Originally posted by jaywill
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Imagine believing in human beings endowed with supernatural powers relating to a being that created a universe far more complex and vast than any the true believers can comprehend -- yet they know "the truth" because they can quote it from a book written by human beings. Priceless.
================================= ...[text shortened]... alled Buddhism. In the West they may refer to it as "Christian Science".
Gack -- Christian Science is totally based on faith, belief, it is in no way comparable.
Good grief, now I recall why I don’t like to come to this forum – a time vampire.
You say: “a book written by people superintended and inspired by God.”
That’s not something that can be confirmed empirically – I’d have to take some human being’s word for it. And I won’t, without adequate evidence.
What is your evidence?
You say: “It is your adherence to the central concepts that would mean to me that you are a Buddhist”
Again, your viewpoint is skewed by belief – you hide from the world of reality and take refuge in the imaginary world of your imaginary friend(s) [a trinity of them?] I do not practice Buddhism. I meditate according to the lessons of a certain Southeast Asian form of Buddhism. I seek to be more aware of the present moment, of what is happening as it happens -- without the filter of my thoughts or beliefs.
This meditation technique has given me strength and the ability to cope with stress, grief, and physical pain. It isn’t magic. It isn’t supernatural. It is training using our minds. The results in the brain can be medically measured, confirmed empirically. It is real, not given to me by belief in or the word of another human being or some old book. It is like exercising your biceps.
You say “Seems you agree now.” Not even close. You are putting up a strawman here. I “hooted you down” for the simplistic, stereotypical, 4th grade description of Buddhism you provided – totally inadequate and showing that you simply have no knowledge about that which you wrote.
You say: “Anyway your techniques are based also on beliefs.”
Again, you make assumptions without evidence. I was clear enough. I had a gall bladder attack – I sat there in rather significant pain for 6 hours and was quite able to do so without resorting to the drugs I had ready to hand. Nor did I call for medics to take me to a hospital. Why? This was the 2nd such attack I had had. So I knew what it was, that it would not kill me, that a hospital visit would not help other than to put more drugs into me and have yet another doctor charge a lot of money and then tell me it was too soon after my last surgery to take the gall bladder out. So I knew it was ok to sit there for 6 hours, from a medical standpoint. All I had to do was cope with severe pain for about 6 hours. The technique I used is simple and direct, not based on beliefs, but their opposite. What am I facing? Pain. Do I need to fear it, fear injury from it, or take medication to prevent some permanent damage to my body? What is the reality of the situation and can I accept it, say yes to it, despite its discomfort, or should I hide out of irrational fear, hide from discomfort, say no to the reality of the situation and take drugs that I know cause me terrible dreams and other side effects? I chose to say yes to reality, to what was, and reject my fear. I sat and made the pain the focus of my meditation. For 6 hours. I was and am stronger than it was and is. I did not need to hide, to run from it. My threshold for pain has been increased significantly since I began meditation.
The entire point of meditation in the Vipassana tradition is to gain insight and awareness of what is happening as it happens, to free one’s self from the interference of thoughts and beliefs. It is to clear one’s mind of interpretations about what is the case and merely to become aware of that which is the case.
Is that clear enough for you?
from a buddist....
16 Jun '09 15:36
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