Which of the following Religious Books do you read the most?

Tex, In your studies of religious people, have you any insight into the Dali Lama? c.i.

steissd, I'm not so sure that the rabbis have "deliberately complicated this issue." The contents of the bible has so many contradictions, breaking them up into chapter, books and verse, doesn't really make it any harder or easier. They just added more content for people who wish to memorize it. c.i.

Is there a Religious Book that hasn't been mentioned in this discussion that you would like to comment on?

c.i. that is a mighty big question. I can only answer in general. I gather that the Eastern religion was the original, but was forgotten by the west, or separated from it, by the Dark Ages.

I have a feeling that nobody will ever understand much about "spirituality" unless the eastern and western religions are united. .

No doubt, Jesus was closer to Buddhism than Christianity. There are many scrolls (hundreds!) that were found buried in the city of Qumran (in the Judea of biblical times), as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls, that would fill in the holes of the bibles read by most Christians where tons of questions are raised but very little knowledge is revealed.

None of humanity is without common sense. We are not expected to have "faith" just from bits and pieces, but we are under an obligation to search out answers to our questions.

I do, however, think the Dalai Lama was originally one who was sheltered, protected from, anything evil, just as Jesus was protected as a child from evil by his family and Jewish sect, the Essenes. All the people of that time in that region of the entire "east" traded both knowledge and merchandise of all kinds by travel overland as well as sea.

BTW, Jesus eventually saw all the evil that existed in that day and was tempted but refused. Has anything similar happened to the Dalai Lama? I've read that Tibetan Buddhism is becoming popular again despite the madness of China and Russia.

Wonder how all this confusion will eventually fall out?? I don't think it will "fall out" and that means we each have to find the answers ourselves. Have you ever heard the story of the water bug? None of the other water bugs ever know when one decides to take the big lunge and jump out of the water to continue his evolution, just as one caterpillar never really knows when all the other caterpillars start the climb to build a cocoon. Wonder why we think we should have so much company?

mongers list
I fear that Mongers list is a large
bit of an exaggeration. The numbers
seem quite disproportionate to me.
Frankly, reading the Bible for me is
quite a "lacking" experience. It has
much to prove wrt its veracity,
its historical significance, its
historical meanings, the factors
of oral history, then written history
over such a huge number of years
by such a huge number of varying
(in honesty) individuals who could
have altered a bit here and there
which did not make any sense to
them, which DID seem to be the
biggest problem that Jesus had with
his followers....they didn't understand
so how could we?
Personally - MY favorite religious
book has been:
"If you meet the buddha on the road,
KILL HIM"
Or, as I could easily translate
for you - you can choose to be a
follower of some guru ... the lazy
one's way. You can choose a path
no one before you has ever trod,
this is a dangerous way, a real
way, an honest search and
worth its weight in gold.

I read excerpts from the Bible about four times a week.
Haven't read any other religion's Book.

Question for Tex-Star: If Christianity is the following of the practices and teachings of Christ, how can he be 'more Buddist than Christian?

Re: mongers list


Perhaps, however, other lists of adherents to the world's major organized religions show similar numbers. I believe the Christian Science Moniter's work which I quoted here is fairly well respected, but like I said I'm sure there are some varying statistics out there.

Tex, I saw the Dalai Lama give an interview, and he was asked, "are you the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama?" He said, "yes." He was than asked, "are you that person?" He said, "I don't know!." Can you explain? c.i.

I read the Bible, which is appropriate because if it is hogwash, I am a filthy swine.

max, I can only suggest that you rename your moniker to "filthy swine." Just a joke, you know! c.i.

Tex-Star, what the connection does Russia have to persecution of Dalai Lama or any other Buddhists?

Russia does not claim her sovereignty over Tibet area and she has never claimed it; Russian authorities conduct neutral policies in the Tibet problem, they are based on non-interference into internal affairs of the People's Republic of China; there are about half a million Buddhists in Russia (majority of them being of Mongolian origin), and they have no problems with authorities, at least, since authorities are not the Communist ones (the latter were hostile toward any religion, but especially toward the Russian Orthodox Church, their main ideologic competitor). So, what were your reasons to mention Russia referring to the conflict she has never taken part in?

I will take your suggestion under advisement, c.i. :wink:

Lash, because we have the same teachings in our bible but nobody has ever highlighted these facts, taught, that: The Kingdom of Heaven is within us. It is the father within who did the works (said Jesus about his healings). Christ is all, in all.

The manner in which we get in touch with this source within is through meditation, says Buddhism. Jesus spent days, maybe months at a time meditating. Even when he was suffused with the power he left his disciples to be "revived again." No mere human being can face what Jesus had to face without that connection, or at least not handle himself so damn well. Just imagine all those first "Christians" being fed to wild hungry animals! Where did they get the courage? Actually, they had fresh animal meat tied to their backs.

Until about 1960s people were put to death for even mentioning these ideas, you know, like burned at the stake. In Christianity, that is. Or, killed for being witches.

I was just suggesting that Christianity and Buddism, or all religions, could mesh somehow if we would all but try.

c.i., maybe the Dalai Lama would know that he was the same "entity" (soul), reincarnated, but not exactly the person. He could decide not to be a Dalai Lama, if he so chooses.

People in Jesus' day would ask him "Are you so-and-so?" or, are you so-and-so?" These would be people of importance, long dead.
Sorry, can't recall these names, but I think Elija.

Tex, The only Elija I'm familiar with is the one in the King and I. c.i.

Tex--
Thank you for your thoughtful response.

I think the meditation is the difference. No student of Buddism, I think the Buddists meditate on their inner self, and the world around them, believing all things are intertwined, and the source of their 'worship' is this life force that runs through all things and all people. (Correct me if I'm in error.)

Christ did not worship trees, insects et al. He meditated soley with God.

Your assertion that the kingdom is in us all, I believe to be an error. There is a personal connection each individual must make to Christ before we are endowed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

This is what my spiritual Book says, and it has been my personal experience.

What are your insights on the meditations of Buddists? Was I right or wrong?

Hi Lash, I actually don't see any difference in what you say & what I said.

I refer to your 2nd and 4th paragraphs: "I think the meditation is the difference..." and "Your assertion that the Kingdom is in us all..."

I don't see a difference except that I think the Kingdom is there, is in us all, in our very tissue, from birth. What we have to do is reveal it by lifting all things that keep us from it, our good. That would be by walking (writing) our life and talking it (telling our life to God & another person) by attending support groups, private counseling, whatever it takes. We are all children of God and as such inherit the kingdom, but have to become aware of it and develop it, guard the door of our mind to all else.

It took me about 20 years after college to understand that this process is described by philosopher Rene Descarte. Actually, the only way anyone can prove something is true (and as Descarte said, accept it as such once we've dumped the other garbage) is to find it so in all things.

c.i., nobody has to know who is Elija, or Jesus or Budda for that matter. You are, no doubt, a good person. That is all anybody has ever discussed -- how to be a good person. You have learned this from your own life. You would make a good speaker yourself! Not everybody has a heart & head full of baggage to get rid of.

I can quite agree with you TexStar,
that IF WE REALLY TRIED, we could
find ONLY common ground among ALL
things claiming to be religious (or
perhaps spiritual is the better word)
in our world among our religions.
THE QUESTION IS ....WHY WE
SEEK NOT FOR WHAT IS COMMON
AMONG US ALL ( WHATEVER CREED),
BUT RATHER SEEK OUT ONLY OUR
DIFFERENCES? EVEN THEN, WE SEEM
TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCES LARGER
THAN THEY REALLY ARE TO BEGIN WITH.
There is surely a way to unified spiritual
beliefs, or as in some groups in the US,
believe - simply allow every person to
search and to "see" their God, Buddha,
higher power, whoever, whatever they
choose to call "IT" as they see fit.
Meaning that no one must toe the line of
someone else's making.
That we are each free to create, to explore
& to become every day more spirit, less form