--- In [email protected], Maria Lopez <flordeloto@...> wrote:
>
> Steve;
> Â
> I'm under the impresion that buddhism in some Countries is regarded as a
> religion and the way it's follow is as Buddha kind of "God" and other
> Contries is more a way of living. It may be depending upo different schools
> and traditions Buddhism come from. I was educated to see buddhism as non
> religion. In fact our instructor used to tell us never try to convert
> anyone into buddhism as it wasn't a religion but a way to freely choose to
> live or not. We were also instructed to only talk about the dharma if
> someone asked a question or that person was interested.Â
> Â
> It will be interesting to know what you, Bill and others consider a religion.
> Â
> Mayka
>
> Hi Maria. The word 'religion' comes from the Latin root, 'religio', which
> means 'taboo', 'restraint', 'to bind'. From an anthropological view-point,
> the function of religion is to bind social groups together in a shared
> identity. Constantine, for example, understood this when he endorsed
> Christianity as the official State religion. Christianity is filled with
> assertions which cannot be verified through either reason, experience or
> evidence. Buddhism, on the other hand, can be practiced as a way of life
> without appealing to belief in rebirth or any other metaphysical speculation.
> Gotama was basically just interested in helping people to be happy. He said
> that he just taught about suffering and the remedy for suffering. You don't
> have to believe in rebirth or karma (beyond the obvious cause-and-effect in
> this life) in order to endorse the 4 Noble Truths, The 3 Signs of Being and
> the Noble Eightfold Path. Philosophically speaking, I am an advocate of
> Monistic Idealism, but this is not necessary in order to follow Gotama's
> advice for living. As you may have gathered, I consider myself a Buddhist
> practitioner. Buddhists have always practiced Right Mindfulness and Right
> Concentration. I like talking to Zen people, but I also talk to Buddhists
> from other traditions. I have formally practiced with Zen, Chan, Pureland,
> Tibetan and Nichiren people. I have also corresponded with Theravada
> Buddhists. Unlike Bill!, I definitely practice a structured way of life that
> can be called a philosophy, but I am agnostic about metaphysical assertions
> that I cannot verify at this time. I do, however, keep an open mind as I
> practice. For example, my interest in Pureland stems from a pervasive
> intuitive sense of a Power which transcends my illusiory sense of ego-will,
> but which cannot be called an external God that is separate from me.
Steve
>
>
>
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