Forgiveness

Originally posted by willofthewisp
So if I'm understanding what you're saying, the ideal would be to be free of attachments, but to experience happiness, one must find some sort of balance? Please admit this is a very complex belief system that many people in the Western world find simply alien to their way of thinking, and I'm not saying that at all to be insulting. I'm trying to wrap my head around it and make sense of it.

When you think about it, people do it all the time. But they do it wrong. Instead of letting go, they keep it inside themselves until they burst of anger, sadness, etc.

Take this principle, and modify it so that instead of keeping it hidden in you, you could just let it go. And it's possible.

But is this the gist of what shaky was saying? I just want to be clear before I start arguing any further. I've had a habit of my sharp retorts backfiring...

Originally posted by willofthewisp
Please admit this is a very complex belief system that many people in the Western world find simply alien to their way of thinking, and I'm not saying that at all to be insulting.

Originally posted by willofthewisp
But is this the gist of what shaky was saying? I just want to be clear before I start arguing any further. I've had a habit of my sharp retorts backfiring...

That's my point of view, but as it seems in the few last pages, we have practically the same. So I'm assuming that it's allright.

Originally posted by Storm
It is not easy. Buddhism is a life practice, not a quick fix.

I don't personally find any religion a "quick fix" for anything, and all religions are life practices, or at least provide guidelines to how life should be lived.

Originally posted by willofthewisp
I don't personally find any religion a "quick fix" for anything, and all religions are life practices, or at least provide guidelines to how life should be lived.

You have to be careful, Buddhism is not categorized as a religion. They don't venerate any God. Like Storm said, it's a way of life.

Originally posted by willofthewisp
So if I'm understanding what you're saying, the ideal would be to be free of attachments, but to experience happiness, one must find some sort of balance? Please admit this is a very complex belief system that many people in the Western world find simply alien to their way of thinking, and I'm not saying that at all to be insulting. I'm trying to wrap my head around it and make sense of it.

You are correct. I know how you feel. It took me a long time to "get it".

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
You are correct. I know how you feel. It took me a long time to "get it".

There's getting it and there'a pllying it. Getting it is tough, applying it... well, let's just say you have to work.

Originally posted by Mandos
There's getting it and there'a pllying it. Getting it is tough, applying it... well, let's just say you have to work.

Applying it helps in getting it. 😉

Originally posted by willofthewisp
I don't personally find any religion a "quick fix" for anything, and all religions are life practices, or at least provide guidelines to how life should be lived.

Originally posted by Mandos
There's getting it and there'a pllying it. Getting it is tough, applying it... well, let's just say you have to work.

What's complex about "don't hold onto the bad stuff" and "try to balance your life"? That hardly seems like the kind of thing you'd have to found a philosophy on. How hard it is to apply depends entirely on what you are going through. No sensible person is going to tell a rape victim (or the like) to stop suffering by letting go, but a kid who fails a test would probably benefit (in fact parents gave exactly that advice).

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
What's complex about "don't hold onto the bad stuff" and "try to balance your life"? That hardly seems like the kind of thing you'd have to found a philosophy on. How hard it is to apply depends entirely on what you are going through. No sensible person is going to tell a rape victim (or the like) to stop suffering by letting go, but a kid who fails a test would probably benefit (in fact parents gave exactly that advice).

That is why Buddhism tells the listener how to deal with suffering long before the suffering takes place. To tell a rape victim that they can free them self of their suffering after the act has happened would be a waist of time. However, giving this person the skills and knowledge long before the rape ever takes place would give the person the resources to survive.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Buddhism says that attachments lead to suffering. Therefore, all suffering in your life is caused by your attachments. That means you are responsible for the suffering in your life, because the suffering is not caused by the outside event, but by your attachments to the event. If a woman, who is completely detached from all things in life, were to be raped, she then would not suffer. But who wants to live like a vegetable? 😆 Most people who learn a little about Buddhism stop at the attachment thing and never realize that there is more to it.

Life is filled with happiness and suffering. If you remove all attachments, you will not have any suffering, but you will also not have any happiness. There is no value in that kind of life. What Buddha is saying is that the suffering that is in our lives is cased by "us" and therefore, is under our control. It is up to "us" to choice what we suffer about.

This has nothing to do with lessons to be learned.

but isnt the ultimate goal to reach buddhahood and nirvana and isnt nirvana the state of absolutely no attachement??? how can there be no value in nirvana inside buddhism?

Originally posted by leonheartmm
but isnt the ultimate goal to reach buddhahood and nirvana and isnt nirvana the state of absolutely no attachement??? how can there be no value in nirvana inside buddhism?

The ultimate goal of Buddhism is a winning life. Also, if Buddhahood and Nirvana were truly free of attachments, then no Buddhas would ever return to the Earth to guide the rest of us.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
The ultimate goal of Buddhism is a winning life. Also, if Buddhahood and Nirvana were truly free of attachments, then no Buddhas would ever return to the Earth to guide the rest of us.

Maybe they don't then...

Originally posted by Grand_Moff_Gav
Maybe they don't then...

I consider Jesus to be one of these Buddhas. 😉

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
I consider Jesus to be one of these Buddhas. 😉

Jesus? Buddhas? Aren,t they new sauces you can put in your tacos?

Originally posted by Mandos
Jesus? Buddhas? Aren,t they new sauces you can put in your tacos?

You have insulted a majority of people on the Earth, just now. Fortunately, the Buddhist will not care, however, some of the Christians will hunt you down and... 😱 😆

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
You have insulted a majority of people on the Earth, just now. Fortunately, the Buddhist will not care, however, some of the Christians will hunt you down and... 😱 😆

It's allright, I await them inside MY God... a TANK!

Originally posted by Mandos
It's allright, I await them inside MY God... a TANK!

If they're American Fundamentalists...then they will Nuke you...even if they are right next to you.