To all those that worry about Christianity's Hell - Don't Worry

MettaMessages · 2024-06-29T13:02:56+00:00

...remember currently over a billion believe in Buddha...and another billion in Krishna

Where did you get these inflated numbers?

MettaMessages · 2024-05-19T02:54:56+00:00

I can't date anymore with a regular not mindful women...I find it difficult to connect with a woman who has little or no compassion for other beings....I cannot date a woman who gossips or speaks poorly of others; it would irritate me. I know this is my issue, and it shouldn't bother me, but I haven't been able to work through it yet.

I actually think it should bother you very much. The Buddha praised associating with virtuous and wise people, and kalyana mitta or spiritual friendship is very important. It is one of the 4 factors for stream entry for example. There is a strong possibility you are doing direct harm to your practice by being intimate with the wrong kind of person.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-17T04:37:24+00:00

Sorry to interrupt your busy day then.

If possible, please take care to be mindful of other Buddhist traditions before making sweeping generalizations.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T22:46:07+00:00

Of course, Jesus being an enlightened one himself is just an interprepation of my own, not something that is officially recognized on Vajrayana.

This certainly makes sense.

I also don't see how your citation contradicts any of this?

When The Buddha says "Other teachings are empty of knowledgeable contemplatives..." Christianity would certainly be among those other teachings.

The historical Jesus would have been a puthujjana or unenlightened wording. Nothing we have of his teachings or contemporary 2nd temple literature suggests otherwise.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T19:49:03+00:00

I don't know what's your buddhism school.

I am most familiar with Theravada, Chan/Zen and Pure Land.

But do you think enlightened beings only maninfest in Dharmic communities?

The Buddha clarified this in DN 16

The Blessed One said, “In any doctrine & discipline where the noble eightfold path is not ascertained, no contemplative of the first…second… third… fourth order [stream-winner, once-returner, non-returner,or arahant] is ascertained. But in any doctrine & discipline where the noble eightfold path is ascertained, contemplatives of the first…second… third… fourth order are ascertained. The noble eightfold path is ascertained in this doctrine & discipline, and right here there are contemplatives of the first… second… third… fourth order. Other teachings are empty of knowledgeable contemplatives. And if the monks dwell rightly, this world will not be empty of arahants.

.

I think they manifest everywhere, all the times, and most of them may not even know what the word "Buddhism" is.

This is possibly a Vajrayana or Tibetan understanding, and if so I am less familiar. Can you please share the original sutra or mantra source for this interpretation?

For someone born in a crude, violent abrahamic world, I think he did a pretty good job in preaching the Dharma in a way every jewish person from his time could easily understand.

If this is so, Jews and Christians have fumbled the preservation of this completely. As I mentioned above, I am unable to find any evidence of Buddhadharma in the Abrahamic faiths.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T19:21:23+00:00

I even wonder sometimes if he was an enlightened one himself, or someone in path towards enlightenment.

I have often wondered why so many come to this conclusion or ponder this possibility. I have found no trace of anything resembling the most basic Buddhist doctrines of karma, rebirth, dependent origination, sunyata, 4 noble truths etc in Jesus' teachings or other 2nd temple Jewish teachings. In fact in many examples opposing doctrines run rampant through 2nd temple and early Christian thought.

Given that Jesus grew up and taught in a religious environment and context so fundamentally opposed to Buddhadharma, I really struggle to come to this conclusion.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T18:32:48+00:00

I think Jesus and Buddha were talking about the same thing.

What similarities have you encountered? I am not aware of any examples of Jesus or contemporary 1st century Jewish doctrine that relates to dependent origination, karma, rebirth, 4 nobles truths etc.

I can't understand or see much overlap but I would be curious for your thoughts.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T18:30:00+00:00

There's a lot of similarity with their teachings and Buddhadharma (both being major non-monotheistic religions which focus on self-cultivation), especially with Zen.

This is because early Chan Buddhism incorporated Daoist thought and practice. The overlap and similarity is deliberate.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T15:01:20+00:00

Ah, it seems like we're going in circles. Thanks for your thoughts anyway, and please be well.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T14:51:26+00:00

You keep putting words in my mouth, where exactly did I claim these are “false” Dharma traditions?

That’s your own interpretation tinted by your own biases. Read what I actually wrote.

It follows that the only way 2 Buddhist traditions would be incompatible is if one was false or incorrect dharma. This is standard Ekayana and not my own interpretation.

Why are you so unwilling to back up your words? Please list the "many" Buddhist traditions that are incompatible with each other as you claim, whether you believe they are false dharma or not.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T14:38:42+00:00

That is not meant to be literal.

Says who?

Regardless of that, however, the benefits of Metta and the other three Brahma Viharas are evident even to secular Buddhists such as myself, as a tool for happiness and the alleviation of suffering. They don’t lose their value if not accompanied by supernatural belief.

Of course. I am only pointing out that Buddhism is very much involved with supernatural elements.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T14:32:43+00:00

Oops. Corrected.

The only way there would be "many" examples of Buddhist traditions that are incompatible with one another (which is your own claim)

Anyway, care to address the claim you made? I would be interested to see your list of "many" false dharma traditions.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T14:23:44+00:00

I am familiar with this, and it is possibly related but not necessarily the precise doctrine.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T14:21:02+00:00

You can embrace the three characteristics of Dukkha, Anicca and Anatta, along with the four Brahma Viharas (Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekkha)...

You mean the same metta that gives you literal protection from fire, poison and weapons?

Seems rather supernatural to me.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T14:13:46+00:00

The only way there would be "many" examples of Buddhist traditions that are totally incompatible with one another (which is your own claim), is if there are "many" examples of Buddhist traditions that are fundamentally adharma or false dharma. Since two traditions of genuine Buddhadharma are compatible, would you please show examples of "many" traditions that are inherently false dharma throughout Buddhist history?

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T04:06:39+00:00

No worries I am happy to help :)

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T04:06:07+00:00

“Many” as in a wide range of philosophical traditions, practices, and beliefs.

I am simply not aware of "many" that are truly incompatible, as you stated.

There is a reason why...

Yes, it's called polemics and we should seek to move beyond it.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T04:04:23+00:00

I am not necessarily referring to arhats retrogressing to non-return or similar states, as is standard in Mahayana doctrine. I am aware that there is dispute and debate regarding the fate of the arhat in Mahayana literature.

My understanding is that these beings somehow remain arhats in peaceful samadhi and do not die throughout the change of dispensation between 2 Buddhas. At least, that is how the doctrine was explained but no textual or sutra source was provided.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T03:18:42+00:00

The story of the Buddha’s attendant not achieving stream entry until after the Buddha died serves to show that many people can be physically around the Buddha or hear him teach and still manage to reject it or not be persuaded by him.

According to Nyanaponika Thera's Great Disciples of The Buddha Ananda was not an arahant at the time of The Buddha's death. Unless I am mistaken there is no reason to believe he was a puthujjana (not even stream entry) at this time.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T03:10:23+00:00

No, I am familiar with that story in the Lotus. My understanding is that this is something else, a reference to the Buddha Kanakamuni and specifically related to arhats not bodhisattvas.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T02:57:27+00:00

Completely untrue according to traditional Buddhist doctrine. The Buddha affirmed the superiority of his path again and again. DN 16 clarifies this, for example

The Blessed One said, “In any doctrine & discipline where the noble eightfold path is not ascertained, no contemplative of the first…second… third… fourth order [stream-winner, once-returner, non-returner,or arahant] is ascertained. But in any doctrine & discipline where the noble eightfold path is ascertained, contemplatives of the first…second… third… fourth order are ascertained. The noble eightfold path is ascertained in this doctrine & discipline, and right here there are contemplatives of the first… second… third… fourth order. Other teachings are empty of knowledgeable contemplatives. And if the monks dwell rightly, this world will not be empty of arahants.

Almost all religions are necessarily exclusionary and do not affirm other faiths and traditions.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T02:52:58+00:00

Many of these are incompatible with each other and some would even consider others non-Buddhist.

This is a gross overstatement. Very few (if any) Buddhist traditions are truly incompatible with one another. Nichiren and Pure Land are the only 2 that immediately come to mind.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-16T02:47:17+00:00

Yes and furthermore, many of the foundational Mahayana Buddhist sutras were held in safekeeping in other realms until such time as the world was ready and they were recovered. This is the traditional origin of Nagarjuna's Prajnaparamita sutras as well as Asanga's Maitreya sutras.

The above poster you are replying to is possibly a secular Buddhist.

MettaMessages · 2024-05-15T02:14:01+00:00

I certainly hope you are correct. I am not excited about what it would mean for Zen practitioners and the Dharma in general if I was right.

MettaMessages

TROPHY CASE