Buddhism discussion

[Frode Falch]

Bumping this for a question.

1) How do you deal with people that are negative? I don't hate the person and feel sorry for him. But whatever I do, whether it's giving him a gift or taking him to an event, he'll turn it around and make it negative. Not towards me but just life in general. It upsets me because I want the person to change but regardless of what I do, the person is always negative.

Any idea/links to this question is appreciated. Thanks!

Just accept them for who they are. Unless that person is your lifepartner or child, why bother using energy and time to try to fix him/her?

 

[PajamaSnugz]

There are levels to how deep you wanna go. Just as there are levels to how christianity works. Some people follow the bible like it says, others just believe in God in silent. And everything in between.

I guess i am a buddhist in msny ways. I grew up with kung fu and muay thai as something very important to me.

I believe in karma and qi (chi).. but not the magical versions.

And i dont believe in rebirth.

Buddhism has helped me in so many ways. Probably more so than anything else I’ve tried to use in life for self realization.. but that rebirth shit gets me to. Get ooouutta heeere.

 

[minute bull]

I look at the wheel of rebirth metaphorically, in that each choice is its own life cycle.

Bumping this for a question.

1) How do you deal with people that are negative? I don't hate the person and feel sorry for him. But whatever I do, whether it's giving him a gift or taking him to an event, he'll turn it around and make it negative. Not towards me but just life in general. It upsets me because I want the person to change but regardless of what I do, the person is always negative.

Any idea/links to this question is appreciated. Thanks!

There's a lot to unpack for a seven year old question -- le first element examining: What exactly upsets you?

1. Do you feel spurned for your efforts?
2. Or dragged down by his energy?
3. Something more?

Sometimes it's a mistake to think of positive / negative as synonymous with good / bad. Negative people CAN experience joy and happiness -- it's just a different perspective, and therefore such is expressed differently. You don't want to pit yourself against the different ways a person appreciates life.

 

[koolinkunming]

buddhism is not that far off from atheism though. also which catholic would you be asking because you might obviously get many different answers out of nearly a billion people dont you think?

Buddhist sutras talk of beings all the way from beings in the hells, on up to gods and buddhas and bodhisattvas. I don’t know if you can call that atheism.

In order from lowest to highest is hell beings, ghosts/spirits, animals, humans, asuras, gods, arhats, bodhisattvas, and buddhas.

 

[koolinkunming]

My problem with Buddhism is how rigid it is. If you are a true follower of Buddha then you are expected to comply to the following:

Eating only between noon and sundown
No sex (or masturbation)
No drugs or alcohol
No lying
No dancing
No music
No jewelery

Those are just a few of the rules. No music? Seriously? There are some nice ideas in Buddhism such as no lying, no stealing and no killing of any creature but to me these are just common sense.

A rational minded person shouldn't need a rule book to live their lives. Take from every religion and philosophy what applies to your life and moral creed.

Actually, it’s no eating between noon and midnight, but you’re close.

Those ones you listed are almost the the precepts for a novice monk, although you got a couple wrong.

 

[chance mccoy]

The form of meditation that has worked for me is concentrating on the black square you get closing your eyes, then mentally thinking, in.....out.......in........out, and so on. I’ll definitely get somewhere where I’m not thinking anything, but it doesn’t last long. I’m not sure how long, I tend to do it right when I wake up, that seems to help too

 

[Billthebutcher]

read Japanese death poems by zen and buddhist monks. they felt they wasted their lives studying their religions and many ended up dying fearful.

 

[terrapin]

Buddhist sutras talk of beings all the way from beings in the hells, on up to gods and buddhas and bodhisattvas. I don’t know if you can call that atheism.

In order from lowest to highest is hell beings, ghosts/spirits, animals, humans, asuras, gods, arhats, bodhisattvas, and buddhas.

i am aware of that but there is no awareness of the one God that is the source of all others. also when asked if there is a God or not Buddha reportedly said "it does not matter" . also my point did not state Buddhism is explicitly atheist.

 

[Patrick Jane]

Of the big three, i would put Taoism on top, followed by Buddhism and far, faaar behind fucking Confucianism.

 

[koolinkunming]

i am aware of that but there is no awareness of the one God that is the source of all others. also when asked if there is a God or not Buddha reportedly said "it does not matter" . also my point did not state Buddhism is explicitly atheist.

Awareness? Strange word to use. Just because the one creator god isn’t what the Buddha saw, doesn’t mean that it “isn’t that far off from atheism”, far from it. If you read the sutras, actually much more detail is given on cosmology and the beings in it than the 3 abrahamic religions.

It is just acknowledged that there is no “creator” god that made everything in existence. He is just one of many gods, just as you are one of many humans. He’s more like the mailman, or a counselor.

 

[PajamaSnugz]

Awareness? Strange word to use. Just because the one creator god isn’t what the Buddha saw, doesn’t mean that it “isn’t that far off from atheism”, far from it. If you read the sutras, actually much more detail is given on cosmology and the beings in it than the 3 abrahamic religions.

It is just acknowledged that there is no “creator” god that made everything in existence. He is just one of many gods, just as you are one of many humans. He’s more like the mailman, or a counselor.

My god could kick ur gods ass.

 

[koolinkunming]

My god could kick ur gods ass.

Lol nice. I don’t have a god that I bend over for though. Wait, you bend over to the mailman?

This reminds me of that thread with the toy figurines like god, shiva, etc. The halarious knock-offs thread.

 

[terrapin]

Awareness? Strange word to use. Just because the one creator god isn’t what the Buddha saw, doesn’t mean that it “isn’t that far off from atheism”, far from it. If you read the sutras, actually much more detail is given on cosmology and the beings in it than the 3 abrahamic religions.

It is just acknowledged that there is no “creator” god that made everything in existence. He is just one of many gods, just as you are one of many humans. He’s more like the mailman, or a counselor.

that is my present understanding.

 

[koolinkunming]

that is my present understanding.

That he’s like the mailman?

 

[terrapin]

That he’s like the mailman?

?

 

[koolinkunming]

?

I guess you didn’t read my post. There were a couple of things that could be your understanding in what I wrote.

 

[thehighking]

Buddhism has helped me in so many ways. Probably more so than anything else I’ve tried to use in life for self realization.. but that rebirth shit gets me to. Get ooouutta heeere.

I could best be described as Buddhist. I believe in the rebirth part too. I think when you die your consciousness begins again in a completely different 'universe'. This cycle will continue forever unless you can reach enlightenment. Developing bad karma throughout your lifetime can set you back millions of lives so it's important to be a good, kind person.

 

[PajamaSnugz]

Lol nice. I don’t have a god that I bend over for though. Wait, you bend over to the mailman?

This reminds me of that thread with the toy figurines like god, shiva, etc. The halarious knock-offs thread.

A god vs god thread could be interesting. Ganesh vs Anubis. No powers allowed. Who takes it?

 

[koolinkunming]

A god vs god thread could be interesting. Ganesh vs Anubis. No powers allowed. Who takes it?

But the powers are what would make it interesting, like superhero vs superhero type thing.

 

[PajamaSnugz]

I could best be described as Buddhist. I believe in the rebirth part too. I think when you die your consciousness begins again in a completely different 'universe'. This cycle will continue forever unless you can reach enlightenment. Developing bad karma throughout your lifetime can set you back millions of lives so it's important to be a good, kind person.

As cool as that sounds and as magical as the cosmos can seem at times I just don’t think there could be some kind of naturally self sustained power recycling the consciousness of dead bags of meat humans. Maybe recycle metaphorically as in ideas or customs or what have you. But to think we’re special enough to get that kind of privilege to just keep going till you get it seems like wishful thinking . One and done. Hi and bye. Into the abyss you go.