I am as much Buddhist as I am any other religion or spirituality and I believe in God. There is no perfect understanding, but there are teachers with such great understanding, such as Jesus and Buddha, and the Hebrew Spirit "I am that I am" that they are God. If simply because there is no better definition by their contemporary students. And to suggest otherwise by the teacher might create more confusion and misunderstanding among students than learning or knowledge.
2007-02-25 13:02:00 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
To Some of the Christians so far responding. I don't claim to be able to reconcile, even personally, contradictions in any scripture, certainly not the Christian Bible. And yes, once Jesus asserts that He is God, (once anyone asserts they are God), they are then also asserting that their words and teaching are the ONLY words and teachings that need be followed. This is true despite any parallel teachings by other teachers. BUT Jesus did say that sheep in other lands would hear his message. And I've heard too often the complaint against the Buddhists by Christians: "They do not believe in God."
2007-02-25 13:14:00 · update #1
Thanks I needed that.
Love and blessings Don
2007-02-25 13:04:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It seems to me that Buddha was a real person while Jesus is a Christian creation. A lot of things in the Bible are simply borrowed from other faiths. Both the Buddhists and the Christians don't believe in rebirth but the Buddhists don't believe in the soul and the Hindus believe in not only rebirth but also believe that soul is essentially the God. The Hebrew spirit " I'm that" and "Aham Brahasmi" is the same thing but it's the Christians who are so DEEP that they have simplify everything. Christianity doesn't appeal to me because it leaves many vital questions unanswered.
2007-02-26 00:49:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buddha was a man who became enlightened and showed others the way. There is no God involved in Buddhism.
It is when two religions are merged that a Buddhist would believe in God. Some people call themselves Christian-Buddhists as they find something of value in both religions. They may be Christians that have found that Buddhism has a lot to teach them.
2007-02-25 13:37:50 · answer #3 · answered by fefe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally, there are no such thing as an omni-potent God in the Buddhist Context, there are devas who are superior beings in other realms though (possibly another dimension).
However, in Buddhist context, as long as you follow the four noble truth and the eight path (and depending on which denomination suits you better, every denomination follows the eight path, however, each emphasis is different and hence, according to Buddhist scriptures, lead to different timing in enlightenment).
You have your free will to choose what you should believe in, if you believe there is an omni-potent God, so be it. Wisdom will prove you right or wrong in the future. However, as Buddha has said, Believe with your eyes and ears opened, learn the essences, use your wisdom to determine if the doctrines are truth, do not yield to intimidation
2007-02-25 13:13:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is because of the assumption that Buddha is our "God". They do not realize that Buddha is not a God but a reverred teacher of the Dharma. I personally am an atheist Buddhist but I know many Buddhists who believe in God, and follow a Buddhist way of life. It is simply, lack of knowledge. But I have found that religious intolerance is often promoted in certain sects of Christianity (particularly Catholicism), this promotes these innaccurate beliefs.
LEN: Buddhists DO believe in rebirth, it ceases only after enlightenment.
2007-02-25 13:22:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
How can you be Buddhist as much as any other religion? This would make you a universalitist and not a Buddhist - you may be polytheistic if anything. I would suggest that Jesus Christ is the only man who claimed to be God, fulfilling the prophecy of thousands of years as God and completely coincides with the I AM God. (After all, in the Gospel of John in the Bible Jesus claims to be the I AM - hence the reason the religious leaders of the time wished to kill him by stoning often).
Buddhism traditionally is about emptying oneself to reach enlightenment. There is no god in this. Perhaps it is the god of self (which would be a finite god - which I would suggest is only an apparition of the human mind). Siddhartha discovered self-enlightenment through the continual flow of a river; he did not discover a god.
2007-02-25 13:13:39 · answer #6 · answered by Bridget 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I didn't know Buddhists believed in the Christian God also, I think a lot of us probably think you all worship Buddha as a god. I believe that God has a plan for people of other religions to be saved too so God bless you.
2007-02-25 14:28:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is a word used by man to describe the Supreme Soul that creates, sustains and guides the universe. It is the universal life force which is within us and all around us. Whether one looks at the Supreme with a sense of devotion or merely from a scientific perspective doesnt matter. He exists. Lord Buddha did not specifically mention about the need for devotion and worship but He believed in service and kindness towards all living being. This in itself is a worship of the all pervading God in the form of living beings. This is in Hinduism, Karma Yoga..worship through selfless service.
2007-02-25 13:16:09 · answer #8 · answered by Rakesh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm Buddhist and I believe in God too, but some Buddhist don't. It just depends on what a person chooses to believe. Some sects believe in a God and some choose not to. But, it's not exclusive, you can believe in both. Christianity has a problem with it because they believe that you have to be 100% Christian or you'll go to hell, which is not what the bible teaches. The bible teaches that you will be judged by your works, not your faith.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
2007-02-25 13:04:50 · answer #9 · answered by Justsyd 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I don't know. I thought that the official Buddhist stance on God was that a belief in God is a personal choice. Some Buddhists may not believe in God, others might.
2007-02-25 13:09:40 · answer #10 · answered by swordarkeereon 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some Buddhists believe in a god, but Buddhism is not inherently theistic.
2007-02-25 13:07:34 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋