I assume that most people would think that Buddhism is a very good moral code to follow and it has the benefit of not having a God or annoying followers trying to convert and no threats of eternal damnation.
Do you think Buddhism is a good alternative to theist religions? Or is it just another way of controlling people who can't think for themselves? Would you be interested in being one yourself? I am not a Buddhist by the way, you can look at my previous answers if you want to know what I am.
Note: These are not my own beliefs, I am merely posing the question because I am genuinely interested in what people think.
2007-03-22 05:29:29 · 9 answers · asked by Velouria 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'm atheist... I'm Buddhist... wink wink nudge nudge... I'll bet you can't guess what I think...
Um about the threats of eternal damnation thing... rebirth in some of the spookiest hell realms, while not eternal, aren't a party either... although damnation is also another matter entirely in Buddhism too... it's about karma and your mind, and if you can't "think for yourself" in Buddhism you're not going to understand much in it.
The Buddha himself tells you, nay nearly demands, that you should NEVER EVER take HIS word for anything on faith alone but to test it "like gold in the marketplace" yourself. So if you can't THINK for yourself... you're in deep kimchi.
_()_
2007-03-22 06:49:28 · answer #1 · answered by vinslave 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I like Buddhism very much. It has a lot of wisdom in it. I think it's an excellent alternative.
Any sort of philosophy or approach can be taken too far, so I have to say whether or not it's a control mechanism depends on one's obedience to doctrine and religious leaders. By itself, it's a matter of one's own choice in following its path; in a structured setting, I would be more wary and question everything that didn't seem right to my gut instinct.
I'm delving further into Taoism right now so I'm not interested in being a Buddhist, although I frequently joke that I'm a Buddhist whenever I decide to 'take the middle path' or 'act in moderation'.
2007-03-22 12:35:49 · answer #2 · answered by KC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like it very much, it's very responsible for a religion. There are no overwhelming mandates for how everyone should live or even large restrictions, and importantly buddhists keep their religion to themselves or interested parties, they don't condemn those not on the Buddhist path.
The moral code seems agreeable and while they have supernatural beleifs much if it is grounded in extenstions of the natural world.
The only objection i would have and why I would not become Buddhist if I had spiritual needs is that they favour a peaceful state free from desires. For me desires define and enrich my life. Being hungry, being in love, the emotions that move me seem an important part of my life, not something to be held in check until the point where they no longer trouble me. But they still experience the world, and i guess what they hope to achieve in it's place to them appears worth it.
2007-03-22 12:37:50 · answer #3 · answered by jleslie4585 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's great - I looked into it a bit myself. I really love the "9 commandments" - I think they make much more sense than the usual 10.
There are many paths of Buddhism, but one thing that may very well be common to all is that they encourage questioning and not accepting what you're told. Which is a good thing.
2007-03-22 12:42:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buddhism, I think, is borne out of the Hindu syncretic tradition - you take what's appropriate to you, and leave the rest. You can make it pretty jingly-jangly and worship-centered, but in the US, where there isn't a long tradition, people who call themselves Buddhists are typically the first in their family/neighborhood/whatever to practice Buddhism, so people are relatively free of an inflexible structure.
2007-03-22 12:41:02 · answer #5 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think the more spiritual aspects are silly. However, Siddharta specifically taught that you should test all things and keep only those which are reasonable to the person and which have been examined and tested. As is famously quoted, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him. The Buddha is found within."
I can live with a little silliness. Heck, I'm a chaos mage and don't beleive in magick.
2007-03-22 12:34:33 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Buddhism is a lot more peaceful - which is more than what we can say for some of the religions out there.
2007-03-22 12:48:39 · answer #7 · answered by optimistic_pessimist1985 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
JP: Are you playing that MMORPG called runescape or something lol. Chaos mage? lol. What's your magic level?
Lol. Anyways, Buddha obviously died from a heart attack when he reached nirvana. So... no, there is no freacking way I am going to turn into a fat chinese guy with a billion little gold trinkets all over my house. What if I don't want to not want anything?
Who ever is with me type a 1 at the end of their answer!
2007-03-22 12:42:30 · answer #8 · answered by Sriro, Master of popups 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If one removes the superstitious nonsense from Buddhism then it has merit.
2007-03-22 12:41:20 · answer #9 · answered by Atheistic 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋