Ask a Buddhist

[eagleseven]

I'll have to date a Buddhist sometime.

 

[hortysir]

My reputation says I could be Buddha.

I think it's calling me fat.....

 

[Skull Pilot]

If a mosquito is about to bite your arm, can you kill it?

No. You can shoo it away but if you're a Buddhist you take vows to not kill.

Then all Buddhists must be vegans?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Dear Buddist,

Is it true that Buddism teaches that happiness is about wanting as little as possible?

Sincerely,

One who wants too much

P.S. IMO, you have never written an unkind post, let alone one bashing someone else's beliefs.

Did you miss the threads before this one? Where she clearly did bash a certain faith. Just curious.

 

[Hister]

If a mosquito is about to bite your arm, can you kill it?

No. You can shoo it away but if you're a Buddhist you take vows to not kill.

What if it's already got its stinger in you but might be a malaria carrier. And if a crocodile has a hold of your leg, can you shoot it or do you let yourself get eaten?

Also, aren't you doing it a favor by sending it onto its next life which will surely be better than a mosquito's?

Also, if you take a vow not to kill, what do you eat? Even vegetarians kill plants.

 

[editec]

Mebbe we could speak a bit more respectfully to an adherent of Buddism, guys?

A fool who recognises his own ignorance is thereby in fact a wise man, but a fool who considers himself wise -- that is what one really calls a fool.

The Dhammapada

Since everything is but an apparition, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter.

Longchenpa

A brahmin once asked The Blessed One:
"Are you a God?"
"No, brahmin" said The Blessed One.
"Are you a saint?"
"No, brahmin" said The Blessed One.
"Are you a magician?"
"No, brahmin" said The Blessed One.
"What are you then?"
"I am awake."

Sutta Nipata

Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned.​

The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis.​

H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama

​

 

[Sky Dancer]

Dear Buddist,

Is it true that Buddism teaches that happiness is about wanting as little as possible?

Sincerely,

One who wants too much

P.S. IMO, you have never written an unkind post, let alone one bashing someone else's beliefs.

Did you miss the threads before this one? Where she clearly did bash a certain faith. Just curious.

I've criticised Domionists and the polically organized against marriage equality, not the Christian faith as a whole. I've criticised the hierarchy of the Catholic Church for protecting pedophiles.

I've pointed out which Christians negatively impact my life.

I haven't criticized the teachings of Christ.

 

[Sky Dancer]

If a mosquito is about to bite your arm, can you kill it?

No. You can shoo it away but if you're a Buddhist you take vows to not kill.

Then all Buddhists must be vegans?

No all Buddhists are not vegans. The truth is that because we live in samsara we cannot completely avoid killing other beings.

Insects are killed in the harvesting of vegetables. When we drive our cars we kill insects.

The point is to be as harmless as possible.

 

[Skull Pilot]

No. You can shoo it away but if you're a Buddhist you take vows to not kill.

Then all Buddhists must be vegans?

No all Buddhists are not vegans. The truth is that because we live in samsara we cannot completely avoid killing other beings.

Insects are killed in the harvesting of vegetables. When we drive our cars we kill insects.

The point is to be as harmless as possible.

Then the vow not to kill is nothing but more dogmatic hypocrisy.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Then all Buddhists must be vegans?

No all Buddhists are not vegans. The truth is that because we live in samsara we cannot completely avoid killing other beings.

Insects are killed in the harvesting of vegetables. When we drive our cars we kill insects.

The point is to be as harmless as possible.

Then the vow not to kill is naught but more dogmatic hypocrisy.

Not true. Buddhists are not like Jains who are so extreme that they were shawls over their mouths in order to not breathe in insects and they sweep the ground before they walk in order to not step on any insects.

There is karma connected with killing--even killing unintentionally.

There are many teachings about karma and the precept of not killing.

It is not correct to say that the vow naught to kill is dogmatic hypocrisy.

 

[Skull Pilot]

No all Buddhists are not vegans. The truth is that because we live in samsara we cannot completely avoid killing other beings.

Insects are killed in the harvesting of vegetables. When we drive our cars we kill insects.

The point is to be as harmless as possible.

Then the vow not to kill is naught but more dogmatic hypocrisy.

Not true. Buddhists are not like Jains who are so extreme that they were shawls over their mouths in order to not breathe in insects and they sweep the ground before they walk in order to not step on any insects.

There is karma connected with killing--even killing unintentionally.

There are many teachings about karma and the precept of not killing.

It is not correct to say that the vow naught to kill is dogmatic hypocrisy.

So you take a vow not to kill but then you justify killing as unavoidable?

Sounds like hypocrisy to me.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Then the vow not to kill is naught but more dogmatic hypocrisy.

Not true. Buddhists are not like Jains who are so extreme that they were shawls over their mouths in order to not breathe in insects and they sweep the ground before they walk in order to not step on any insects.

There is karma connected with killing--even killing unintentionally.

There are many teachings about karma and the precept of not killing.

It is not correct to say that the vow naught to kill is dogmatic hypocrisy.

So you take a vow not to kill but then you justify killing as unavoidable?

Sounds like hypocrisy to me.

It's not hyprocrisy. It's the truth of how things are. It's the reason we vow to save all beings from samsara. All beings have once been as kind to us as our parents. We owe a debt to all living beings. We cannot avoid killing them even when we try. Even a vegan who has tried to not kill any animals has karma for the insects that have been killed in the harvesting of vegetables. It is the vegans intent not to kill, and the killing happens anyway.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Not true. Buddhists are not like Jains who are so extreme that they were shawls over their mouths in order to not breathe in insects and they sweep the ground before they walk in order to not step on any insects.

There is karma connected with killing--even killing unintentionally.

There are many teachings about karma and the precept of not killing.

It is not correct to say that the vow naught to kill is dogmatic hypocrisy.

So you take a vow not to kill but then you justify killing as unavoidable?

Sounds like hypocrisy to me.

It's not hyprocrisy. It's the truth of how things are. It's the reason we vow to save all beings from samsara. All beings have once been as kind to us as our parents. We owe a debt to all living beings. We cannot avoid killing them even when we try. Even a vegan who has tried to not kill any animals has karma for the insects that have been killed in the harvesting of vegetables. It is the vegans intent not to kill, and the killing happens anyway.

Then why not simply acknowledge the truth rather than claiming to make a vow not to kill?

As I said Buddhism is just as full of crap as any other religion.

Why is it that people need to follow someone else to define their lives? Get away from the claptrap rituals and rote utterances and find your own way in the world.

 

[Sky Dancer]

So you take a vow not to kill but then you justify killing as unavoidable?

Sounds like hypocrisy to me.

It's not hyprocrisy. It's the truth of how things are. It's the reason we vow to save all beings from samsara. All beings have once been as kind to us as our parents. We owe a debt to all living beings. We cannot avoid killing them even when we try. Even a vegan who has tried to not kill any animals has karma for the insects that have been killed in the harvesting of vegetables. It is the vegans intent not to kill, and the killing happens anyway.

Then why not simply acknowledge the truth rather than claiming to make a vow not to kill?

As I said Buddhism is just as full of crap as any other religion.

Why is it that people need to follow someone else to define their lives? Get away from the claptrap rituals and rote utterances and find your own way in the world.

Buddhists acknowledge the truth. One of the beginning teachings is the Four Noble Truths. The first truth is the truth of suffering. The truth of samsara.

We still take vows to train the mind to be as harmless as possible.

If you're asking me why I bother to study Buddhist meditation I can tell you it helps my mind and heart.

 

[Skull Pilot]

If a mosquito is about to bite your arm, can you kill it?

No. You can shoo it away but if you're a Buddhist you take vows to not kill.

So you choose to follow a religion that forces you to make a vow that is impossible to fulfill?

That does not seem to be acknowledging any universal truth to me. In fact it seems to be setting you up to fail.

 

[Sky Dancer]

If a mosquito is about to bite your arm, can you kill it?

No. You can shoo it away but if you're a Buddhist you take vows to not kill.

So you choose to follow a religion that forces you to make a vow that is impossible to fulfill?

That does not seem to be acknowledging any universal truth to me. In fact it seems to be setting you up to fail.

I'm not forced to take the vow not to kill. I take it willingly. I make every effort to avoid killing.

I accept the truth of suffering.

 

[Skull Pilot]

No. You can shoo it away but if you're a Buddhist you take vows to not kill.

So you choose to follow a religion that forces you to make a vow that is impossible to fulfill?

That does not seem to be acknowledging any universal truth to me. In fact it seems to be setting you up to fail.

I'm not forced to take the vow not to kill. I take it willingly. I make every effort to avoid killing.

I accept the truth of suffering.

The you willingly utter a vow you know you will not fulfill.

That is not acknowledging any truth. At least be intellectually honest and say that you try to live causing as little harm as possible.

I would have no issue with that, but the whole vow not to kill is bullshit plain and simple. The fact that you can justify willingly making that vow while knowing the "truth" that you will break that vow by merely living your life is an example of the religious dogma you so deny exists in Buddhism.

 

[Sky Dancer]

So you choose to follow a religion that forces you to make a vow that is impossible to fulfill?

That does not seem to be acknowledging any universal truth to me. In fact it seems to be setting you up to fail.

I'm not forced to take the vow not to kill. I take it willingly. I make every effort to avoid killing.

I accept the truth of suffering.

The you willingly utter a vow you know you will not fulfill.

That is not acknowledging any truth. At least be intellectually honest and say that you try to live causing as little harm as possible.

I would have no issue with that, but the whole vow not to kill is bullshit plain and simple. The fact that you can justify willingly making that vow while knowing the "truth" that you will break that vow by merely living your life is an example of the religious dogma you so deny exists in Buddhism.

I take a vow with the intention not to kill and I try to live as harmlessly as possible.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I'm not forced to take the vow not to kill. I take it willingly. I make every effort to avoid killing.

I accept the truth of suffering.

The you willingly utter a vow you know you will not fulfill.

That is not acknowledging any truth. At least be intellectually honest and say that you try to live causing as little harm as possible.

I would have no issue with that, but the whole vow not to kill is bullshit plain and simple. The fact that you can justify willingly making that vow while knowing the "truth" that you will break that vow by merely living your life is an example of the religious dogma you so deny exists in Buddhism.

I take a vow with the intention not to kill and I try to live as harmlessly as possible.

Intentions and roads to hell come to mind.

It's just more religious rationalizing not the acknowledgment of any "truth"

 

[Sky Dancer]

The you willingly utter a vow you know you will not fulfill.

That is not acknowledging any truth. At least be intellectually honest and say that you try to live causing as little harm as possible.

I would have no issue with that, but the whole vow not to kill is bullshit plain and simple. The fact that you can justify willingly making that vow while knowing the "truth" that you will break that vow by merely living your life is an example of the religious dogma you so deny exists in Buddhism.

I take a vow with the intention not to kill and I try to live as harmlessly as possible.

Intentions and roads to hell come to mind.

It's just more religious rationalizing not the acknowledgment of any "truth"

It's the truth of suffering.