What Is It With Atheists And Buddah

[Freed]

It's like a lot of them just swapped Jesus Christ for Buddah?

 

This is not me disrespecting them. I don't get it is all. I never cared one way or another about that dude. Lots of Atheists I know idolize him. Why??? 

[TABA]

I’m not an expert on Buddhism by any means but it certainly seems possible that somebody could be an atheist and a Buddhist both.  Keeping in mind that there are several “schools” of Buddhism, some of which incorporate supernatural concepts more than others.  And there is a growth in “Western” secular Buddhism that appeals to me as a “non-spiritual” type.  
 

If “idolize” means to treat as an infallible godlike figure, I wouldn’t recommend that.  If it means to hold in awe and respect, there are some historical figures who probably are worthy of that.
  

I can certainly see the appeal of aspects of Buddhism.   I don’t know much about the Buddha himself and am not that interested in him personally, to be honest, but there are ideas and practices that bear his name and which I think are worth taking on board.  

 

I don’t think it’s a good idea to revere any human - living or dead - as a deity, but there have been many thinkers and teachers who imparted wisdom that we can profit from.  Prompted by @freshstart, I’ve been reading the book “Why Buddhism is True”.  Despite the title, it’s not teaching a religion or supernatural beliefs.  It’s mostly about meditation, so far.

[midniterider]

10 hours ago, Freed said:

It's like a lot of them just swapped Jesus Christ for Buddah?

 

This is not me disrespecting them. I don't get it is all. I never cared one way or another about that dude. Lots of Atheists I know idolize him. Why??? 

 

Buddhism isnt really about worshiping the chubby little guy as a god. He just was enlightened one day and wrote about it and people ran with it. I'm sure RNP can more fully explain it. 

 

I like the more distilled Jnana Yoga, Zen, or Advaita, or non-duality, non-dual awareness, self-inquiry. 

 

[midniterider]

Can you find enlightenment through reason? Logic? 

 

 

[AntiChrist]

11 hours ago, Freed said:

It's like a lot of them just swapped Jesus Christ for Buddah?

 

This is not me disrespecting them. I don't get it is all. I never cared one way or another about that dude. Lots of Atheists I know idolize him. Why??? 

Yeah, what is with that?

[AntiChrist]

7 minutes ago, midniterider said:

Can you find enlightenment through reason? Logic? 

 

 

"That sounds like witch talk Lisa"

[AntiChrist]

46 minutes ago, midniterider said:

 

Buddhism isnt really about worshiping the chubby little guy as a god. He just was enlightened one day and wrote about it and people ran with it. I'm sure RNP can more fully explain it. 

 

I like the more distilled Jnana Yoga, Zen, or Advaita, or non-duality, non-dual awareness, self-inquiry. 

 

A light bulb moment has more value if you invent the light bulb.

[Freed]

Thanks for your replies. I was just curious is all. 

[Freed]

1 hour ago, AntiChrist said:

Yeah, what is with that?

I dunno. You tell me?

[Freed]

1 hour ago, midniterider said:

Can you find enlightenment through reason? Logic? 

 

 

Sorry. But who are you asking this?

[midniterider]

13 minutes ago, Freed said:

Sorry. But who are you asking this?

 

Atheists who like Buddhism. RNP, mostly, I guess. 

[AntiChrist]

1 hour ago, Freed said:

I dunno. You tell me?

How can I tell you when I don't know.

 

I'll make something up if you want :D

[Freed]

1 hour ago, midniterider said:

 

Atheists who like Buddhism. RNP, mostly, I guess. 

RNP?

[Freed]

2 minutes ago, AntiChrist said:

How can I tell you when I don't know.

 

I'll make something up if you want

Okay.

[disillusioned]

I don't know much about Buddhism, but I do know what the Buddhist said to the hotdog vendor: "make me one with everything."

[AntiChrist]

4 minutes ago, disillusioned said:

I don't know much about Buddhism, but I do know what the Buddhist said to the hotdog vendor: "make me one with everything."

I love it!

[AntiChrist]

7 minutes ago, Freed said:

Okay.

Shit. I can't think up a damn thing.

 

BlaHH?@+$-

[Freed]

1 minute ago, AntiChrist said:

Shit. I can't think up a damn thing.

 

BlaHH?@+$-

That's okay.

[TABA]

26 minutes ago, disillusioned said:

I don't know much about Buddhism, but I do know what the Buddhist said to the hotdog vendor: "make me one with everything."

 

 

[disillusioned]

13 minutes ago, TABA said:

 

 

 

Well, clearly he forgot the follow up:

 

The hotdog vendor fills the order, and says "That'll be $3.50". The buddhist hands him a twenty. The hotdog vendor says "thanks". The buddhist says, "what about my change?" The hotdog vendor smiles and says "change must come from within".

[TheRedneckProfessor]

5 hours ago, midniterider said:

Can you find enlightenment through reason? Logic? 

 

 

I mentioned this a few days ago in the Spirituality forum; but it bears repeating.  I find a parallel between the Scientific Method and the Four Noble Truths.

 

1. There is suffering (observation)

2. Suffering comes from attachment and desire (testable hypothesis)

3. There is an end of suffering (predicted outcome)

4. The end of suffering is the 8-fold path (experimentation)

 

Even the concept of Karma has a scientific parallel: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, also known as the Law of Causality.  

 

Whether one can find enlightenment through logic and reason would depend largely, I'd reckon, on what type of enlightenment one seeks.  But there is certainly a reasonable logic to some of the basic tenets of Buddhist philosophy.

[TheRedneckProfessor]

Perhaps some ex-christians see the contrast between christianity and Buddhism and what each of them purports/promises.  A few examples: christianity promises forgiveness but delivers only guilt and shame; by contrast, Buddhism does not promise forgiveness because your mistakes are yours to fix.  christianity promises peace that passes all understanding; Buddhism simply states that peace comes from within, through self-awareness and the understanding that everything is impermanent.  christianity promises a relationship with the most high god; but delivers only an abusive and dysfunctional self-dialogue with an imaginary friend.  Buddhism does not promise any kind of relationship with external spiritual beings; and even the religious Buddhists believe only that the spirit of Buddha is compassionate toward all.

 

christianity tends to be hateful, judgemental, intolerant; Buddhism teaches compassion to all living beings.  christianity teaches that our attachments and desires are sinful and we need to be cleansed of them; Buddhism states that our suffering comes from our attachments and desires, and we should detach ourselves from them.  

[midniterider]

23 minutes ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

I mentioned this a few days ago in the Spirituality forum; but it bears repeating.  I find a parallel between the Scientific Method and the Four Noble Truths.

 

1. There is suffering (observation)

2. Suffering comes from attachment and desire (testable hypothesis)

3. There is an end of suffering (predicted outcome)

4. The end of suffering is the 8-fold path (experimentation)

 

Even the concept of Karma has a scientific parallel: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, also known as the Law of Causality.  

 

Whether one can find enlightenment through logic and reason would depend largely, I'd reckon, on what type of enlightenment one seeks.  But there is certainly a reasonable logic to some of the basic tenets of Buddhist philosophy.

 

I'm thinking enlightenment as the Buddha Nature:

 

"Buddhanature is the ground of all being. It is neither good nor bad, although it is not neutral. It has the flavor of compassion and clarity and promises relief from the mind that creates division and clings stubbornly to a separate self. Sometimes we say that everyone already has buddhanature, or in the words of Eihei Dogen, the thirteenth-century Japanese Zen teacher, everyone is buddhanature."

 

https://www.lionsroar.com/everything-is-buddhanature/

 

Or realizing this: "That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings, who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being - I am that - Amritbindu Upanishad"

 

http://old.greatmaster.info/I-Am-That-by-Sri-Nisargadatta-Maharaj.htm

[midniterider]

44 minutes ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

I mentioned this a few days ago in the Spirituality forum; but it bears repeating.  I find a parallel between the Scientific Method and the Four Noble Truths.

 

1. There is suffering (observation)

2. Suffering comes from attachment and desire (testable hypothesis)

3. There is an end of suffering (predicted outcome)

4. The end of suffering is the 8-fold path (experimentation)

 

Even the concept of Karma has a scientific parallel: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, also known as the Law of Causality.  

 

Whether one can find enlightenment through logic and reason would depend largely, I'd reckon, on what type of enlightenment one seeks.  But there is certainly a reasonable logic to some of the basic tenets of Buddhist philosophy.

 

Could you expand on how the Four Noble Truths parallel the Scientific Method?

[TheRedneckProfessor]

4 hours ago, midniterider said:

 

Could you expand on how the Four Noble Truths parallel the Scientific Method?

Perhaps... in time.