On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 2:58 AM, Charles Haynes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > A common error. Religions do not require "God." Religions may or may not > require "faith" but they certainly don't require "God." Buddhism is a > religion by any reasonable definition of the word, but has no God.
Umm...According to a roshi/zen master, for people in India (and probably elsewhere) he/his statue represents the closest they get to God (this despite Buddha preaching an 8-fold path/concepts as against idol worship). In some Japanese temples (idols) there is no idol, whilst in almost every Indian Buddhist temple there is a statue. Not sure how/why it is so differently practiced across nations. Did I mention the intense difference of opinions, practice and customs between Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana followers.......
