I almost forgot about Buddha and the religion he spawned! Well, I don't have too much to say about it, and what little I do might upset any Buddhist reading this. If so, even better! Anyway, I have realised that many Buddhists think that their religion has nothing to do with Hinduism, and according to many Thais, nothing much to do with India either. Well, maybe I am a victim of state propaganda, but out of morbid curiosity, read on. And a disclaimer - I am not promoting Hinduism, since I am against religion in general, and wish it would disappear forever.
Many outside India don't know of a religion called Jainism, and its uncanny resemblances to Buddhism. They even came up around the same time, and some say Buddhism borrowed a lot from Jainism. Read up on it, if you like. And they both sort of derived from Hindu teachings at the time. Of course, Buddha (and Mahavira, the most famous proponent of Jainism) developed his own strands of philosophical and metaphysical thought that deviated at least a bit from Hinduism, but Hinduism was what formed its base. Buddha, after all, was born a Hindu, in a place called Lumbini in present-day Nepal. So here are some of the similarities between the two religions: the concepts of Ahimsa; Karma & Dharma; Yoga & Meditation; Reincarnation; Nirvana; and their ideas on Cosmology and Worldview.
Before you start thinking of disagreeing and shooting me down, go read. Please do yourself a favour. I am not trying to subsume Buddhism within Hinduism, but am merely pointing out facts that the followers of the former often deny. Its akin to Sikhism, which is a religion in its own right, but depends as much on the sayings of its founders as on tenets from many other faiths such as Hinduism, Islam, Sufism, etc. That, in fact, is what makes Sikhism unique. But that does not take away the fact that Sikhism has borrowed a lot from many other religions. Don't deny facts unless you have issues of your own. And if you have issues, go sort them out. Then we will talk facts.
I have also been prompted to write about the meaning of life, and other such. But I am tired. Writing such serious stuff really isn't my style, and it takes its toll.
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6 comments:
The meaning of life according to www.dictionary.com is....
The condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.
....amongst 23 others. And since we humans created this word. And therefore to an extent what it was supposed to signify as well, therefore i think this much should suffice for anyone. If people still want to go to mountain peaks and contemplate what is there for the world to see on dictionary sites and books....well, don't forget to carry lots of socks...it gets cold you know!!!! :P
hahahaha. but just so that you know, one doesn't HAVE to go to the hills to contemplate about stuff. i prefer sitting on the pot myself!
you're still missing the point, getting caught and remain trapped within mental constructions, thought. most, if not all religions share theological and practical similarities. this is not only true for what you mention, but also for judaism, christianity and islam, or their schisms. all have codes and recreate ritual practices for whatever purposes and value.
but this still misses the point. you can run around the opiate discussion too if that's your fancy. you can descend into a discussion on the existence of god too, rational or other it might be.
but this also misses the point. religion, in so far as it a spiritual issue, is borne out of individual choice and belief. ultimately it is a 'choice' of belief in god/something or not. spirituality, in the case of buddhism and hinduism, necessitates leaving behind mental constructions. you should consider this when you 'think' about them, as the mere 'thought' keeps you from transcending through. maybe that's why you don't 'get it'. it's not meant to be 'gotten' in this manner.
also, you should contemplate the heart of wisdom, you might find some food for thought.
for your meaning of life, save it, as it's bound to change over time anyway, unless you intend to stop thinking, contemplating and pursuing the questions that drive you, which by the sound of it, you won't.
Hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaha!
You are SO missing the point!The author is merely attempting to educate a certain set of people who are in denial of the roots of their religion.
anonymous #2, please refer to anonymous #3. its YOU who missed the point, not me. defense of the sanctity of one's faith and beliefs is an automatic process for the most of us, and that is one of the 'mental constructions' you mentioned. belief, not religion, is born out of individual choice. and you seem to choose to take almost everything with a pinch of salt, purely for the fuck of it. well, your choice. whatever turns you on!
the buddhists who take what hindus say seriously in regards to what you mentioned, which is a typical hindu line of thought, are missing the point of buddism, if ever there were any. and if anything, it reinforces the idea that hinduism is but only an opiate and its overlords (priests) are more convinced with maintaining their flock and its embedded societal construct than saving it.
your line of thought is not original, and is like meeting someone who believes the earth is flat. you won't convince this person of otherwise until they convince themselves. so carry on on these thoughts, and well, you will miss the pearls of buddhism and hinduism, which regardless of all the constructs around, do offer pearls of wisdom. off course, you have to be receptive, humble and come to grips with the ego and mind. it is not something everyone is capable off, so perhaps its not something for you, as it will require leaving thinking behind at some point.
maybe everything you say makes sense to you, inside, but you have offered no explanations of concepts and potential subtle differences there may be, just banal generalities that any individual with a basic grasp of religions may offer. just saying karma and dharma is meaningless, unless you expound on their significance and use. do you think you're the first or will be the last to say what you said?
i was not defending the sanctity of faith. religion can be borne out of choice, not everyone is born into it and stuck within society constructs necessitating ones' adherence to. we are not all indians, and even here, there is no homogeneity or uniformity.
and what did i say with a pinch of salt? did not. your impulsiveness has clouded what little thought you gave my reply beyond the first line. perhaps you should reread and contemplate. an answer may come, but is not a necessity.
as for anonymous number 3, well, don't be so hasty. before anyone tries to educate anyone, i suggest you give these roots a little less relevance and start considering the here and now. in both you will find reflections of pearls from either camp. if you can't or disagree, well, such is, such is, i am not in the business of making converts, so i don't care either which way.
ps not to be sarcastic on you, but it is precisely in the roots of the line of thought offered in this blog that you can appreciate why these thoughts are used and propagated....just a thought, you do what you can.
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