A great band with their album Forever Changes being voted the best album of the sixties featuring the memorable Alone Again Or. But not Irish, very much American.
The 'big bang' is as far back as we can see in this part of the universe. There is no evidence to suggest nothing existed before, that the big bang did not proceed from previous events. Buddhism teaches that there was no beginning, nor will there be an end. But within this endless time, the law of impermanence exists for all phenomena.
Faith can have different meanings, especially within different religions. It's an important part of Buddhist teachings, but also is doubt, the direct opposite of faith. Questioning is important, it's sometimes said with Buddhist teachings, it's not the learning that's difficult, more the un-learning.
A quote from the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh says...
"Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth."
I also like this quote from...
O'Brien, Barbara. "Is Buddhism Logical? An Introduction to Buddhist Logic."
"The dogmatic approach to religion, the one that demands unquestioning loyalty to an absolute belief system, is a faithless one. This approach causes people to cling to dogmas rather than follow a path. When taken to extremes, the dogmatist can be lost within the fantasy edifice of fanaticism. Which takes us back to speaking of religion as "faith." Buddhists rarely speak of Buddhism as a "faith." Instead, it's a practice. Faith is part of the practice, but so is doubt."
As for logic, many Buddhist teaching fly in the face of logic, not least the teachings on 'emptiness,' a cornerstone of Buddhism. If Buddhist teachings were to rely on logic, much like quantum physics, they would not exist.
Another quote I like....
Beyond Logic
"Let us go back to the working definition of logic -- a theory of what follows from what. This takes us to another issue, which I will crudely express as where do you get your whats?
The reason rational thinking and logic are of limited use in the realization of enlightenment is that what is realized is utterly outside ordinary experience, and so it cannot be conceptualized. Indeed, in many traditions, it is explained that realization comes only when conceptualizations fall away.
And this realized thing is genuinely ineffable -- it cannot be explained with words. This doesn't necessarily mean it is irrational, but it does mean that language -- with its nouns, objects, verbs, and syntax -- fails to accurately convey it.
Zen makes perfect sense once you catch on to what it's about. The problem is that "what it's about" can't actually be explained. And so, we practice and work with our minds until it clarifies."
Buddahs' name before his renunciation was Siddhartha Gautam, prince of Kapilavastu. Siddah- artha means acheived- what was searched for. In the book Buddha was referred to as Gotama.
I'm so sorry to hear about your son-in-law, it must be a very difficult time for him and those around him. When Buddha talked about suffering he wasnt talking about physical suffering. There's the old saying...in life pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Buddha noticed when he was a young Prince that most suffering came from a state of mind, he realised that by changing our minds we could ease and even eliminate our suffering. It took him almost ten years of isolation and personal suffering to become fully realised and aware which led to his enlightenment. He gave us the path of dharma, a way out of our suffering if followed as a way of life. Of course to follow this path takes great commitment but as I said ealier, even taking on any Buddhist teachings can give rewards. It doesnt really have to be all or nothing. Taking refuge dosnt refer to going to a place, it means to identify and take refuge, or identify with the three jewels... Buddha....The Teacher Dharma....The Teachings Sangha.....The Buddhist Community. All are welcome at any Buddhist centre regardless of beliefs or intentions.
The existance of Shakyamuni Buddha is an historical fact. He was born around 560BC in the foothills of the Himalays. He was a prince, son of King Shuddhodana. He was named Prince Siddhartha and became very well educated mastering the arts and sciences of the day, including the art of war and other teachings. He had a sharp interllect and a powerful physique. At the age of 29 Siddhartha gave up all, including his family and newly born son to become a wandering yogi seeking the truth for all sentinent beings. Fast forward around ten years of great sufferings, the Buddha emerged fully enlightened and began to teach the true nature of existance and how to end all suffering. These teachings, (of which there are around 80, 000) are as relevant today as they were 2500 years ago. They give an amazing insight into human nature and have recently been acknowledged to have close correlations to quantum physics. Buddha said many times, do not take my teachings on face value, test and try them for yourselves, see if they work for you. This is a long way from the supposed word of an almighty God who demands you follw his words, or suffer eternal damnation.
Not just SOME PEOPLE as you put it but almost a billion or so Buddhists go to refuge in the Buddha instead of a God as the Buddha’s teaching liberate you from suffering , whereas within Buddhism the belief in a God with a Capital G is considered a wrong view.
According to Buddhism all this world is a beginningless and endless chain or flow of causes and conditions/Hetu pravaha . Since there never was a beginning as that is logically not possible , there can be no Almighty God who created this universe in the beginning . It is maintained by the flow of the causes and condition not some God and parts of it end due to changes in causes and conditions not due to the whims of some God . To Buddhism, belief in a God is tantamount to Fatalism .
If God created this world and he’s supposed to be omnipotent then that God must be pretty Psychotic to creat so much suffering -does he enjoy watching this pandemic type suffering of those he created ? Or is he not omnipotent enough to create a Good and Happy Universe? Why does he Himself create ‘sick’ people and send them to hell , and that too according to some system eternal Hell? Does he enjoy that ? What kind of test is this , when He Himself creates incapable men , who are therefore incabable of being good and then curses these poor incapable “bad men” to eternal hell fire ?
Now for your question , the answer depends on what you mean by worship . If by worship you mean like worshipping of God to liberate you et al then no Buddhists don’t do that kind of worship to a Buddha . It is said the Buddha doesn’t wash away your sins with consecrated waters , nor does he take away the suffering of the world with his own hands ,nor will his realisation transfer onto others ,he liberates others by giving instructions on the true Dharma/Saddharma .
So we worship in the sense of gratitude and becoming beholden to his teachings . And that helps gain merit which helps on the path but YOU HAVE TO TREAD THE PATH YOURSELF .
So not “some people ‘ as you put it , but Buddhists do not worship a non-existent God who created the universe in the beginning and continues to hold it ( whatever that may mean ) but rather they Worship the Buddha for giving us the Dharma/Teachings that liberates us from suffering .
And the worship is not to go to any heaven but to gain merit which supports the PATH that liberates one from suffering . Some over modernistic Buddhist do not even like the words “worship the Buddha” but offering flowers et al to the Buddhas and Arhats and Bodhisatvas was prescribed by the Buddha himself . And normally people call that worship BUT with the difference I have delineated above .
bodleing2 Forum Posts (6,132)
RE: Irish Bands
Indeed they were, although front man Arthur Lee was from Memphis. But that was my point, they were certainly not Irish.