Who wants to discuss about Buddhism

[tonychat]

How much do you know about Buddhism?

 

[Clone]

To me, it's about observing oneself - 观自在.

 

[tonychat]

To me, it's about observing oneself - 观自在.

What do you mean by that?

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

How much do you know about Buddhism?

i know very little but i understand this paragraph i read..........


before i know Emptiness............i see mountains as mountains ..............and rivers as rivers.............

after i know Emptiness............i see mountains not as mountains..............and rivers not as rivers...............

after i understand Emptiness...............i once again see mountains as mountains.............and rivers as rivers...........

 

[kryonlight]

The historical Buddha ate meat.

 

[presssomemore]

I have some questions...

1) What will happen if everybody attained enlightenment and break free from the rebirth cycle? There will be no more humans and animals on earth?

2) Is karma a Buddhism believe? (if it is, go to question 3)

3) If today I killed a cockroach, the cockroach must have done some misdeed in its previous life thats why in this life it is fated to be killed by me. So how can I be in the wrong?

 

[zeebjii]

3) If today I killed a cockroach, the cockroach must have done some misdeed in its previous life thats why in this life it is fated to be killed by me. So how can I be in the wrong?

I reckon this question is as unanswerable as 'who created god?' is to christians.

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

The historical Buddha ate meat.

the buddha never force anyone to be vegans...........his disciples are to eat what people give them without any preference......

disciples are told not to eat meat if they knew beforehand the meat was specially prepared for them........

monks in Tibet have to eat meat becoz vegetables are not plentiful in their climate............

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

I have some questions...

1) What will happen if everybody attained enlightenment and break free from the rebirth cycle? There will be no more humans and animals on earth?

2) Is karma a Buddhism believe? (if it is, go to question 3)

3) If today I killed a cockroach, the cockroach must have done some misdeed in its previous life thats why in this life it is fated to be killed by me. So how can I be in the wrong?

1) there are countless number of universes out there.....there are countless number of living beings just on earth.....you think it's possible that all living beings can attain enlightenment at same time ?..................there are even more living beings on other planets, galaxies and universes............


2) karma is cause and effect like gravity...................not some buddhist invention.......


3) good or bad karma will come when conditions are right...............the cockroach could be run over by a vehicle as accident..............when you intentionally choose to kill it....................you accumulate negative karma.............

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

I reckon this question is as unanswerable as 'who created god?' is to christians.

the christians should be asking if god has thoughts...............

if god has thoughts, then how are thoughts created................and created by whom ?

if his thoughts are created not by him....................then god is not god...................

you certainly can't create your own thoughts....................



and god certainly have thoughts since the joker needed 7 days to create earth...............and still made the mistake of creating plants before the sun.......

 

[zeebjii]

1)

3) good or bad karma will come when conditions are right...............the cockroach could be run over by a vehicle as accident..............when you intentionally choose to kill it....................you accumulate negative karma.............

You misinterpret the question: Let me use another example.

My mother is old and frail. Looking after here is a burden, so i bring her to the mountains to die.

My son see me doing this, and this is what he will do to me in future.

My question is: Why did i do what i did? Did karma force me to do it, since it is predestined by my mum's bad karma that she would be left to die alone in the mountains? So why was i so suay suay 'selected' to do the dirty work?

So if my karma is for me to be forsaken by my own son, who will be programmed to to the evil deed, why must he try to be a good person anyway (if he has free will, which doesnt seem the case in karma theory) , if he is the eventually abandon me and accumulate bad karma?

So if there is indeed karma (as defined in buddhism) at work, they every single one of us is like a robot with no free will to take our own actions, since every action and deed we do with have a chain effect on everyone else.

The karma theory ignores that fact that our every deed have repurcussions and a chain reaction effect to those around us.

I am not good with words, and the point im trying to make needs many many words which i am incaple to express well, but still i hope you get my point.

 

[Agoraphobic]

How much do you know about Buddhism?

Not much, but I know that Buddha was keling.

Cheers!

 

[presssomemore]

You misinterpret the question: Let me use another example.

My mother is old and frail. Looking after here is a burden, so i bring her to the mountains to die.

My son see me doing this, and this is what he will do to me in future.

My question is: Why did i do what i did? Did karma force me to do it, since it is predestined by my mum's bad karma that she would be left to die alone in the mountains? So why was i so suay suay 'selected' to do the dirty work?

So if my karma is for me to be forsaken by my own son, who will be programmed to to the evil deed, why must he try to be a good person anyway (if he has free will, which doesnt seem the case in karma theory) , if he is the eventually abandon me and accumulate bad karma?

So if there is indeed karma (as defined in buddhism) at work, they every single one of us is like a robot with no free will to take our own actions, since every action and deed we do with have a chain effect on everyone else.

The karma theory ignores that fact that our every deed have repurcussions and a chain reaction effect to those around us.

I am not good with words, and the point im trying to make needs many many words which i am incaple to express well, but still i hope you get my point.

Thanks zeebjii. Your example is better.

 

[kryonlight]

1) What will happen if everybody attained enlightenment and break free from the rebirth cycle? There will be no more humans and animals on earth?

If everybody (including all extraterrestrial life forms) attained enlightenment, then the universe or universes would cease to exist.

This comes from my belief that consciousness is NOT an emergent property of materiality.

Consider the newest proposed principle of quantum physics: If a measurement yields no information, then the system being measured has not been disturbed.

Conversely, if a measurement yields information, then the system being measured has been disturbed. What is information, other than something that is cognizable by consciousness. A rock doesn't recognize or understand what is information. Consciousness is thus the cause for the collapse of the quantum wave function (system being disturbed).

A universe without consciousness simply doesn't exist. Nothing ever collapses. Nothing ever materializes. Everything is in limbo in the primordial quantum ocean of infinite possibilities.

In Theravada Buddhism, enlightenment is defined as the "going out" (like a burning flame) of the five clinging aggregates, one of which is consciousness.

2) Is karma a Buddhism believe? (if it is, go to question 3)
3) If today I killed a cockroach, the cockroach must have done some misdeed in its previous life thats why in this life it is fated to be killed by me. So how can I be in the wrong?

There are two types of kamma: active and passive.

Active kamma as I understand it is how thoughts/emotions, words and deeds can alter your DNA, which is passive kamma. I believe that DNA is quantum in nature, and the link between two lives is through entangled DNA at the moment of death, either partially or wholly.

And so, your killing of the cockroach is not because of the past kamma of that cockroach. It wasn't fated to be killed by you. The fact that the cockroach had a shortened life is not due to its kamma, but by random chance. The cockroach could have enjoyed a long life as programmed by past kamma in its DNA if it had not met you or other unfortunate random chance events.

And so, are you in the wrong for killing the cockroach? Yes, definitely, even if the cockroach has a short life as programmed by past kamma in its DNA.

 

[presssomemore]

I reckon this question is as unanswerable as 'who created god?' is to christians.

I guess they will say nobody create God, he's always there.

I think my christian friend ever told me, God felt lonely that's why he create humans. The thing is, why doesn't God create perfect human? Why not create humans who are holy and readily believe in him. Why must go thru so much trouble to put humans on earth for quality test before joining him in heaven? Why create humans born with sins? Why until today he's still creating humans? (since Christians believe that when you die, you either go to heaven or hell, God must be still creating humans because there are still new born babies everyday) I mean, how many children does he really need?

So Buddhist believe in rebirth and karma. But the cycle must start from somewhere or something, right? Since Buddhist does not believe in a creator, so when or what does it all begin from?

But if we put these 2 believes together, they might just explain some of the things...
First there was a creator, a God. He created humans and animals. And when we die, we will be reborn back to earth. If we had done some bad things, we will reborn with sins in the next life and have to repay or repent our sins. Those who had fully repay or repent his sins, he will attain enlightenment and go to heaven and join God.

But this still does not explain why the earth population is still increasing. :(

 

[presssomemore]

@kryonlight,
first of all, if these are your own words, I really kaw tow to you. Very got the substance. I have to read your post 3 times to digest them. :*:

1) "...enlightenment is defined as the "going out" (like a burning flame) of the five clinging aggregates, one of which is consciousness."

So what does one become or where does one go when he attain enlightenment? Since A universe without consciousness simply doesn't exist. ?


2) I thought karma will cause how someone will suffer in the next life? Like if I always kill cockroaches, I will become a cockroach in the next life and be killed by somebody else... or something along the same line. No?

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

You misinterpret the question: Let me use another example.

My mother is old and frail. Looking after here is a burden, so i bring her to the mountains to die.

My son see me doing this, and this is what he will do to me in future.

My question is: Why did i do what i did? Did karma force me to do it, since it is predestined by my mum's bad karma that she would be left to die alone in the mountains? So why was i so suay suay 'selected' to do the dirty work?

So if my karma is for me to be forsaken by my own son, who will be programmed to to the evil deed, why must he try to be a good person anyway (if he has free will, which doesnt seem the case in karma theory) , if he is the eventually abandon me and accumulate bad karma?

So if there is indeed karma (as defined in buddhism) at work, they every single one of us is like a robot with no free will to take our own actions, since every action and deed we do with have a chain effect on everyone else.

The karma theory ignores that fact that our every deed have repurcussions and a chain reaction effect to those around us.

I am not good with words, and the point im trying to make needs many many words which i am incaple to express well, but still i hope you get my point.

doing what to others is your choice and intention since you're not an insect that's running on instincts......

 

[kryonlight]

@kryonlight, first of all, if these are your own words

Yes, my own.

So what does one become or where does one go when he attain enlightenment? Since A universe without consciousness simply doesn't exist. ?

This is a classical question that had been addressed by the historical Buddha more than two thousand years ago.

A burning flame, having used up its sustenance of fuel, simply "goes out". It doesn't become anything or go any where.

You are making certain assumptions that you may realize are not true when carefully inspected and analyzed.

What is a "being", other than the five clinging aggregates of bodily form, perception, feeling, thinking and consciousness?

Enlightenment is the irrevocable cessation of being a "being", which is always bound up in the conceit 'I am'.

I thought karma will cause how someone will suffer in the next life? Like if I always kill cockroaches, I will become a cockroach in the next life and be killed by somebody else... or something along the same line. No?

No, taking lives merely results in having a shorter life being programmed into the DNA. Having shorter telomeres in your DNA is a good indication that you are going to have a shorter life, whether human or animal.

Killing lots of cockroaches is no guarantee that you will be reborn a cockroach. If that were so, I would be killing lots of humans today.

 

[presssomemore]

So if one attained enlightenment, he'll just become nothing after he dies?
Not go to heaven? Some Buddhist got talk about heaven leh.

 

[presssomemore]

How many Buddha are there?