| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"V" |
| Date: |
22 Dec 2006 03:57:00 PM |
| Object: |
Man you sure have a long way to go quibbler |
From:quibbler - view profile
Date:Wed, Dec 6 2006 4:51 pm
by this author
In discussing this topic of 'can a Buddhist also be an atheist',
Q:
I've only met a few Buddhists as arrogant and self-absorbed as you.
Needless to say, they never made it very far. Most Buddhists actually
do
obtain some sort of philosophical perspective. But you're in the
minority of Buddhists who seem to just not get it. Going through the
motions isn't going to help you...snip.... But man you sure have a long
way to go.
V:
Practice is more important to me quibbler, than just reading or
writing on the puter - for knowledge without application is useless
when it comes to producing inner peace. We can look at the many
examples at alt.atheists for confirmation of that fact.
All our actions have consequences and many of our actions destroy our
peace and the peace of others. I practice for inner peace, but also it
might be termed enlightenment. Buddhism provides this tool, which is
just one out of the many tools I use for peace development. For once we
have found a contentment within and with all and are at peace - we are
progressing on the road to enlightenment.
You can also tell when you have "arrived" by your practice telling you
so. Does your practice revolve around actually practicing what you have
learned to generate peace within or are you on a never ending journey
of always looking and never finding? Eventually you may come to the
door of 'asaiksa-marga' or the path of no more learning. Then you are
on the road to buddhahood and have no more questions to ask. You have
become practice based and not ego and questioned based.
Yes, the 4 noble truths are basic to escaping samsara. Within the 4
nobles are the eightfold path. But the problem arises out of
understanding of what it all means. And yes dispelling delusions is the
foundation of all progress. The trouble is with many a practitioner is
they say they are serious, but in reality are just playing around and
deluding themselves. They might practice Buddhism as a hobby or to pass
time or to escape the troubles in their life, but that is it. Just
burning incense and chanting is not going to do much when it comes to
escape vehicles. Oh well, it may be a useful pastime to escape a
delusional life?
Of the three unwholesome roots, delusion is the most important one. For
it is basic to any successful Buddhist practice to dispel such
delusions, otherwise you can see little else clearly. Karl Marx said -
religion is the opium of the masses. Many of us need such 'drugs' as a
way to not face thoughts and fears of dying. This is what many of us
run from with our various 'concentrations' and 'distractions' we tie
our minds up with trying to avoid the thought of death. Better to
accept life, as well as death and then you can be at peace with it as
part of natural law. This frees the mind to look for truth instead of
drugs.
I posted a thread at ES on clarity of goals with your Buddhist
practice. It discussed the importance of taking the right path to reach
such goals and having a clear picture of this in your mind and actions.
I outlined my goals and the tools I use to reach those goals and asked
for others to do the same. What was the response? Last time I looked it
was nil. Thousands of members here and no one can express their goals
and path with their Buddhist practice. Become clear with your goals and
then practice to actualize those goals.
Going back to the eightfold path discussion. In another thread they
were debating whether to use 'perfect' or 'right' as the proper terms
used to describe the eightfold path. While they were concentrating on
such things, they were missing the big picture and getting lost in the
useless. Many time we get caught up discussing the color of the book
and forget what is actually written inside the book. The Buddha gives
the example of the poison arrow that illustrates this point. Lets take
one of the 8 paths to discuss...right or perfect livelihood. In the
classical sense of this path the right or perfect livelihood is that of
no livelihood - if the practitioner is of the mindset to escape samara.
The monks and nuns that work in this direction (at least in the
classical sense) did not handle money, nor engage in any livelihood
other than 'to be.' This is why they took to the life and vow and
homelessness.
As modern day Buddhists we can get so caught up in concentrating on
concepts that do not really mean much, when all the while we are
blinded to what does really does count. The eightfold path was handed
down as the path to end suffering. If we do not wish to end suffering,
then that is our choice. If we wish to just diminish suffering a
little, again that is up to us. But it should be made clear that our
actions will either promote success or failure when it comes taking the
right or wrong paths. So one should be clear about this, then a person
can be at peace with the choices made, as long as they are real and
conscious choices instead of delusional ones.
Good Luck,
V (Male)
Agnostic Freethinker
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