Buddhist Is Buddhism Really a Religion.

[Aussie Pete]

From Merriam-Webster
Definition of religion

1 a: the state of a religious a nun in her 20th year of religion
b(1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith


Though some forms of Buddhism require faith most Buddhists I know approach it as a philosophy and way of life like Stoicism. No faith needed in anything supernatural. It all seems to be about seeing reality clearly with mindfulness and compassion.

With an approach like that there does not need to be conflict with Christian beleif.

Buddhism is supposedly a philosophy, not a religion. May be so in the Western world. I travelled extensively in SE Asia. Buddhism is very much a religion to most of the people I met.

Christianity is not Buddhism. Christians know that they are sinners in need of a Saviour. Not so with Buddhists. Christians depend on Christ as their life (or should do), not on their own inner resources. Christians realise that their own ways are not acceptable to God and instead depend on Lord Jesus. All religion focuses on the individual and demands that he/she conforms to a set of rules. Christianity is not a religion (although some make it so). It is a relationship with God through Christ.

 

[Aussie Pete]

It may be widely believed but that doesn't make it true. Buddhists believe in reality every bit as much as Christians, it's just a different kind of reality. Buddha would not have bothered to devise a sophisticated explanation of the causes of suffering and it's cessation if it was all an illusion. Just try dropping a hammer on your foot and you will know that suffering exists. But it's dependent on you dropping the hammer. Buddha taught how not to do that.

Bummer. If it depends on fallen humanity, it's game over. Everyone "drops a hammer" sometime. That makes us sinners and unfit for heaven. Buddha is dead. I've been to his grave site.

 

[kiwimac]

From Merriam-Webster
Definition of religion

1 a: the state of a religious a nun in her 20th year of religion
b(1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith


Though some forms of Buddhism require faith most Buddhists I know approach it as a philosophy and way of life like Stoicism. No faith needed in anything supernatural. It all seems to be about seeing reality clearly with mindfulness and compassion.

With an approach like that there does not need to be conflict with Christian beleif.

Some Buddhist varieties are religions but the original teachings of Buddha were areligious.

 

[ananda]

Bummer. If it depends on fallen humanity, it's game over. Everyone "drops a hammer" sometime. That makes us sinners and unfit for heaven. Buddha is dead. I've been to his grave site.

How is that relevant? We don't see things in terms of "sin" but rather "unskillfulness", nor do we see "heaven" as the final goal, and physical death is not the most prominent issue for us.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

"faith" (Christian belief) by definition does not involve "seeing reality clearly"

In many way maybe not but it is a matter of pinion.

It comes down to what reality is. Is it an abstract impersonal experience? Or is it a personal loving being? That seems to me to be the key difference. So it is metaphysical.

 

[ananda]

Some Buddhist varieties are religions but the original teachings of Buddha were areligious.

It is a religion in the sense that it teaches a unique final goal, and a Path to that goal.

 

[ananda]

In many way maybe not but it is a matter of pinion.

It comes down to what reality is. Is it an abstract impersonal experience? Or is it a personal loving being? That seems to me to be the key difference. So it is metaphysical.

As a Buddhist, I would question if one clearly perceive the full reality of that personal loving being

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

As a Buddhist, I would question if one clearly perceive the full reality of that personal loving being

But not question the impersonal abstract experience?

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

This is where I turn to Sri Aurobindo: The personal and impersonal are two sides of the ultimate truth.

 

[Calixtinus]

From what I know of it I would consider Buddhism (especially Mahayana and Vajrayana) a religion. And while the religious aspect of Buddhism is often downplayed significantly in the western world it nonetheless still rests on metaphysical assumptions about reality which are in my view incompatible with Christianity.

 

[ananda]

But not question the impersonal abstract experience?

I don't see a reason to question it, because it is something I do experience for myself.

 

[Sola1517]

From Merriam-Webster
Definition of religion

1 a: the state of a religious a nun in her 20th year of religion
b(1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith


Though some forms of Buddhism require faith most Buddhists I know approach it as a philosophy and way of life like Stoicism. No faith needed in anything supernatural. It all seems to be about seeing reality clearly with mindfulness and compassion.

With an approach like that there does not need to be conflict with Christian beleif.

Tbh, I too have some Buddhist tendencies. I own a pocket Dhammapada.

I don't think I'm a conservative Christian honestly. I've been known to challenge the ideas of that type of belief. It seems all regurgitated mostly.

I'm not on here often enough to try to change my name.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

From what I know of it I would consider Buddhism (especially Mahayana and Vajrayana) a religion. And while the religious aspect of Buddhism is often downplayed significantly in the western world it nonetheless still rests on metaphysical assumptions about reality which are in my view incompatible with Christianity.

I am coming to agree.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

I don't see a reason to question it, because it is something I do experience for myself.

But then you still have to question who is the "myself" having the experience. Isn't that kind of question a significant aspect of Buddhism?

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

It seems all regurgitated mostly.

This is my main hesitancy with Christianity. So much depends on faith that is handed to us and so little depends on personal experience. In fact, personal experience always seems suspect in Christianity, especially if it does not seem to agree perfectly with the Bible.

 

[ananda]

But then you still have to question who is the "myself" having the experience. Isn't that kind of question a significant aspect of Buddhism?

No ... at least not in Theravada Buddhism.

Questions about "who is myself?" only leads to agitation and frustration, since 1. it is an unanswerable question, and 2. the results of an investigation into this question is obviously fundamentally opposed to our goal of nibbana.

Rather, our practice is ultimately an examination into each of our experiences, and then to know & understand that those experiences are not "self", since they are subject to change and are not under "our" control. This leads towards detachment, freedom, and the peace and happiness of nibbana.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

One could possibly be both Christian and Buddhist; however, either their Buddhism will be somewhat anemic or their Christianity will be somewhat anemic. It is not possible to robustly embrace the metaphysics of both. The same holds for Christianity and Stoicism. Something will have to give, and invariably it will be the metaphysical presuppositions of one or the other.

That being said, I do think that some of the practices of Bhuddism or Stoicism can appropriate by a Christian, so long as the metaphysical grounding of Christianity remains intact. Otherwise, it's neither one or the other, but an amalgamation.

Funny you should say that. I had some past background / involvement in a group that came from the (Nestorian) Church of the East, now called the Assyrian Church of the East. Anyway that Church was in Asia and popular for a few different centuries in different parts of China, India, and so on. There are some serious theories that some eastern rituals like the Japanese Tea Ceremony came from the COE Eucharist when the church was driven underground. Their are some rubrics like turning the tea cup three times that are identical to the COE eucharist. OF course in years gone by, I have seen some flaws in those theories like Chinese inscription grave stones and other stone writings of the COE were things that were not originally in Japan, but moved their later (Certain Japanese emperors were Chinaphiles and would import cultural artifacts for their own enrichment).

There have been some specific other kind of sects like the Taoist, "teachers of the teacher", and Amida Buddha that were thought to be Christian inspired, or even descending from Christians who went underground so to speak.

 

[DamianWarS]

Buddhism with Christian overlay? Well the essence of Buddhism, from what I know, is the "The Four Noble Truths"
They are the truth of suffering,
the truth of the cause of suffering,
the truth of the end of suffering,
and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.


1. RIGHT VIEW
A true understanding of how reality and suffering are intertwined.

2. RIGHT RESOLVE
The aspiration to act with correct intention, doing no harm.

3. RIGHT SPEECH
Abstaining from lying, and divisive or abusive speech.

4. RIGHT ACTION
Acting in ways that do not cause harm, such as not taking life, not stealing, and not engaging in sexual misconduct.

5. RIGHT LIVELIHOOD
Making an ethically sound living, being honest in business dealings.

6. RIGHT EFFORT
Endeavoring to give rise to skillful thoughts, words, and deeds and renouncing unskillful ones.

7. RIGHT MINDFULNESS
Being mindful of one’s body, feelings, mind, and mental qualities.

8. RIGHT CONCENTRATION
Practicing skillful meditation informed by all of the preceding seven aspects.

Is there incompatibility with Christianity there?

non-religious Buddhism is existentialism. In my experience existentialist are not looking for God and would rather define the purpose of life without God and then do good because they think it matters. Existentialists look at the good as the goal where Christians see the good as a product of the goal, the goal, however, is restored relationship with God.

 

[Philip_B]

In my experience existentialist are not looking for God and would rather define the purpose of life without God and then do good because they think it matters. Existentialists look at the good as the goal where Christians see the good as a product of the goal, the goal, however, is restored relationship with God.

I don't think that is a fair assessment of existentialism, and I suggest that Immanuel Kant would not see it that way either. In reality most Theologians of the past 150 years have been deeply influenced by existentialism if not simply existentialist.

When you look at the Divine answer to Moses question before the fiery bush we see something of God's assertion of of God's existential eternity in ways to hard to enunciate beyond the tetragrammaton, and then when we reflect that we are made in his image, perhaps we were always going to end up here.

who knows?!

 

[Cis.jd]

From Merriam-Webster
Definition of religion

1 a: the state of a religious a nun in her 20th year of religion
b(1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith


Though some forms of Buddhism require faith most Buddhists I know approach it as a philosophy and way of life like Stoicism. No faith needed in anything supernatural. It all seems to be about seeing reality clearly with mindfulness and compassion.

With an approach like that there does not need to be conflict with Christian beleif.

yes. just based on the 2nd definition. It's nontheistic though but none the less a religious form of ideology. I do like a lot of their philosophies but I don't believe in most of their superstitions.