Curious about what you guys think about it.
Exactly just like Gautama Buddha predicted, Buddhism has lost its spirit of liberation and now only possesses the form of spiritual practice. That's my perspective from Vietnam, a largely Buddhist country. In this modern age, Buddhism simply can't face up against the demon Mara whose latest manifestation is capitalism. It is what it is. Only complete revolution will be able to deliver humanity from suffering now.
It's not like there's just one singular Buddhism... But in general, I think it can be a helpful tool for self-care and coping with hellworld. As anything, it can also make you too complacent or content to transform your material conditions through collective action.
The Buddhists I've met were overall cool and good people, if maybe a bit detached from societal struggles.
There's a lot of different Buddhisms. It's hard to make any general statements at all. Want feudal hell states? Want diligent socially minded pacifists? Want militant fascism? Want opiate of the masses pop religion? There' a buddhism for all of those.
So he became a Buddhist to be less empathetic? Isn't that like joining Islam just to have chemsex parties?
Maybe It just happened to him and he couldn't help it, you never know how this thing hiys you.
Also, perhaps that is what he was looking for and he would found a way to creat distance in any other number of ways, I dont think Its necessarily some to pin to the practice.
Reading some Buddhist texts and learning meditation helped me a lot with depression.
Me too. It also fucked up my sense of identity and made me way too aware of whats going on, I was always pretty sensible though.
Overall, after meeting hundreds of budhist practicioners I believe they are good and cool.
Not sure abouy what peolple here think though, I was kinda looking for someone to come with receipts.
I agree with alot of the points here, there are some useful insights one can personally get from looking at the religion.
I personally think Daoism is a better religious model but I can also appreciate aspects of confucianism.I like the concept that suffering comes from attachment and the practice of meditation is good.
Sadly, here, meditation has been turned into one of those things people use to detach and pretend material conditions don't matter "just meditate bro, don't think about how thousands die every year from lack of healthcare and how many kids are impoverished bro." That's not a problem with buddhism, it's a problem with how buddhism has been quite literally capitalized.
And while i find the concept of non-violence a good thing to strive for, it simply is irresponsible to tell opressed people to lie down in front of their oppressors rather than stand up and stop them through whatever means necessary. Other beliefs systems lionize this as well - "the meek shall inherit the earth" and so on, so it's not a problem with just buddhism. Again, what individual Buddhists believe non-violence is varies, but the non-violent aspect is definitely popularized to keep people from getting too cool-zone.
Also like someone else said, the "if you're good, you'll be born with a rich easy life" is super gross. That's basically just some divine right of kings shit with some poor shaming and abelism thrown in. Oh yeah, and the Dalia Llama saying that shit about how if the next Dalai Llama is a woman she needs to be pretty to "make it easy" for her, whatever the fuck that means.
IDK, in terms of harm it's probably not super high in america - i'd put those megachurches or straight up the anti-abortion extremists up there instead. Most buddhists seem chill, it's just not for me.
Isn't the point of Buddhism that the "rich and easy life" you'll be reborn into is, itself, worse than nothing, and one should strive to exit the cycle of rebirth completely? I always interpreted Buddhism as suicide for people who believe in reincarnation.
yes, the point is to evolve your soul so that you will ascend to nirvana. I wouldn't interpret it as suicide, i think it's more similair to how christians beleive if they're good or whatever they'll go to heaven. But for buddhists, they go to increasingly evolved lives instead and believe their past lives karma influences the life they have now. They're not the only belief system that believes in reincarnation iirc
I didn't mean to imply that other belief systems don't include reincarnation, more that Buddhism is a philosophical response to an intense dissatisfaction with life that occurred to a person or people who believed in reincarnation.
OH, i see what you mean. I honestly don't know. I could see that, i suppose every religion or spiritual idea is a philosophical response to something or other.
for western libs such as yourself buddhism is just basic spirituality with asian fetishisation
I've only had experience with a couple different flavors of Buddhism, but generally I see it in a positive light because some of the practices/concepts have improved my life. In particular, things like the practice of cultivating metta/loving-kindness have been very beneficial for me. It's been a nice little antidote on my more nihilistic days when I think nothing will change.
https://www.sgi.org/
The Budhist I met (some of them very dear friends of mine) belong to that sect.
I am not a member whatsoever but I do practice some of their lithurgy as it helps me cope and I met fantastic people in their meetings.
I am aware that they do have some issues according to people online, I personally have never encountered any.
Didn’t the actual eastern Buddhists use Buddhism to justify slavery?
Actual Eastern Buddhism is a bunch of different religions, practiced across dozens of cultures, for thousands of years, in wildly different ways.
I mean, like all belief systems, it’s a tool, and how it’s used depends on the wielder. Certainly Buddhism encouraged a mindset that was “well it’s my karmic lot in life to be a peasant, I’ll accept my shitty material conditions”, but again, no different than any other religion in that respect.
There are sects that are for exactly the opposite.
Look up Nichiren Budhism. Beware of the cult of personality though.
No idea.
You can justify slavery with anithig anyway, It will always exist as long as people get away with it.
among the most established religions, various Buddhisms can connect to materialism and atheism. The Four Noble Truths contain no metaphysics, and "the ultimate authority must be the practitioner's own understanding" or something.
As stated above it's inevitably corrupted though
Well said.
I know Buddhists who are quite atheist friendly. Quote: "this is not a belief system." For them it's about the practice.
