4 ms·

My belief is it is unfounded and ultimately based in narcissism. "I am so important that I create the external reality, I really am the center of the universe,

by ta8645 3y ago

My belief is it is unfounded and ultimately based in narcissism. "I am so important that I create the external reality, I really am the center of the universe, it wouldn't exist without my mind" It's an appeal to self-importance. It can't account for something like the fossil record, that existed before any human was on the planet; other than to say, "I dreamed that up in my own special imaginary fiction!!" Perhaps the primal nature of the world isn't physical matter, but to pretend that we create reality with our mind, is not only silly, it's dangerous and flies in the face of how everyone, even those who claim to believe otherwise, actually act in the world.

bowsamic 3y ago
Well, only deluded beings (including myself) act that way. Buddhas and bodhisattvas don’t. Indeed they can bend so called “physical reality” to their will, manifesting physical bodies and appearances in the minds of others. It’s just simply the following: form is emptiness, emptiness is form
- ta8645 3y ago
  Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on this one; time will tell. Wish you all the best. Thank you for talking with me.
  - FrustratedMonky 3y ago
    the parent, bowsamic, is incorrect. This is not what Buddhism teaches.
- FrustratedMonky 3y ago
  That is NOT what the Buddha taught. It is expressly the opposite. Promoting these types of wrong understandings really distract people from further learning. This turns people away from further investigations that might help them. People that might be aided in their suffering by learning more about buddhism, read some weirdness posted about "buddha can earth bend, whoooo, I learned about buddhism from watching Avatar, I'm a bender", and are completely turned away. Read and meditate further before promoting something that is incorrect.
  - bowsamic 3y ago
    Yes he did, it’s in the Lotus sutra and Lankavatara sutras, to name two. Perhaps you’re a Pali canon fundamentalist or something but thats not my problem, what I’m saying is orthodox Mahayana: Buddhas can create bodies and are basically omnipotent in the Mahayana. The lotus sutra even says that the Buddha faked his appearance on this Earth so that the sravakas would have a nice narrative to believe in Also the fact you said meditate makes me think you are quite ignorant about Buddhism. Most Buddhists don’t meditate, the idea that most do is a western misconception. I’m a pure land Buddhist, which is the most popular in the world, and we mainly engage in recitation and offerings and bowing EDIT and I understand it may just be ignorance but it’s highly offensive to characterise traditional Mahayana Buddhist beliefs as some kind of children’s show. This is effectively slandering the Dharma
    - FrustratedMonky 3y ago
      'fundamentalist'? Frankly, that is how you sound. To tell people that buddhas have supernatural powers, and take that literally, is turning people away from the teaching. 'Faking' his appearance? Being omnipotent in this physical world? Able to manipulate this world? You are supposed to understand that those are metaphors. Stories, not truth. Language is imperfect and only points the way, not to be taken literally. A core teaching is how imperfect language is, and that even the sutras should be only taken as a rough guide and eventually abandoned when they no longer serve a purpose. You can cite sutras, that doesn't mean you understand them. I fear that publishing these concepts as if an authority is damaging to people. Meditate, prayer, recitation/mantras. Call it what you want. Concentration/Samadhi is part of the 8-fold path. That you would say that is not part of Buddhism is frankly making me think this whole thing is a Troll. Maybe you can make some argument that concentration in every moment is meditation, so you don't need to sit. But to say most Buddhist don't? Come on. You know enough Buddhist terms to Troll someone on the internet. But this is damaging. Someone could read what you say and think that is Buddhism and be turned away or mislead. Also, there is no such thing as slander to Buddhist, like there is some god in a Church that is taking offense. I guess we all get offended by things, and what I said was offensive, wrong speech. Just not technically 'slander'.

by ta8645 3y ago

bowsamic 3y ago

Well, only deluded beings (including myself) act that way. Buddhas and bodhisattvas don’t. Indeed they can bend so called “physical reality” to their will, manifesting physical bodies and appearances in the minds of others. It’s just simply the following: form is emptiness, emptiness is form

ta8645 3y ago
Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on this one; time will tell. Wish you all the best. Thank you for talking with me.
- FrustratedMonky 3y ago
  the parent, bowsamic, is incorrect. This is not what Buddhism teaches.
FrustratedMonky 3y ago
That is NOT what the Buddha taught. It is expressly the opposite. Promoting these types of wrong understandings really distract people from further learning. This turns people away from further investigations that might help them. People that might be aided in their suffering by learning more about buddhism, read some weirdness posted about "buddha can earth bend, whoooo, I learned about buddhism from watching Avatar, I'm a bender", and are completely turned away. Read and meditate further before promoting something that is incorrect.
- bowsamic 3y ago
  Yes he did, it’s in the Lotus sutra and Lankavatara sutras, to name two. Perhaps you’re a Pali canon fundamentalist or something but thats not my problem, what I’m saying is orthodox Mahayana: Buddhas can create bodies and are basically omnipotent in the Mahayana. The lotus sutra even says that the Buddha faked his appearance on this Earth so that the sravakas would have a nice narrative to believe in Also the fact you said meditate makes me think you are quite ignorant about Buddhism. Most Buddhists don’t meditate, the idea that most do is a western misconception. I’m a pure land Buddhist, which is the most popular in the world, and we mainly engage in recitation and offerings and bowing EDIT and I understand it may just be ignorance but it’s highly offensive to characterise traditional Mahayana Buddhist beliefs as some kind of children’s show. This is effectively slandering the Dharma
  - FrustratedMonky 3y ago
    'fundamentalist'? Frankly, that is how you sound. To tell people that buddhas have supernatural powers, and take that literally, is turning people away from the teaching. 'Faking' his appearance? Being omnipotent in this physical world? Able to manipulate this world? You are supposed to understand that those are metaphors. Stories, not truth. Language is imperfect and only points the way, not to be taken literally. A core teaching is how imperfect language is, and that even the sutras should be only taken as a rough guide and eventually abandoned when they no longer serve a purpose. You can cite sutras, that doesn't mean you understand them. I fear that publishing these concepts as if an authority is damaging to people. Meditate, prayer, recitation/mantras. Call it what you want. Concentration/Samadhi is part of the 8-fold path. That you would say that is not part of Buddhism is frankly making me think this whole thing is a Troll. Maybe you can make some argument that concentration in every moment is meditation, so you don't need to sit. But to say most Buddhist don't? Come on. You know enough Buddhist terms to Troll someone on the internet. But this is damaging. Someone could read what you say and think that is Buddhism and be turned away or mislead. Also, there is no such thing as slander to Buddhist, like there is some god in a Church that is taking offense. I guess we all get offended by things, and what I said was offensive, wrong speech. Just not technically 'slander'.