If Buddhism is approached as a philosophy, it’s harmless. I’ll take ten thousand Buddhists over ten Muslims any day of the week.
What could go wrong?
“Luciferian cult”
IF it is not the muzzies, it’s the bhuddies.
“Mindfulness” is the current rage.
US Education System: All religions welcome....except Christianity
One more tentacle looking to take people away from Christ.
This is what I call “Gee Whiz” Buddhism - something exotic to entertain the bored white middle class.
And there are those who would tell you that even modern Eastern Buddhism is much less of a mysterious Eastern phenomenon than it appears — that even Eastern Buddhism has been shaped by German romanticism.
Thailand is about 90% Theravada Buddhist, which is the state religion. I remember when there was a crackdown on the Moonies, and one of the charges brought against them was commission of the crime of “causing children to lose respect for their parents.” I would submit that any culture where that is considered to be a public offense is hardly headed to hell in a basket. Or even three baskets.
HS ping.
Anything but God.
Sounds like an absolutely outrageous evil philosophy to me... Any of this sound familiar?
“Buddhism, unlike most religions, is not based on the worship of a deity; rather, it is a set of moral guidelines and practices, which, if followed, can bring you to the ultimate state of reality and peace. The Buddha is said to have expounded these morals after he reached enlightenment, or nirvana: the true understanding of the universe. Because Buddhism was founded on the principles set forth in the Buddha’s teachings, the tenets by which Buddhists live depend wholly on these teachings.”
“The Eightfold Path, as described by the Buddha, is the way to self-awakening and the escape of suffering. Each of the eight steps begins with the word “right,” suggesting that enlightenment is reached by finding a moral correctness that comes with understanding that absolutely everything is connected. The eight “rights” can be subdivided into three categories: wisdom, conduct and concentration. Within these three categories the eight rights, in order, are: view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration. To achieve the Eightfold Path, however, you must not simply understand each of these but live them in every moment.”
“On the most basic level, there are five moral standards by which anyone who decides to take refuge in the Buddha must follow. Essentially these are the five moral laws of Buddhism. The first is to refrain from killing, which extends to food, making many Buddhists vegetarians. The next two are to refrain from stealing and any sort of sexual misconduct. The final two are refraining from false speech, which includes not only lies but also harmful words, and from the use of substances which alter the mind.”
https://classroom.synonym.com/buddhist-morals-and-guidelines-12086644.html
You can find a lot of silly things said by members of every religion or philosophy. That's not what matters. What matters is the substance of what is being taught. Mindfulness is in fact secular, as is Buddhist philosophy. You can be a Catholic Buddhist if you are so disposed. The idea that it's some occult thing is just nonsense.
This is admittedly confusing because a religion was built on top of the Buddhist philosophy and they are often confused with each other. But most religious Buddhists never practice meditation, and Mindfulness meditation has no religious meaning. There are two entirely different things in the world sharing the label "Buddhist".
What's being discussed here is not the religion. It is the practice of understanding the mind. Which is an incredibly useful thing to do and really ought to be taught to everyone.
Trying to move the conversation away from muzzies!
Crystals and oiji boards are on back order