Buddhist are spiritual atheist? Is this a fair description?

Question

What is the difference between Buddhism and Atheism?
I asked a previous question regarding Buddhism, sin, God, and heaven (or nirvana) and the overwelming response was that Buddhist do not believe in sin, or God, or heaven so..........?
Buddhist are atheist who for some reason want to be spiritual? (whatever that is in this context)
Is this really a fair assesment.
This really is a serious question on my part so insightful answers mingled with the obligatory humor would be appreciated.

Answer 1

The practice of Buddhism generally suggests a belief in neither eternalism or nihilism. Atheism is nihilistic, and therefore it would be quite a stretch to call Buddhism atheistic. That being said, Buddhists generally do not follow the 'western' concept of a creator G-d, this does NOT mean there is no G-d concept in Buddhism, it is just that we we consider G-dlike is more broad, and interconnected with all beings and phenomena.

Often on Y!A one will see Buddhism referred to as only a philosophy, or a 'set of ethical principles' by which we live. While this can be true of practitioners who are typically western, and/or with people who have simply adopted the principles of Buddhism as a set of moral guidelines, Buddhism id typically consider a religious practice by easterners and very serious adherents.

Note the use of 'typically' and 'generally' - this is because there are always exceptions. One of the great differences between Buddhism and other religions is that it is ok to think for oneself and make belief-based decisions based on ones own careful contemplation and understanding.

Hopefully this is a useful answer.

May all beings be happy, well and enlightened.

Answer 2

Depends on the Buddhist. Saying that Buddhists do not believe in God is a gross generalization, although it is true with some of them. Buddhism is actually a very diverse philosophy/religion. Many of them DO believe in God, or at least believe in the soul, which is something very few atheists would agree with. I would argue, though, that for some Buddhists you are probably right. They essentially do not believe in a God, and by the most basic definition, that would make them an atheist. Alas, as usual, things are not really that simple in reality.

Answer 3

Buddhism is a religion/philosophy that does not require a belief in God or Gods. While Buddha himself apparently believed in the Hindu Gods of his upbringing, they were not immortal and were every bit as much in need of enlightenment as any human. He believed enlightenment, as the end of suffering brought on by longing and attachment, was the goal of all sentient beings.

The reason Buddhism is seen as atheistic is that the philosophy sees all of the universe as unified. There is a way that, if the universe is God, then we are also God. Buddha taught that the perception of selfhood was an illusion, and that through meditation, we could come to release the concept of selfhood and see ourselves as part of the tapestry of existence. This does not require any deity, and so Buddhists do not look to God to provide blessings, but rather look to their practice to provide peace of mind and acceptance of life.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Answer 4

I always thought Buddhism was a religion. We went to Canada and visited a Buddist Temple that we passed. It was open to the public and free. We toured this 7 story structure. Apparently, it is not a religion but a way of life. There are many Buddhas, all with a story behind them. They are great teachers, and the people try to live their lives according to these teachings. So I guess they do not believe in any one diety.

Answer 5

I would say that most Buddhists do not believe in a Creator God so there is that. But Zen Buddhists neither believe or disbelieve in it as a religion. Some followers do, some don't, it's more a personal thing than doctrine. In Zen, they believe in personal enlightenment rather than taking spiritual truth second-hand from someone else. And in that I wholeheartedly agree.

Answer 6

Buddhism is the path of direct experience. Even Buddha said do not believe me, look for yourself. Belief is not something Buddhism is about.

Atheism, on the other hand, is the BELIEF that there is no god. As it is a belief, it is not a Buddhist concept.

~ Eric Putkonen

Answer 7

Not really, in that it they do believe in other, non-physical worlds, they believe in an afterlife (technically. Reincarnation, you tell me), and they may not believe in "sin", per se, but there are high virtues of the enlightened mind, and also traits that prevent you from attaining that state (namely, ignorance, hatred, and greed, or something like that). As for God, all spirits are derived from a single source and will inevitably rejoin it (atman). Though it may not be anthropomorphized, this is as much of a god as God should be. In short, you were answered by people who have oversimplified Buddhism.

Answer 8

To me "atheist" is a negative word. It suggests an attitude that rejects the notion of God. But Buddhists don't even consider the possibility of God. Nirvana is achieved by one's own efforts, especially through the practice of compassion, without the assistance of grace...which Christians know as God's own life. It's difficult to compare the two religions, because the terms are so different, though they seem to be so similar at first glance. The main factor is revelation vs teaching. Christians believe the main facts have been gradually revealed by God through prophets and finally through Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God.

Answer 9

Buddhists are atheists and Buddhists are spiritual. It's just like any other spirituality, except that it doesn't involve a deity. (Well, the tenets and details are different, of course. I mean that it is just another form of spirituality and generally works for people the same way others work for other people.)

Answer 10

Buddhism is both a philosophy and a 'non-theistic' religion.

"Nontheism consists narrowly in the nonacceptance of the theistic belief in a personal god, and broadly in the nonacceptance of any belief in a personal or impersonal god.
It can be applied to atheism (both weak and strong), agnosticism, ignosticism, and skepticism, as well as to certain religions including Confucianism, Taoism, Jainism, Buddhism. However, it is often separate from atheism in that atheism does not believe in any god while nontheism holds that whether or not god exists is irrelevant.[citation needed] Nontheism differs from agnosticism in that agnosticism holds that the existence or non-existence of god is unknown or, depending on the form of agnosticism, inherently unknowable, nontheism holds that the existence or non-existence of god might well be knowable but is simply irrelevant either way."