DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Killing the Buddha by Sam Harris (neuroscientist and atheist)

**opelonafqe** · 03-10-2012, 10:57 PM

Thanks Trilaksana,

A very good article.

2 cents:

We can not blame religions as the unique source of violence. The source of violence is to be found in the mind that hates, ignores and clings.

The same problems that are found in religious beliefs are found in politics and economy.

The violence found in religion is also found in politics, in economy or in any kind of ideology.

Also science can be caught by ideology when it is worshiped and can end in violent results like weaponry.

Science should not be a sort of modern god.

Science is just a tool and a way mind is educated so to understand things. A tool to know HOW things work, but not "why".

The "why" is left for religions and for philosophy and the "why" arises because existential angst.

I do not agree that Buddhism is presented to people as a religion.

On the contrary.

It is people who has made a religious belief -for some a blind one- out of what Gautama Buddha taught.

The idea or the believe in a metaphysical Buddha is because the need of people to found some existential solace seemingly because the original teaching left by Gotama Buddha was -or is- not well addressed.

I have never felt any interest in religions so I am not an expert in religious grounds, but it looks like that the case of Gautama's Buddha doctrine, transformed into religious belief, is not unique.

This happens because the way human beings blend things into culture. The way culture adopts and adapts. The way human beings establishes relationships with environment.

Gotama's Buddhadhamma asks to develop confidence as a special kind of belief.

A belief born as an inner faith because the validation and the tangible experience through practice and not because a sort of metaphysical belief in ideas like the continuum of life, intelligent designs, storehouse of seeds or the like.

So belief is born as a confidence that further practice and further steps are a guarantee of success in quenching dukkha; the only and ultimate goal of Gotama's teaching...

But the wandering mind always craves for more.

03-10-2012, 10:57 PM	#8
opelonafqe Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 399 Senior Member	Thanks Trilaksana, A very good article. 2 cents: We can not blame religions as the unique source of violence. The source of violence is to be found in the mind that hates, ignores and clings. The same problems that are found in religious beliefs are found in politics and economy. The violence found in religion is also found in politics, in economy or in any kind of ideology. Also science can be caught by ideology when it is worshiped and can end in violent results like weaponry. Science should not be a sort of modern god. Science is just a tool and a way mind is educated so to understand things. A tool to know HOW things work, but not "why". The "why" is left for religions and for philosophy and the "why" arises because existential angst. I do not agree that Buddhism is presented to people as a religion. On the contrary. It is people who has made a religious belief -for some a blind one- out of what Gautama Buddha taught. The idea or the believe in a metaphysical Buddha is because the need of people to found some existential solace seemingly because the original teaching left by Gotama Buddha was -or is- not well addressed. I have never felt any interest in religions so I am not an expert in religious grounds, but it looks like that the case of Gautama's Buddha doctrine, transformed into religious belief, is not unique. This happens because the way human beings blend things into culture. The way culture adopts and adapts. The way human beings establishes relationships with environment. Gotama's Buddhadhamma asks to develop confidence as a special kind of belief. A belief born as an inner faith because the validation and the tangible experience through practice and not because a sort of metaphysical belief in ideas like the continuum of life, intelligent designs, storehouse of seeds or the like. So belief is born as a confidence that further practice and further steps are a guarantee of success in quenching dukkha; the only and ultimate goal of Gotama's teaching... But the wandering mind always craves for more.
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