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I am surprised more people in the west aren't Buddhist, especially people with a love for philosophy. I have to wonder if maybe they are just never properly introduced to it. Maybe some of them think "organized religion" and just discard it as something not worth their time. Which is sad.
I am not totally sold on Buddhism, though. Reincarnation doesn't fully make sense to me, there are some spots where it and science clash. Also, I haven't seen any proof of it, and if something is not verifiable by you, you have no reason to believe it. Both buddhism and science stress that, and I believe it as well.
I also have been given no proof of Karma. While it is easy for me to believe in it, I refuse to without proper evidence. Life has ups and downs, and the buddhist rules of karma say that negative actions could have negative consequences immediately, or waaay down the road. so I am not sure how I could decide whether or not I believe this.
Anyways, are there any buddhists on tl.net? I know there is at least a couple.
How many of you believe in reincarnation or karma? How many of you know anything about buddhism? Would you like to learn about it? I would love to discuss it.
pssst. how many of you even know what the point of buddhism is? like, what it is even about ?
ok, the end
  
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I'm not buddhist but I like to think its real sometimes, although however life has chances that are good and bad.
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On July 28 2008 07:39 travis wrote:
Life has ups and downs
the end
this sums up my belief in karma. sometimes people just look too hard into things.
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my friend told me the western idea of karma isn't entirely right, and its not really simple as "if you do good things, good things will happen to you" but more like "if you do good things, you will have a better outlook on life, which will make you happier" or something like that, which i believe is totally true and it's how I base my life in most situations.
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On July 28 2008 08:02 Steelflight-Rx wrote:
my friend told me the western idea of karma isn't entirely right, and its not really simple as "if you do good things, good things will happen to you" but more like "if you do good things, you will have a better outlook on life, which will make you happier" or something like that, which i believe is totally true and it's how I base my life in most situations.
Either you are doing a poor job of explaining, or your friend is incorrect.
(no offense meant)
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buddhism is pretty gay. I've read alot about it in religion class and I have a couple of relatives who are buddhists. It's way too mild to compete with the 'real' religions, it doesn't have any harsh rules at all, the main branch that is.
All those things you wrote about it fits better in on hinduism since the reincarnation and karma is even more in focus in that religion.
Buddhism is more focused upon the enlightenment and the path toward it.
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On July 28 2008 08:18 travis wrote:Show nested quote +On July 28 2008 08:02 Steelflight-Rx wrote:
my friend told me the western idea of karma isn't entirely right, and its not really simple as "if you do good things, good things will happen to you" but more like "if you do good things, you will have a better outlook on life, which will make you happier" or something like that, which i believe is totally true and it's how I base my life in most situations. Either you are doing a poor job of explaining, or your friend is incorrect. (no offense meant)
nah none taken, it could be either one, idk how much my friend knows about boudhism, or how well im explaining. But i think the first part I said is correct: its not as simple as "if you do good things, goon things will happen to you" or "what goes around comes around" that might be the overall effect, but its not like if you do something good u get karma points or something, and King Bouddha has to pay it off somehow.
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I believe there is a higher power that looks down on you,and when something really good starts happening says the following line "hey,fuck you" then fucks you over. I mean just look at  sAviOr..he was doing good then this higher power said the following line "hey,fuck you" instant slump.
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On July 28 2008 08:19 Shauni wrote:
buddhism is pretty gay. I've read alot about it in religion class and I have a couple of relatives who are buddhists.
ok
It's way too mild to compete with the 'real' religions, it doesn't have any harsh rules at all, the main branch that is.
since when is the worth of a religion determined by it's popularity?
All those things you wrote about it fits better in on hinduism since the reincarnation and karma is even more in focus in that religion.
I don't know what you are trying to mean by this.
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I know only very little about Buddhism, but Karma certainly is an element in my belief system.
I see it as something affecting your life in a non-tangible manner, in the same way that being skilled in Poker yields good results by-and-by.
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On July 28 2008 08:23 Steelflight-Rx wrote:Show nested quote +On July 28 2008 08:18 travis wrote:On July 28 2008 08:02 Steelflight-Rx wrote:
my friend told me the western idea of karma isn't entirely right, and its not really simple as "if you do good things, good things will happen to you" but more like "if you do good things, you will have a better outlook on life, which will make you happier" or something like that, which i believe is totally true and it's how I base my life in most situations. Either you are doing a poor job of explaining, or your friend is incorrect. (no offense meant) nah none taken, it could be either one, idk how much my friend knows about boudhism, or how well im explaining. But i think the first part I said is correct: its not as simple as "if you do good things, goon things will happen to you" or "what goes around comes around" that might be the overall effect, but its not like if you do something good u get karma points or something, and King Bouddha has to pay it off somehow.
I already understand the basis of how it works according to Buddhism.
Here are the 4 laws of karma:
1. Results are similar to the cause. Simply said, when I cause other people harm, I will harvest suffering myself. It is important to note here, that "positive" actions are defined as actions that have happiness as a result; "negative" actions are defined as actions that lead to suffering as a result.
2. No results without a cause. As is obvious within science, things do not just appear out of nothing.
3. Once an action is done, the result is never lost. Similarly as above, things do not just disappear into nothing.
4. Karma expands. Once we have an imprint of an action in our mind, it tends to be habit-forming. As is often said in wars for example, killing the first enemy is tough, but after a handful, one quickly loses count and it becomes "normal". Also psychology often stresses a similar point when e.g. explaining actions of adults from their childhood experiences.
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To me, karma is just another religious concept used as a double-edged sword to comfort the believers and threaten the non-believers.
Christian version: If you do good things, you're one step closer to Heaven/paradise. But if you do bad things. You're one step closer to Hell where you will suffer and suffer and suffer and..
Buddhist version: You do good things, you will probably reincarnate as a human and be closer to ultimate enlightenment and nirvana/paradise. But, if you do bad things, once again you are fucked. But this time, as a frog or a zergling maybe.
Looking at it this way, there's no fundamental difference between the concepts. (Sure, karma can (from my understanding) affect you during your own lifetime but that's not the point). Both are just hollow promises/threats as you conveniently have to wait until after you die to prove them.
my tuppence.
edit: Cloud wtf. It is a trite fact that Buddhism doesn't fit exactly with other major religions because of its lack of a God. However this doesn't mean it is incomparable to other religions. It is really foolish to say:
If you try to compare it to other religions [...] then you have no clue on the subject.
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Bhudism and Confusionism are not exactly religions, more like models of life. If you try to compare it to other religions or look down on it because youre some die hard atheist, then you have no clue on the subject.
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OK I dont neccesarily believe in 'karma' but the fact that if shit happens, theres usually a reason, which in that sense is karma but I don't have a Buddhist base for it or anything.
IE:The Jaedong x ForGG Finals were going to start soon and I had yet to clean my room, wash dishes, or apply to vote for this election(as my mother had asked me to for the past week,(excluding the dishes in that time frame weeks worth of dishes is T_T) or so).
So I'm all excited for the finals and that I have nothing to do but that and am wondering how to kill time when I find out I can't connect to the internet. I go downstairs to find my parents telling me the TV isnt working Charter cut out compleletly, i mean EVERYTHING there was no cable no internet, all lines were busy. The whole time I was running this crazy selfish thought through my head, man this must be all my fault for not doing all this crap, so I take my time in NOT doing anything anyways, reading artemis fowl, watching some Scrub's episodes I had watched so long ago to refresh the jokes and bring back my 'happy mood'.
After an hour or so of sulking while at the same time enjoying scrubs I find out that NOTHING has come back, so I consider doing EVERYTHING. I then spend the next 1hr and half cleaning my room, registering to vote and washing the dishes (dirty room that was the big part of it) right as I finish drying the last dish(my parents have the TV on still because they want to be able to catch their movie the instant it comes back I hear the sound of a swiffer commercial.
At this point I sigh and just shake my head at whoever orcheastrated this muttering to myself 'well played, good sir, well played' and go up to my room to chat in IRC and wait for the finals to begin.
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On July 28 2008 08:34 Elric_ wrote:
To me, karma is just another religious concept used as a double-edged sword to comfort the believers and threaten the non-believers.
Christian version: If you do good things, you're one step closer to Heaven/paradise. But if you do bad things. You're one step closer to Hell where you will suffer and suffer and suffer and..
thats not how christianity works but whatever
Buddhist version: You do good things, you will probably reincarnate as a human and be closer to ultimate enlightenment and nirvana/paradise. But, if you do bad things, once again you are fucked. But this time, as a frog or a zergling maybe.
Kind of correct
Looking at it this way, there's no fundamental difference between the concepts. (Sure, karma can (from my understanding) affect you during your own lifetime but that's not the point). Both are just hollow promises/threats as you conveniently have to wait until after you die to prove them.
Well I immediately see one key difference between the 2 examples. Buddhist karma says that you can always come back, you can always create good karma and reach enlightenment.
Whereas in Christianity you go to hell and you burn forever.
And to claim buddhism uses anything to control people is ridiculous. The entire basis of buddhism is that you use your brain and you verify what it teaches for yourself.
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On July 28 2008 08:41 Monokeros wrote:
OK I dont neccesarily believe in 'karma' but the fact that if shit happens, theres usually a reason, which in that sense is karma but I don't have a Buddhist base for it or anything.
IE:The Jaedong x ForGG Finals were going to start soon and I had yet to clean my room, wash dishes, or apply to vote for this election(as my mother had asked me to for the past week,(excluding the dishes in that time frame weeks worth of dishes is T_T) or so).
So I'm all excited for the finals and that I have nothing to do but that and am wondering how to kill time when I find out I can't connect to the internet. I go downstairs to find my parents telling me the TV isnt working Charter cut out compleletly, i mean EVERYTHING there was no cable no internet, all lines were busy. The whole time I was running this crazy selfish thought through my head, man this must be all my fault for not doing all this crap, so I take my time in NOT doing anything anyways, reading artemis fowl, watching some Scrub's episodes I had watched so long ago to refresh the jokes and bring back my 'happy mood'.
After an hour or so of sulking while at the same time enjoying scrubs I find out that NOTHING has come back, so I consider doing EVERYTHING. I then spend the next 1hr and half cleaning my room, registering to vote and washing the dishes (dirty room that was the big part of it) right as I finish drying the last dish(my parents have the TV on still because they want to be able to catch their movie the instant it comes back I hear the sound of a swiffer commercial.
At this point I sigh and just shake my head at whoever orcheastrated this muttering to myself 'well played, good sir, well played' and go up to my room to chat in IRC and wait for the finals to begin.
In the buddhist sense this could be a good example of Karma.
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As far as I know Karma has no scientific backing, seems like nothing more than superstition.
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On July 28 2008 08:52 Ryot wrote:
As far as I know Karma has no scientific backing, seems like nothing more than superstition.
Somebody give him a Nobel Prize.
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My understanding of karma is that every action/deed has a consequence. Whether the consequence is good or bad depends on the nature of the original action. I dont think karma really exists, people just use it on the basis of confirmation bias.
Nonetheless, it's a pretty cool philosophy.
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EPT
