did the Buddha have any deities?

[David Dalton]

These days I am having some doubts about my eight main deities
and am considering going atheist again as I have been twice before
for a good number of years. But if I do so I would leave my
main messages on my Salmon on the Thorns web site, and leave
the description of my past mystical experiences, but would
remove the deities section. And I would still claim to
be similar to some past major pagan and non-pagan
religious figures. That similarity serves as a backing for
my main messages, which are mostly non-religious.

Is it true that the Buddha had no deities?

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Mon, 02 Jun 2014 02:01:11 -0230

Post by David Dalton
These days I am having some doubts about my eight main deities

Have deities? Yes, in the mind. Believe in them? No. Believe
in them to do what?

What deity have you seen, or felt, or smelled, or tasted, or touched? If
none, then you must have made them up yourself. Inventing
beings to explain phenomena is something that human minds
have always done. When the voices in your head start
telling you what to do, it does not mean that you are a
prophet. Regards, Rale

[David Dalton]

Post by David Raleigh Arnold
On Mon, 02 Jun 2014 02:01:11 -0230

Post by David Dalton
These days I am having some doubts about my eight main deities

Have deities? Yes, in the mind. Believe in them? No. Believe
in them to do what?
What deity have you seen, or felt, or smelled, or tasted, or touched?

My eight main deities are ALL, LOVE2, Universe, Galaxy,
Sun, Earth, Moon, and Human, and thus I have touched/experienced
most of them. (See the deities section of my Salmon on
the Thorns web page for a bit more detail.) None of my
deities are anthropomorphic or gendered. I consider
myself to be a polytheistic pantheist.

Post by David Raleigh Arnold
If
none, then you must have made them up yourself. Inventing
beings to explain phenomena is something that human minds
have always done. When the voices in your head start
telling you what to do, it does not mean that you are a
prophet. Regards, Rale

I don't have voices in my head; I am bipolar, not
schizoaffective or schizophrenic.

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by David Dalton
These days I am having some doubts about my eight main deities
and am considering going atheist again as I have been twice before
for a good number of years. But if I do so I would leave my
main messages on my Salmon on the Thorns web site, and leave
the description of my past mystical experiences, but would
remove the deities section. And I would still claim to
be similar to some past major pagan and non-pagan
religious figures. That similarity serves as a backing for
my main messages, which are mostly non-religious.
Is it true that the Buddha had no deities?

you can grab a piece of Jade and mold it in your own image
and call is a buddha and pray to it and leave it rice and
feel good about yourself, and that's sort of what you are
doing , trying your best to carve out an image of yourself in jade

only you're never quite sure that it looks like you, cuz
you aren't seeing yourself very clearly and other people
waltz up to you and your image and grab a hammer and chisel
and whack a few strokes and say; "there, now it looks more
like "you"" only it looks more like "them" and you still
don't know the difference and someone may walk up with
a big sledge and smash it into teh dust and say,
"Now, it looks like you"

and you go poring over the dust looking for yourself

time after time

"but i'm great and wonderful"

great...big deal ...oh great and wonderful one...

what a waste of perfectly good jade...

someone may tell you,

"that guy they call "teh buddha" had YHWH

as his one and only Deity"

and you'll be off poring over the dust

wondering whether =YOU= have actually "opened up" a "Way"

and realizing that all you did was open up a 'way'

for other people to stuff loads of nonsense into your brain.

in the inimitable words of Cher;

"SNAP OUT OF IT"




sorry Cher, it's just what crossed my mind...

[x]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by David Dalton
These days I am having some doubts about my eight main deities
and am considering going atheist again as I have been twice before
for a good number of years. But if I do so I would leave my
main messages on my Salmon on the Thorns web site, and leave
the description of my past mystical experiences, but would
remove the deities section. And I would still claim to
be similar to some past major pagan and non-pagan
religious figures. That similarity serves as a backing for
my main messages, which are mostly non-religious.
Is it true that the Buddha had no deities?

you can grab a piece of Jade and mold it in your own image
and call is a buddha and pray to it and leave it rice and
feel good about yourself, and that's sort of what you are
doing , trying your best to carve out an image of yourself in jade
only you're never quite sure that it looks like you, cuz
you aren't seeing yourself very clearly and other people
waltz up to you and your image and grab a hammer and chisel
and whack a few strokes and say; "there, now it looks more
like "you"" only it looks more like "them" and you still
don't know the difference and someone may walk up with
a big sledge and smash it into teh dust and say,
"Now, it looks like you"
and you go poring over the dust looking for yourself
time after time
"but i'm great and wonderful"
great...big deal ...oh great and wonderful one...
what a waste of perfectly good jade...
someone may tell you,
"that guy they call "teh buddha" had YHWH
as his one and only Deity"
and you'll be off poring over the dust
wondering whether =YOU= have actually "opened up" a "Way"
and realizing that all you did was open up a 'way'
for other people to stuff loads of nonsense into your brain.
in the inimitable words of Cher;
"SNAP OUT OF IT"
sorry Cher, it's just what crossed my mind...

if doctors or whoever ask me whether i have any problems with delusion
i say i don't even know if i'm real let alone anything else i experience
.. i can't get past square one (me). words are just labels for pictures
to me (i was taught to read very early with picture cards).

i haven't completely beamed up and out of "reality" into my own mind.

i feel an imbalance in that extreme, and an emotional dissatisfaction.
"reality" and "imagination" can't be known with no concept of their
opposite. although in a way all i can perceive directly, empirically may
be subjective appearances first and foremost i perceive appearances of
both sides, objective external existence and subjective internal
appearance.. but i lean inside myself.. the art side.. it just seems to
be more real to me, my most fundamental ground.. within the appearance
of appearances are appearances of things that are real outside of
appearances and of things that are not really real things but only
appearances.. but whatever anything is might not be so simple to know
either way. i sense a truth "out there" or "inside myself" including
qualities of both sides... meeting somewhere in the muddle. make sense?

i don't know what i think. i wouldn't even claim that i am led to think
what i think with any basis in truth, i think it's just my desire that
leads me to these thoughts that feel okay to me.. and general ignorance.

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by David Dalton
These days I am having some doubts about my eight main deities
and am considering going atheist again as I have been twice before
for a good number of years. But if I do so I would leave my
main messages on my Salmon on the Thorns web site, and leave
the description of my past mystical experiences, but would
remove the deities section. And I would still claim to
be similar to some past major pagan and non-pagan
religious figures. That similarity serves as a backing for
my main messages, which are mostly non-religious.
Is it true that the Buddha had no deities?

you can grab a piece of Jade and mold it in your own image
and call is a buddha and pray to it and leave it rice and
feel good about yourself, and that's sort of what you are
doing , trying your best to carve out an image of yourself in jade
only you're never quite sure that it looks like you, cuz
you aren't seeing yourself very clearly and other people
waltz up to you and your image and grab a hammer and chisel
and whack a few strokes and say; "there, now it looks more
like "you"" only it looks more like "them" and you still
don't know the difference and someone may walk up with
a big sledge and smash it into teh dust and say,
"Now, it looks like you"
and you go poring over the dust looking for yourself
time after time
"but i'm great and wonderful"
great...big deal ...oh great and wonderful one...
what a waste of perfectly good jade...
someone may tell you,
"that guy they call "teh buddha" had YHWH
as his one and only Deity"
and you'll be off poring over the dust
wondering whether =YOU= have actually "opened up" a "Way"
and realizing that all you did was open up a 'way'
for other people to stuff loads of nonsense into your brain.
in the inimitable words of Cher;
"SNAP OUT OF IT"
sorry Cher, it's just what crossed my mind...

if doctors or whoever ask me whether i have any problems with delusion
i say i don't even know if i'm real let alone anything else i experience
.. i can't get past square one (me). words are just labels for pictures
to me (i was taught to read very early with picture cards).
i haven't completely beamed up and out of "reality" into my own mind.
i feel an imbalance in that extreme, and an emotional dissatisfaction.
"reality" and "imagination" can't be known with no concept of their
opposite. although in a way all i can perceive directly, empirically may
be subjective appearances first and foremost i perceive appearances of
both sides, objective external existence and subjective internal
appearance.. but i lean inside myself.. the art side.. it just seems to
be more real to me, my most fundamental ground.. within the appearance
of appearances are appearances of things that are real outside of
appearances and of things that are not really real things but only
appearances.. but whatever anything is might not be so simple to know
either way. i sense a truth "out there" or "inside myself" including
qualities of both sides... meeting somewhere in the muddle. make sense?
i don't know what i think. i wouldn't even claim that i am led to think
what i think with any basis in truth, i think it's just my desire that
leads me to these thoughts that feel okay to me.. and general ignorance.

people are not inanimate objects

which makes it very difficult for people to commune with
and become one with inanimate objects like the physical universe

people actually -need- to find that "universal personality"

et cetera......


















et cetera......



























































et cetera......

[x]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by David Dalton
These days I am having some doubts about my eight main deities
and am considering going atheist again as I have been twice before
for a good number of years. But if I do so I would leave my
main messages on my Salmon on the Thorns web site, and leave
the description of my past mystical experiences, but would
remove the deities section. And I would still claim to
be similar to some past major pagan and non-pagan
religious figures. That similarity serves as a backing for
my main messages, which are mostly non-religious.
Is it true that the Buddha had no deities?

you can grab a piece of Jade and mold it in your own image
and call is a buddha and pray to it and leave it rice and
feel good about yourself, and that's sort of what you are
doing , trying your best to carve out an image of yourself in jade
only you're never quite sure that it looks like you, cuz
you aren't seeing yourself very clearly and other people
waltz up to you and your image and grab a hammer and chisel
and whack a few strokes and say; "there, now it looks more
like "you"" only it looks more like "them" and you still
don't know the difference and someone may walk up with
a big sledge and smash it into teh dust and say,
"Now, it looks like you"
and you go poring over the dust looking for yourself
time after time
"but i'm great and wonderful"
great...big deal ...oh great and wonderful one...
what a waste of perfectly good jade...
someone may tell you,
"that guy they call "teh buddha" had YHWH
as his one and only Deity"
and you'll be off poring over the dust
wondering whether =YOU= have actually "opened up" a "Way"
and realizing that all you did was open up a 'way'
for other people to stuff loads of nonsense into your brain.
in the inimitable words of Cher;
"SNAP OUT OF IT"
sorry Cher, it's just what crossed my mind...

if doctors or whoever ask me whether i have any problems with delusion
i say i don't even know if i'm real let alone anything else i experience
.. i can't get past square one (me). words are just labels for pictures
to me (i was taught to read very early with picture cards).
i haven't completely beamed up and out of "reality" into my own mind.
i feel an imbalance in that extreme, and an emotional dissatisfaction.
"reality" and "imagination" can't be known with no concept of their
opposite. although in a way all i can perceive directly, empirically may
be subjective appearances first and foremost i perceive appearances of
both sides, objective external existence and subjective internal
appearance.. but i lean inside myself.. the art side.. it just seems to
be more real to me, my most fundamental ground.. within the appearance
of appearances are appearances of things that are real outside of
appearances and of things that are not really real things but only
appearances.. but whatever anything is might not be so simple to know
either way. i sense a truth "out there" or "inside myself" including
qualities of both sides... meeting somewhere in the muddle. make sense?
i don't know what i think. i wouldn't even claim that i am led to think
what i think with any basis in truth, i think it's just my desire that
leads me to these thoughts that feel okay to me.. and general ignorance.

people are not inanimate objects
which makes it very difficult for people to commune with
and become one with inanimate objects like the physical universe
people actually -need- to find that "universal personality"
et cetera......

reality is... i am... or nuit?

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x
i don't know what i think. i wouldn't even claim that i am led to think
what i think with any basis in truth, i think it's just my desire that
leads me to these thoughts that feel okay to me.. and general ignorance.

people are not inanimate objects
which makes it very difficult for people to commune with
and become one with inanimate objects like the physical universe
people actually -need- to find that "universal personality"
et cetera......

reality is... i am... or nuit?

yeah, but "we" are part of this nightmare

and "we" are not just a matter of matter.

"we" , these conscious things, have to

"wake up" to -our- ultimate source

or be woken up, as teh case may be.

[x]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x
i don't know what i think. i wouldn't even claim that i am led to think
what i think with any basis in truth, i think it's just my desire that
leads me to these thoughts that feel okay to me.. and general ignorance.

people are not inanimate objects
which makes it very difficult for people to commune with
and become one with inanimate objects like the physical universe
people actually -need- to find that "universal personality"
et cetera......

reality is... i am... or nuit?

yeah, but "we" are part of this nightmare
and "we" are not just a matter of matter.
"we" , these conscious things, have to
"wake up" to -our- ultimate source
or be woken up, as teh case may be.

i want to dream in the dark :P

[x]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x
i don't know what i think. i wouldn't even claim that i am led to think
what i think with any basis in truth, i think it's just my desire that
leads me to these thoughts that feel okay to me.. and general ignorance.

people are not inanimate objects
which makes it very difficult for people to commune with
and become one with inanimate objects like the physical universe
people actually -need- to find that "universal personality"
et cetera......

reality is... i am... or nuit?

yeah, but "we" are part of this nightmare
and "we" are not just a matter of matter.
"we" , these conscious things, have to
"wake up" to -our- ultimate source
or be woken up, as teh case may be.

i want to dream in the dark :P

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x
i don't know what i think. i wouldn't even claim that i am led to think
what i think with any basis in truth, i think it's just my desire that
leads me to these thoughts that feel okay to me.. and general ignorance.

people are not inanimate objects
which makes it very difficult for people to commune with
and become one with inanimate objects like the physical universe
people actually -need- to find that "universal personality"
et cetera......

reality is... i am... or nuit?

yeah, but "we" are part of this nightmare
and "we" are not just a matter of matter.
"we" , these conscious things, have to
"wake up" to -our- ultimate source
or be woken up, as teh case may be.

i want to dream in the dark :P

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=3IvoN4YUF4o

words on a page -can- be used to convey "meaning"

videos are an "exploded" view

"reality" and "words on a page" can get close

but maybe not and never be identical

maybe...

cuz "words on a page" are included _in_ "reality"

and right now, if "we" want to _compare_

"i see this"

with

"you see this"

and "i" and "you" are notably different,

and i cannot, essentially, see though your eyes, nor you mine,

nor can i dream your nightmare, nor you mine,


we have to -try- to -be- understood

cuz if we -try- to -be- _not_ understood

we may as well keep our collective mouths shut...


unless we just want to run off with the rice pudding
while everyone else is scratching their heads wondering

"what did s/he just say?"

even if s/he said it with a video...

exspecially if there's simply no rice pudding to run off with anyway...

and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

[x]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x
i don't know what i think. i wouldn't even claim that i am led to think
what i think with any basis in truth, i think it's just my desire that
leads me to these thoughts that feel okay to me.. and general ignorance.

people are not inanimate objects
which makes it very difficult for people to commune with
and become one with inanimate objects like the physical universe
people actually -need- to find that "universal personality"
et cetera......

reality is... i am... or nuit?

yeah, but "we" are part of this nightmare
and "we" are not just a matter of matter.
"we" , these conscious things, have to
"wake up" to -our- ultimate source
or be woken up, as teh case may be.

i want to dream in the dark :P

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=3IvoN4YUF4o

words on a page -can- be used to convey "meaning"
videos are an "exploded" view
"reality" and "words on a page" can get close
but maybe not and never be identical
maybe...
cuz "words on a page" are included _in_ "reality"
and right now, if "we" want to _compare_
"i see this"
with
"you see this"
and "i" and "you" are notably different,
and i cannot, essentially, see though your eyes, nor you mine,
nor can i dream your nightmare, nor you mine,
we have to -try- to -be- understood
cuz if we -try- to -be- _not_ understood
we may as well keep our collective mouths shut...
unless we just want to run off with the rice pudding
while everyone else is scratching their heads wondering
"what did s/he just say?"
even if s/he said it with a video...
exspecially if there's simply no rice pudding to run off with anyway...
and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

all i get is rice pudding.

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
unless we just want to run off with the rice pudding
while everyone else is scratching their heads wondering
"what did s/he just say?"
even if s/he said it with a video...
exspecially if there's simply no rice pudding to run off with anyway...
and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

all i get is rice pudding.

i was gunna post a video,

so, i'll do that;

[x]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
unless we just want to run off with the rice pudding
while everyone else is scratching their heads wondering
"what did s/he just say?"
even if s/he said it with a video...
exspecially if there's simply no rice pudding to run off with anyway...
and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

all i get is rice pudding.

i was gunna post a video,
so, i'll do that;
http://youtu.be/C63ri53rv2k

:) reminding of a dream of flying through a misty vortex for eternity.

[x]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
unless we just want to run off with the rice pudding
while everyone else is scratching their heads wondering
"what did s/he just say?"
even if s/he said it with a video...
exspecially if there's simply no rice pudding to run off with anyway...
and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

all i get is rice pudding.

i was gunna post a video,
so, i'll do that;
http://youtu.be/C63ri53rv2k

:) reminding of a dream of flying through a misty vortex for eternity.

Loading Image...

i shall persist ;)

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x
all i get is rice pudding.

i was gunna post a video,
so, i'll do that;

:) reminding of a dream of flying through a misty vortex for eternity.

Loading Image...
i shall persist ;)

i see a face...

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

all i get is rice pudding.

i was gunna post a video,
so, i'll do that;
http://youtu.be/C63ri53rv2k

:) reminding of a dream of flying through a misty vortex for eternity.

suppose you begin to see things that are 'familiar' to you

in this "misty vortex"

[x]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

all i get is rice pudding.

i was gunna post a video,
so, i'll do that;
http://youtu.be/C63ri53rv2k

:) reminding of a dream of flying through a misty vortex for eternity.

suppose you begin to see things that are 'familiar' to you
in this "misty vortex"

i started to see myself at different times in eternity at the same time
somehow, i seem to have been around it a few times and so i kept going..

not clear exactly what it all meant.. mostly i remember how determined i
was to go and keep going directly into the most dark and lost places.

and then time started fucking up.. i don't remember there being any end.

nor why i was persisting so much on going "100 miles in the wrong lane"
but i don't recall it being a bad dream, it felt good i think. i didn't
give up anyway... and i had a crazy faith in myself enduring everything
to the end, even if there was none. it was after the malaysian flight
was lost, i guess it followed off some of my bermused thoughts about it.

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

all i get is rice pudding.

i was gunna post a video,
so, i'll do that;
http://youtu.be/C63ri53rv2k

:) reminding of a dream of flying through a misty vortex for eternity.

suppose you begin to see things that are 'familiar' to you
in this "misty vortex"

i started to see myself at different times in eternity at the same time
somehow, i seem to have been around it a few times and so i kept going..
not clear exactly what it all meant.. mostly i remember how determined i
was to go and keep going directly into the most dark and lost places.
and then time started fucking up.. i don't remember there being any end.
nor why i was persisting so much on going "100 miles in the wrong lane"
but i don't recall it being a bad dream, it felt good i think. i didn't
give up anyway... and i had a crazy faith in myself enduring everything
to the end, even if there was none. it was after the malaysian flight
was lost, i guess it followed off some of my bermused thoughts about it.

does "THE buddha" have any deities?

whatever that means...

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x
i started to see myself at different times in eternity at the same time
somehow, i seem to have been around it a few times and so i kept going..

does "THE buddha" have any deities?
whatever that means...

let's just say, maybe, that, "THE buddha" is the original conscios being

from which there is no recursion

whether or not "The buddaha" as so described


as yet, and still, "persists"


is a matter of 'agreement' if not actual fact, as of now

inasmuch as 'actual fact,' may be beyond "our" consideration,,,

if we don't know... for certain...

i can -say- "i know for sure"

but, there's always that possiblility that

i'm mad

and don't know anything at all...for certain...


and then, we fall in to matters of "faith"

whatever -thet- means...

[x]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
and that "rice pudding: is not an issue at all anyhow...

all i get is rice pudding.

i was gunna post a video,
so, i'll do that;
http://youtu.be/C63ri53rv2k

:) reminding of a dream of flying through a misty vortex for eternity.

suppose you begin to see things that are 'familiar' to you
in this "misty vortex"

i started to see myself at different times in eternity at the same time
somehow, i seem to have been around it a few times and so i kept going..
not clear exactly what it all meant.. mostly i remember how determined i
was to go and keep going directly into the most dark and lost places.
and then time started fucking up.. i don't remember there being any end.
nor why i was persisting so much on going "100 miles in the wrong lane"
but i don't recall it being a bad dream, it felt good i think. i didn't
give up anyway... and i had a crazy faith in myself enduring everything
to the end, even if there was none. it was after the malaysian flight
was lost, i guess it followed off some of my bermused thoughts about it.

does "THE buddha" have any deities?
whatever that means...

shrug.. i can't get a clear story out of any of the religion without
then contradicting it. i gravitate towards the most confused clearly.

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
does "THE buddha" have any deities?
whatever that means...

shrug.. i can't get a clear story out of any of the religion without
then contradicting it. i gravitate towards the most confused clearly.

so then, you don't have a tremendous difficulty with me,

if i say that there -is- an _original_ 'cosmic consiousness'

and, that, i may, very well, have communion with said "deity"

as, as of now, your 'view' is "noncommital" ...?

[x]

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
does "THE buddha" have any deities?
whatever that means...

shrug.. i can't get a clear story out of any of the religion without
then contradicting it. i gravitate towards the most confused clearly.

so then, you don't have a tremendous difficulty with me,
if i say that there -is- an _original_ 'cosmic consiousness'
and, that, i may, very well, have communion with said "deity"
as, as of now, your 'view' is "noncommital" ...?

i don't know if it's true or not, i suspect you can't really know it
either but i don't know if that's true either. just have suspiscions.

[Timothy Sutter]

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter

Post by x

Post by Timothy Sutter
does "THE buddha" have any deities?
whatever that means...

shrug.. i can't get a clear story out of any of the religion without
then contradicting it. i gravitate towards the most confused clearly.

so then, you don't have a tremendous difficulty with me,
if i say that there -is- an _original_ 'cosmic consiousness'
and, that, i may, very well, have communion with said "deity"
as, as of now, your 'view' is "noncommital" ...?

i don't know if it's true or not, i suspect you can't really know it
either but i don't know if that's true either. just have suspiscions.

fair enough...

...et cetera

[James]

Buddhism uses many idols or statues that it adherents pray before.
This is in stark contrast to the Bible's admonition to "guard
yourselves from idols." (1 Jo 5:21) Buddhism also promotes the concept
of reincarnation. This is contrary to the Bible's teaching that the
dead (the good and the bad) are awaiting a resurrection. (Ac 24:15)
Truth is truth. They just can't both be true.

Concerning reincarnation, "Buddha preached that existence was a
continuing cycle of death and rebirth. Each person's position and
well-being in life was determined by his or her behavior in previous
lives. For example, good deeds may lead to rebirth as a wise and
wealthy person or as a being in heaven. A person's evil deeds may
lead to rebirth as a poor and sickly person or even in hell." (1999
World Book Encyclopedia)

So do Buddhists have any gods? At one time when Buddha became
influential, he canned all those idols and gods etc. But over time
they gradually came back into the Buddhists religion. Today they
abound in worshipping them (gods and idols) and other traditions.

James
www.jw.org

[David Raleigh Arnold]

On Wed, 04 Jun 2014 19:31:01 -0400

Post by James
Buddhism uses many idols or statues that it adherents pray

Not so. Buddhists do not pray at all, certainly not to the image
of a dead man.

A Buddha statue is a tool to calm the mind, nothing more.

Post by James
before. This is in stark contrast to the Bible's admonition to
"guard yourselves from idols." (1 Jo 5:21) Buddhism also
promotes the concept of reincarnation.

There is no reincarnation in Buddhism, because there is no
permanent and unchanging self or soul to be reincarnated.
Rebirth is the continuation of a process. Lord Buddha
likened it to the kindling of one fire from another, where
nothing of the old fire becomes a part of the new.


This is contrary to the

Post by James
Bible's teaching that the dead (the good and the bad) are
awaiting a resurrection. (Ac 24:15) Truth is truth. They just
can't both be true.

Exactly.

Post by James
Concerning reincarnation, "Buddha preached that existence was a
continuing cycle of death and rebirth. Each person's position
and well-being in life was determined by his or her behavior in
previous lives. For example, good deeds may lead to rebirth as
a wise and wealthy person or as a being in heaven. A person's
evil deeds may lead to rebirth as a poor and sickly person or
even in hell." (1999 World Book Encyclopedia)
So do Buddhists have any gods? At one time when Buddha became
influential, he canned all those idols and gods etc. But over
time they gradually came back into the Buddhists religion.
Today they abound in worshipping them (gods and idols) and
other traditions.

Superstition abounds, that's true.

People have always looked for gods under every bush. Lately there
are people who look for one god under every bush. This activity
is not carelessness or stupidity. Instead it is how the mind
works. Mentally putting a being under every bush prevents too
much time being spent in speculating what tooth or claw might
come out and get you. It permits you to dismiss that threat and
deal with more present realities. That admission of ignorance
is wisdom, but when preoccupation with speculation and nonsense
becomes obsessive, it becomes foolishness. Metta, Rale

[David Dalton]

Post by David Raleigh Arnold
People have always looked for gods under every bush.

That reminds me of my claim that the burning in the
bush of Moses was actually a GLOWING blue rose
similar to my blue rose vision of Sept. 6, 1991.