Buddhism and Christianity - Coexist?
I got thrown for a loop today.
I met a guy from Puerto Rico who is a Christian/Catholic but practice Buddhism. At first I thought he was 100% Buddhist but he said that he still believes in Jesus as his savior and that the god of Abraham created all things.
I quizzed him for a bit and found out that he uses Buddhism just like some people use yoga.
Has any one else ever met some one like this?
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Never encountered it myself, but it doesn't surprise me. Religions do tend to mix when there's some distance from the centre of the religion.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
religions have always mixed and morphed. the idea that there is a "pure" or "true" form of a religion that gets "corrupted" is nothing more than enlightenment essentialism. in south asia, for example, you can see muslims going to the temple of laxmi all the time. allah may be great but he doesn't specifically promise money. in sri lanka, the villagers say that buddhism is mostly for weddings and funerals, unless you're a monk. otherwise, the native gods are for everything else.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
If I did yoga, it doesn't make me a Hindu. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it.
To call yourself a Buddhist and a Catholic in the same sentence... Very odd sounding.
s result. I'm not refering to the worlds idea/understanding of Christianity but our understanding of it--or what it's supposed to be. The result is peace of mind. According to what I can see from the doc. is --enlightenment, but I can't determine "of what". It looks like for Budhism to have an effect one would have to be a Monk, and it seemed useless for the lay person.
OK. there's a young fellow who's a prince of sorts and in time becomes grieved on accounts of the suffering he sees all around, which he was protected from within his prince ship. He tries several different understandings of the day at his time and none suffice. He then becomes enlightened by observations made, and in turn accepts that there's nothing he can do about it and simply learns to live with it.
What it seems like is nothing more then he discovers that all the Gurus of his day have no answer to the misery of the masses. But as I find--he doesn't either. I can't figure out (this is why I'll have to watch again) what he's enlightened of. But, the out come isas I see it would be the same as our understanding of Chrisitamity. Budhism apparently offers no solutions other then ---there's noting that can be done about it, so live with it. What he's into is trying to understand the difference of good and evil and why it is. His enlightenment seems to evolve around--he sees something different then all the Gurus. Apparently it's--accept your fate and be happy.
The only possible thing the world needs saving from are those running it.
https://sites.google.com/site/oldseers
Knowledge trumps faith and I'm not a Theist
Lies are nothing more then falsehoods searching for the truth
Well, your idea of Buddhism is not valid. Buddhism has a lot more to do with learning a path of non-suffering by not allowing your ego to control you through your emotions.
What you are saying is that a person needs to say "oh well, shit happens" but that isn't correct at all.
If I suffer it is because I allow myself to suffer because I'm not controlling my emotions.
The only possible thing the world needs saving from are those running it.
https://sites.google.com/site/oldseers
Knowledge trumps faith and I'm not a Theist
Lies are nothing more then falsehoods searching for the truth
there are more than a few scholars who will tell you that the only "religion" is christianity, and that western christians have throughout the centuries "found" religions in other cultures, according to their own criteria of what a "religion" is. i don't actually hold such an extreme position, but it does make one stop and think about the thesis that the world is religiously divided.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
The Beach Bums analysis seems correct. Buddhism and Catholisism aren't compatable. I see that becasue to me Caholisism isn't Christianity, and neither is any other religion. Some info on the web says Buddhism isn't a religion, another syas it is, and another says it's somewhere in between. Shug. I can see where Buddhism and our understanding of Christianity can co-exist, but not any other that claims to be Christianity. As I seeit, the same thing happened to Buddhism that happened to Christianity. There's all different version of it which negates that neither is Buddhism, and there is no Christianity as both have become comtaminated with all sorts of ideas that don't apply to an original. I'm thinking I just should have left this be and stayed out of it. As with all religions I find them hypocritical.
The only possible thing the world needs saving from are those running it.
https://sites.google.com/site/oldseers
Knowledge trumps faith and I'm not a Theist
Lies are nothing more then falsehoods searching for the truth
I'm not sure you understand Buddhism.
I agree that Buddhism and Catholicism doesn't seem compatible but it depends on the practitioner. If I do yoga, I can be a Buddhist but not be Hindu.
This guy wasn't using Buddhism as a religion, but as a form of meditation practice. Jesus was first.
I just do not understand how one can be called a Catholic. Given my background he would be ridiculed by others for his practice.
The only possible thing the world needs saving from are those running it.
https://sites.google.com/site/oldseers
Knowledge trumps faith and I'm not a Theist
Lies are nothing more then falsehoods searching for the truth
If you're examine thiests enough, you'll see they all worship the same god and all paths lead to the same god.
That god is convenience.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
The only possible thing the world needs saving from are those running it.
https://sites.google.com/site/oldseers
Knowledge trumps faith and I'm not a Theist
Lies are nothing more then falsehoods searching for the truth
Quite the observation. Money is the new god.
The only possible thing the world needs saving from are those running it.
https://sites.google.com/site/oldseers
Knowledge trumps faith and I'm not a Theist
Lies are nothing more then falsehoods searching for the truth
I wonder about you some times. Are you smoking weed?
The only possible thing the world needs saving from are those running it.
https://sites.google.com/site/oldseers
Knowledge trumps faith and I'm not a Theist
Lies are nothing more then falsehoods searching for the truth
You aren't a Buddhist because you weren't meant to be one.
Your yoga is your walking.
Holy Rollers don't roll on the floor for exercise even if it might be a form of one.
fall on the floor and roll around but it wasn't a mandatory religious practice. Lets see now if I can come up with a scientific term. How about "volutary self induced religiomania".
The only possible thing the world needs saving from are those running it.
https://sites.google.com/site/oldseers
Knowledge trumps faith and I'm not a Theist
Lies are nothing more then falsehoods searching for the truth
....controlling your emotions a problem ?
Have you thought about Xanax or maybe a few sessions of ECT ?