Buddhists please?

Question

Buddhism seems to be the only major belief, where, in it's history, did not kill each other or non believers.
My question is, Is Buddhism truly a religion, or more a system of thought? From what I understand of it, Buddha never preached of a God of any kind. Yet I see Buddhists praying. Who is their Diety? So can one be a Buddhist and not beleive in any god?
Serious replies only please. I have always admired this Faith.

Answer 1

At Buddha's time, there were so many different religions and so many different Gods that people believe in and not enough teaching of the actual way of living. There were no real METHODS in teaching how to live a life of peace. Therefore Buddha didn't focus on the God part. Buddha focus on the actual way of living that can bring peace in a person's life. Buddha didn't just preached, he also emphasized on PRACTICING, which is meditation. He taught that we need to not only have the knowledge of his teachings, but also need to put into practice as well. Buddha strongly emphasize meditation. Meditation helps purify the mind of negative thoughts. The more the mind is purified, the more you'll be able to feel the peace from within and not depending on others or things to make you happy.
Yes, Buddhists do pray. They are not praying to God. There are thousands of ascended masters who have been enlightened before and after the time of Buddha or Jesus. Believe it or not. Buddha and Jesus are not the only saintly beings in the universe. Buddhists and monks more so pray to those masters/ Buddhas / ancestors for guidance, help, and protection.
Buddha never attacked other religions and never get into whether or not there's a God argument. Because to Buddha, that's not important thing to be focusing on. The most important thing is to live a moral life and practice meditation so that you'll be able to find the peace within. Whether you believe in God or not is not important Buddha's teachings.

Answer 2

Not a Buddhist but what you said is true. Buddhism, from a philosphical perspective, is an ethical theory. Buddha's entire philosophy, the 4 Noble truths, the 8fold path..... In Cambodia, more money is brought in from prostitution than the entire national budget--this from a country who has a 98% Buddhist population! Buddhism has done nothing in those parts of the world.Ethical theories dont change us, its like a mirror, the mirror has the power to show you what's wrong. The mirror doesnt have the power to clean the face.

Buddha thought to look towards the inside...but you need to define what religion is to see why Buddhist's consider it a religion.

As far as diety, Buddhist have long asked the question " Who is Buddha?" There are scores of historical issues brought about this subject. This is where the divisions come from (Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism etc, etc)

Answer 3

You are right on assuming that Buddhism is a system of thought. Buddhist's do have devotional maditation that sometimes people confuse with prayer. there are quite a few differant sects within the faith that adhear to different practices. they beleive that thrue chanting and meditation you can acheave a wider elevated consceince thus spreading love and kindness . some buddhists like the large portion of Japaneese pray to the Amida Buddha which could be considered a diety becouse they believe that he has created a paradise in the west and is still with them after death. I personaly admire the buddhist philosophy, at least they are not killing in the name of a god. and are not ramming it down the throats of gulible people. try reading some books by Allen Watts he was a very educated man and had a lot of things to say on the subject.

Answer 4

Gods are not a necessary part of any religion, which is why things like Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism end up being talked about as religions, though some denominations of Buddhism include ideas of divinity and heaven. Generally speaking though, it is safe to say that Buddhism makes no specific mention of any Gods, and is not interested in whether or not there are any. You can believe in Gods or not believe in Gods, because it has nothing to do with enlightenment. As far as Buddhists are concerned, you can be a Buddhist, and continue to practice any other religion which does not interfere with being a Buddhist, for instance a religion which requires killing people. I have always admired Buddhism for its pacifism, and its history of conversion without using oppression.

Answer 5

well. I am an atheist. But have wanted to become buddhist for some time. It takes more commitment to learning and ritual practice than I have been willing to put forth. The way I see it, I can be an atheist and Buddhist at the same time. But others may disagree. I once asked this question myself. I think it is more to do with the organization and set of beliefs that cause it to be a religion. Buddha was not a god, but some worship him like he was. And he is a bit of an idol.

Answer 6

I am Buddhist but I do not pray. I suppose that I am agnostic too because I do not know for certain if a god exists. Similarly, I do not know about an afterlife.

W erespect the Buddha (enlightenment), the Buddha's teaching (Dhamma) and 'the priesthood (Sangha). I meditate as a means to control my thoughts because this is fundamental to living correctly.

I try (but often fail) to follow the eightfold path - you can look this up on the internet.

I follow the Buddhist philosophy it's not a religion because there is no god) because it is pragmatic and does not rely on blind faith. It emphasises acceptance of others and their beliefs. We do not preach because we believe that people will find their true path when they are ready.

Answer 7

I am not Buddhist, but I'll share all I do know about Buddhism, even though it's not much. It is a misconception that Buddhists worship the buddha. A girl in my class said that some Buddhists pray to the Buddha, but a website said that most don't. However, they do pray to their ancestors.

Answer 8

The'worshipping' at the Buddha image is quite a different matter.Buddhists revere the image of the Buddha as a gesture of respect to the greatest,wisest,most benevolent,compassionate and holy man who has ever lived in this world!The worship of the Buddha really means paying homage,veneration and devotion to the Buddha and what He represents,and not to the stone or metal figure!
The image is a visual aid that helps one to recall the Buddha in the mind and to remember His great qualities which inspired millions of people from generations to generations throughout the civilized world.Buddhists use the stature as a symbol and as an object of concentration to gain peace of mind.When Buddhists look upon the image of the Buddha,they put aside thoughts of strife and think only of peace,serenity,calmness and tranquility.The stature enables the mind to recall this great man and inspires devotees to follow his example and instructions.In their minds, devout Buddhists feel the living presence of the Buddha.This feeling makes their acts of worship vivid and significant.The serenity of the Buddha image influences and inspires them to observe the right path of conduct and thought!

However,it is not obligatory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practise Buddhism.Those who can discipline their mind and the senses,can certainly do so without an image as an object.Simply respecting the images without following the Buddha 's teaching is not the way to find salvation."HE WHO SEES THE DHAMMA SEES ME"

Answer 9

Im not buddhist but know something about it
There seems to be no deity, though the Buddha is revered of course. There is also a main focus on meditation, most notably under a tree ( to represent a Boddhisatva tree). And you are correct, this is a peaceful religion that does not attack and kill others for their beliefs like other religions ( cough, cough, Islam) lol.

Answer 10

Not an answer to your question, but if you like Buddhism you may appreciate this beautiful video I found...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oZkxOyqK5E

Peace.