What do Buddhists believe about...?

Question

Buddhism appeals to me. I'm Taoist now; pretty much Buddhist without all the rituals and reincarnation. So I'd like to ask some Buddhists some questions about exactly what do they say about:

a) the creation of the universe?
b) if one being reincarnates from another, why are there more lives now then there used to be?
c) the end of the universe?
d) cloning/genetic research?

Thank you! Please include links!

Answer 1

a) The Buddha chose not to speculate about the origin of the universe. Although he did say that a beginning "cannot be discerned". Buddhism teaches that all things arise based on causes and conditions, which, if you take any philosophy class, implies an infinite regress.

b) There are many realms of existence in Buddhism. The one we perceive is one of many. Beings can be reborn into, or out of any of them based on their karma.

c) Same answer as (a).

d) Buddhism recognizes heritable characteristics as part of what conditions a being's existence. And they did so long before Darwin (though without the scientific acumen). Buddhism is very open to scientific discovery, albeit with some caveats.

Answer 2

I am leaning in the direction of Buddhism myself and have read a few books on the subject. Clearly they do not square the circle that there are more soals alive today than there ever were, unless you include animals.

What I like is the idea of respect for all forms of worship - Makes a nice change doesn't it?

Not sure about beginnings and ends of the universe, I am not sure if that is relevant to finding self enlightenment, but we are all different.

I have never seen any official views on the subject of genetic research. All soals are precious but where the official line is drawn, I do not know.

Interestingly enough, I looked at Wikepeadia and all the links from there and got a warm buzz, but have been afraid to follow further, lest I find the sort of dogmatic nonsense that seems to have polluted the faiths I know more about.

Not much help probably, but the journey is as important as the destination.

Answer 3

a) Universe is not created. It is a composite existence due to complex conditions including sentient beings' karmic effect. Buddha said there wasn't a beginning.

b) Rebirth is a better word. Reincarnation as used in Hinduism and other religions involves a permanent soul which is not recognized in Buddhism, because logically a permanent soul means there is no way to end reincarnation. Human is just one of the destinies in rebirth, other than heaven, animal, ghost, and hell. None of the destiny is eternal. The total number of sentient beings are uncountable.

c) If there is no beginning, there isn't an end. Nonetheless, earth (and other planets) each have their own cycle of formation, stay, deterioration and destruction.

d) Sentient beings are composite existence of five aggregates: physical body, feelings, conception, mental constructs and consciousness. Cloning/genetic research can be treated as just another possible means of forming physical body -- but life will not happen without consciousness. The research itself is acceptable as long as no 'killing' act is carried out. In Buddhism, life begins upon pregnancy.

Finally, wondering about all these does not help one to cease sufferings which is the goal of Buddhism. One should be more concerned about own 'Universe' -- your own five aggregates, six senses, and six stimulants. This is the internal Universe through which we are confused by the external illusory universe. Understand how your own internal Universe works, and you will be on the right path towards enlightenment.

Answer 4

Like Hindus, Buddhists believe in the cycle of the universe so that it continually gets created and destroyed, ad infinitum

The lives are not merely human lives.You can be reincarnated as ant and vice versa.

The end is part of the cycle and is followed by a new beginning.

Cloning is probably not compatible with the idea of a soul that is reincarnated in different lives. Genetic research might be compatible with the idea that the BODY can be modified but reincarnation involves the indivisible soul.

Answer 5

Buddhism is not a religion, nor a philosophy or a set of doctrines, but rather teachings to guide one to directly .
Buddhism today
Buddhism had become virtually extinct in India, and although it continued to exist in surrounding countries, its influence was no longer expanding. It is now again gaining strength. While estimates of the number of Buddhist followers range from 230 to 500 million worldwide, most estimates are around 350 million,[21] or 310 million.[22] However, estimates are uncertain for several countries. According to one analysis,[23] Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world behind Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. The monks' order (Sangha), which began during the lifetime of the Buddha in India, is among the oldest organizations on earth.


Typical interior of a temple in KoreaTheravāda Buddhism, using Pāli as its scriptural language, is the dominant form of Buddhism in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Burma. Also the Dalit Buddhist movement in India (inspired by B. R. Ambedkar) practices Theravada.
East Asian forms of Mahayana Buddhism that use scriptures in Chinese are dominant in most of China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam as well as within Chinese and Japanese communities within Indochina, Southeast Asia and the West.
Tibetan Buddhism, using the Tibetan language, is found in the ethnically Tibetan-dominant regions of China and the surrounding areas in India, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, and the Russian Federation.
Most Buddhist groups in the West are at least nominally affiliated to some eastern tradition listed above. An exception is the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, though they can be considered Mahayanist in a broad sense.
At the present time, the teachings of all three branches of Buddhism have spread throughout the world, and Buddhist texts are increasingly translated into local languages. While, in the West, Buddhism is often seen as exotic and progressive, in the East, Buddhism is regarded as familiar and part of the establishment. Buddhists in Asia are frequently well organised and well funded. In a number of countries, it is recognized as an official religion and receives state support. In the West, Buddhism is recognised as one of the growing spiritual influences. (see Buddhism in the West)

See also Buddhism by country

Answer 6

There are as many different notions of Buddhism as there are about Christianity.

Buddhism, as outlined in the oldest texts, seems concerned only with the end of suffering in this life. Buddha seems to have lived when the Vedanta (a form of Hinduism) was in the ascendency, so if you look up Vedanta in Wikipedia it will give you the cultural context in which the Buddha spoke, but when asked about the "here-after", the Buddha purportedly recommended seeing a priest, he wasn't concerned with that, but with this.

All the stuff about the afterlife, the before life that is part of various Buddhist practices seems, in short, to be grafted onto the Buddha's teachings from other cultures.

There is nothing in the Buddha's teachings, of course, about cloning. He did recommend experimentation, but he was speaking of trying, testing, his teachings rather than genetic research.

The Buddha's teachings don't deal with superstitious stuff much. It's much more like psychology than the superstitious stuff we usually identify as "religion".

Answer 7

Hi...

a) As the Dalai Lama said recently, "On the philosophical level, both Buddhism and modern science share a deep suspicion of any notion of absolutes, whether conceptualized as a transcendent being, as an eternal, unchanging principle such as soul, or as a fundamental substratum of reality. Both Buddhism and science prefer to account for the evolution and emergence of the cosmos and life in terms of the complex interrelations of the natural laws of cause and effect."
b) personally, for me, I don't see there being more lives. I see there being more humans, and less animals. It isn't just humans that carry a 'soul', reincarnation involve all sentient beings.
c) what do you mean by end? as in, the end of the universe as a destination, or an event?
d) Personally, I think scientific resarch is an amazing thing, it has the possibility to give so many life and opportunities. However, I believe that from the moment of coneption there is life, so embryonic research is something I'm not at peace with. I do like the new technology of using skin cells to produce stem cells.

Answer 8

Glad to see you wanting to move into buddhism, even though it's more of a philosophy than a religion. I provided a link that should get you started, I just don't have the time to post all the info here.

Concerning the universe questions, I don't believe buddhism say much about them, nothing about an end, and I don't believe anything about a creation.

Good luck.

Answer 9

That depends largely to what kind of Buddhism you are practicing. The two mainstreams are Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. And within those 2 mainstreams you have a lot of sub streams or cults.
Me myself are a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, a sub stream belonging to Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhists are focused on the Lotus Sutra, which is the recorded version of the last teaching by Sakyamuni Buddha a.k.a. Sitharta Gautama or the original Buddha. He unveiled in the Lotus Sutra how he reached enlightenment or the state of Buddha.
Nichiren, who was a 13th century Japanese monk, came to the conclusion after reading all Sutras, that the Lotus Sutra is the highest teaching from Sakyamuni. The Japanese title of the Lotus Sutra is Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Nichiren declared that reciting this title will bring enlightenment within your lifetime. The whole recitation is Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Nam comes from Sanskrit and means: "I devote myself to...". Myoho is Japanese and means "Law of cause and effect". Renge is Japanese and means "Lotus flower". And Kyo is Japanese and means "Sutra". Nichiren is also called the Buddha of the latter day of the (Buddhistic) Law.
Thus by reciting or chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo you opening up yourself for the highest life state which is Buddha state. Nichiren Buddhists believe that this state of Buddha is inside everyone and only needs to be awakened.
As a Nichiren Buddhist I belong to the lay organization Soka Gakkai International. Look for more information on www.sgi.org
Regarding the last to questions (c & d), we (Nichiren Buddhists) believe that the universe is never ending. Also we are not agreeing on cloning/genetic research. This, because we respect all kinds of life and think that cloning and genetic research is not natural or respecting the circle of life and death.
I'm sure that you can find most of your answers on you questions at the following link: www.sgi.org, www.gakkaionline.net, www.nichirenscoffeehouse.net
I hope I could be to your assistance
a_dewit

Answer 10

My daughter is into Buddhism for the calming effect it has over her, teaches her wisdom, peace, serenitity, she stayed at a Buddist camp this summer and in the hills of New York State and had a week of peace and talks with others of this kind, still a Christian, but also believes in many of the Buddist ways. Its good to be open to all and find out what truley makes life easier, no sin in that. A mother with an open mind.