Why does Buddhism seem more tolerant and peaceful than Christianity?

Question

Buddhism does not judge people but rather tries to show them compassions. Christians think that humanity is evil and everyone deserves hell. Christianity doesn't seem to make sense because we are condemmed to sin because of the actions of Adam and Eve. The Buddha on the other hand stated that he only teaches one thing: Suffering and the end to suffering. People in Christianity desire to get into heaven. And desire itself causes suffering according to Buddhism. Christianity uses fear tactics to control followers by saying they are going to hell if they don't believe exactly what they think. Buddhism teaches that we should be open to different points of view and question everything to see if it makes sense. Plus my goal is not to go to heaven. I have always wanted to stop existing. Why the hell would a God forcibly create me anyways. Buddhism offers the answer by stating that the end goal of a Buddhist is to stop existing and never live again in heaven hell or on earth.

Answer 1

Okay, I need to get something clear for most the answers I've seen so far.

Buddhism is a religion. It's a philosophy for those who choose to adapt their religion with Buddhist thoughts and behaviors, but Buddhism DOES have it's own rituals, practices and faith principles. In that right, it IS a religion, not a philosophy. I practice Buddhism and consider myself a Buddhist. For me, I have faith in something. It may not be an external diety or any sort of diety, but I do believe in something.

Why does Buddhism seem like it's more peaceful and tolerant than most world religions? In my opinion (as a Buddhist and former baptist), it's because it places responsibility solely on the practitioner. If I am truly following Buddhist teachings, I cannot harm anyone else. Buddhism teaches that we, as human beings, exist to help one another attain enlightenment. This doesn't mean we force-convert the world. Everyone has their path, and they are very welcome to follow the precepts of Buddhism and be a Buddhist, but that's not required. What's most important is that everyone find their own enlightenment.

Buddhism, however, is a practice with many various denominations.. 80,000 denominations in fact. The form I practice focuses on the latter teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, and that teaching states that everyone can attain enlightenment in this lifetime, without severing earthly desires. Instead, through buddhist practice, we purify our desires and use them to fuel our own enlightenment. And also, according to the Lotus Sutra, anyone without exception can be enlightened. :)

Now isn't that a very warm and welcoming feeling?

Answer 2

Wow, that's totally wrong, friend.
By saying "Plus my goal is not to go to heaven. I have always wanted to stop existing. Why the hell would a God forcibly create me anyways. Buddhism offers the answer by stating that the end goal of a Buddhist is to stop existing and never live again in heaven hell or on earth." you misunderstood the core teaching of Buddhism. That's very dangerous.

The core teaching of Buddhism is to get rid of sufferings by getting rid of our personal ego, pride, greed, etc. The reason why we have ego, pride, greed, etc is because we feel we are separated from the externals. Thus we discriminate. We judge what's right and wrong, what's good and bad, etc. These discrimination cause us sufferings as a result. To end suffering is when we embrace the externalities and emerge with everything. When we no longer discriminate this and that, etc. To embrace doesn't mean we become the tree, or the river, etc. To embrace means we stop viewing ourself as separated.

Our stages of enlightenment:
1st - We see the tree as a tree.
2nd - We see the tree as not a tree.
3rd - We once again see the tree as a tree.
Can you see the difference?

When we are at 1st stage, we see the tree as a tall tree, small tree, ugly tree, beautiful tree, etc. We are ignorant.
When we are at 2nd stage, we become attached to false emptiness and see everything as nothing. That's poisonous. Because we will still feel pain even if we pretend not to feel it.
When we are at 3rd stage, we see the tree a simply a tree. No tall, no small, no ugly, no beauty. We see things as it is, without discrimination nor dualism. That's enlightenment. That's what will liberate us from sufferings.
It's NOT extinguishing ourselves forever! That's wrong.

When you reach the 3rd stage as I mentioned, then everywhere you are, be it in heaven, hell, or earth, you will always be at peace. Heaven, hell or earth no longer exist in you, or in your mind.

Answer 3

Simply speaking, this is to avoid harming others and to help them as much as possible. Another way of expressing this is, Abandon negative action; create perfect virtue; subdue your own mind. This is the teaching of the Buddha. By abandoning negative actions (killing, etc.) and destructive motivations (anger, attachment, close-mindedness, etc.), we stop harming ourselves and others. By creating perfect virtue, we develop beneficial attitudes, like impartial love and compassion, and do actions motivated by these thoughts. By subduing our mind, we cut away all false projections, thus making ourselves calm and peaceful by understanding reality.
The essence of Buddha’s teachings is also contained in the three principles of the path: definite emergence, the dedicated heart and wisdom realizing emptiness. Initially, we seek definitely to emerge from the confusion of our problems and their causes. Then, we see that other people also have problems, and with love and compassion, we dedicate our heart to becoming a Buddha so that we are capable of helping others extensively. In order to do this, we develop the wisdom understanding the real nature of ourselves and other phenomena.

Answer 4

Because Buddhism is basically philosophy and it is thoughtful...deep mediation or deep thinking tends to bypass gut reactions and violent action...it is a great way for people to regain self control.
Theistic religions on the other hand take responsibility away from the individual and tell them how to behave and respond to events rather than to think for themselves...this results in easily manipulated people who can be fired up to violence by their leaders, it's not healthy for the individual or for society.

Answer 5

in fact, faith is in user-friendly terms a mirrored image of cuture, a divine justification of a society's strikes. Hinduism is way less familiar because's a polytheistic, and is composed of somewhat a extensive type of gods. it continues to be, in spite of if, the 0.33 greatest faith interior the worldwide. no longer that small. further, buddhism in fact has no god. Buddha is seen, with the aid of maximum sects of Buddhism as no longer something greater suitable than a mortal guy who performed enlightenment and so based his offshoot of hinduism. consequently, no god, in simple terms an impersonal rigidity (Brahman) is way less beautiful. Christianity's popularity comes without postpone from the grace of their god. Unconditional forgiveness is supplied to all people who repent. Islam, confident, is controlling, and yet it keeps the rank of the 2nd greatest faith interior the worldwide. the reason being that as quickly as somebody follows a faith, they even have self belief interior the better being, in any different case they could in simple terms enforce the idealistic values and strikes via secular means. consequently, islamic followers stick to the quran, which they have self belief to have been divinely inspired. of their strategies, the know god could desire to be accompanied. additionally, with the aid of no means are Buddhism and Hinduism much less controlling than Christianity or Islam. Buddhism demands here of strict rules with the aid of which to stay, on a similar time as Hinduism, a minimum of reactionary Hinduism stillk follows a caste device, wherein your societal status is predetermined. Your assertion that non secular anybody is meant to be non violent , accepting and tolerant ought to no longer be greater from the certainty. they are held with the aid of no such thought. the only standards of 'non secular human beings' is they stick to their faith, in spite of the outcomes for the the remainder of society, or, in fact, humanity. they are good.

Answer 6

Buddhism is not a religion,. It is the way of life. Buddhism accept science and changes that happens through the process of modernization, religions are stuck in the past and don't evolve.

Answer 7

You'd appreciate this book by Ravi... The Lotus and the Cross... he really does a good job making sense of the two. If you're seriously asking the question, I encourage you to read it.

Answer 8

although i am not Buddhist .. i have seen a lot of tolerance and love from most Buddhists that i have spoken to
however
posting this seems to be a little less tolerant of Christians and against what you are trying to put across here
live and let live xxx

Answer 9

Don't know, but I DO know that the one's I have met are much nicer people,peaceful and, as you say, much more tolerant. One always hears that inmates and death rower's say that they have "found God",but how many times have you heard them say that they have found "Buddah?". Maybe THAT is the problem.

Answer 10

Buddhism treat, teach, and talk to their people by there souls and sperets.