Wow... what can I say. Absolute identical on every little thing.
Back in schooling day, I would pray to make sure I pass my exams so I could spent more time on sports. But what did it got me, barely pass or fail exams.
The day I start forcing myself to the library everyday, I realized I can pass my exams just like that and still can afford to spend some time for sports even during my exam days.
Since then I told myself it's better to be a hardworking person rather than relying on something you don't see.
Set a principal in life. Go towards it. Nothing will be wrong. More importantly, show respect and moral to others and you receive the same in return.

if you are really interested,

you can try to read on a bit about the 4 noble truths and 5 precepts. a good way to start.

people will only think about religion when they are in danger, eg. dying, fallen sick..etc...

Maybe it's only me but I feel people shouldn't be selfish all the time or rather don't be selfish to certain degree which is unacceptable.
This point about thinking of religion when in danger is an selfish act and it doesn't seem sincere at all. Just how I feel.

Care to elaborate...who is "they"?? Simply tembak tembak to boost ego...i guess these are the 'they' you are talking about.

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Added on August 13, 2010, 9:49 amI think a lot of us from the same scenario. Most Chinese are Confuciousim-Taosim-Buddhism background...so a mish-mash of all, so to speak. Nothing wrong with it really. When it's time for you to understand more, you'll seek out for it. I was pretty much the same background.

This post has been edited by Matrix: Aug 13 2010, 09:49 AM

Yeap. This is one thing I am very grateful to my parents. They don't force any belief on me, and let me find the religions that suit me.

Buddha's is one of Allah's prophet..I thought Buddhism came before islam..lol

But buddha said no one above him during his enlightenment wor.... he scanned the entire universe for someone to pay respect to, the heavens and until the brahma heavens, he said got no one higher than him in wisdom and in enlightenment. He realized he was the highest, and as suggested by Braha Sahampati, the Buddha paid respect to the Dhamma as all past buddhas did.

It's not exactly related, but as how Ajahn Brham put it - HAHAyana. Honestly, all these different school of thoughts, are they necessary?

Because the buddha did not teach Theravada or Mahayana .. there is only one dhamma in the past...

But we are talking about 2500 years of evolution in Buddhism, and difference in opinion is bound to happen over time. It may be subtle, but given sufficient time, it will eventually evolve into 2 different school of thought.

which still uses the 4 noble truths, Eightfold path and the 5 precepts as the main pillar.

Yeah, and what about Japanese Buddhism....they have fusion traditional Japanese believes (Sino) with Buddhism...i think there are several sects....Nichiren, Zen, Pure Land...etc.

Yes, the Buddha said in order to attain Enlightenment, one has to practice the 8fold path which leads to the realization of the 4 noble truths (cessation of suffering)

so what's the 8-fold path?

i'm quite skeptical on reincarnation concept.. there's a paradox...



in 1800 the population of the world estimate about 1 billion, after 2000 the ultimate increase of population to 6 billion + and growing...

if we die then reincarnate to somebody else, the rate of population should be stable or flat liner on chart...

That's why over such a long time, buddhism fractures, starting from 500 years after buddha passed away. There is a group who refused to change, and you call them the orthodox, and another group with newer idea and trying to make buddhism more appealing to the mass, the reformer.

It's the same in Christianity too, we can see how protestants movement has evolved so much in the last 300 years that the interpretation of the teaching can be done by anyone who holds the Bible. There is no unity in the prostestant churches , and you find the newer churches even performed gay marriages , which is something now allowed in the Catholic church.

THere is so much difference between shinto and tibetan.. they are very different. Are they still buddhism practiced 2500 years ago at the buddha's time? this you all have to do some homework and self reflection.

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Added on August 13, 2010, 4:13 pmif you say reincarnate to soemthing else is possible, then you should logically also include that somethign else can also reincarnate back to the human world, no?


This post has been edited by soul2soul: Aug 13 2010, 04:13 PM

probably explain the dwindling of animal population

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Added on August 13, 2010, 4:16 pmthis is supernatural stuff liao...wouldn't it defeat the purpose of Buddhism which said that Buddhism is teaching
and no supernatural involved?

This post has been edited by gogo2: Aug 13 2010, 04:16 PM

well the buddha said we are not the only place in this world system that has humans... there are other 3 places, with much longer lifespan than the humans on Earth. (within this world system).

Plus, there are 30 more worlds a being can land to, from the heavily populated Avici hell to the least populated highest realm of neither perception nor non-perception.

Haha...i was having the same question previously, when my understanding of Buddhism was very vague (i am hardly an expert now, but just know a little bit more).

1) In Buddhism, the concept is RE-BIRTH, not RE-INCARNATION. Re-incarnation is in Hinduism. A re-birth is not the same because in Buddhism, there is no soul. It's like you drop a drop of water into the stream, the stream flows to the end. Another drop of water emerge from the stream, this drop of water that emerge again is not exactly the same as the drop of water that enters the stream.

2) Re-birth doesn't always gets you back into the human world. There are many planes of existence in Buddhism. You can go to higher plane or go to lower plane. It can be the same physical plane as us...rebirth into an animal world, or worst....other planes of existence which we do not see. (There are also higher plane of existence we do not see...).

Also, Buddhism acknowledge other worlds of existence...you might not be even rebirth to this planet.

So you see, the chart of only human beings on this planet in this plane of existence is not a correct way to gauge rebirth.

This post has been edited by Matrix: Aug 13 2010, 04:20 PM

if add in animal factor, there's farming industri that breeds food (cow, chicken, rabbit, crocs... etc,etc) with is million more produce per square inch compare to animals that perishing in nature ... so it should be more too.... not less....

This post has been edited by randyhow: Aug 13 2010, 04:23 PM

Well it all depends on how deep you want to study buddhism and your aim in life.

If you are only looking for just a way to live happily , then you can live by just the day-to-day practical advice by the buddha like avoid evil, do good, etc.

But if you are looking serious to find out, whether there is such thing as Sotapatti Magga (special event in the stream of the mind that changes a being forever), or whether there is really such thing as the Unconditioned State, then you have to look deeper into the teachings, which contain some 'supernatural' stuffs.

But then, we cannot totally discount these claims. After all, landing on the moon will seem be to supernatural 100 years ago, until actually someone did land on the moon , it became a naturally accepted thing.

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Added on August 13, 2010, 4:26 pmI was told rebirth as a human is very very difficult and rare event. Count your luck guys to be able to become humans to enjoy Lady Gaga and sex... there are places worse than these where you dont get these stuffs....

work for your own security!

This post has been edited by soul2soul: Aug 13 2010, 04:26 PM

lulz...
this 1 Parallel universe liao... Quantum Theory tear my mind.. Buddha so keng, know Quantum Theory long time ago..