Questions for Buddhists?

Question

Is Kwan Im Goddess believers are also Buddhists?
Are you praying in words when you meditate?
If you are, what language is used?
Is it true that if you get deeper into Buddhism you tend to be vegetarian?
Can you be Buddhist and still love material world (having career, make a lot of money, own fancy cars etc)?
What are sins in Buddhism?
What is Buddhism view on fornication?
Does Buddhism encourage or discourage marriages?
How many Gods do you believe in?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Quan Yin is a version of Tara, deified to "goddess" level, however we just see her as compassionate and enlightened.

There are different forms of Buddhist meditation, one way is to calm the mind and understand how thoughts are fleeting and the other way is analytical meditation, then there's tantra which is only done under the guidance of a lama because you have to realize certain things before it's "safe" to do the tantric stuff. I think you're referring to mantras, which are verbal language that is a tool to help us cultivate good karma, a form of meditation (if you want to use it as such) and for certain tantric practices.

If you cultivate altruism and an understanding of the benefits of being vegetarian and the fact that we consider animals to be sentient beings, who like us, only want to be happy too... you tend to become vegetarian. I am.

There are no "sins" in Buddhism, there are acts of altruism and acts that cause harm and suffering... one generates good karma and the other generates bad. Betcha you'll figure which is which.

"Fornication" is a Christian label given to what we view as a mental construct. If you use your sexuality to cause harm, such as bestiality, pedophilia or rape, or even just to "use" someone then obviously that's very bad stuff and will generate very bad karma. Homosexuality is not seen as something "evil" and we believe that nothing nor anybody is inherently "good" OR "evil" since there's no logic in it.

Buddhism doesn't have much to say about marriage one way or another except to say that we should, at the very least, cause no harm nor suffering, and cultivate altruism. If you want to be married, so be it.

We don't believe in the concept of an omnipotent creator god, as there's no logic to such a being in our opinion, however we do believe in "deities" which is a label we give to any sentient being who's achieved enlightenment and absolute altruism and those beings we call "devas" who are people who had the good karma to be reborn in the deva realm. Such beings are not omnipotent.

Oops missed 2, sorry. Language. You can practice in any language you like depending on which form of Buddhism you practice. I use both Tibetan and English. Some practitioners of Hinayana Buddhism use Pali and Sanskrit, some Zen practitioners use Japanese or Chinese (their "Zen" is called "Chan"), and so forth. You can practice in all English if you choose... there's no logic in saying something you can't understand or you'll derive no benefit from it, except maybe some good karma that's imbedded in your karmic "stream".

The concept of "materialistic conquest" is a bit of a long subject, so I'll adumbrate it as best as I can. You can have stuff and not have to throw it away, the idea is not to have grasping and attachment to the stuff because nothing really, truly, ever brings happiness like some people thing things do. The idea is to cultivate an understanding that all things arise due to causes and conditions (i.e. "emptiness" or lack of inherent existence), that all things change and are impermanent. These concepts cover material goods as well as thoughts, concepts, sentient beings, etc. So to have things is okay, but to go out to buy "stuff" just because you think it will make you happy, is incorrect perception and incorrect view. Being so stuck on something that's going to change or be destroyed isn't logical, so if you cultivate understanding of these concepts, you're less likely to get sucked into the bandwagon of "buy this, it'll make you happy, you'll live forever" and whatnot. There's a lot more to it than this but I hope my miserable explanation helps some.

edit: Almost forgot to mention that my pov is that I'm Tibetan Buddhist, Gelug lineage. Sorry.

_()_

Answer 2

I don't pray when I meditate.
Any words that appear in my mind are in English.
I'll be vegetarian next year.
Yes, you can exist in the material world.
Buddhism doesn't believe in sin.
Buddhist have sex. Read what you like into that.
Buddhism wants those who want to marry to marry.
Buddhism doesn't have Gods.

Answer 3

>No idea.
>Meditation is more of a passive letting thoughts flow through your head for two hours deal.
>Native tongue
>If you're Buddhist, you're often Vegetarian, because killing a life is not worth a meal.
>Harming others in any way shape or form, killing anything [flies included] is the big one
>Sex is alright so long as nobody is harmed by the relationship
>Marriage is good.
>None, Buddha is simply a teacher.