Brain Scans: Buddhists really do know secret of happiness

the one truth
here it is people ....

listen it doesnt matter what religion we are and we are not, it doesnt matter who we are male or female, it doesnt matter of race..

if we live a life that follows our morals, we will all go to heaven, reach nirvana, reincarnated into better lives, whatever you believe the after life is... the truth is have you died? can u tell me whats after and whats the true religion?? no you can not... so the best way is to be a good person and live you life out the best way we can.

Another Way..
I am afraid that you are in a false dichotomy of values, e.g., "without hate there is no love." Aside from the simplified definition of terms, I do not think one could prove the statement.
I dare say that buddhism takes an evasive attitude from toil and troble (and even joy) of love, which could easily lead to the negation of humane (yes, humane) life.

Almost every religion talks about love, and buddhism evades from love or running away from the real life. It may be a noble attitude, but it is not humane.
It is a formal statement that a true buddhist cannot enter the heaven. And a genuine buddhist would not be offended by this statement, as he/she knows what the statement means. Or, in other words a true buddhist is running away from the heaven or hell and vanishing away into null.

Actual buddhism in japan or china is a mixture of the original buddhism, confucianism, or taoism. And the latter element plays important roles for the most secular believers in "buddhism." Actual buddhists (in contrast with "true buddhist") usually believe love.

In summary, I am critical about a pure form of buddhism.

truth
Satt_F. I can't speak for all Buddhism (it has some strange variants), but the central version, called Mahayana (that of Japan, China and Korea) has as its central notion COMPASSION and has its models BODHISATTVAS, individuals who live to liberate all from sorrow-generating delusion. That's pretty humane if you ask me.

Bodhisattva - would you take me by the hand
Bodhisattva - would you take me by the hand
Can you show me the shine of your Japan
The sparkle of your China
Can you show me - Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva - I'm gonna sell my house in town
Bodhisattva - I'm gonna sell my house in town
And I'll be there to shine in your Japan
To sparkle in your China
Yes I'll be there - Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva

Steely Dan

Actually, I'm a bit more familiar with the Lesser Vehicle, Hinayana, also called Theravada, Way of the Elders, because I've been contemplating the Dhammapada for a few years now. The entire canon of Buddhism is immense, and the Dhammapada belongs to the Hinayana Pali canon which itself is collected in "the Three Baskets" or Tipitaka, the Basket of Discipline, Vinaya-Pitaka, the Basket of Discourses, Sutta-Pitaka, and the Abhidhamma-Pitaka, which some translate as the Basket of Scholasticism. These three baskets are comprised of thirty-two books altogether. The Dhammapada belongs to the second, the Basket of Discourses.

One in whom a wish for the Undefined is born,
Who would be clear in mind,
Whose heart is not bound in sensual pleasures,
Is called "one whose stream is upward bound."

The Dhammapada, The Pleasant v.218

But one can also say that human happiness lies in a balance of sensual pleasures, behind which the ideal lies. Buddhism loses the ideal.

truth
Satt_F. Actually, the historical Buddha taught the Middle Way, similar, I suppose in some respects to the Greek Golden Mean. He argued against both the austerities of the ascetics and the hedonism of others. He prescribed a balanced moderation in all things.

satt,
To have one's heart bound in sensual pleasures is not balanced. It is hedonistic. That is what that line refers to.

I do not think that music, for instance, is simply hedonistic. Music links a human being to a higher world. A student (or professional performer) of music trains everyday. Without everyday training one, at least a student, knows that he/she is apt to lose the ideal. (Truly there is the ideal. When one glimpses at the ideal, one cannot forget the impact of it. Of course I mean the musical ideal.)

So.. I'm back. Wow this topic suddenly sprang back to life.

I haven't check Able2Know for quite a time, and for some strange reasons, I have a strong feeling that I need to visit it. Now I know why.. hehe.

Actually.. I wouldn't call Buddhism a religion because it doesn't have a set of belief in gods/God/worship. Anyway, you are wrong.

The special thing about Buddhism is that it goes beyond all other religions - not only does Buddhism teach morals, Buddhism teaches the purification of the mind and remove mental sufferings. That is why it is so different. Enlightenment isn't grantable, it isn't something that can be done just by leading a moral life. Nirvana means getting out of Samsara, the sea of suffering. And in fact, Heaven in Buddhism terms, is part of Samsara, because Heaven, be it a physical place or a mental state, is only temporary, and its non-eternal (not like Christianity). Our mind is diluded, our mind thinks that the illusions are real (sounds like Matrix eh?). Our mind cannot part greed, hatred, ignorance. We cannot understand our true self. Our true self is like a piece of glass - only dirtied with dust. In Buddhism we learn to clean the dust, and the true nature, the nature of the Buddha, is revealed.

Nirvana can be attained now, it doesn't have to be next life. Proof? Look at Buddha and how many disciples who have attained Nirvana under his Dharma. In Buddhism, you don't have to wait for death to achieve your goal.



I am sorry that you have misunderstood everything. Maybe you have to follow the whole topic to get what I was talking about.

I was talking about Buddhist Cult, not True Religion. Ever heard of Christian Cults (e.g Jeehovah's Witness, which is banned in several countries.. no offense to any Jeehovahist, but I'm just stating an example about what ppl commonly think). Buddhist Cult is something like that, e.g Falungong, which is totally un-Buddhism, teaching things like supernaturalism. True Buddhism teaches the way to Nirvana. Got it?



Sorry again, I wouldn't consider Buddhism as a religion, neither a philosophy like many would say.

I consider Buddhism as a teaching that would lead someone to liberation from suffering, and suffering doesn't mean physical pain. It is a mental state.

You have a wrong concept of Buddhism. Firstly.. a Buddhist CAN go to heaven, according to Buddhist scriptures. It was even stated HOW to go to heaven. If you are talking in Christian's sense, I have really nothing to say.

However, the ultimate goal of all Buddhists is to eventually attain Nirvana. Why don't Buddhists want to stay in heaven forever and be happy forever? Why evade them? I think it is ultimately a belief problem. Buddhists believe in rebirth, and even beings who live in heaven will eventually die and rebirth in perhaps, another heaven, perhaps planet earth, or other alien planets, who knows. Those who have finished their suffering in hell can reborn as animals, humans, perhaps? We do not have a concept of eternal heaven nor eternal hell like Christian's.

But actually... liberation can be attained in this life. The concept of Heaven of Hell in Buddhism can be of this life. A happy situation can be called Heaven, while a situation of suffering and torment can be called Hell, in this very life, on planet Earth. Suffering is a state of mind, Enjoyment is also a state of mind. However, all are illusions, and all are temporary. So its like a viscious cycle, and we are trapped in it. Buddhism is the way to liberation from Samsara.

Oh and another point - it is silly to say that Buddhists wishes to become null. Ok, I agree its kinda correct, but you had the wrong concept about it. It all depends on what you are asking, but if you say Buddhist wants to be null, Buddha himself is already null immediately after he attained enlightenment. Yet, he can teach Dharma, and continue his life until his death. A person who attained enlightenment is not to be confused with someone who has gone to extinction. Shakyamuni had made a point in a sutra, I think its the Lotus Sutra if I'm not wrong, that he will not immediately enter extinction after his death, and will continue to "exist" for quite a long time. He could enter other worlds and continue to teach Dharma, only that he is out of Samsara, and will not longer subject to suffering (not physical pain, like I said). Many Bodhisattvas who have liberated themselves continue to make vows to continuously rebirth on Earth to teach the Dharma. Heard of the Dalai Lama?

Oh and you talk about different sects in Buddhism?

Well the reason why there are so many schools of Buddhism is that.. in Buddhism, there is not only one way to enlightenment. There are many many dharma doors, according to Buddha, there are 84000 (a word frequently used to describe "uncountable) of them. Buddha only taught some, and not all. I'll list the 3 main titles of a Buddhist school:

Mahayana - Seeks liberation for himself and enlightenment for other sentient beings trapped in Samsara. Many of them make many different Bodhisattva vows, be it to liberate beings in Hell, or continuously rebirth on Earth to teach the Dharma.

Pratyeka-Buddhism - This is slightly more advanced than the Theravada. Like those of the Theravada, practitioners of the Middle Vehicle Buddhism are not concerned about the salvation of other sentient beings.

Theravada Buddhism: The doctrines for those who cultivate for the sake of personal liberation and aspiration for personal salvation. The highest level of attainment forcultivators of Hinayana Buddhism is the Arahathood.

Among them, except Theravada Buddhism, have many sub-schools and uses different methods given by Buddha to achieve enlightenment.

Yes I am aware that some sects of Buddhism have certain Taoism element in them, but its perfectly fine as they are just extra moral teaching, and does not contradict and obstruct the followers towards Nirvana. Therefore you cannot accuse them as unauthentic schools of true Buddhism. Buddhism is free, its not a religion, and Buddhists can accept other teachings as long as they do not practice supertitions, and does not result in harm and suffering. As Buddhism spreads across the world, changes has to be based on the culture of different people. Buddhism is always evolving - and Buddha had never disallowed it, as long as his true message is still there.

I would like to emphasize this point: All sects eventually will lead their follower towards Nirvana.

Another point - I really do not understand what you mean by some Buddhists don't believe in love, some do. Well, in Buddhism, like I said in previous posts, believe in the following:

1) Compassion
2) Peace
3) Love

Buddhists will try to practice and to apply the three points.

"Nirvana" is not to be confused with "Null". Firstly, in Buddhism, our ego, our self, is a false illusion. Let us imagine if, for example, we have no sight. Can we ever say that "I saw John", what if we we have no sense of smell, can we ever say "I smelled something burning"? The "I" is totally false and a make-up of the mind. It does not exist. It is because of this ego, with other false thoughts, that our true nature, the Buddha Nature, which is called "awareness", is covered up and not noticed. Now an enlightened person realises Reality and does not have a concept of "self" and also does not suffer.

Thank you guys for reading so much, I hope you have learnt something about Buddhism. Enjoy.

Though XyB3rSurF and I hold slightly different views on Buddhist theology/teaching, we agree on many more points than we disagree about. I heartly agree with XyB3rSurf's posts above responding to some mistaken views about Buddhism by other contributors.

Buddhist notions re. Heaven/Hell are not consistent in all Schools. Re-birth comes in two flavors: Transmigration of souls, where the individual survives death, and eventually is is reborn into a new body, and Reincarnation, where the individual (the "soul") is extinguished but who's Karma (sometimes with great specicivity) continues to affect the illusory world of Maya. Reincarnation seems to be a difficult concept for many to grasp, and probably the great majority of Buddhists do indeed believe in transmigration of souls.

I am primarily a Mahayanist, but sometimes the Theravada with it's older and simpler and more austere texts cuts like a diamond.

Yep.

truth
Satt_F. I couldn't agree more. Music is not hedonistic; it is epicurian--and at its best it is religion.

I often hear "perfect" music in my mind for a given tune (not very loud). It's beyond the notion of hedonistic.

I don't think there's anything wrong with music, cos my Dharma centre has its own choir with its own songs, and some are uploaded to a website. If I'm doing my work and wish to listen to something else other than classics, I'll play those songs. Some songs have a very attension-diverting effect though, e.g Rock; Rap, and I will play them only when I'm free.

THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THIS WORLD....