Being born, in Buddhist terms, means that one is still ‘stuck’ in samsara, stuck in continual rebirth. Not free. Being born is already a mistake.
How depressing! lol.
It is sort of like Original Sin in Christianity. I do not know much about Christianity so I can’t comment much, but I think the idea behind these two thoughts are the same.
So, being born means being born into an unenlightened state.
In Buddhism, being born a human is the best thing to be born… we are very lucky to be human. Even beings ‘above’ us like gods and goddesses, spirits and the like can not experience the freedom realized through Enlightenment. Nor can hungry ghosts and animals.
Now, I feel this is a dangerous model of sorts, as it may serve to boost ones ego, separating them further from Enlightenment. But of course, it can serve as a wonderful motivator for many.
Writing or speaking about Enlightenment is avoided by many Buddhists, including myself. I can liken it to why Muslims do not practice ‘idol worship’. They do not believe images of Mohammad should be created… because once you try to define or describe him, you always fall well short and do a great disservice. Now, in Buddhism, idol worship is OK. Many many Buddha statues everywhere!! But Buddhists, we need to be careful not to let our love and gratitude for the Buddha’s teaching to be obscured by images and statues in his likeness. Hui Neng, the sixth patriarch of Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism beat a copy of the Diamond Sutra with a stick. His point was about this danger… attaching to words, teachings, even the Buddha himself. That’s why there’s a saying in Buddhism, “If you meet the Buddha, you must kill the Buddha!”
I personally feel the benefits of having Buddha images in my home outweigh the potential dangers. They remind me that it is possible to realize our Enlightened nature. They remind me that the Buddha was a man, a human, nothing more, nothing less. He suffered and he worked hard to figure out how to stop this. He taught the Way. He also taught, as he was dying, for us to be lamps upon our own selves. Our Enlightened nature is within us, or rather among us.
Lets not fear talking about Enlightenment. It is the goal of all Buddhists, is it not? Of course, making it a goal destroys it. That’s why it is sometimes called the goalless goal! lol. Oh these tricky Buddhists! I sometimes hate talk like that! Just tell me the answer, not riddles! hahaha.
When Dogen said that Time-Being is a sixteen foot Buddha statue, he meant it. What does that mean?! Just tell me! hahaha.
May all beings realize their inherent Enlightened nature and for love to continue to spread throughout the Universe.
Jesus died to save you from your sins he is the truth, light, and the way. He is your only hope for salvation, Buddah can’t save you only lead you to death. Pray to Jesus and he will save you
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All things lead to our death. It is inescapable. Jesus was a profound teacher and I love what he taught. I pray for all beings. I hope you are happy my friend. Thank you for your comments.
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Jesus conquered death..don’t believe Satan’s lies..you can live forever in God’s kingdom..you just need to follow Jesus
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I am sorry but I don’t believe in Satan, so I can’t believe his lies. Thats good. I trust in reason and the Universe. I do nothing outside of Jesus’s teachings, though i can’t live forever. I hope you can see into Jesus’s heart and meaning. Be well and let go of anger. I think that’s Satans playground.
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I’m sorry for you in the day of judgment peace be with you and may God have mercy on your soul
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Thank you for your kind words. God loves me so no need to be sorry my friend.
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Just because you don’t believe in something doesn’t mean it’s not true Peace be with you
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That is very true. As is the converse, of course. May you have love and peace.
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Worshipping false idols like Buddah don’t make God happy he love you but you need to repent
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It is Buddha, not Buddah. Please respect my religion as I respect yours. If you cannot be respectful I will have to stop your comments. God is happy with me, he loves me, that is happiness. ‘You need’ comments are not constructive, they are commanding and demeaning. Buddha was a human being, nothing false, no idol.
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Who is Buddha to you? A God? A Prophet? There is no mention of him in the Bible therefore he’s not a prophet of God. Why would God be happy you’re following him? I’m just trying to save your soul because I care for you. Think seriously about what I’m telling you before you ignore me, Jesus is the only way to the Kingdom of Heaven
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The Buddha was a human being who realized his inherent true nature and taught the way to realize this for other people. God would be happy that I follow his teachings because that is God’s way. God is love, not anger. Thank you for your concern of my soul. Let God worry about me, you take care of your own self my friend. Be at peace and realzie the love all around you.
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Im not a buddhist, but I continue to learn from them. I think on Buddha as a reminder that he was a man and it was possible for him to become more, to wake up.
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Thats very good to hear! 🙂 Thank you for reading.
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Reading these comments, you have great patience.
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Sometimes, perhaps. Thank you.
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