無得頂, before I attempt to go any further, I realized the first step I must do is probably explain what Buddhism is about. I realized I have jumped to class #2 with the concept of reincarnation itself, but let us now go a step back and understand what Buddhism is in the first place. Again, I stress that Buddhism is NOT a religion. It is merely, a Way Of Life. The Four Noble Truths are there to GUIDE us. But they are in no way, a set of RULES which we must obey in order to attain our goal which is Nirvana. So let me lay out the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Paths, and tell you about the Middle Way, before I come to address your statement. This may also be of interest to anyone of you out there claiming to be a Buddhist and yet is not aware of what Buddhism is about. Again, I stress that Buddhism is not a religion. Because whilst other religions are more on praying to a God; Buddhism is all about self spiritual advancement. Buddha, as I have said, is NOT a God. Neither does Buddhism actually calls on the Buddhists to do any rituals or prayers. Most of the Buddhists have deified Buddha, said to have lived about 500 or 600 B.C; because they needed to have a 'Divine Being' to look up to; just as the Christians have their Jesus to worship and the Muslims worship Allah. Although Buddha's very existence ended in Nirvana, and He was thus completely annihilated about 2,400 years ago, Buddhists still offer a kind of prayer to Him as "the Venerable of the World"! Indeed, the central object in every Buddhist temple is an image of Buddha, where fruit, flowers, and incense are daily offered. Thus, I look at it this way. The practice of worshipping Buddha and other images of 'Gods' such as the Goddest of Mercy; are merely an act for me to pay respect to those who have attained Nirvana and passed on to another plane of existence. I look at the act of worship as a Buddhist's culture; not by all means, a religious act. Therefore, since I have been taught the culture and following it since I was young, I continue doing so. The Buddhism scriptures itself however, does teach one prayers to one's Overself; and those prayers can be likened to Christians' and Muslims' prayers to God.
FIRST NOBLE TRUTH "Birth is suffering," said the Buddha. A baby is born to its mother, causing pain to its mother and pain to the baby, only through pain can one be born to this Earth, and the act of being born causes pain and suffering to others. Decay is suffering; as man gets older and his body cells are not able to replenish along the familiar pattern, decay sets in, organs no longer function correctly, change takes place, and there is suffering. One cannot grow old without suffering. Illness is suffering; with the failure of an organ to operate correctly there is pain, suffering, as the organ compels the body to readjust to the new condition. Wherefore it is that illness causes pain and suffering. Death is the end of illness; death causes suffering, not the act of dying itself; but the conditions, which bring about death, are in themselves painful. Suffering is caused by presence of objects, which we hate. We are kept in tension, in frustration, by the presence of those we dislike. We are made unhappy by the separation of objects we love; when we are parted from a dear one, perhaps with no knowledge of when we are going to be with that person again, then we suffer pain, we suffer frustration, wherefore we are unhappy. To desire, and not obtain that which we desire, that is the cause of suffering, that is the cause of loss of happiness, the cause of misery. Wherefore it is that as we desire and we do not obtain, then instead we suffer and are unhappy. Death only brings peace; death only brings release from suffering. Wherefore it is clear that clinging to existence is clinging to suffering, clinging to existence is that which makes us unhappy. The Buddha was not pessimistic, but realistic. Gautama realized that until one can accept facts one cannot banish suffering. Until one can understand why there is suffering one cannot progress along the Middle Way. Note that, Gautama at no time states EVERYTHING is suffering. He said that everything holds the POSSIBILITY of suffering, from which it is clear that every incident of life can result in pain or discomfort or disharmony. Gautama had the belief that suffering, pain, went far beyond mere physical suffering, mere physical pain. He emphasized at all times that the sufferings of the mind through dysfunction of the emotions was a greater suffering, a greater disharmony, than any mere physical pain or unhappiness could cause. Gautama taught, “If I am unhappy, it is because I am not living happily, because I am not living in harmony with nature. If I am not living harmoniously it is because I have not learned to accept the world as it is, with all its disadvantages and POSSIBILITIES of suffering. I can only attain happiness by realizing the causes of unhappiness and avoiding those causes.”
SECOND NOBLE TRUTH It is the craving thirst that causes renewal of becomings; the craving thirst is accompanied by sensual delights and seeks satisfaction now here, now there. It takes the form of craving for the gratification of the senses, or craving for prosperity and worldly possessions. As we were taught, suffering follows something, which we have done wrongly, it is the result of a wrong attitude towards the rest of the world. The world itself is not a bad place, but some of the people in it make it appear bad, and it is our own attitude, our own faults, which make the world seem so bad. Everyone has desires, or cravings, or lusts, which make one do things, which in a more balanced mood, when free from such cravings and lusts, one would not do. The Great Teaching of the Buddha was that he who craves cannot be free, and a person who is not free cannot be happy. Therefore, to overcome craving is to take a big step towards happiness. Gautama taught that every person has to find happiness for himself. He said that there is a happiness that does not give contentment, it is merely a transient thing and it is the type of happiness which a person obtains when he or she wants change always, always want to flit around seeing fresh sights, meeting fresh people. That is transient happiness. The true happiness is that which gives one deep contentment, gives one’s soul release from dissatisfaction. Gautama said, “When in following after happiness I have perceived bad qualities develop, and good qualities were diminished, then that kind of happiness is to be avoided. When following after happiness I have perceived that bad qualities were diminished and good qualities developed; such happiness is to be followed.” We then, have to stop chasing about after the idle things of the flesh, the things which do not endure into the next world, we have to stop trying to satisfy cravings which grow the more we feed them, and, instead, we have to think what are we really looking for, how shall we find it? We have to think of the nature of our cravings, the cause of our cravings, and having known the cause of our cravings, and then we can seek to remove that cause.
THIRD NOBLE TRUTH As Gautama taught, when one ceases to crave for a thing then one ceases to have suffering connected with that thing; suffering ceases with the complete cessation of cravings. A person who has cravings usually has cravings for another person’s goods, he becomes covetous- he covets that possessed by another, he becomes infatuated with the possessions of another, and when he cannot have those things, resentment sets in and the person dislikes the owner of the coveted goods. That gives rise to frustration, anger and pain. If one covets a thing, which one cannot have, then there is unhappiness. Actions arising from cravings lead to happiness. Happiness is gained when one ceases to crave, when one takes life as it comes, the good with the bad.
FOURTH NOBLE TRUTH Holy Eightfold Path: 1) Right Viewpoint: As Gautama taught, one must have the right viewpoint on unhappiness. A person who feels miserable or unhappy must find out precisely why he is miserable, or unhappy, he must investigate himself and find out what is the cause of this unhappiness. When a person has discovered for himself that which is causing unhappiness, then that person can do something about it to obtain the fourth of the Four Noble Truths, which is – How can I find happiness? ‘Before we can proceed upon life’s journey with a tranquil mind and with a hope that we shall lead life as life is meant to be led, we must know what are our objectives. Which brings us to step 2 of the Holy Eightfold Path: 2) Right Aspiration: Everyone ‘aspires’ after something; it may be mental, physical, or spiritual gain. It may be to help others; it may be only to help ourselves. But unfortunately, humans are in very much of a mess, they are undirected, confused, unable to perceive that which they should perceive. We have to strip away all the false values, false words, and to see clearly that which we are, and that which we should be, as well as that which we desire. We must renounce false values, which obviously lead us to unhappiness. Most people only think of, “I”, “Me”, and “Mine”. Most people are too self-centered; they care not at all for the rights of others. It is essential that we look at ourselves as an object to be studied, look at ourselves as we look at some strangers; do you like the stranger? Would you like him/her to be your close friend? How would you like to live with him/her for a lifetime, eating with him/her, breathing with him/her, sleeping with him/her? You have to have the right aspirations before you can make a success of life, and from this right aspiration, it follows that you must have: 3) Right Speech: This means that a person must control his speech, must not speak idle SLANDER, and must not deal with rumor as if rumor were fact. With right speech, one should always give the other person the benefit of the doubt, and should withhold speech when speech can harm another, giving speech when speech is good, when speech can help. Speech can be more deadly that the sword, speech can be more poisonous that the most venomous poison. Speech can destroy a nation. “The pen is mightier than the sword”. Thus, one must have right speech, and right speech arises through: 4) Right Behavior: If one behaves in the correct way, one does not speak in an incorrect way. Thus, right behavior contributes materially to right speech and right aspirations. ‘Right behavior means that a person does not tell lies, does not drink intoxicants, does not steal’. Gautama taught that we are the result of our own thoughts. What we are now is that which our thoughts have caused us to be in the past. So if we think right now, if we behave right now, we will be ‘right’ at some near future occasion. Gautama stated, “Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time, hatred can only be conquered by love.” “Let a man overcome the anger of another by love, let him overcome evil of another by his own good.” Gautama said, “If someone curses you, you must suppress all resentment and make firm determination that your mind shall not be disturbed, and no angry word shall cross your lips. You will remain kind and friendly and without spite.” Our Buddhist belief is of The Middle Way, a code of living, a code of doing others as one would have done to oneself. 5) Right Livelihood: According to the Teachings of Buddha, there were certain occupations, which were harmful to a man, certain occupations that could not be followed by a true Buddhist. For instance, a true Buddhist could not be a drug dealer, nor could he be a slave trader, slave owner or a prostitute. A Buddhist could not partake of nor distribute liquors. 6) Right Effort: Right effort has a special meaning; it means that one must proceed at one’s OWN MOST SUITABLE speed on the Holy Eightfold Path. A person who is seeking to progress should not be impatient and try to move too quickly before he has learned the lessons which are to be learned. But again, nor must that seeker try to hold back with false modesty, with false humility. A person can only progress at his own allotted speed. 7) Right Mindfulness: It is the mind of the Man that controls Man’s actions. The thought is father to the deed; if you think of a thing that is the first step to doing the thing, and some thoughts are very disharmonious. Physical desires might distract one and causes one harm. One might desire too much or too rich food; the desire does not give one the pain, but the overeating does. Unhappiness and pain develop from excessive eating, and follows the excessive desire to eat. A Buddhist must remember that feelings are short-lived, coming and going like the wind which changes at all times. Emotions are unstable things and cannot be relied upon. One must train oneself so that one has the right mindfulness at all times, irrespective of one’s transient desires. 8) Right Contemplation: As Gautama well knew, yoga was not by any means the answer to spiritual attainment. Yoga is merely a set of exercises, which are designed to enable the mind to control the physical body; they are designed to subjugate the body at the mind’s command. They are not designed to give one spiritual elevation. One has to control irrelevant thoughts of the mind; one has to know one’s own true needs. One could meditate- contemplate- so that without reasoning one could come to a conclusion by INTUITION as to what was right for oneself and what was wrong for oneself.
THE MIDDLE WAY The Middle Way: An Eastern Way of Life. It means that you do not have to be too bad, but on the other hand, you do not have to be too good. You have to be something in between. If you are too bad, the police will get you, if you are too good, then you will be a stuffed prig or you will be unable to stay upon this Earth, because it is a fact that even Great Entities who come to this sad world of ours have to take some form of disability, some quirk of character, so that while upon Earth, they are not perfect, for nothing perfect can exist upon this imperfect world. One does not try too hard; instead, try to do a thing naturally, within reason, within one’s own capacity. One does not have to go around offering slavish adherence to anything said by others. Use one’s COMMON SENSE; adapt a thing or a statement to suit oneself. Some may say, “This cloth is red”, but you might see it differently, to you, it might be pink or orange, your lighting may be different from their lighting, your sight may be different from theirs. The Middle Way is all about COMMON SENSE; it is the way of tolerance, the way of respecting the rights of others, and of getting your own rights respected. Reference: The Safron Robe by Dr. T. Lobsang Rampa
Now, 無得頂, I do hope after you read everything of the above, you get a clearer picture of what Buddhism is. More importantly; take a closer look at #8 of the Holy Eightfold Path, and the Middle Way. #8 - Right Contemplation: One has to control irrelevant thoughts of the mind; one has to know one’s own true needs. One could meditate- contemplate- so that without reasoning one could come to a conclusion by INTUITION as to what was right for oneself and what was wrong for oneself. and the Middle Way: The Middle Way is all about COMMON SENSE; it is the way of tolerance, the way of respecting the rights of others, and of getting your own rights respected. and finally, "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you". So Buddhism has no definition of what is technically right, or wrong. You are correct to say that there can be more than one way at how a person look at the situation, whether he did the right or wrong thing. However, bear in mind, that ultimately; at the end of the day, when you are in the Purgatory state and in the Hall of Memories afterwards, YOU and YOU alone are the judge. If you have indeed committed the 'bad' deed justificably, then it is in other words, NOT a BAD deed. Also, bear in mind that #8 of the Eightfold Path stated that you are to know by INTUITION and not by REASONING what was wrong/right for yourself. And in the Middle Way, to use COMMON SENSE. So in other words, no, Buddhism does not just have ONE CORRECT way of looking at things. It is all up to the person's circumstances when he/she committed that act. Look at it this way, if you are lying about something because you do not want to hurt a person's feelings, it is a white lie and common sense/intuition would tell you that the particular act of lying was not a WRONG one. On the other hand, to go further, for example, you are cheating on your wife and then you lied to your wife because you do not want to hurt her feelings, that act of cheating and lying are deemed WRONG because you consciously cheated on your wife and then you lied about it. Now let's say one rich fella donated some money to charity. But the purpose of him donating is to gain fame, and not because he wanted to do a good deed, or help. Then, when the time comes for him to judge himself, that charity act would not be of much help to him because he did it out of his own selfish reasons. To give another example, someone prays religiously day and night. But the purpose of him praying is just because he thought by that act of praying, he is going to Heaven. And not because he did it for the love of his own faith and out of his own heart. Then, again; that act of worship is not going to pull much weight for him. At the end of the day; the saying "It's the thought that counts" really is very accurate indeed, and also the circumstances which one committed that act. And all these are going to be judged by you alone when you are in the Hall of Memories.
I believe the above quote by myself sums it up about what Buddhism is. Again, it is NOT a religion. It is NOT a set of RULES to be followed. It is there to explain to you why we are indeed the way we are, why people are bornt unto this Earth, what is our ultimate goal and a GUIDELINE to achieve that. That is why when most of you ask, how are we to be 'judged' in the Hall of Memories and how to determine common sense and whatnot, the answer is not to be found in the scriptures. It is just to tell you of the existence of such a place, and not to give a technical definition of what is RIGHT and what is WRONG. Anyway, if the Buddhism were to have a list of what is RIGHT/WRONG; it would be a neverending list considering there are so many 'actions' that can be done by a human, right? If there were indeed a set of rules and a listing of right/wrongdoings; I would be very skeptical instead. You can choose your own Path that you are comfortable with. And if you call yourself a Buddhist, take a look at #6 of the Eightfold Path; ie Right Effort : "one must proceed at one’s OWN MOST SUITABLE speed on the Holy Eightfold Path" So one does not have to quit all his 'bad' habits all at once. You proceed at your own speed and when you are ready.
It seems that the Eightfold path is actually a set of rules. But whether one MUST follow those rules is another question. If a person wholeheartedly believes cheating and lying to his wife is "right," then is that really "right"? Probably not I think. Let's look at the example with the rich guy donating money to charity for fame. I am not sure if Babyrain intended that man's actions as good or bad. I think that act would be considered as neutral. No one likes to admit being wrong and everyone's intuition has some differences. If it is up to one's own reasoning to judge whether one is right or wrong, one will of course weasel their way out and come up with "excuses" or "forced explanations" to cover up the wrongness in one's actions.
Again, you seem to forget what I mean by 'judged' and the timing for you to judge yourself. There is this Purgatory stage; where it is a place where you shed some of your conceit, some of your illusions, and basically, where your mind will clear up. It is a place where you will be rid of all your 'toxins' and deceitful thinking. Then there is the Hall of Memories; where you will view ALL of your past lives and your current just ended life. When it comes to the timing of you judging yourself; you certainly would view things as a 'neutral' person, you would look at things DIFFERENTLY from where you thought of things in your current just ended life. You would think DIFFERENTLY having gained all the knowledge of your past lives and also being aware of how things work. Thus, the intuition I am talking here, comes into play when you are in the astral plane. It's true that when a man is cheating on his wife, he may view his action as a 'right' one (even though I seriously believe common sense would tell him it is 'wrong'). But it is when he has gone through the Purgatory stage and when he's thinking of that particular action in the Hall of Memories is where it would count. And of course, there is no harm in donating to charity. It's just that the act would not chalk you as much brownie points compared to if you donated out of sincerity.
Lol, from a self-proclaimed Buddhist eh, Dann? No problem, my pleasure to be of help... , if any. Feel free to add your thoughts.
self-proclaimed.... i didnt self proclaim... my parents, my grandparents.. my whole family proclaimed me to be -lol
wow...this is almost as interesting as the God dying for our sins thread. Did you know yesterday (depending on where you were in the world) was buddahs birthday? cool eh?
This is definately more elaborated than I've ever been thought at school during religions classes...(and I should have checked this forum on this thread before hehe) Thanks again BRain.
Lol no prob, Tax. But I just created it today anyway So what's the Devil doing in Buddhism thread? -evil
Well, even the devil can learn a thing or two...(how I can enhance the destructive effect on humankind) -evil
