(continued from previous post)
http://www.mahindarama.com/e-library/whybuddhism2.html
"To those who talked about the
first cause of this world, the Buddha responded by saying that it
is impossible to find a first cause since everything is changing,
interdependent and conditioned by other things. Something that acts
as the cause in the present may become the effect in the future.
Later that same effect may again become the cause. Such phenomenon
continues ad infinitum. It is called the universal law of Anicca or
impermanency.
However, Buddhism is largely Agnostic rather than Atheist. We
believe that pondering over such things brings no benefits at all
to our spiritual practice, enlightenment, and liberation from
samsara.
Kinds of speech to be
avoided by contemplatives
"Whereas some priests and contemplatives, living off food given in
faith, are addicted to talking about lowly topics such as these --
talking about kings, robbers, ministers of state; armies, alarms,
and battles; food and drink; clothing, furniture, garlands, and
scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns, cities, the
countryside; women and heroes; the gossip of the street and the
well; tales of the dead; tales of diversity [philosophical
discussions of the past and future], the creation of the
world and of the sea, and talk of whether things exist or
not -- he abstains from talking about lowly topics such as these.
This, too, is part of his virtue.
"Whereas some priests and contemplatives, living off food given in
faith, are addicted to debates such as these -- 'You understand
this doctrine and discipline? I'm the one who understands this
doctrine and discipline. How could you understand this doctrine and
discipline? You're practicing wrongly. I'm practicing rightly. I'm
being consistent. You're not. What should be said first you said
last. What should be said last you said first. What you took so
long to think out has been refuted. Your doctrine has been
overthrown. You're defeated. Go and try to salvage your doctrine;
extricate yourself if you can!' -- he abstains from debates such as
these. This, too, is part of his virtue."
-- DN 2
Ten wholesome topics of conversation
"There are these ten topics of [proper] conversation. Which ten?
Talk on modesty, on contentment, on seclusion, on non-entanglement,
on arousing persistence, on virtue, on concentration, on
discernment, on release, and on the knowledge & vision of
release. These are the ten topics of conversation. If you were to
engage repeatedly in these ten topics of conversation, you would
outshine even the sun & moon, so mighty, so powerful -- to say
nothing of the wanderers of other sects."
-- AN X.69
-------
"Malunkhyaputta Sutta stresses that whether the universe was
created or uncreated, finite or infinite, is irrelevant to our main
spiritual concerns: the cause and cessation of suffering:
"Therefore Malunkhyaputta, bear the undeclared as undeclared.
Malunkhyaputta, what are the not declared? The world is eternal, is
not declared by me. The world is not eternal, is not declared by
me. They are not essential for the principles of the holy life,
they do not lead to turning away, to detachment, to cessation, to
appeasement, to realisation, to enlightenment and to extinction.
Malunkhyaputta, what are the declared by me? This, is unpleasant,
is declared. This, is its arising, is declared. This, is its
cessation is declared. This is the path to its cessation, is
declared. Malunkhyaputta, why are these declared by me? These are
the essentials for the principles of the holy life; they lead to
turning away, to detachment, to cessation, to appeasement, to
realisation, to enlightenment and to extinction. Malunkhyaputta, I
declare them." MN 64"
Therefore in Buddhism, the question of God is irrelevant and not
given importance. Instead, like a scientist, the Buddha encouraged
the Buddhist practitioners to find out for themselves the truths
that the Buddha said, to put it to test, and to see for ourselves,
and to get enlightened. Buddhism does not encourage any blind
belief and dogmas (see Kalama Sutra), and also encourages
analytical questioning -- whether this teaching actually helps
us.
Kalama Sutra
"Rely not on the teacher/person, but on the teaching. Rely not on
the words of the teaching, but on the
spirit of the words. Rely not on theory, but on experience.Do not
believe in anything simply because you
have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been
handed down for many generations. Do
not believe anything because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do
not believe in anything because it is
written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely
on the authority of your teachers and
elders. But after observation and analysis, when you find that
anything agrees with reason and is
conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept
it and live up to it."
- the Buddha
Note: this is just a summary, please read the entire sutra here:
http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/resources/kalama_sutra.html
There are countless enlightened persons from Buddha's times till
today, some of them even posting in this forum (not me), who have
awakened to the ultimate reality and seen for themselves the truths
that the Buddha taught. Beliefs in divine etc are not important and
irrelevant in Buddhism, Buddhism being a man-centered (means having
great love and compassion for all sentient being, as well as to
practise for one's own spiritual development) rather than
God-centered teaching, which is a reason why it is the only
religion that does not have a history of having fought religious
wars, --
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
No fanaticism
Of Buddhism alone can it be affirmed it is free from all
fanaticism. Its aim being to produce in every man a thorough
internal transforming by self-conquest, how can it have recourse to
might or money or even persuasion for effecting conversion? The
Buddha has only shown the way to salvation, and it is left to each
individual to decide for himself if he would follow it.
- Prof. Lakshmi Narasu, "The Essence of Buddhism"
