Has Buddhism irked you before?

truth
We are not likely to see wars in the name of the Buddha, in part because the historical Buddha, Sidhhartha (Sakyamuni) Gautama, is recognized to be dead, and because it would sound so silly to declare war in the name of Ultimate Reality.

it's just something my buddhism professor told the class.
buddhism being perhaps the most individualist religion in the world, the increased isolation tends to decrease mental health.

it's probably cultural too. suicide is more accepted in the east.

i remember reading about a study that found that protestants have a higher rate of suicide than cathoics or jews. it was believed that the emphasis on community over individualism contributes to catholics and jews having lower suicide rates.

truth
Ye110man, I think the study you cite regarding comparative suicide rates among Jews, Protestants and Catholics, is the seminal work, Suicide, by Emile Durkheim in the 19th century. This was a time when statistical tools were very primitive, and he was trying to sell the world on his version of positivism for social science.

Two examples of "Buddhist wars".

King Ashoka - He only became a pacifist when he had finished killing all his enemies. (which included all his siblings)

The Zen Buddhists of Japan during WWII were heavily involved. You could argue (but I won't) that they were largely responsible for the fanatical nationalism that caused WWII in the pacific.

As for what irks me about Buddhism.... Just the vegetarianism part.... Oh and they don't start enough wars!

Re: truth

you're right.
but there have been other studies. the nations with the lowest suicide rates are greece, ireland, and scotland (predominately orthodox and catholic). but eastern european nations (also predominately orthodox and catholic) have the highest suicide rates.

it seems like church/temple attendence is more closely related to suicide rates. this may actually fit in with durkheim's analysis. church attendence by cathoics has dropped dramatically to the point where today it's on par with protestants.

church attendence may not be the cause though. while those who attended services regularly have a support network which could aid those suffering from depression, anti-social persons are also less likely to attend a religious service in the first place. so religious service attendence may be both a cause and a result. buddhists are much less likely to attend religous services than christians, jews, or muslims.

however, those who live a monastic life (whether catholic or buddhist) have been shown to suffer fewer mental health problems than the general population.

lol
you lot are to clever for me lol see the things i start lol you lost me about 4 messages ago pmpl am learning every day lol x x

Buddhism has never irked me .

On the contrary, it has inspired me right away and intrigued me to find out more about it.
I’ve found it convincing and very up-to-date.

IMO, each person needs to find his/her own spiritual path…
Maybe that’s why we have so many religions …
At least, we have a choice .

truth
Ye110man. I havn't kept up on this problem, but I've always had the unconfirmed impression that it is, as you suggest, the social function of going to church, the sense of community and support one gains from membership in a community that reduces the rate of suicide among church goers. In Buddhist monastic life the principle of the sangha (the community of practicioners) that may provide this solidarity.
I've also assumed, without confirmation, that Scandanavian societies had higher than average suicide rates. If that is true I wonder if the paintings of Munch and the movies of Igmar Bergman reflect this (effect) or contribute to it (cause).

Buddhism is generally a peace-loving philosophy yet soldiers who would have described themselves as Buddhists, perpetrated the Nanking Massacre (arguably the worst single war crime in history). Sinhalese (Buddhist) soldiers committed war crimes in Sri Lanka, which are gradually coming out. Also the people who released sarin gas in the Tokyo subway described themselves as Buddhists, and the Dalai Lama endorsed their sect (admittedly before he knew they were terrorists). As we speak, Buddhists in Myanmar are burning the houses of their Muslim neighbours.
When a Buddhist commits an atrocity, we say that he was not following the teachings of the Buddha (AND THIS IS TRUE, he is not following Buddhism's precepts) but when a person calling themselves Muslim commits an atrocity we say 'Islam is inherently violent', and that 'Muhammad promoted violence'. This double standard is simply because of prejudice.
The Buddha did not condone rape and murder, but neither did Muhammad. People will justify the use of violence, no matter what religion they claim to follow, if the the circumstances are right.

Not until a couple of days ago

True fate cannot be expressed through violence and hateful deeds since the key elements of every religion are love, compassion and forgiveness. Those radical extrimists you're talking about are not enlightened believers.
And don't expect to find the truth in mass media. Just saying...

Personally I believe that buddhism has figured out more truth than most of the religions.

yes they teach that life is for the most part suffering, without takeing in accout of the pleasure in life while neglecting certain explanations into the depths about things, it seems to be one big lead on witout any results, but actual medation is effective in doning things, i practice yoga etcc..

but i gather from the teaching that some are attracted by pleasure and averse to suffering
while suffering has its benfit for opening the mind to new experinces of enlighten states.

and for the most part life is suffering.

the era that we live in now is the epitome of decadance and corruption lies slander falehood illusion sleeping minds etc etc etc.. anger hate opression, laws that break the moral law. and yes i am takeing the high ground..

the truth is all is unlasting
devoid of self or all things are essentially connected and without atman or god.
and suffering or dissatisfaction

but i am thinking of right now at this moment that all is illusion
the mind creates its system of logic corosponding to its wants and needs and justifies itself as saying im in the right but we all tend to think i am right without true consideration of what is right, the reason we do not consider it is because it would effect how we view our self in a postive light, noticeing this one may be to slip into a drepressing mood or even anger but that is just the chemical in the brain telling you want to think and feel, because it precives a threating thing. if something is to exist its counter part must also exist. these two juxpostion combie and break apart at the same time to give way to differint results such as (life death) (being-becomeing-nobeing-is-becomeing-rebirth) then this is taken shallower into sounds and gestures. while lacking any depth, but from this depth arises, and the depth is, the word (is) the tresendental realitly. or better yet the phemona birth death rebirth. or cyclic exestence or creation destruction then repeating the phemona. also the world is just the representaion we give to it , it is made up by the mind, created by the mind. threw the mind we see all things.

expand the mind, give up craveing, drop all foundations of mind see into the dark with a candle flame