Bill, It is a different message you wrap in the same envelope. Anthony
________________________________ From: Bill! <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, 9 January 2012, 9:15 Subject: Re: [Zen] When you began learning about buddhism, How did your friends & family react? Anthony, You definition of karma is well stated, but why do you not think that definition could not also be applied to the Christian concept of sin/obedience and Hell/Heaven? For me it's the same message in a different envelope. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > > That is not karma, but reward and punishment by God. Karma is action and > reaction by yourself through your own mind (or Buddha nature). >  > Anthony > > > ________________________________ > From: Bill! <BillSmart@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Sunday, 8 January 2012, 18:03 > Subject: Re: [Zen] When you began learning about buddhism, How did your > friends & family react? > > >  > Christians beleive in 'karma' also: if you're 'good' you go to Heaven and if > you're 'bad' you go to Hell...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@> wrote: > > > > It is not at all surprising that you got a funny reaction from people > > surrounding you when you said you were interested in Buddhism. Try doing > > the same thing with Moslems, and you get a funnier response. Even in this > > forum, which is less hostile to Buddhism, you find different views on it. > >  > > The key point in Buddhism is karma. But Hinduism also agrees to karma. The > > difference between the two is the former insists that karma is your own > > business, nobody else can help you change it. However, in Hinduism, there > > are powerful deities who respond to your requests and assist you. Don't > > forget we are a zen forum, and there are a view I term chaotic zen, which > > denies anything on karma, or any laws or rules. They say everything is in > > chaos. On the other hand, you will also hear all kinds of Buddhist views > > here. I hope you have fun here. > >  > > Anthony > >  > >  > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: dan_guzy <dan_guzy@> > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Saturday, 7 January 2012, 16:08 > > Subject: [Zen] When you began learning about buddhism, How did your friends > > & family react? > > > > > >  > > I seem to be having trouble with this. I'm new to buddhism, just recently > > starting reading up on it the past several months, although technically > > I've been exposed to it for many years through a variety of tv shows, > > movies, etc. My favorite was Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. Don't know why, > > but the scenes with the shoalin temple and buddhist monks were always my > > favorite. > > > > Although I haven't come right out and said to my family (except for my > > sister) that I'm learning about Buddhism, they've seen the books and notes > > I leave to myself pertaining to it. So far, it has not been encouraging. > > They kind of give a disgusted look or a groan when they see it that > > suggests that they are not happy about it. They are catholics. I'm an > > atheist (which they've known for years). When I finally told my sister that > > I'd like to visit a temple in town, she got disqusted and said "why? You'll > > never go with me to my church, but you'll go to a buddhist church?" I > > didn't know what to say, so I told her the truth, that I didn't feel > > anything for catholicism anymore, and that it didn't feel like the right > > religion for me. She wasn't pleased. > > > > Then today I was having a chat with a co-worker and boss at work. I get > > along great with both of them, known them for several years. My co-worker > > mentioned she and her husband were atheists, so I told her I was too. We > > both got a kick out of it realizing that we never knew that about each > > other. Then I mentioned to her that I had been reading up on buddhism > > lately, and she gave the same kind of groan I've been hearing from my > > family. My boss just sort of gave a look of shock and disbelief, didn't say > > anything. I couple of weeks or so before that, I was discussing various > > books with another boss that we like to read, and I mentioned one I'd been > > reading called the Peaceful Warrior. He asked what it was about so I told > > him, and when I mentioned it has a buddhist theme to it, he gave a funny > > look. > > > > What's funny about all of this is that I've always figured buddhism to be > > one of the most revered and highly respected forms of philosophy and > > religion on earth. Even growing up I felt that way. When I go online to > > Yahoo Answers R&S forum to ask a question pertaining to it, I haven't had > > any bad replies over a single question, and if any of you have ever been on > > there, you know they can be harsh sometimes in that section. So it really > > threw me for a loop seeing all these crazy reactions from people I know. > > > > Did any of you get these same reactions from the people you knew when you > > were first learning about buddhism? > > >
