Eastern Religions Thread

[Kalaspia-Shimarata]

So what exactly is Bhudda?

[Vortiaganica]

So what exactly is Bhudda?

I'll have to refresh my memory through this a little, because it's a little complex. tl;dr at the bottom.

First off, it's Buddha. Gautama Buddha is who most people think off when you say "So anyway, I follow the teachings of the Buddha".

Gautama Buddha is the first one, the founder of Buddhism. He took Buddha as a title, Gautama being his actual last name. Full name was Siddharta Gotama. Basically, he was the Supreme Buddha, the teacher who formed almost all of the edicts on which Buddhism is built.

There are two major types of Buddhism - Sri Lankan Buddhism (Theravada) and Indian Buddhism (Mahayana). Theravada is the older of the two, and is the major religion in Sri Lanka - it was brought across by the son of one of the first major Buddhist Kings, Asoka, a personal hero to me for various reaons. Asoka I believe lived before the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, which has unknown roots, but is generally further from the original ideals of Buddha than Theravada Buddhism. I'm told that in modern times, what with globalization, the various Buddhist groups are moving just a little towards reconciling their beliefs.

I described the two schools, because they are important to define a Buddha, or the Buddha. They have very similar ideals, but different beliefs as to what Buddha, or a Buddha is. This is where I really needed a refresher, but I double-checked everything with Wiki (I come from a Buddhist background, so don't worry, Wiki's Buddhism topics are generally very accurate)

Theravada Buddhism believes that a Buddha is any person who has achieved enlightenment without a teacher. They have reached that state of fully understanding the ideals of Buddhism, without having a mentor or some teacher of a sort. This sort of thing links to how Buddhism is supposed to teach of a perfect being we must all strive for - there are many ways to teach of one being, so of course it is possible to learn for yourself the Dhamma - the underpinning rules of the universe. Theravada Buddhists believe Buddhas are a rare person, chosen by God/the universe to have the Buddha-nature within them - the ability to transcend to a higher plane of understanding without a link to a Buddha.

Mayahana Buddhism is a little different - I understand a little less of it than Theravada. To my knowledge, Mayahana is looser with its definition of a Buddha. Unlike Theravada, where Buddhahood is a goal for a small group of elites who will teach the knowledge of the Dhamma and enlightenment without any links to a Buddha of their own, to propagate a new era of Buddhism should it die out (an event prophesied in all the major schools of Buddhism), Mayahana Buddhism believes that all people, including the layperson, is capable of becoming a Buddha, and that it is a noble goal to strive for.


Nightkill or someone else could probably add this, particularly in Mayahana Buddhism.

tl;dr

Two schools of Buddhism

According to Theravada, very few people have the 'Buddha-nature' in them - e.g. the ability to become a Buddha, and a Buddha is a teacher who is not linked to another Buddha though his mentors etc. he has achieved enlightenment by himself. Buddhists do not need to strive to become Buddhas while there is an abundance of mentors and teachers, and can strive for enlightenment without being a Buddha or having the Buddha-nature - however they believe there will be a time where Buddhas will be needed to bring Buddhism back to the world.

According to Mayahana, all people have 'Buddha-nature' in them, and to be a Buddha is the ultimate form of enlightenment, a noble goal all must strive for.

[Vortiaganica]

That would be a contradiction. Buddhism is an atheist religion .

Incorrect. The teachings of Buddha neither deny nor accept the existence of a God, although they lean towards the existence of a more detached, more omnipresent God/gods. One that is more part of the universe than part of mankind. So Buddhism lends itself more to an Abrahamic or Sikhist world-view than, say, Greek Polytheism.

Buddha, however, never proclaimed himself a deity or a prophet of a God.

[Chinese Regions]

I wonder -- since the concept of a deity is sort of unimportant in Buddhism, could you be a Buddhist-Muslim or a Buddhist-Christian?

That would be a contradiction. Buddhism is an atheist religion .

It is Atheist by default, its philosophy is compatible simply because there is no god so you can have your person concept of god into it.

[Vortiaganica]

You have no idea.

There were riots over Manmohan Singh becoming the PM, because he was a Sikh.

And this.

dont perpetuate lies.

Don't bring question to someone's sources or simple one-line statements of events that anyone could easily double check if you yourself cannot bring some meat into it, or use proper punctuation.

Whilst it is hardly easy to prove a negative, you could have at least tried something less abrasive.

Protip to everyone: When negotiating, never start a sentence with a negative - a negative (Don't, No, Never etc.) immediately has your discussion partner starting to think of rebuttals (ways to perpetuate their side of the argument) rather than ways to resolve the argument.

[Free foundation]

dont perpetuate lies.

Don't bring question to someone's sources or simple one-line statements of events that anyone could easily double check if you yourself cannot bring some meat into it, or use proper punctuation.

Whilst it is hardly easy to prove a negative, you could have at least tried something less abrasive.

Protip to everyone: When negotiating, never start a sentence with a negative - a negative (Don't, No, Never etc.) immediately has your discussion partner starting to think of rebuttals (ways to perpetuate their side of the argument) rather than ways to resolve the argument.

I'll take ur advice and rephrase it. Even though its true that eastern religions meddle in with politics. It is a lie that there were any riots over Mr. Manmohan singh being Indian pm..

[Vortiaganica]

Don't bring question to someone's sources or simple one-line statements of events that anyone could easily double check if you yourself cannot bring some meat into it, or use proper punctuation.

Whilst it is hardly easy to prove a negative, you could have at least tried something less abrasive.

Protip to everyone: When negotiating, never start a sentence with a negative - a negative (Don't, No, Never etc.) immediately has your discussion partner starting to think of rebuttals (ways to perpetuate their side of the argument) rather than ways to resolve the argument.

I'll take ur advice and rephrase it. Even though its true that eastern religions meddle in with politics. It is a lie that there were any riots over Mr. Manmohan singh being Indian pm..

Alright, that's cool.

You're (relatively) new here, you've got plenty of time to warm up and learn when to debate passionately and when to debate sensitively. Goodness knows we have so many regulars who are working on that.

I'll have to look up Mr. Singh though.

[EnragedMaldivians]

I'm not aware of any riots following Manmohans Singh assuming incumbency; I know that there were anti-Sikh riots after Indira Gandhi was assasinated, but that 20+ years ago.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

I'm not aware of any riots following Manmohans Singh assuming incumbency; I know that there were anti-Sikh riots after Indira Gandhi was assasinated, but that 20+ years ago.

Not major riots that would have made national news, but there were large riots in the part of Mumbai where I lived. But who cares about the slums?

[Free foundation]

I'm not aware of any riots following Manmohans Singh assuming incumbency; I know that there were anti-Sikh riots after Indira Gandhi was assasinated, but that 20+ years ago.

Not major riots that would have made national news, but there were large riots in the part of Mumbai where I lived. But who cares about the slums?

large riots in mumbai would have made it to national news , specially in a country where even a small incident regarding politics or religion is blown out of proportion on news channels.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Not major riots that would have made national news, but there were large riots in the part of Mumbai where I lived. But who cares about the slums?

large riots in mumbai would have made it to national news , specially in a country where even a small incident regarding politics or religion is blown out of proportion on news channels.

Whatever the case may be, my neighborhood was very unhappy about Singh being elected. I don't know if it reached national news or not, but I'm stating that they did occur.

[Beiluxia]

That would be a contradiction. Buddhism is an atheist religion .

It is Atheist by default, its philosophy is compatible simply because there is no god so you can have your person concept of god into it.

Some branches of Buddhism diffused with local folk religion to create a theist Buddhism. IE Buddhism in China usually also includes many folk gods/goddesses, Guan Yin being one of the most popular ones.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

It is Atheist by default, its philosophy is compatible simply because there is no god so you can have your person concept of god into it.

Some branches of Buddhism diffused with local folk religion to create a theist Buddhism. IE Buddhism in China usually also includes many folk gods/goddesses, Guan Yin being one of the most popular ones.

Buddhism in India was largely reabsorbed into Hinduism.

[Vazdania]

I as a Christian view Islam as another Abrahamic religion with the same God as Christians and Jews. I think some Eastern religons have parts of the truth correct, Such as Buddhism

[Rejaina]

First off, how many Muslims are on NS? Also isn't Christianity considered an eastern religion too? Along with Judaism?

[Nightkill the Emperor]

First off, how many Muslims are on NS? Also isn't Christianity considered an eastern religion too? Along with Judaism?

Technically, yes. But they're usually associated with Europe and America.

[Kalaspia-Shimarata]

First off, how many Muslims are on NS? Also isn't Christianity considered an eastern religion too? Along with Judaism?

It depends on what type of Christianity

[Distruzio]

First off, how many Muslims are on NS? Also isn't Christianity considered an eastern religion too? Along with Judaism?

It depends on what type of Christianity

The non-idolotrous kind is eastern (the Latins extendingn from that).

[Azarest]

Buddhism is really fascinating, although I am a Hindu myself.
I should probably say I reverted to Hinduism after a phase of agnostic atheism for the longest part of my life.

Heh, I was an agnostic atheist for a while myself.

I like your def of agnostic Hindu. *nods*

So, do you still see the caste system used to oppress/honor people? And is it still a vital part of Hinduism, as in like you said the urban areas, is it Hinduism without castes?

I see it at homes, on the bus, in university etc. And I live in one of the metros. It's so deep-rooted and annoying. Maybe they're not called the same as back, then, but still, prevalent with a variety of different sub-castes.

[Forum Seven]

First off, how many Muslims are on NS? Also isn't Christianity considered an eastern religion too? Along with Judaism?

It depends on what type of Christianity

Now you're getting less religious and more geographic.

Srsly though, Christianity cannot be called an Eastern Religion, or an American religion, or a European religion, because it is a Middle Eastern religion, at its roots, and everything from European to Japanese in its denominations.

It is far beyond what Buddhism or Sikhism or to an extent Judaism are as international religions.

Although the whole discussion on the matter is rather fruitless, because then you get the issue of what really is east, and that's really a cultural thing.

Feel free to discuss Christianity as it applies to the Eastern perspective, but IMO there is no real reason to discuss whether or not the singular concept of Christianity is eastern, because the answer is different depending on what you call east, and that's less a discussion topic so much as an unshakable world-view e.g. THIS IS EAST, AND THIS IS WEST, AND THIS IS IN THE MIDDLE.

[Fedeledland]

First off, how many Muslims are on NS? Also isn't Christianity considered an eastern religion too? Along with Judaism?

It depends on what type of Christianity

Um, no. Christianity is theologically Abrahamic and only Eastern geographically speaking (hell, not even that; Nestorians and Copts in the East co,e from Mesopotamia and Egypt respectively, and then spread their religion).

A question: would Zorpastrianism be an Eastern religiom?

[Rejaina]

It depends on what type of Christianity

Um, no. Christianity is theologically Abrahamic and only Eastern geographically speaking (hell, not even that; Nestorians and Copts in the East co,e from Mesopotamia and Egypt respectively, and then spread their religion).

A question: would Zorpastrianism be an Eastern religiom?

So how is Islam an eastern religion and what is the definition of an eastern religion?

[Fedeledland]

Um, no. Christianity is theologically Abrahamic and only Eastern geographically speaking (hell, not even that; Nestorians and Copts in the East co,e from Mesopotamia and Egypt respectively, and then spread their religion).

A question: would Zorpastrianism be an Eastern religiom?

So how is Islam an eastern religion and what is the definition of an eastern religion?

My definition goes as a non-Abrahamic, non-Native religion practiced further east than the Middle East.

[Kalaspia-Shimarata]

Um, no. Christianity is theologically Abrahamic and only Eastern geographically speaking (hell, not even that; Nestorians and Copts in the East co,e from Mesopotamia and Egypt respectively, and then spread their religion).

A question: would Zorpastrianism be an Eastern religiom?

So how is Islam an eastern religion and what is the definition of an eastern religion?

An Eastern religion is a religion which is followed as a national or major religion from and including Eastern Europe (Greece, the Bulkans etc.) East to the International Date line. Orthodox Christianity is based in Greece and the Bulkans so it is Easten, Islam in the middle East which also falls in said area and jewdaism is based in Isreal, which is also in that area. Western religions start from but not including the Bulkans and Ukrane upto and including the International Date line. Religions include Catholisism, Anglicans etc. Think of the Byzantine Empire. The religions of the Constantinople half and East are Eastern religions and the religions of the Roman half and west are the Western Religions

[Aryavartha]

Whatever the case may be, my neighborhood was very unhappy about Singh being elected. I don't know if it reached national news or not, but I'm stating that they did occur.

could it be because the Sainiks (allied to the opposition BJP) did not like MMS led Congress coming to power??? or even that the congress came to power in their state Maharashtra???

people may have burned effigies of Singh or raised slogans against him etc etc...but why are you so sure it is because they were angry that a Sikh is now a PM???

They should have been angry at foreigner christian woman who is the real power center...what is the point in railing against a rubber stamp..