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by HasntBeen on May 31st, 2009
I'm not anything. But I spent 5 years in Zen Buddhist training, and know a lot about Buddhism. I don't use it to define my identity, but I do agree with a lot of it.
by MrJosh on May 31st, 2009
No, I am not, but of all the "religions" in the world, it is the one I respect the most.
by Beavis - the other white meat on May 31st, 2009
No, but I've been mistaken for one several times.
by Iron_Monkey on August 19th, 2009
I'm not a bona fide Buddhist. I've only begun to learn it but so far a lot of the things that I've read and heard make a lot of sense to me. If I were to be a Buddhist, I'd be leaning more towards Zen because I believe that you, as an educated, responsible, knowledgeable, and self-sufficient human being should make your own inferences about life based upon your own experiences instead of blindly following any one teacher's teachings.
Where is Padme? Is she safe? Is she alright?
by Have A Nice Day on November 4th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
If everyone reached enlightenment and were no longer reborn like in the buddhist faith wouldn't the world cease to exist
by jmb516 on September 21st, 2011
| 1 person likes this
What is your opinion of Buddhism?
by Masaharu on July 7th, 2011
| 2 people like this
If someone reachs Nirvana in the buddhist belief and becomes free from rebirth what happens to the energy if the person can't be reborn.
by jmb516 on October 27th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
What features of Buddhism and other Eastern religions deal with the suffering caused by mental depression?
by jaflor on August 26th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
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Comments
:)
I actually think it's fine to say things like "I'm Buddhist", or "I'm agnostic", etc. I don't feel that I'm in any particular danger of being trapped by the labels anymore. But I still avoid talking that way mostly, because I want to be able to have those kinds of conversations with others about self-definition: most people DO take such labels very seriously, as defining their identity, and if I use them too, and then try to explain the problem of self-definition, it just confuses. The topic is confusing enough for people already.
by HasntBeen on June 1st, 2009
lol. Exactly... there's already enough of people dividing themselves up into factions and fighting about who has the truth. The question of what to do about the virulent fundamentalism that's becoming so popular these days is my biggest concern with this -- those folks are very predisposed to see enemies everywhere: atheists, muslims, sinners, evolutionists. I don't really want to add myself to their enemies' list: not because I have anything to fear from them, but because I still think some can be saved from a life of ignorance. Not that I'm going to save them, but I can be one of the people who chip in to the project.
by HasntBeen on June 1st, 2009
Awww! Thanks.
As for optimism, I think it's a mixed bag: I don't think I'm optimistic, I'm very much in tune with the dangers humanity faces from its own ignorance. But the other side of that coin is our enormous potential... the future is calling us to evolve. There's something beyond what we can put our fingers on which is good, which has power. I don't mean God or some mystical force, I mean our nature as "integrating beings", while often hard to see, has a subtle power that I trust a lot.
We thrash around and make all sorts of trouble with our stupidity, and then one day we get whacked upside the head, a half-dozen things come suddenly into clear focus, and the world is a new place for a while. Those integrating insights sometimes happen on a large scale. I think the high rate of change in modern life tends to promote such things.
by HasntBeen on June 1st, 2009
Thank you, HB!
by twonetis on August 23rd, 2009
Wow, twonetis reappears! :)
by HasntBeen on August 23rd, 2009