Buddhism is a near perfect religion......

Buddhism is an example of a religion that nears perfection...

The reason I say this is because one of the main virtues in Buddhism is skeptism.....It is one of the few religions that comes out against blind faith. Buddhism does not teach people to belief it's teaching simply because the teachings say you should belief them. It teaches to find the answer for yourself.

 

One of the other virtues of Buddhism is suffering, which atheists on this very forum, just today, called evil.

In fact brother, nirvana is achived therough exquisite suffering.

Sound perfect anymore?

 

Oh dear

"To achieve Nirvana, or the end of suffering, Buddhist followers must follow the Noble Eightfold Path as set forth by Buddha over 2,500 years ago. The eight steps of the path form the fourth truth of the Four Noble Truths, which are among the most fundamental of Buddhist teachings.

The Eightfold Path is often depicted as a Dharma wheel, closely resembling a ship’s wheel. The eight steps comprising the path or wheel result in a practical guide to ethics, mental rehabilitation, and mental deconditioning. By achieving these eight steps, a Buddhist follower will eliminate all suffering and reach the desired state of Nirvana. The follower does not have to complete the steps sequentially, but rather, he may obtain them simultaneously."

http://www.fundamentalbuddhism.com/noble-eightfold-path.html


In answer to the OP, yes ... it is a near perfect religion.
Certainly better than anything else on offer.

 

Well, let me use this as an example of morality. A lie of omission.

#1 - what are the four noble truths?

1.Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering/uneasiness (dukkha) in one way or another.
2.Suffering is caused by craving. This is often expressed as a deluded clinging to a certain sense of existence, to selfhood, or to the things or phenomena that we consider the cause of happiness or unhappiness. Craving also has its negative aspect, i.e. one craves that a certain state of affairs not exist.
3.Suffering ends when craving ends. This is achieved by eliminating delusion, thereby reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment (bodhi);
4.Reaching this liberated state is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.


They are also expressed as:

1."The noble truth that is suffering"
2."The noble truth that is the arising of suffering"
3."The noble truth that is the end of suffering"
4."The noble truth that is the way leading to the end of suffering"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

What is the Nobel Eightfold Path?

Prajñā is the wisdom that purifies the mind, allowing it to attain spiritual insight into the true nature of all things. It includes:
1.dṛṣṭi (ditthi): viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be.
2.saṃkalpa (sankappa): intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness.
Śīla is the ethics or morality, or abstention from unwholesome deeds. It includes:
3.vāc (vāca): speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way
4.karman (kammanta): acting in a non-harmful way
5.ājīvana (ājīva): a non-harmful livelihood
Samādhi is the mental discipline required to develop mastery over one's own mind. This is done through the practice of various contemplative and meditative practices, and includes:
6.vyāyāma (vāyāma): making an effort to improve
7.smṛti (sati): awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness, being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion
8.samādhi (samādhi): correct meditation or concentration, explained as the first four jhānas
The practice of the Eightfold Path is understood in two ways, as requiring either simultaneous development (all eight items practiced in parallel), or as a progressive series of stages through which the practitioner moves, the culmination of one leading to the beginning of another.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

And of course, in order to achieve Nirvana, you must master virtue.

To do this requires:

1.I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life;
2.I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given;
3.I undertake the training rule to abstain from sensual misconduct;
4.I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech; and
5.I undertake the training rule to abstain from liquors, wines, and other intoxicants, which are the basis for heedlessness.
6.“I accept the training rule to abstain from food at improper times.” (e.g. no solid foods after noon, and not until dawn the following day)
7.“I accept the training rule (a) to abstain from dancing, singing, instrumental music, and shows, and (b) from the use of jewelry, cosmetics, and beauty lotions.”
8.“I accept the training rule to abstain from the use of high and luxurious beds and seats.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Śīla

Yep, I see a lot of skepticism here

I see no suffering whatsoever.

 

Yes actually.....Nothing good can be achieved without suffering.....The very nature of humanity is that we grow and progress as a collective and as individuals through our experiences, both good and bad.

 

Some of us read books to. Some of us acknoledge that sleeping on a bed is better than not as well.

Some of us think we learn things from families rather then by denial of them and oaths of chastity.

There is much to admire in Buddhism, but it is not an easy path, and the results of Nirvava have not realized any great wisdom that is not also revealed in any other religion (indeed Buddhism has greater and lesser Gods). Much of the wisdom of Buddha seems to be about explaining how damb hard nirvana is to achieve.

Most other religions fast, etc., but none to the extreme of Buddhism's eight steps to virtue.

Absent entirely is the questioning of this process, the very skepticism you claim is central to it. Its not.

 

Buddhism isnt actually a religion. Im not a big fan of it. All the predominately Buddhist countries seem to be very adept at selling their children off as sex slaves.

 

Truth perfection would be the hardest thing to achieve....anyone who says it should be easy is lazy and useless...

When I said they were the perfect religion I meant only that it teach you not to take the religion itself too serious. It teaches that skepitism is a virtue.

 

No one said it had to be easy and lazy.

We just said it doesn;t have to be stupid.

No one needs to suffer to figure out that lying is bad.

Nor do you need to be celibate for years to figure out that family is important.

But heh, if it requires you to twist your body into a pretzle for weeks at a time to figure that out - more power to ya'.

Not my idea of 'perfect'.

 

It's widely accepted as both a religion and a philosophy.

Moreover, the recent Australian Census included Buddhism as one of the official religions to choose from.

However, many followers of Buddhism often describe themselves as atheists as they don't follow any God.

 

Buddhism does however accept the existence of a heaven, one of the six realms of existence, in which dwell many lesser gods. As these are neither omnipotent or omniscient or even particularly good or wise, they may be able to help humans obtain material benefits but they cannot help in the quest for Nirvana. Only in the Tantrayana tradition are gods seen as being spiritually superior to humans.

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/dharmadata/fdd37.htm

There are greater and lesser Gods in Buddhism. Its just atheists want to make thier beliefs seem like they actually make sense.

Nothing in atheism looks anything like Buddhism - not by a long shot.

 

Its still crap as a philosophy or a religion.

 

Buddhism is not a religion. It is a way of life. Religions have a God or gods. Buddhism has none.

 

Incorrect.

It is a religion, and is recognised by governments as such.

A religion does not have to have a God in order to be a religion.

You're getting religion confused with theism.

 

Well, however you classify, it appears to be yet another spiritual process/religion whose dictates and tenets atheists are totally unaware of ... but support and venerate for some reason?

 

You may have a point there.

It seems to be trendy.

 

I would not consider any Buddhist to be a athiest. I mean, it's based on the idea that all humans can reach a divine state of enlightenment and become gods. Also, there are sects of Buddhism that consider Buddha to be a god, and worship him. So, there is always a belief in gods in some form or another in Buddhism.

 

Well, many consider themselves atheists.

No, not always.

Very few Buddhists consider Buddha a God. Very few indeed. In fact, I've never met one (although I know they do exist).


"The word 'Buddha' is a title and not a name in itself. It means 'one who is awake' (in the sense of having 'woken up to reality'). The title was given to Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in Lumbini (Nepal), approximately 2,500 years ago. He did not claim to be a God and he has never been regarded as such by Buddhists. He was a human being who became Enlightened, understanding life in the deepest way possible."

http://www.buddhist-temples.com/gautam-buddha.html

"If atheism is the absence of belief in gods, then many Buddhists are, indeed, atheists.

Buddhism is not about either believing or not believing in God or gods. Rather, the historical Buddha taught that believing in gods was not useful for those seeking to realize enlightenment. In other words, God is unnecessary in Buddhism. For this reason, Buddhism is more accurately called nontheistic than atheistic."

http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/buddhaatheism.htm

 

That is not the definition of "religion."
A religion is based on a system of shared beliefs and rituals.

Buddhists can be atheists as their religion does not require (and is even skeptical of) the existence of gods. There are sects that worship Buddha, but also atheistic sects. They are all Buddhists.

I do like some tenets of Buddhism (skepticism, empathy-- which is what all the suffering stuff is about, when it gets down to it), but also some of Christianity (forgiveness, compassion, favoring moral principles over strict rules), Judaism (doing God's work by helping others), etc.

But I can't see how any one really fits me more perfectly than the vague philosophy of humanism, which combines all those philosophical insights without getting caught up in the metaphysics.
And when it comes down to it, these are actually cultural universals (or near) that are just emphasized differently by different religions. And various sects of the religions bring out different parts usually associated with the others.

When it comes down to it, I don't think religion matters so much as what conclusions you come to philosophically.
As mystic sects of Christianity and Islam, as well as the worship-Buddha schools of Buddhism, go to show is that we can come to various conclusions by following any path.

I prefer to cut off the tie to a particular path.

 

it shares the value of learning.


ie... the lalli dama.... is a metaphor for 'knowledge evolving' over generations. Meaning; as one leaves, the rebirth pics up from the previous generations. That 'new child' is learning from whence the previous left off. It is why the child is held practically in captivity and taught before ruined by people. They remove all needs of thing, food and desires to teach the child in confidence that the scope of compassion will overtake and each new dali will become a light of compassion to lead the learning curve.

All dali's must write and convey what they learned during their tenure as a precept of their duty. Then when he dies, the new child is sought.

I wrote to the dali and reminded him, that although the lama is chosen the actual adi buddha 'chooses' to do what is right by himself.

He knows he is the last one of his kind.

 

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” - Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta a.k.a Buddha

Seems reasonable to me. Buddhism is actually one of my recent interests, seems like a good stepping stone for spiritual atheism.

 

I see you purposely left out the other part of my post when I said that Buddhist believe that is it possible to reach a point of mental, physical, and emotional enlightenment and because like a god.

 

Of all the religions, Buddhism appeals to me more than most.

Still, I'd rather just practice meditation out of practicality than attach some supernatural worth to it.

If there's an afterlife, that's great and all, but it's really not relevant to me until I'm dead.

 

Yes: I deemed it irrelevant.

However, I believe you're referring to Nirvana:

"Nirvana is the most misunderstood term in Buddhism.

Those in the West recognise the term as meaning Heaven, or a Heaven on Earth, or perhaps a famous rock band.

The Buddha described Nirvana as the ultimate goal, and he reached that state during his enlightenment. At this point, he chose to teach others so that they might also experience this realisation, and so when he died, forty-five years later, he then passed through pari nirvana, meaning completed nirvana.

Nirvana literally means extinguishing or unbinding. The implication is that it is freedom from what ever binds you, from the burning passion of desire, jealousy, and ignorance. Once these are totally overcome, a state of bliss is achieved, and there is no longer the need the cycle of birth and death. All karmic debts are settled.

The Buddha refused to be drawn on what occurred then, but implied that it was beyond word and without boundaries. Certainly, he saw it in a much different state than our current existence, and not a simple parallel to the process of individual rebirth."

http://www.buddha101.com/p_nirvana.htm

 

solid teaching

atheism is nothing more than a label for people believing in a manmade/created diety, to identify someone who dont believe in their diety.