are there some Buddhists who believe in Gods and Goddesses?

Question

i know quite a few Buddhists..some don't believe in theism..others seem to share a belief with the hindus...can someone explain this to me?i have read a lot on Buddhism and from what i can see,it is atheistic..

Answer 1

GOOD question :)...it's like this....

TRUE & PURE Buddhism=Lord Buddha's teachings



this is as simple as learning to play the guitar.all u need to know is how to play it and then practice.things like who invented it etc are irrelevant.similarly to follow Buddha's teachings in living your life,it doesn't matter what religion u are in,whether or not u believe in God etc.



Buddhism originated in India.so from the very beginning,Buddhists and Hindus coexisted as one community.therefore the PEOPLE were influenced by eachother's religions.as a result,hindus consider Buddha to be one of their Gods(although in actual fact he was a mortal man) and some Buddhists practice a sort of "Buddhism-Hinduism mixed religion" i.e.they lead their lives according to Buddha's teachings but also believe in the God Vishnu,Goddess Lakshmi etc and go to Hindu kovils as well as Buddhist temples.



this is why some Buddhists are theists.i myself am an atheist.



there are also numerous mention of Gods and Goddesses in the stories about Lord Buddha's life.most probably these are things that were added by man through the 2550 years.also,there are 550 stories which are thought to be stories about Buddha's past lives before he attained Nirvana.one must view these stories as one would view "Aesop's fables".of course we have no proof of whether they happened or not so why bother worrying your head about whether they're true? it's the MESSAGE that must be derived.each story contains a valuable message at the end such as,for example, "violence can never be conquered by violence,it can only be conquered by compassion".so forget the facts of the story,don't bother your head about whether or not it may be true,remember the message that it teaches.



another thing that confuses westerners is,why we worship Buddha statues.the reason for this is because we respect him for what he taught us.we consider him to be a great teacher.we Buddhists worship our parents and teachers as well (this also depends on the country-in sri lankan buddhists worship parents and teachers this but i don't know if buddhists all over the world do this).so it's really nothing to do with him being a deity.some buddhists,because of the hindu influence,also light incense sticks and things.but he never told us to do anything like that.this is what PEOPLE do out of respect for him and since he's no more,we keep statues.



if you're learning Buddhism newly,u must be very careful not to get lost within these cultural practices and confuse yourself.all that's needed is to learn his teachings..hope this helps :)

Answer 2

Buddhist teachings frequently mention, heavenly dieties; gods and goddesses. In Nichiren Buddhism, these are seen as the natural forces of the universe, often at work through the mundane world. For example...I get ready to go to work and am running late because I can't find my keys. I finally find them and head off. As I am driving down the road I come to an intersection where the light is green for my lane. Nearing the crossing I realize a car has just run the red light in front of me. The keys...or whatever event made me lose them was the act of the protective heavenly dieties aka shoten zenjin. I have only practiced Nichiren Buddhism so I can't speak to other forms. I know that among those of us in the Soka Gakkai, some are as you say, athiest. Others seem to have maintained a link to a former faith and feel that they have come to see "God" as within themselves. Some feel that is the Buddha within us all. Nichiren Buddhism is the only sect that propounds the ability of all people to become enlightened or achieve the life condition of Buddhahood in THIS lifetime, as we are, by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Hope this is helpful.

Answer 3

Buddhism has been described as a pragmatic religion. It does not indulge in metaphysical speculation about first causes; there is no theology, no worship of a deity.

Buddhism takes a very straightforward look at our human condition; nothing is based on wishful thinking, at all. Everything that the Buddha taught was based on his own observation of the way things are. Everything that he taught can be verified by our own observation of the way things are

http://www.buddhanet.net/

Answer 4

Buddhism is founded on a set of moral precepts -as long as those are adhered to other beliefs and opinions are of limited relevance. Buddhism doesn't put any emphasis on belief in deities but neither does it actively discourage such belief- it just doesn't suggest it is important.

Answer 5

some buddhists including my parents believe in gods, but don't worship them blindly. they are not like god in christianity or islam, because it isnt believed that they created us or have much influence on us. i myself am an atheistic buddhist. it doesnt matter if you do or do not believe in gods when you are a buddhist. either way, you are responsible for your acts and have to discipline yourself.

Answer 6

Atheistic in the sense that we don't believe in the concept of an omnipotent creator being, which is illogical. We believe in what we call "deities" though, which are NOT omnipotent/omnipresent types, we call it the deva realm, which is a place where one can take rebirth w/ good karma.

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