From the article: Misunderstanding Buddhism
Buddhists want to get enlightened so they can be blissed out all the time. And they believe in reincarnation, and if something bad happens to you it's because of something you did in a past life. And Buddhists have to be vegetarians. Everybody knows that. Unfortunately, much of what "everybody knows" about Buddhism isn't true. What do you think are the most common things people believe about Buddhism that are not true? Have Your Say
buddhism
- I sit, I learn, I wait,Why do I sit, so that I may learn. What do I learn, That I will wait. For what do I wait. "Nothing", what is so hard about that. We complicate it. Its not that hard.
- —Guest rick
Happiness in truth? Buddhism is for you
- In every religion/philosophy it is common to find inaccurate "gaps" that cannot be reconciled or bridged with reality. Except in Buddhism. And no religion/philosophy has explained life & universe so accurately like Buddhism. Others are driven to seek refuge outside of self in God/s whereas Buddhism shows salvation is within & at your own command. No religion explains the mind and its working so precisely like Buddhism. (Supremacy of mind) Only Buddhism explains minutely how the thoughts happening in mind compels the body to do its commands. Buddhism explains how & why the power of our thought impacts the mind itself - may be fleetingly, temporarily, long time or permanently. Ever wonder how DNA is formed? How genetic patterns occur? Science is now in the process of finding answers for these, whereas Buddha showed reasons long long ago. Only, due to average man's inadequate knowledge about science then He had to stick to then known words. Buddhism is ahead of even science.
- —Guest Senaka
95% Philosophy 5% Religion
- As the title says, I have watched many videos of senseis and speakers from Theravadan, Mayhayana and most state them selves that Buddhism is not a religion or that it is mostly philosophy, a great speaker Ajahn Brahm from Western Australia puts it as "Buddhism is a religion only for tax purposes", the only part of Buddhism that fits the definition of religion is the part on rebirth and karma which is like 5% of the equation. I my self am a Buddhist and I barely consider it a religion my self, thus I like the phrase 95% philosophy 5% religion as I think it fits well!
- —Guest Ryan Farnham
Thank you
- Thank you for the information in the article, and thanks to all the people who commented. There is much insight and food for thought in these comments and multiple points of view. More insight than can be found in stacks of books, perhaps.
- —Guest Dead on Vacation
Einstein
- Here is a brief story that explains much about reality: http://library.thinkquest.org/22494/stories/Einstein.htm We understand only what we see, so to see more we must be willing to understand more, and vice versa. Fortunately that next item for understanding is always in front of us. Since we as God entire create the entirety we are also creating consciousness of our creation by that same action of seeing without rejection. Meditation is concious uncreation of the time stream, making seeing individual particles easier. There are other ways to do it, in fact simply seeing and understanding will work. The only unbreakable law here is you are you. All else is invention. My experience.
- —KevinJOsborne
reason of live
- In buddhist it is said that,we are on the earth coz we r given chance to nil our sin and enlightment ourself..as you may have think that it is easy? No..it is very guatum buddha himself take 5 year to take enlightment....if we cant enlight ourself we will be in the cycle of birth n death until getting enlightment.
- —Guest punk
buddism
- short&to the point,what do buddist believe in. God? reincarnation? this sort of thing. A baptist minister called them godless heatherns. I am married to a buddist lady.I know her family and other buddists in thailand. they are beautiful people, and I find this very offensive, but I don't know enough to put up an argument for the buddist people that I know and love! thanks, dan
- —Guest dan
Thankyou!
- Thankyou, that was very, very helpful as I have been confused about all these points. They are quite difficult to understand at first.
- —Guest Steve A-B
Buddhism is not nihilistic
- That nirvana is not "annihilation." That no-self doesn't mean you don't "exist." That emptiness does not mean "nothingness." That Buddhism is not pessimistic. That karma is not some kind of "cosmic vengeance." These seem to be the biggest misunderstandings of Buddhism (and yet they are perhaps the most crucial to understand anything about Buddhism!). I know my own misunderstandings of these things is what kept me from exploring Buddhism for many years.
- —Guest ~riverflow
rivrpath
- I wish everyone, including Buddhist, would reallize that Buddhism is not a religion.
- —Guest Judith
Essence of Buddha Dhamma
- Due to"That" there's "This". "That" precedes "This" and that's that, Remove "That" where's "This"? In an orderly, logical and scientific manner, the Buddha revealed the Eternal Law of Cause and Effect to Mankind. Our Mind is our greatest enemy causing us all these sufferings and yet our Mind can also become our one and only greatest friend and deliverer from our sufferings (Dukkha). Such is the paradox of Buddha Dhamma. Only through Proper Meditation (Bhavana) can we gain Tranquility (Samatha) and Insight (Vipassana) into our True and Eternal Nature. 'Strive on with Diligence" those were the last words of Gotama Buddha. May we all aspire and find our True Nature.
- —Guest Richard Tan (Dhammananda)
Buddha accepts reincarnation!!
- I have read in your articles that Buddhists may not believe in reincarnation. It is completely wrong. Buddha completely believed in reincarnation. He himself got reincarnated many times to save the people of Earth from suffering!
- —Guest ami
Please read original Buddhist texts
- All misunderstandings of Buddhism can easily be cleared up by reading the most ancient of Buddhist texts: the Pali sutta's. These text's are the very core of where all Buddhist belief and practice originated, and there is no argument from any Buddhist school on that point. The arguments begin with the interpretation of those texts, and the subsequent ideas based on those interpretations (like the 'telephone' game you may have played as a child). There are several decent english language translations of these original sutta's, most notably by the monk/scholar/translator Bikkhu Bodhi. But even the best translation will be colored by that translators pre-conceived ideas and opinions about the text being translated, which is why most Buddhist monks (who aren't lazy) learn the Pali language so they can read it for themselves. It's an easy language to learn, and the Pali sutta's are available in complete form on the internet for free. Do some homework, and discard all Buddhist hearsay
- —Guest DoYourHomework
nirvana
- It would be convenient if people could comprehend that nirvana does not mean "oblivion."
- —Guest wurman
No-self Difficult Concept
- Anatta or no-Self and Voidness are difficult concepts for most. Buddha gave one metaphor of taking a seed from one mango tree and growing another mango tree. He said one cannot say that the two trees are absolutely the same nor that they are absolutely different. He said that likewise one cannot say that the consciousness from the body of one lifetime to another is absolutely the same nor absolutely different. Buddha said there were twin delusions, the eternal self belief in some unchanging individual eternal self and the nihilist belief in nothing beyond death, nothing beyond the physical world. Its a mental process that continues from body to body not some unchanging individual soul. The bodies of the astral sense plane heavens and the higher Brahma heavens are also impermanent, not eternal freedom from the lower realms of suffering and not-Self. Those who tend towards the atheist side of agnosticism are reflecting a fear due to misuse of psychic powers in past lives.
- —txbodhi
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