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Yash wrote: “Then they will repeat the same answer! ” We also have compassion and want to spread Christianity to every person”
I know they will say that. But if their God is as almighty and compassionate as they say he is, they shouldn’t need to spread their religion. Someone born in a place like North Korea, for example, wouldn’t have a chance to get any exposure to this anyway. If God wants all of us to be Christian, everyone should be born in a Christian family. Animals in the wild shouldn’t need to kill and eat each other to survive too.
On a shallow level, it might look they’re the same things but someone with even a basic understanding of Dhamma knows it is light years ahead of cartoon Bible. A Sakadagami obviously wants to do their best to help others before they die. But their help doesn’t involve telling people to embrace some divine imaginary sugar-daddy with cheap faulty promise of eternal life and threats of eternal damnation otherwise. It involves teaching people how they can use their own efforts to see the suffering associated with this world and ultimately be free from it.
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I lost brain cells trying to go through the video referenced by Dr. Lal in #3 of his comment. If you think you will enter heaven simply because you’re a Christian, why not jump off a bridge and die? There is no need to be alive in this suffering filled world and continue creating problems for others to deal with. These idiots are the reason why contemporary scientists are still reluctant to consider anything other than matter in this universe.
What makes you serious about these things? They sound spooky and interesting at the same time but I would suggest taking them with a grain of salt. These events are really unusual so we can’t be sure if they were literally “paranormal” or just misunderstandings.
To be honest, we can’t really control what other people do. So we should stop worrying about them and focus on ourselves. I know that an experienced Dhamma practitioner would not be bothered by other’s incompetence but I guess I feel bothered due to my lack of experience. I would be more than happy to help those that are open minded and willing to learn. But we can’t save everyone and this world is too messed up. It is what it is.
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Yash wrote: “If that person would have been open minded and truly in search of the truth, he would have listened to you and also tried to do some research by himself. So practically nothing it is that we can do in such a matter.”
You are right. I did not realize that people tend to be quite sensitive towards this stuff. We are living in a really unique time of the world where modern science helps verify many aspects of Buddha Dhamma and many fascinating research like NDE, Rebirth accounts from children, etc. have been done that support the Dhamma and are easily accessible via internet. The explanations are there. All one needs to do is have an open mind and make an effort to go through them. Sadly many people create a road block for themselves out of their own ignorance and ego. Could this be some kamma vipaka?
Another example is one of my close friends who still thinks Buddhism belongs to the same category as Hinduism, despite me repeatedly encouraging him to look into Dhamma sources like this website. I was so disappointed when he claimed Buddha taught “Nirvana” and insinuated that I shouldn’t be like Christian missionaries trying to convert people into my religion, smh. Like dude, how can you tell me what to do when you are not even close to having a basic understanding of Buddha’s teachings?
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No, the Commentaries will not help either. First, one needs to sort out which Commentaries are reliable. For example, Visuddhimagga is not. I mentioned the reliable Commentaries included in the Tipitaka in those posts. However, even those cannot be understood without some basics.
Why didn’t they make it easier to understand though? For example, things are really simplified with elaborate meanings and translations in this website. Shouldn’t the commentaries in Tipitaka serve a similar purpose?
That clarifies things quite a lot. Buddha’s denial of immortal soul/unchanging self is often mistaken as denial of existence. Many threads on this issue on platforms like reddit are quite depressing to read.
In Anidassana Viññāṇa – What It Really Means
The question is not whether there is a “self” or not. Is it wise to think that it is worthwhile to have the perception of a “self” and do things only for the pleasure of the “self”?
So, having the perception of self means clinging to the 5 aggregates or thinking that it is worthwhile to take them as one’s own. “Own” or “mine” refers to something that can be maintained to one’s satisfaction (icca). Of course there is nothing in this world that can be maintained to one’s satisfaction in the long run. So losing the perception of self simply means no longer thinking the aggregates are worth taking as one’s own i.e. anicca and anatta. This explains why an arahant doesn’t become a zombie after losing the perception of self. They experience the 5 aggregates but know that they are anicca, anatta and dukkha which is why an arahant’s mind doesn’t attach to anything in this world.
Does this summarize it well?
Yeah, many concepts are connected to each other so it would make sense for them to be repeated from different angles. Buddha had to interact with people from varying understanding levels too. But I still think it is massive enough to not be considered an ordinary religion.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Yash. I find it utterly relatable as I too was enthusiastic about sharing the Dhamma with other people. Sadly, I have been unsuccessful in convincing even one person.
Few of my dear friends said they will look into it but later when I ask them basic questions like “What is kamma vipaka?”, I get silence. One of them even said this world is too mysterious which is why they don’t want to cling to any views. I tried to make him understand that it is not about clinging to any view but working on discovering the truth for yourself. It didn’t work.
I agree with your comment: “So even though it’s possible that people may understand the Dhamma, they aren’t able to come across it!” In my view, it seems like many people’s unwillingness to consider a worldview different from their preconceived beliefs is the biggest barrier for them. When I tell people I study Buddha’s teachings, many instantly start assuming things about me and Dhamma that are totally false. I don’t bring up Buddha Dhamma that often in casual conversations anymore, unless I’m convinced they are receptive and open to deep inquiry.
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Size of Buddha’s Tipitaka is 20,000 pages. (It can be stretched to nearly 3 times the original size like I mentioned above)
I want to include more religious texts to make a quick comparison:
- Bible: 1281 pages
- Quran: 604 pages
- Bhagavad Gita: 1106 pages
- The Vedas: 1988 pages
Now we need to consider the fact that most religious texts are full of mythical stories that don’t have much significance in the scientific and historical context. In contrast, Buddha’s teachings are direct explanations of nature that are not only inter-consistent, but can be shown to be fully consistent with the observed facts of nature.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Buddha dhamma is light years ahead of other religions?
In religious discussions, I regularly hear people say that Buddha was like any other religious teacher. They compare him to Jesus, Moses, Muhammad, Krishna, etc. acting like he belongs in the same category or in most cases, they act like he is inferior because “he was just a human”. I can’t help but cringe and feel sorry for those people who are completely oblivious of Buddha’s unique message.
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