Originally posted by Daniel88:I was wondering what is the differences in different religion? Since all the religion focuses on doing good and going to heaven.
Buddhists don't focus on going to heaven, we focus on attaining enlightenment and liberation from all our sufferings and delusions, which is attainable in our lifetime.
We also believe there is heaven and hell, but we don't aim for heaven because rebirth in heaven is still temporary and subject to death and rebirth, not freed from sufferings.
But Buddhists believe in recarnation rite,like ppl die and reborn. If u say u can attain enlightenment and liberation from all suffering than wat happened?
Yur spirit floats free? Or u become immortal?
Buddhism has been further developed and in a way created certain contradicting issues. However, most buddhists will only tell you what is agreed among the different traditions and schools to put up a united front.
Originally posted by Daniel88:But Buddhists believe in recarnation rite,like ppl die and reborn. If u say u can attain enlightenment and liberation from all suffering than wat happened?
Yur spirit floats free? Or u become immortal?
Like yamizi said, there are some disagreements.
But all schools also upholds the understanding that there is no immortal soul, no soul entity, no ghost in the machine, no fixed or separate self, no agent, inner experiencer, watcher, doer, etc.
All schools also agree that after enlightenment and liberation, one is freed from uncontrolled rebirth in samsara by the forces of karma. He has completely liberated from delusions and afflictions that causes further births in the six realms of samsara [world of suffering], which is,
3 higher realms
heaven/celestial realm
asura realm
human realm
3 lower realms
animal realm
ghost realm
hell realm
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And so what is the difference?
The difference is that in Mahayana school, we do not just aim for a personal cessation or personal liberation of an Arhant [a liberated saint] which is often the goal of a Theravadin Buddhist -- for a Mahayanist even after enlightenment, liberation from uncontrolled rebirth, the Bodhisattva who walks the path to Buddhahood continues to 'emanate' in Samsara to lead other sentient beings to freedom.
Such a Bodhisattva will practice and perfect the ten paramitas, have supreme compassion and attain perfect wisdom and merits, and finally attaining full omniscience. At this point he becomes a Buddha and has all the skillful means in guiding other sentient beings to liberation.
Guan Yin, Di Zhang Wang, Wen Shu, and many more are famous examples of Bodhisattvas found in the Mahayana scriptures.
if you became a buddha how will ppl on earth know ar?
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
But all schools also upholds the understanding that there is no immortal soul, no soul entity, no ghost in the machine, no fixed or separate self, no agent, inner experiencer, watcher, doer, etc.
To explain, my forum moderator Thusness has written this many years ago:
|
Life (Self) is nothing other than the continuous flow of the Now Moment.
The Now Moment ceases as it arises. This moment must completely ceased and serves as the CAUSE for the next moment to arise. Therefore Self is a process of series Self1, Self2, Self3, Self4, Self5, Self6...etc A fixed entity 'Self' does not exist, what really exists is a momentary Self. Under deep meditation, one is able to observe and sense the karmic and mental factors from moment to moment, it is these factors that are succeeded from moment to moment and life and life but not a fixed entity. |
Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw also explains:
The so-called fleeting forms consist of psychophysical phenomena, which are constantly changing not remaining the same for two consecutive moments.
Buddhists, therefore, do not believe in an unchanging entity, in an actor apart from action, in a perceiver apart from perception, in a conscious subject behind consciousness.
Who then, is the doer of Karma? Who experiences the effect?
Volition, or Will (tetana), is itself the doer, Feeling (vedana) is itself the reaper of the fruits of actions. Apart from these pure mental states (suddhadhamma) there is no-one to sow and no-one to reap.
Originally posted by youyayu:if you became a buddha how will ppl on earth know ar?
You will naturally be able to turn the dharma wheel [disseminate the Dharma teachings] for the benefit of all sentient beings, people naturally come to you for dharma. Your wisdom and personal insights and doctrines will never in any way deviate from the Buddhadharma, because it comes from your direct experience, true realisations, and not from theories or heard knowledge.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:You will naturally be able to turn the dharma wheel [disseminate the Dharma teachings] for the benefit of all sentient beings, people naturally come to you for dharma. Your wisdom and personal insights and doctrines will never in any way deviate from the Buddhadharma, because it comes from your direct experience, true realisations, and not from theories or heard knowledge.
Note that not all awakened and liberated beings are Buddhas. There are Arhants or Bodhisattvas in our era, but not yet attained Buddhahood. The next Buddha to appear after Shakyamuni, who is Maitreya, is going to come only a long time later.
wow you really know alot
what's the asura realm?
Originally posted by youyayu:wow you really know alot
Not much really..
Originally posted by wonderamazement:what's the asura realm?
http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol8no1a.htm
In the beginning when sentient beings started to transmigrate in the Six Realms, they were in the realm of Heaven. Then, they descended to the Human realm. Human beings have seven types of emotion and six types of lust and because of these they continually commit negative karma. These led them to descend to the realm of Asura. Why is the realm of Asura considered to be a good realm? It is because even heavenly beings can be inflicted by ignorance, causing them to fight among themselves. The more aggressive fighters eventually descend to the realm of Asura.
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http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol8no4a.htm
Asura
Although a person may have carried out many virtuous deeds in his life,
if he had a very jealous disposition, and was quarrelsome and hostile,
then he would be reborn in the asura realm after his death. His blessings
in the asura realm would be similar to that in the heavens. But if his
rage was overly intense and he committed evil deeds, when his asura karma
became exhausted, he would descend into the three evil realms. Even if
his living family and dependants were to perform all sorts of virtuous
and kind deeds in an effort to increase his blessings, an asura would
nonetheless receive no benefit from it.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Note that not all awakened and liberated beings are Buddhas. There are Arhants or Bodhisattvas in our era, but not yet attained Buddhahood. The next Buddha to appear after Shakyamuni, who is Maitreya, is going to come only a long time later.
thought he came down already?
i thought is demigods?
Originally posted by wonderamazement:thought he came down already?
No, though some cults would claim to be so, it is clearly not in accordance with the Buddhist sutra's predictions.
You can read about it here: The next Buddha
Originally posted by youyayu:i thought is demigods?
Asura is demigod.
ya la why u need put so long
Originally posted by youyayu:ya la why u need put so long
Because demigod or asura are just names, people don't know the meaning behind the name.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Because demigod or asura are just names, people don't know the meaning behind the name.
ic..
oh well i heard he arrived on like feb 18 this year...
christianity - forgiveness.
The difference in religion is the "deity".
Originally posted by wonderamazement:oh well i heard he arrived on like feb 18 this year...
Where do you hear from?
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Where do you hear from?
temples my parents frequent.
Originally posted by wonderamazement:
temples my parents frequent.
Maitreya's 'Birthday' is 18th Feb last year, 7th Feb this year, translated from Lunar calendar. It is actually 1st January if you use Georgian calendar. That's the day Maitreya will be born in future. We celebrate his 'birthday' every year. Doesn't mean he has come.
He will come millions/billions of years later.