2007-01-03 19:17:29 · 21 answers · asked by Sleepyguy 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Buddhism is generally considered to be not atheistic but agnostic, in that, the Buddha himself did not deny the existence of God.
However, a Buddhist can believe in God.
2007-01-03 19:22:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
All the Buddhist lineages do not affirm the belief in a sovereign creator. Even though Buddhism is labeled by scholars at times as atheistic this can be wrongly applied because Westerners often view “atheism” as meaning a rejection of spirituality and religion. Buddhism contains many spiritual and religious elements, even though Buddhism is truly an education and training.
It is very difficult to define Buddhism in European terms because Buddhism formed outside Europe and therefore the English language does not have the proper terminology to classify Buddhism.
These type of questions, that is applying alien concepts to Buddhism, would be like someone asking a secretary if the pen she was using is blue or black when it is red, or like asking someone who follows a European religion if they have some personage resembling a “Buddha.”
In Buddhism there is a class of beings called "Devas," which is often translated into English as gods. But these Devas are simply another race of creatures who enjoy long life and all pleasures in the heavens. Even after millions of years of living, they also die and reincarnate. They are unenlightened and worldly beings, and even though they might offer protection and aid, they cannot help one attain the enlightenment of a Buddha.
Buddhas are beyond the god realm; they are enlightened beings who have gone beyond the realm of birth and death but still continue to aid sentient beings. That is why the Buddha is often called, “The Teacher of Gods and Men.”
The Buddha, when asked who he was, replied, “I am awake.” He had awakened to the truths and all the knowledge about existence, and at the same time he had transcended samsara.
2007-01-04 04:22:43 · answer #2 · answered by sista! 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A buddhist can believe in God. Whether or not to believe in God has nothing to do with buddhism. Buddha himself did not speak of such a thing, because his only interest was in promoting his philosophy for healthy living and "salvation" in the sense of being able to escape suffering in this world. Some of Buddha's followers did ask him if there was a God, and he declined to comment.
2007-01-04 03:22:38 · answer #3 · answered by يا حسين 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not as educated as I would like to be on this subject but my understanding of it is that yes there are some Buddhist that worship a Buddha like a god. Mostly, "true" Buddhist are Atheists though.
2007-01-04 03:20:24 · answer #4 · answered by haiku_katie 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, Buddhism of today has become spiritual. It is no longer a teaching of a philosophy of living by denying worldy desires. Buddha has become something like a God who is residing in a place located at the west heaven. He seems to be an advisor to the emperor of the heavenly realm.
2007-01-04 03:23:23 · answer #5 · answered by Ptuan 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Buddhists can be atheists, or they can believe in God or gods as well. Their are Buddhist deities such as Kannon, the goddess of mercy who some say is a manifestation of the Virgin Mary.
There are Buddhists who might include Christ in their pantheon, and there are Buddhists who feel Christianity and Buddhism are entirely compatible. It's really hard to generalize.
2007-01-04 03:18:36 · answer #6 · answered by michinoku2001 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Most Western Buddhists are atheists, but not all are. Some Buddhists, particularly those in Japan, do believe in deities traditional to that culture. Atheism isn't required for one to be a Buddhist.
2007-01-04 03:22:15 · answer #7 · answered by N 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Buddhists can believe in one God or in several deities, there is no dogma in Buddhism about the existance or non-existance of deities. I had some Buddhist pen pals in Thailand and one in Indonesia, and the ones in Thailand believed in various Chinese and Hindu deities, while the one in Indonesia (a predominantly Muslim country) believed in one God.
2007-01-04 07:57:14 · answer #8 · answered by Elly 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are gods and demons in Buddhist sutras but some Buddhists see these as symbolic. They unwisely deny the existence of the Christian God.
2007-01-04 03:24:25 · answer #9 · answered by andy c 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Buddha said that he could not tell us if there was a god or not. So yes, some Buddhists believe in a god, some don't. Buddha is not a god, he never claimed to be.
2007-01-04 03:23:39 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋