Buddhism and the God-idea Do Buddhists believe in a god? No, we do not. There are several reasons for this. Gripped by fear people go to sacred mountains, sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines. Primitive humans found selves in a dangerous and hostile world, the fear of wild animals, of not being able to find enough food, of injury or disease, and of natural phenomena like thunder, lightning and volcanoes were constantly with them. The second reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is because there does not seem to be any evidence to support this idea. The third reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is that the belief is not necessary. But if there are no gods how did the universe get here? All religions have myths and stories which attempt to answer this question. What does the Buddha say about the origin of the universe? It is interesting that the Buddha's explanation of the origin of the universe corresponds very closely to the scientific view. You say there is no evidence for the existence of a god.
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS The Four Noble Truths represent the core of the teachings of the Buddha, and are as follows: The First Noble Truth - dissatisfaction and suffering exist and are universally experienced. The Second Noble Truth - Desire and attachment are the causes of dissatisfaction and suffering. The Third Noble Truth - There is an end to dissatisfaction and suffering. The Fourth Noble Truth - The end can be attained by journeying on the Noble Eight-fold Path. THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH: Right Understanding, Right Thinking, Right Speech, Right Attitude, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration. 1. 2. 3. 4.Right Action: Practice selfless conduct that reflects the highest statement of the life you want to live. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Buddhism Vaults : Dalai Lamas Heart Sutra Talk, May 2001, SF Bay Area, California, Day 1 of 3. by Dave Evans - StumbleUpon Day 2Day 3 Introduction Today I was fortunate enough to sneak out of work for a few hours to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama began a lecture on the Heart Sutra. This is a three day class and I'm going to sneak out of some work tomorrow and Attend Saturday during the day as well. I thought I'd share some of what he said (as interpreted through my notes) with everyone. Please forgive my spelling, my crutch... er, spell checker is not working currently. Tickets for the three day class were $150. His Holiness started this morning talking about the diversity of religions and then even the diversity of views within buddhism. I want to point out that these are just my notes of H.H.' I missed some of the afternoon session, couldn't sneak out of work for the whole thing, but I'll summarize as much detail as I have. The shoreline stage was decorated with a large backdrop picture of the palace in Lhasa, with a small decorated throne like chair in front for the fourteenth Dalai Lama to sit on.
Love and Knowledge: Two Paths to the One Thomas J. McFarlane Summer 2000 Revised and edited for the web March 2004 www.integralscience.org Introduction In an ordinary Yoga one main power of being or one group of its powers is made the means, vehicle, path. The paths are many, but the goal is one. The mystics and spiritual traditions of the world all acknowledge at least two main paths: the path of knowledge and wisdom (e.g., jnana yoga), and the path of love and devotion (e.g., bhakti yoga). The Path of Love and Devotion Be drunk on love, because love is all that exists. ...It is Love and the Lover that live eternally—Don't lend your heart to anything else; all else is borrowed. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Across all traditions and times we can hear mystics pouring their hearts out to the Divine in ecstatic poetry. Clearly, this is no sentimental love, all comfortable and cozy. This is no path for the faint of heart. To the ego, this is insanity. Bibliography
» 12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk “We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.” - Thich Nhat Hanh By Leo Babauta I’m not a Zen monk, nor will I ever become one. However, I find great inspiration in the way they try to live their lives: the simplicity of their lives, the concentration and mindfulness of every activity, the calm and peace they find in their days. You probably don’t want to become a Zen monk either, but you can live your life in a more Zen-like manner by following a few simple rules. Why live more like a Zen monk? One of my favorite Zen monks, Thich Nhat Hanh, simplified the rules in just a few words: “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” However, for those who would like a little more detail, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve discovered to work very well in my experiments with Zen-like living. “Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” - Shunryu Suzuki Do one thing at a time. “Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water.
A Bite of Buddhism | Psychology Today - StumbleUpon The four sublime mental states are qualities of mind that we cultivate in order to alleviate the suffering we experience in everyday life and to feel more connected to others—and the worries and fears we all share. In the language of the Buddha (Pali), they are called the brahma viharas , which means "the dwelling place of awakened beings." The good news for us unawakened beings is that it's easy to begin cultivating the brahma viharas . Indeed, they are an integral part of other religious, spiritual, and humanistic traditions. I present them here with a distinctly Buddhist "flavor." Metta . I like to think of metta as the simple act of well-wishing. Sylvia once said that she practices metta by just looking at a person and silently saying, "I love you." Karuna . The Vietnamese Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, helped me learn to cultivate compassion for myself. Mudita . Just as metta is an antidote for our judgmental tendencies, mudita is the perfect antidote for envy. Upekkha .
How to Cultivate Compassion in Your Life: 12 steps Edit Article Edited by Flickety, Lillian May, Krystle, Eric and 10 others If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama Why develop compassion in your life? How do we do that? Ad Steps 1Develop a morning ritual. 7Develop an evening routine. Video Tips These compassionate practices can be done anywhere, any time. DivineTao.com - Explore the Tao Te Ching from a New Thought Perspective