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Buddhists vs Abrahamic Philosophy
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The fundamental difference between religions like Buddhism and the Abrahamics is that Buddhism teaches that life happens as it unfolds and we might as well accept whatever happens as passive observers while the Abrahamics believe that we can influence the course of nature by sycophantic worship.
I am not a Buddhist but their perspective makes a lot more sense to me.
I am not a Buddhist but their perspective makes a lot more sense to me.
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> Buddhism teaches that life happens as it unfolds and we might as well accept whatever happens as passive observers
No it doesn't. Buddhists aren't fatalists by any stretch of the imagination. The essence of Buddha's teachings (and, therefore, the closest thing to a Buddhist 'creed') are the Four Noble Truths:
1. Life leads to suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by craving.
3. Suffering ends when craving ends, which is achieved by eliminating delusion, thereby reaching a state of Enlightenment
4. Enlightenment is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.
No it doesn't. Buddhists aren't fatalists by any stretch of the imagination. The essence of Buddha's teachings (and, therefore, the closest thing to a Buddhist 'creed') are the Four Noble Truths:
1. Life leads to suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by craving.
3. Suffering ends when craving ends, which is achieved by eliminating delusion, thereby reaching a state of Enlightenment
4. Enlightenment is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.
/Buddhism asks the traveller to come to their own conclusions through contemplation./ That is not strictly true beso; There is a defined path to be taken in the quest toward enlightenment. This is known as the 'Dharma' (teaching) which one should test to see if it has validity, "Like assaying gold", said the Buddha. You have to practise it not contemplate it. A lama once told me, "It is like having an illness, you go to a doctor (The Teacher) and he gives you a prescription for some medicine. It is no use reading over and over again the prescription, to be cured, you have to take the medicine!)
You are right, we don't pray to a god, but we do say 'prayers', for example in the Tibetan tradition, prayers are recited for the 'Long life of his Holiness the Dalai Lama' (Om Svasti). All mantras are a form of prayer, creating positive forces in oneself, and for the good of humanity in general, and yes naomi, everyone bears responsibility for their actions in the form of Karma. In common parlance; we all reap what we sow.
To acknowledge responsibility for ones own life and happiness is to acknowledge an inescapable reality. To live up to ones responsibility for the consequences of ones own beliefs and actions is to achieve ones independence and qualification as an adult. Unfortunately, adulthood is not prerequisite to having children . . . as essential as it is to properly raising them.
Suffering is nothing more than an inability to prevent or overcome adversity and to thrive in spite of it. Buddhism, is at best an incomplete philosophy albeit a marked improvement over one that promotes the suffering of others as the means to alleviate ones own. Any value one believes they stand to gain at the expense of another is an illusion and only confirms ones own unworthiness and inability to identify what is truly of value. All that is of value is either created or exchanged for the mutual benefit of all involved. Neither giver nor receiver acquire any real gain from another's uncompensated values or suffering, neither God's, Abraham's, Buddha's . . . or anyone's.
Suffering is nothing more than an inability to prevent or overcome adversity and to thrive in spite of it. Buddhism, is at best an incomplete philosophy albeit a marked improvement over one that promotes the suffering of others as the means to alleviate ones own. Any value one believes they stand to gain at the expense of another is an illusion and only confirms ones own unworthiness and inability to identify what is truly of value. All that is of value is either created or exchanged for the mutual benefit of all involved. Neither giver nor receiver acquire any real gain from another's uncompensated values or suffering, neither God's, Abraham's, Buddha's . . . or anyone's.
To be ignorant of a subject is excusable, to to be ignorant of a subject and expound on it is not. To say that "Buddhism, is at best an incomplete philosophy" shows a lack of understanding; Buddhist philosophy is absolutely vast and comprehensive, covering all aspects of the universe and all life both human and that of all sentient beings. To gain the highest degree in Tibetan Buddhism requires 24 years of continuous study on a 24/7 basis. To master the traditional curriculum requires study of; basic logic, mind and its functions, and logical reasoning (pramana); general study of the perfections (paramita); specific study of the nature of existence (madyamika); ethics (vinaya); phenomenology (abhidarma). Then comes the massive; 'Review of ethics and phenomenology' which brings the student to karam geshe level, and then for the most talented few; 'The final review of the five great treatises' after which comes the title 'lharampa geshe'. I think you might agree that by comparison many other philosophical and religious studies appear rather superficial - To become an immam for example, requires no special training whatsoever.
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