. This truth is another which is contrary to human nature. I could argue the exact opposite. Why does capitalism do so well? Because human beings discovered long ago that plenty of happiness comes from getting their hands on more stuff. And how are we supposed to give up our desire for things? There’s only one way to do it of course–by following the Buddhist way. In the end, that’s what religion is all about–telling you their way is supreme.
Buddhism is the supreme way , no way is right but Buddhism. The idea here is exactly like Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism–you are evil and need to follow these religious principles in order to escape your natural evils. If Buddhism isn’t a religion, baseball isn’t a sport. The very idea of enlightenment is religious in nature. Enlightenment is understanding which comes from something higher. If there is nothing up above, we can never really achieve enlightenment. We may achieve greater knowledge or understanding, but not enlightenment. Following the Four Noble Truths might provide happiness for some. It will provide misery for others. In the end though, I’ll just have to conclude that it’s a stupid way to live your life. For me, bettering myself is attained through hard work and the pursuit of desire , not through sitting around trying to forget that I want things.

 

[drifter]

Although, monks do look cool to me with all that orange or yellow and the bald-headed thing. I still think that they are full of craps when they speak ..

 

[drifter]

Is that precisely what buddhism is? Another damned way to control people, just like other theistic religions but with a better disguise?

 

[zeebjii]

You see, I hear the argument all the time that Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion. Hell, who hasn’t heard that argument. The problem I am having, however, is the more I read about Buddhism, the more respect I gain for it. But I cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around the Four Noble Truths. That’s right, people. These tenants are nothing more than spiritual bullshit meant to twist the brains of followers to a Buddhist vision of perfection. A vision which is, dare I say, contrary to evolution.
Buddhism may very well be ahead of its time, but in today’s society the fundamental basics ask man to avoid his most basic evolutionary function–desire. It’s what made man man. Without the constant pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and stuff; Homo erectus would heave perished in the African Plains. In today’s society, we’ve held a magnifying glass to that desire.

I feel the religion most suited for all ages is taoism. Buddhism's ultimate aim is to break the cycle of rebirth. Christians want eternal life in heaven with their god after they die. Taoism teaches you that you have only one life, you must live in the present and make full use of it your time on earth. i particularly like the emphasis on living in harmony with nature, at the rate we humans are destroying mother earth, this tenet is something good to to live by.

 

[drifter]

I feel the religion most suited for all ages is taoism. Buddhism's ultimate aim is to break the cycle of rebirth. Christians want eternal life in heaven with their god after they die. Taoism teaches you that you have only one life, you must live in the present and make full use of it your time on earth. i particularly like the emphasis on living in harmony with nature, at the rate we humans are destroying mother earth, this tenet is something good to to live by.

Taoism never teaches you that you have only one life .. Taoism also have hell as a punishment all religion got this smart tactics to convince ppl there's life after death to scare u and to control you . Guess many ppl still cannot face the facts that there's no life after death ... Maybe they scare to lose everything

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

I feel the religion most suited for all ages is taoism. Buddhism's ultimate aim is to break the cycle of rebirth. Christians want eternal life in heaven with their god after they die. Taoism teaches you that you have only one life, you must live in the present and make full use of it your time on earth. i particularly like the emphasis on living in harmony with nature, at the rate we humans are destroying mother earth, this tenet is something good to to live by.

breaking free from the cycle of death and rebirth and end suffering for good..............Buddhism is telling you the true nature of reality.


why is life suffering ?..........

when you don't have what you want = you suffer..........when you have what you want and you're afraid of losing it = you suffer...............when the thing finally breaks down or you die 1st = you suffer...........becoz nothing is permanent.........to desire for things that are impermanent is pointless



attachment only bring suffering for the same reasons above.............when you have what you want and then loses it or if a loved one were to die...........or you're so attached to life and later you're about to die...............it's suffering..........

 

[drifter]

breaking free from the cycle of death and rebirth and end suffering for good..............Buddhism is telling you the true nature of reality.


why is life suffering ?..........

when you don't have what you want = you suffer..........when you have what you want and you're afraid of losing it = you suffer...............when the thing finally breaks down or you die 1st = you suffer...........becoz nothing is permanent.........to desire for things that are impermanent is pointless



attachment only bring suffering for the same reasons above.............when you have what you want and then loses it or if a loved one were to die...........or you're so attached to life and later you're about to die...............it's suffering..........

"when you don't have what you want = you suffer..........when you have what you want and you're afraid of losing it = you suffer...............when the thing finally breaks down or you die 1st = you suffer...........becoz nothing is permanent.........to desire for things that are impermanent is pointless"


Life means suffering:

What? Did I miss something here? Who really suffers today? Like Christianity, this Buddhist principle is best applied to those who lived hundreds of years ago. It certainly isn’t something that fits as well today. Granted, life blows chunks at times. You can’t escape the fact that some nut job is going to do a celebration stomp on your heart at some point in your life. Most of us will deal with some financial issues. We might even get struck by lightning once or twice, but we cannot define life as suffering.
If I told you, “Life means bliss,” you’d look at me like I was an idiot. Why then, are we so willing to equate life with suffering? Simple answer. We are the most whiny, pessimistic beings on planet earth. We love to complain about everything. How often did Homo erectus sit around grunting about being depressed? Never! He picked up a spear, chased down a Water Buffalo, and stabbed it in the throat. But homo sapien ain’t homo erectus. While deer, bears, and rabbits have developed an instinctual fear of gunshots, homo sapien has developed an irrational fear of stock market decline and expiration dates of milk. We were no different 2,500 years ago. Sometime during the rise of civilization, the problems which used to make survival the most difficult tasks on earth became so easy to overcome that man was able to do less important things–like create religion. It’s tough to argue that Buddhism isn’t a religion when the beginning of it’s most fundamental belief structure draws you in the same as any other religion…by telling you your life sucks.


attachment only bring suffering for the same reasons above.............when you have what you want and then loses it or if a loved one were to die...........or you're so attached to life and later you're about to die...............it's suffering..........


I thought Buddists also attach to having the concept of wanting to follow buddha teaching ? That is kind of attachment too . Since everything on earth is just illusion according to Buddha so the teaching also illusion too . If the teaching is illusion , then why attach to it ?

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

suffering = dissatisfaction...............you will always have a nagging dissatisfaction about your life..........that's why you desire to have this and that...........and once you have what you want, soon you want something else...............never ending.........


the Buddha also said people ought not to be attached to his teachings becoz in truth, there are no teachings............best explained when he told his disciples that the words and phrases he used to explain things are like a raft used to cross a river............once crossed over, the raft should be left behind.........

 

[drifter]

suffering = dissatisfaction...............you will always have a nagging dissatisfaction about your life..........that's why you desire to have this and that...........and once you have what you want, soon you want something else...............never ending.........


the Buddha also said people ought not to be attached to his teachings becoz in truth, there are no teachings............best explained when he told his disciples that the words and phrases he used to explain things are like a raft used to cross a river............once crossed over, the raft should be left behind.........

" suffering = dissatisfaction...............you will always have a nagging dissatisfaction about your life..........that's why you desire to have this and that...........and once you have what you want, soon you want something else...............never ending........."

Bro , we are human and human love to upgrade themselves and easy dissatisfaction ( its perfectly normal ) . Why ? Because we are differnt from animals .... And because of that human become the top of food chain . Because of dissatisfaction that make us improve ourself . Why must buddha go against nature ? by the way , dissatisfaction does not mean suffering .


" the Buddha also said people ought not to be attached to his teachings becoz in truth, there are no teachings............best explained when he told his disciples that the words and phrases he used to explain things are like a raft used to cross a river............once crossed over, the raft should be left behind........."

This one confirm talk cock Liao .. Because is there's no teaching .. Why so many rules and set of behaviour which u must follow to reach enlightenment .. If there's no teaching the. It also means there's no enlightenment too .. Buddha really trying to confuse ppl . Buddhisum really is another religion but in a different packaging .

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

precisely, Buddha have said there's no such thing as Enlightenment to attain...........these ''labels'' are made by man.........just like the guy who invented the chair could have called it a table.............

the rules are to prevent creating bad karma, to discipline the mind, etc........

like i said, when you don't understand Emptiness, you won't understand what i just posted..............you can try reading up Emptiness at wikipedia, the articles there are quite good on this topics.......

 

[drifter]

precisely, Buddha have said there's no such thing as Enlightenment to attain...........these ''labels'' are made by man.........just like the guy who invented the chair could have called it a table.............

the rules are to prevent creating bad karma, to discipline the mind, etc........

like i said, when you don't understand Emptiness, you won't understand what i just posted..............you can try reading up Emptiness at wikipedia, the articles there are quite good on this topics.......

How to have a bad karma when everything is just illusion .. Including doing bad things .

Thankyou .. I will find out more on emptiness .