Buddhism and God: Does Buddhism have a deity? | carm.org He looked at many different ideas and religions and tried many different things to try to figure out what really was true. For example, Dharma for Hindus explains why things are and why they should be. But they can't posit something outside of existence! Was Buddha 'Just a Man' or Was He a Prophet? So no amount of suttas or bended interpretations could ever change this fact. Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja), c. 11th century, Copper alloy, Chola period, 68.3 x 56.5 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Each god has a specific power and role. One need not take these stories literally or historically to realize that they communicate real underlying theological ideas. Sure:) But the moment you say you got a proof in your pocket you end up standing with the "faithheads" (As Dawkins calls them) in claiming truths you are not entitled to. GOD Exist and he does not exist, as he is omnipresent. This set of rules is based on mathematical proportions and is called iconometry. COPYRIGHT 2023. Buddha never denied nor confirmed because he never wanted his followers to believe in anything. I of course know that there is also no proof that Gods/unicorns do exist but you are stating you have proof that they do NOT so the burden is on you alls. As a human, he died like every other human, but he claimed that he was enlightened or awakened. Samsara is the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth. No. "This is the only straight path," he declared, "the path of salvation that leads one who follows it to union with Brahma [God], as is taught by brahmin Pokkharasati!" A similar form of functional atheism can also be found in the ancient Asian religion ofJainism, a tradition that emphasises non-violence toward all living beings, non-attachment to worldly possessions, and ascetic practice. So for most people God has nothing to do with their practice. No. Buddha, (Sanskrit: "Awakened One") clan name (Sanskrit) Gautama or (Pali) Gotama, personal name (Sanskrit) Siddhartha or (Pali) Siddhattha, (born c. 6th-4th century bce, Lumbini, near Kapilavastu, Shakya republic, Kosala kingdom [now in Nepal]died, Kusinara, Malla republic, Magadha kingdom [now Kasia, India]), the founder of Buddhism, one of the major religions and philosophical . Most of the time, in what we might call "classic" polytheism, gods are beings who have charge of specific things, such as the weather or harvests or war. Buddha used to tell the story of a man who met a tiger in the jungle. Some of these gods have their own heavenly world. What are the pros and cons of allowing keywords to be abbreviated? The beings in the universe are reborn over and over again. This intellectual discussion is what Buddha wanted to stay away. Matter is a shape which your senses perceive but in reality matter is just a condensed field. The Buddha realized that belief in a creator god was not necessary in order to have a religion. I quoted a book that quoted scripture. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/what-buddha-didnt-say-about-god-3976939. Buddhism does not deny the existence of god. They are characters who live in other realms and who have their own problems. Why Did Buddha Deny God? - Budding Buddhist Buddhists believe in karma which is a cycle of cause and effect. These is lots about Dharma I cannot doubt, even after trying. The Buddhas teachings utilized much of the same vocabulary of the Hindus. Araham Araham means that the Buddha had eradicated and become free from all defilements. Buddha's 3 precepts don't apply only to some cases and some parts of existence. Karma is not being directed by a supernatural intelligence but is its own natural law. The tantric deities of Vajrayana are something else again. We do not believe in a creator God, because it is a "wrong view", and not part of the Buddha's teaching. Mahayana Buddhism is most commonly practiced in East Asia and Vietnam. People can posit realms outside of space-time, outside of our singularity point, or posit anything they'd like. There are these god in Buddhism, Christian God, god in chinese prayer etc. @KaveengaWijayasekara Please post answers as an answer instead of as a comment. Because doctrinal views vary so widely among Hindus, there is no norm based on orthodoxy or right belief. Did the Buddha ever mention or encounter Jews? If you like this post, please share it with your friends: Buddhism has been frought with a lot of argument both within its ranks and from others from the Buddhas rejection of a Creator God. While Buddhism does not argue that gods dont exist, gods are seen as completely irrelevant to those who strive for enlightenment. Assuming constant operation cost, are we guaranteed that computational complexity calculated from high level code is "correct"? Here, the deity we choose to identify with represents the essential qualities of the fully awakened experience latent within us. Buddha is not a god because he is not supernatural. Direct link to joseph brackett's post what is the thing for the, Posted 3 years ago. (Yes, one can find examples of Asian laypeople relating to icons of Buddhism as if they were polytheistic deities. Buddha treats belief in God with a certain kind of ironic amusement. O'Brien, Barbara. Did Lord Buddha really not believe in God and the Vedas? If so, why? Your email address will not be published. No, you make another mistake here, in that you are treating the scriptures as concrete representations of Lord Buddha's teaching. Atheistic traditions have played a significant part in Asian culturesfor millennia. Schengen Visa: if the main destination consulate can't process the application in time, can you apply to other countries? The Buddha is NOT making faith a condition of freedom. Your email address will not be published. Around the same time when Buddhism and Jainism arose in the sixth century BC, there was also an explicitly atheist school of thought in India called the Carvakaschool. : Budding Buddhist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The Buddha believed that all living things were equal and should live life to the full. Btw, I do reject some of the minor tenets (31 literal realms, literal rebirth), but not major ones like the Three Marks of Existence, Emptiness, Dependent Co-Arising, etc. He said "there is no GOD". He still had problems and he still felt unhappy. So why worry about it? The concept of a god with a human-like consciousness does not align with the Buddhas understanding of the nature of reality. He thought if he found the right way to live, he would be happy and not suffer any more. In Tibetan Buddhism, there are eight major bodhisattvas. These searches proved fruitless and he finally came to the realization that the Middle Path (avoiding extremes) was the path towards enlightenment. One can make puja by lustrating an image with ghee, milk or oils, or simply adorn an image with garlands of flowers. https://www.learnreligions.com/what-buddha-didnt-say-about-god-3976939 (accessed July 5, 2023). PART 36 IN SERIES Ancient Plan Unfolding. The Buddha images on altars are symbols of the enlightened state and the Buddhas teachings. Ganesha, for example, is the lord of beginnings and the remover of obstacles. Let me make note that the primary tenets of Buddhism such as impermanence and dukkha are incompatible with God. Claims like "God made things, he works in mysterious ways" has the same potency as making claims about invisible pink unicorns, or Spaghetti Monsters working in mysterious ways. This is the experience Siddhartha, the Buddha had under the Bodhi Tree. The reason is more of a philosophical and spiritual nature. This is why often people prefix terms like "things" with "contingent things". Did the Buddha ever mention the Upanishads or the Vedas? The Buddha did not believe in a creator God. Direct link to hannah's post How did buddhism effectiv, Posted 10 months ago. Recall that the goal for both Hindus and Buddhists is to escape the samsaric cycle of rebirthbut each religions interpretation of how to do this and what it meant to get off the cycle differed. The Ajivikas claimed that the fate of the soul was determined by fate alone, and not by a god, or even by free will. Barbara O'Brien Updated on April 07, 2018 It is often asked if there are gods in Buddhism. At one point he decided to try to find the answer by meditating and not eating anything for a long time. However, it does acknowledge the existence of devas (gods) and bodhisattvas. It makes no difference whether one believes in them, or not. Though there is no all-powerful creator god in Buddhism, the Buddha lived in a polytheistic culture, and some of this polytheism is reflected in early texts in stories of the Buddha interacting with gods. For Hindu worshipers, the concept of bhakti is important. If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. In a sense, he could be described as being agnostic; he did not accept or reject the idea of god. Siddhartha remained unmoved, kept his meditation and thus passed this final trial and gained enlightenment. Did the Buddha ever refute the view of "extreme metaphysical nihilism" e.g. "Did the Buddha say 'There is no God,' directly? He was a teacher. The man ran for his life, and the tiger came after him. But the Buddha has rejected belief in god as a necessary religion. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Gods will not inhabit forms that they do not consider worthy of their stature. The Historical Buddha (article) | Buddhism | Khan Academy However, the gods are trapped in samsara themselves and play no role in helping individuals attain enlightenment. He did not think that God or gods can interfere with the universe or human affairs. Buddhism is a religion that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama ("The Buddha") more than 2,500 years ago in India. Dharma only makes sense in a universe with finite possibility spaces like this one. Buddhism does not specifically negate gods, but rather the God of theistic religions. Please try again. Such fissures occurs in differences in practice not in belief in the doctrine. And still others (as here in his replies to Vaccha), he declines to say one way or the other. He found spiritual liberation by rejecting the concept of god, and instead focusing on the human potential for spiritual growth. I used to think this, but what I find happens is that in order to argue something either way you need to use reason. Instead he talked about celestial beings like devas and demons. The Buddha's Teachings About the Soul | HuffPost Religion TRICYCLE. "What Buddha Didn't Say About God." He had the courage to act on his insight, and become a great teacher. Two major schools of Buddhist thought are Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. Buddha means awake. He experienced nirvana. Yes I pretty much agree, I am not sure its any big revelation that Buddha was an athiest? Buddha said to realize his teachings yourself and not to take them on authority. The universe of the Buddha is a universe of cause and effect. While the god does not always reside in the image, he or she does, from time to time, descend to earth and takes the form of the image. For Buddhists, Dharma came to be defined as the teachings of the Buddha. According to foundational Buddhist scriptures, Gautama Buddha claimed to be an ordinary mannot a God, superhuman, or prophet. The followers of Buddhism look up to the Buddhas to show them the path to enlightenment. Yet For Buddhists, there is no need to worship gods. That's fine and perfectly valid. Therefore, in order for an image to be successful it needs to have the appropriate iconography (forms and symbols) associated with the god and also have appropriate iconometry. What is the reason? You don't believe. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Buddha never claimed to be a god or a messiah. Buddhism teaches that we should not worry about whether or not there is a god. Buddhism does not include the belief in a creator deity. So when you speak of God or gods in Buddhism, it's important to not define the word "god" as westerners usually do but to understand the word in the context of Buddhism. O'Brien, Barbara. Brahm is a leading god and heavenly king in Buddhism. There are many god-like beings in Buddhism. The Buddha himself refutes any claims of being a god. What we call self is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe. Krishna , Posted 3 years ago. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. They look different and they may be painted in different colors. accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.01.0.bodh.html, A Discourse to Knowers of Veda -- Tevijja Sutta, Starting the Prompt Design Site: A New Home in our Stack Exchange Neighborhood, Statement from SO: June 5, 2023 Moderator Action. Training was under the supervision of a qualified Mindfulness teacher at Mindfulness Spain.Read More. I read recently that the scholars cannot agree either on when Buddha was actually born, or even where. That's true, it's just, I don't like the arrogance of some of the New Atheists who seem to think they've got the "Truth", and everyone else is ignorant. Kumarila further argued that if a merciful god had created the world, it could not have been as full of suffering as it is. He was sitting under a tree and he found the right way to live. It is therefore difficult to determine exactly what the Ajivikas themselves thought. Key facts. Hinduism can also be described as a religion that appreciates orthopraxyor right praxis. Suddenly the man came to huge ravine and found himself standing at the top of a sheer cliff. Allan's first response: I would need time to do it, but there are passages from the Tripit a ka that strongly indicate that the Buddha denied the existence of a creator god. Buddhists believe that it is possible to be freed from the cycle of rebirth by reaching Nirvana. Fasting Buddha Shakyamuni, 3rd-5th century Kushan period, Pakistan/ancient Gandhara (Metropolitan Museum of Art). In fact, it is the single most important shared cultural phenomenon found throughout Asia was the transmission and adoption of Buddhism. Durga, who is solicited for protection, is also equally sought by women for fertility. Does a Michigan law make it a felony to purposefully use the wrong gender pronouns? Prince Siddhartha Gautamas biography has very much become a part of the foundation of the Buddhist teachings. I cannot rationally believe in a supreme being How can you deny the existence of God? For more explanation, see "Dependent Origination," "Buddhism and Karma," and "The Five Niyamas.". According toBuddhist texts, the Ajivikas argued that there was no distinction between good and evil and there was no such thing as sin. In Buddhism, a Buddha is a human being who has totally overcome greed, hatred, and delusion and has thus attained Nirvana. A weekly update on everything you need to know on tricycle.org, Buddhist teachings to your inbox every Thursday, Course announcements, offers, and events from our partners, Weekly updates and guided meditations from a Buddhist teacher throughout the month of March. His enlightenment wasn't bestowed through communion . and related information here and tk copy link to article here and here tk copy here and here. With this said, for Hindus, reaching salvation is understanding that everything is in union. Hinduism and Buddhism, an introduction (article) | Khan Academy Would you like to sign up for our other mailing lists? What Buddha Didn't Say About God. My understanding is simply that the Buddha incarnated when our culture focused too much on ritual and not enough on their actual purpose, i.e., enlightenment. Unlike a god, it is not the role of a buddha or bodhisattva to create the universe. There are also female bodhisattvas e.g., White Tara, Khadiravani Tara, Vasudhara, Sarasvati and Cundi. Contradiction. he may have even been a Randian Objectivist. The stories of gods and other mythical creatures in the Pali canon can be appreciated as fables. How does it matter whether there is a God or not? Direct link to David Alexander's post No. I am almost certain of the contrary. Finally, the suttas explain that the notion of God arose as a result of the formation of a new universe, which appears out of a state of potentiality after the collapse of the previous universe. It believes that humans can achieve liberation for themselves by freeing their own spirit from the realm of matter. If one studies physics one will come to know that matter is not a thing. But I have thought them similar, for sure. Of these, Lama Thubten Yeshe wrote, "Tantric meditational deities should not be confused with what different mythologies and religions might mean when they speak of gods and goddesses. plus our 25-year archive. Buddha never said that he was a god or a messenger from God. He is considered as a protector of teachings (dharmapala), and he is never depicted in early Buddhist texts as a creator god.In Buddhist tradition, it was the deity Brahma Sahampati who appeared before the Buddha and invited him to teach, once the Buddha attained enlightenment.. Brahma lords over the heavenly realm of rebirth called the . "What Buddha Didn't Say About God." He claimed that others could be awakened as well. can you tell the sudden improve in hinduism how did it affect buddhism. No, the Buddha did not proclaim himself God. Untestable. God is eternal, permanent, and free from suffering. There is a huge library of books that describe in detail what God is, as well as billions of people all who consider God to be a primary formulation entity. Although perhaps in Buddhism nothing really exists, did Buddha ever deny the existence of God? There is no divine creator god or supreme being in the Buddhist teachings, so that Buddhism is often called a nontheistic religion. Do profinite groups admit maximal subgroups, Is Linux swap still needed with Ubuntu 22.04. While the Hindu tradition of India embraces the belief in many gods and goddesses330 million of them, according to some sourcesthere are also atheistic strands of thought found within Hinduism. He tried being a monk, he tried being a hermit, and he tried being a wandering teacher. The caste system gave the Brahmins the privilege of being the highest caste and to be the priests and teachers of religion and philosophy. He found a way of life which could cure all human ills on a spiritual level. As I mentioned earlier, the Buddha was born in a royal family. He lived an ordinary lifea prince, married, had children, and succeededand he had an extraordinary experience of enlightenment. Bhakti is the devotion, honor and love one has for god. We should worry about what we do with our lives and how we live our lives. I said I have proof that Buddha rejected God. TheSamkhya schoolof Hindu philosophy is one such example. This is considered wrong view. it isnt theistic. A Buddha is a human being who has attained Perfect Enlightenment, and that is a state of being that a human being can achieve, not a state that a person is born into. "I think the gist is that the Buddha did not say anything about a creator deity existing or not. When the Buddha became enlightened, at first he hesitated to teach others, because he thought that his realization was too subtle and profound for others to understand. A Buddha is a being who has become fully awake to the world and understands how it works. Direct link to ArpitS's post what exactly is the thing, Posted 3 years ago. Not this Buddhist:) I apply the Kalama Suttra directives rigorously to Buddhism. Is that proof? This is what the Buddha taught. And since the websites seem to think my comments are incoming spam, I am responding to one of the posts here. Buddhism, in contrast to Hinduism, has a single founder and while there is no singular text there are texts that outline the teachings of the Buddha as the great and exemplary teacher. One may be tempted to cry out, Appeal to Authority fallacy, but this is not the case given that said reference is an expert concerning the matter at hand. Since God is invisible and unknowable, Vasettha was obliged to reply: "No." While researching a Buddhist topic, I observed a high number of inquiries on the distinctions between the Buddha and God across various online platforms such as Quora, Reddit, and Facebook. But the Brahmanic gods of the Pali texts aren't in charge of anything connected to humans. what exactly is the thing of the statue is will we learn about it? Bodhisattvas are altruistic enlightened beings that vow to delay their own parinirvana (final nirvana) until every sentient being reaches enlightenment. Because first I made the wish: "Oh, that other beings might come to this place!" You see what I'm getting at with this? He is viewed as a teacher or guru, who has reached the highest level of wisdom. In Buddhism, anyone who understood the teachings of the Buddha could achieve salvation. Surely, the One Well-gone has come to me! That is why when you split sub-atomic particles you get smaller particles and there is no end to it. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Can one believe in God and be a Buddhist? : r/Buddhism - Reddit Buddha is an extraordinary man, but he is not a god. It was only in the eighteenth century that the term Hindu became specifically related to an Indic religion generally. Excerpt from "Confession of a Buddhist Atheist" : Federica: "To be a Buddhist is to really not concern ones self with whether god exists or not. Q: You've told us often that one of our most important lessons on this plane is faith. How the Reality began, is a real problem for this philosophy and as a religion it fails to satisfy people. The Buddha has rejected god as a creator of the universe, ruler of the universe, or any other role that would place god beyond the scope of the natural world. As soon as he learned the truth, he began teaching it to others. As ascholar of Asian religions, however, Im often struck by the prevalence of atheism and agnosticismthe view that it is impossible to know whether a god existsin ancient Asian texts. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Buddhism differs from other religions in its core beliefs, one of which is the absence of a belief in a creator god. First show that you can prove EXISTENCE (or non) of anything without resorting to premises and I will be impressed lolz.. No, the Buddha said. Then the thought occurred to Ven. The term Hindu originally referred to those living on the other side of the Indus River, and by the thirteenth century it simply referred to those living in India. Your comment is apt, and if you are irked, I'd say that you are righteously irked. Agnosticism is the belief that you cant know for sure if there is a god or not. No. What matters is that life is one big suffering and one needs to get out. Personally, I find the arrogance of Atheists like Dawkins to be the same as the arrogance of Fundamentalist Christians, Muslims and Hindus, who think they've got the best way or believe they're way is the only way. He also practiced several types of self-mortificationmost importantly starvation, because he wanted to concentrate exclusively on his spiritual advancements. He lived the life of a saintly man, seeking enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. There are brahmans & contemplatives who hold this teaching, hold this view: 'Whatever a person experiences pleasant, painful, or neither pleasant nor painful that is all caused by a supreme being's act of creation.' has ever seen Brahm face to face?. I am awake, was the reply. Anything you say, or Hitchens, I can just say, "That's how god made things, he works in mysterious ways.". Hasn't he really never spoken about God? But he didnt become enlightened. To believe in God or not are both still belief. If He did it, so can we. a view that "nothing is real"? Brahmins were supposed to be the only ones capable of practicing religion and philosophy. 3 If you are seriously looking for an answer, please read Old Path White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hanh. Lets begin exploring the subject in-depth. Read theoriginal article. Please check your email to confirm your subscription. Sahampati was very happy when the Buddha relented, something very difficult for devas to do, because he earned a lot of merit by inducing the Buddha to teach. What caused the shift from Hinduism to Buddhism? Theravada translates to the School of the Elders since it is believed by some to be closer to the Buddhas original teachings. during historical times kings such as dutugemunu,devanampiyatissa aand mahasen started incorporating the local deities and traditions with Buddhas teaching.The popular trend to Buddha turning into a deity was during emperor Ashoka's time were he gave royal . What does Buddhism say about the idea of God? Best answer: 'it's I dunno, there are many. Defilements in plain language means bad thoughts, bad reactions, such as anger, anxiety, hatred, frustration, stress, depression, ignorance, jealousy, gossip, attachment, dogmatism, and so on. He doesn't take it seriously at all. In the Abrahamic religions, the existence and nature of God are all-important. This is why the buddha says there are some questions its pointless to discuss. We can put our faith, in that. Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04, Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/godidea.html, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.11.0.than.html, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.049.than.html, http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/ebdha068.htm, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-VdStdzQxw, http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda03.htm, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctIpUmJjkAs, http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=6056789081969524094. The importance of sight and its reciprocation in worship is directly reflected in the production of Hindu images. This article is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons licence. The existence of rebirth is most likely the reason for the existence of so many worlds and gods and demigods. There certainly is no proof either way for any of these controversail issues. So I could say you were irrational for claiming you dreamed of an elephant. Many people believe that Buddhism is an atheist religion. Did Buddha ever deny the existence of God? :-/. He lived a really good life, but he decided to leave his palace and family behind to find out what was causing people to suffer.
Baseball Card Shows List,
God Of War Ragnarok King Hrolf Cheese,
Concordia Softball Schedule 2023,
Rome 2 Best Auxiliary Units,
Hometown Ticketing Piaa,
Articles W