Are you afraid to die?

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Blake


That's an easy one, I'm not pretentious enough to say I'm a Buddhist.

Although if you define Buddhist as loosely as "one who follows the teachings of Buddha" then I am a Buddhist. But my religion is not Buddhism - I am nonreligious.

In short, I'm not that interested in the superstitions and political baggage accumulated over thousands of years by the Buddhist religions/sects (which may well actually make me a "better" Buddhist than many Buddhists but I wont make that call).

You do realize that that sounds more pretentious than just saying you're a Buddhist.

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Hmmmm.......... You know, thanks to modern medicine there are a number of people who claim to have been to heaven and to have returned. Funny though that no one ever claims to have gone to hell and returned.

This is a stimulating thought.
WHAT IF, a person had a near death experience, and saw Hell? Would it change them for the better, or just change them into a total havering idiot?

[Blake]

Originally posted by DaShi


You do realize that that sounds more pretentious than just saying you're a Buddhist.

Sure. I like sounding pretentious. But to most people understanding of Buddhism, if I were to say I were a Buddhist, it would be pretentious because superficially (And most people have only a very superficial understanding of Buddhism) I do not look or act like a Buddhist.

If I shave my head renounce my worldly possessions and wear a robe then I'd happily call myself a Buddhist, or if I start engaging in kooky rituals and adorn my adobe with buddhist idols then I could also call myself a Buddhist (even though the latter is horribly pseudo-Buddhist).

[Blake]

Originally posted by Lorizael


Interesting. I had similar encounters with Buddhism.

The logic behind the philosophy of Buddhism really resonates with me, but when I started reading about all of the magical mystical stuff that went along with it... well... it all just sort of seemed tacked on and artificial.

That said, the parts about reincarnation and karma didn't really resonate with me either.

You don't have to accept a single part of Buddhism. There is no dogma, you can reject any rule. You can and should question everything. THAT is the path to enlightenment, not blindly accepting "teachings".


Enlightenment
"Nasrudin, did any of your students ever became enlightened?"
"Sure. many of them"
"How can you tell?"
"Easy. They stopped following me or anyone else, do not talk ceaselessly about 'teachers', 'teachings', 'spirituality' and other such matters, and they go on with their lives free from fears and pretences.




I have a theory that much of the superstitions and such of the Buddhist religions came about precisely because the "Question everything" attitude is SO HARD, people like authority and don't like thinking for themselves. So what to do? Obfuscate, give people things to do which make them feel like they're doing something, rituals, superstitions, idols.
That's just my theory.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
As for the source it comes from one of my favourite books.

CS. Lewis' Mere Christianity, but I am sure that it does not originate with him.

It is true that most knowledge any one individual has is taken solely on authority. But the question is, how did the teacher earn that authority, what is its source. Any individual, if they wish to spend their life doing so, can become an authority about empirical knowledge by devoting their life to it, by examining with their own senses, their own being, all the evidence. Will most people do it? No. But a few do, and anyone who trully wanted to could do so as well.

This is impossible with revealed nowledge.

So let me ask Ben of Nikolai, if a man tommorrow came and told you they spoke to God regularly, that they knew His will, would you believe them? Why? or why not? Would you have any valid reason to discount their claim, or any reason to believe it?

[Lorizael]

Yeah. Well. Instead I invented my own completely different philosophy.

...

re: afraid to die. I am terrified of change and the unknown, so naturally, death takes the cake as far as my fears go. Not terribly healthy or enlightened, but, well... yep.

[Nikolai]

GePap: Not from his word alone. If what he told fit in with what the Bible teach, and he didn't claim absolute authority or something, perhaps. But then again, it depends on what you think of when you say he talks to God regulary. Prayer is talking to God, visions and prophecy can be said to be it, but talking with easily sounds like a situation of a man who needs medication. Lastly, I believe God would help me in such a situation. How, it's impossible to know before he does so.