The meaning of mindfulness. ( Archived) (27)

Thanks Rob

I will look into it

Rob can you tell me if Buddhism is a religion or a teaching of a way of life?

On google, one says it is and another says its not

Not really religion, its more closely related to a philosophy.
The teachings been around 20,000 years, that's what they found when they carbon dated Buddhist artifacts found in region of the Old Silk Road.
Gautama Buddha, popularly known as the Buddha (also known as Siddhattha Gotama or Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni), is the third Buddha known to appear on planet earth.
The Buddha's teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that wisdom, kindness, patience, generosity and compassion were important virtues.
The teachings of the Buddha are carefully transmitted by qualified teachers. In the Mahayana Tradition HH Dalai Lama is protector of the teachings. He has six or seven teachers that he takes teachings from over more than just this one life time.
The Buddha taught the suffering nature of sentient rebirths, and he taught correct antidotes for our ills (sufferings). Even the Buddha can but point the way. Its up to each of us to find (learn) what the Buddha Dharma teachers mean so that we can correctly apply antidotes to our sufferings. Learn in mind your mind.
The basic teachings of the Buddha in the Mahayana Tradition are known as Lam Rim, they are teachings on the Sutra ('s) that are transmitted by qualified teacher.
Because Monk or Nun wear robes does not make them qualified teacher, however they will often assist students under directions of a qualified teacher, who in the Mahayana Tradition would probably have obtained title of Geshi, a Geshe-la (in Tibet) would likely have entered monastic life as monk or nun at very young age (maybe four years old) and by about age 30 years old to obtain title of Geshe the monk or nun would have had to have defeated senior monk/nun opponents in public debate (some times) before more than 10,000 other monks, because the teachings are more likened to a philosophy, the teachings are understood using debate, understanding is found by student using his/her logic and reason.
It is important to both learn what the teaching actually means, to do that we need to understand the nature of mind, our own mind, and other subject that are taught so we can focus on the essence of the teachings. pedro, please understand it can take many life times to obtain enlightenment (going beyond).
Enlightenment can be explained obtainment having ceased all the causes for sufferings rebirth and so for each of us rebirth after rebirth is quite likely because rebirth occurs because... in interdependence, driven by cause and effect and so our unwholesome activities of body speech and mind that driven by ignorance, greed and hatred is what we need to discover the nature of.
So I am trying to say seek a qualified teacher pedro, your pwn personal karma with the teachings and with qualified teacher hopefully will continue in future life to.
It is important to understand we need to breath in left & out right as nobody else can still our minds for us. What we learn from teachings in utilizing our human ability to apply logic and reason in learning what teacher explanations to us, can be likened to a path.
A path we need to follow not just in this one life time but likely in future life to. To find understanding in that we need to still our mind. Quite complicated subject matter and there is no magic wand pedro.
Therefore i am trying to explain that your own life experience has been different to all other peoples, including your brother and sister, mother and farther and it's your mind that you need to use to interrupt what the teachers is saying. Not a religion. Review what I've written above carefully mate.
Its important information

It depends on you definition of religion. In the east Buddhism is looked on as more of a philosophy rather than a religion. But western views are somewhat different. In the west religion is generally defined as...
Having a Deity to worship...Buddhism does not have a Deity as such.
Or
Having a belief in a continuum, some form of life after death, which is a strong belief in Buddhist teachings.
So it can be argued that Buddhism is a religion. It's certainly claimed to be a religion in the UK, if only to qualify for the tax benefits that go with that label.
But a label it is, it changes nothing. Purely from a Buddhist point of view, whether it called a religion or not is quite irrelevant and isn't really an issue.

Going back to the subject of mindulness, it needs to be noted that mindfulness teachings can stand on their own without any Buddhist or Spiritual beliefs. It's taught around the world, especially these days in schools. The method is taught in many cases strictly aside from religious or Buddhist teaching. It can benifit all and it's in some ways unfortunate that the Buddhist, Spiritual connection exists, as it tends to turn some people away from the idea of trying it.
Mindfulness can benifit all who take the time to practice it.

Western Buddhism is more spiritual than religious but in the east it is more of a flock with deities. They're not as modern as the Buddha who lived through the zenith of his society; the point where we decide that we are rather bored with it. Like Rousseau and the return to nature. But in the east it is more conservative if that's even the right word, it's a bit more for the laypeople and their intuitive belief.

It might sound strange to call someone from so long ago as modern but that's how history works. In cycles. Autumn might be next to summer and winter but it is closest in kind to the following autumn. In the west we have an autumn-winter brain just as the Buddha himself did.