Can someone explain to me the teachings of Buddhism?

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Richard2989
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29 Jul 2020, 7:53 am

in Simple English



Last edited by Richard2989 on 29 Jul 2020, 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

usagibryan
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29 Jul 2020, 8:00 am

Why do you want to "become" a Buddhist? Why not just study Buddhist philosophy, practice meditation, practice the eight-fold path, etc, without worrying about labels or official conversion?

What is your motive exactly?

Edit: no fair, you edited your post.

I like Stephen Fry's short explanation: Buddhism's Four Noble Truths


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Last edited by usagibryan on 29 Jul 2020, 9:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

Fnord
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29 Jul 2020, 8:08 am

Buddhism is mostly benign, except for all that idolatry and the denial of G^D.


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29 Jul 2020, 8:09 am

Find a local Sangha and discuss with them.


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29 Jul 2020, 8:11 am

Fnord wrote:
Buddhism is mostly benign, except for all that idolatry and the denial of G^D.

The statues are symbolic,or they are suppose to be.That was made clear to me by my teacher.


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29 Jul 2020, 8:14 am

Misslizard wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Buddhism is mostly benign, except for all that idolatry and the denial of G^D.
The statues are symbolic,or they are suppose to be.That was made clear to me by my teacher.
Do you face toward them or away from them when you pray to them?  Do you place your offerings at the base of the statues or at the door of the temple?


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29 Jul 2020, 8:21 am

Richard2989 wrote:
Can someone explain to me the teachings of Buddhism in Simple English?
Basic Teachings of Buddhism: There is no G^D; instead, you are your own god.  There is no Heaven or Hell, except that which you creat for yourself in this life.  Everyone would like to lead a happier life, but few know what that would mean or how to accomplish it.  Our emotions and attitudes affect how we feel.  With training, we can rid ourselves of negative ones and develop those that are healthier and more positive.  Doing that will make our lives happier and more fulfilling.  Disturbing emotions such as anger, fear, greed and attachment make us lose peace of mind and self-control.  With training, we can free ourselves from being under their control.  Acting compulsively out of anger or greed creates problems for us and leads to unhappiness.  With training, we can learn to calm down, think clearly and act wisely.  Positive emotions such as love, compassion, patience and understanding help us remain calm, open and clear, and bring us more happiness.  With training, we can learn to develop them.  Self-centered, selfish behavior and thought close us off from others and make us unhappy.  With training, we can overcome them.  Realizing that we are all interconnected and that our survival depends on each other opens our hearts and minds, helps us develop concern for others, and brings us more happiness.  Most of what we perceive in ourselves and in others are projections of fantasy, based on confusion.  When we believe that our projections correspond to reality, we create problems for ourselves and others.  With correct understanding, we can rid ourselves of confusion and see reality.  This enables us to deal calmly and wisely with whatever happens in life.  Working on ourselves to become a better person is a life-long challenge, but the most meaningful thing we can do with our lives.  Then you die.

You know ... the same teachings you will find in practically any New Age self-help book at any storefront psychic shop.


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29 Jul 2020, 8:32 am

Fnord wrote:
Misslizard wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Buddhism is mostly benign, except for all that idolatry and the denial of G^D.
The statues are symbolic,or they are suppose to be.That was made clear to me by my teacher.
Do you face toward them or away from them when you pray to them?  Do you place your offerings at the base of the statues or at the door of the temple?

I suppose that would depend on what type of Buddhism you practice.I’m only familiar with one.
Usually there are flowers, incense ,and there are seven offering bowls filled with various substances.Water is a universal offering.We prayed facing the shrine,the images are a representation of the Dharma.
Lots of symbolism.
Supposedly the Buddha never wanted any statue of him.
I’m really lazy so I don’t put out offerings that often.


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29 Jul 2020, 8:50 am

The Dalai Lama is quite good at explaining in simple terms about their way of life.

He can be quite witty too which helps.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a master and also explains in simple terms.

Youtube is full of their teachings and explanations.

These are the ones who can explain the best.



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29 Jul 2020, 9:37 am

Richard2989 wrote:
in Simple English




It's Impossible to 'Understand'
'Buddhism', 'Literally'; but in
Rather Simple Poetry i 'See' Now

What i find works best is Discard
All The Words And Other CuLTuRaL
Clothes; Dance As 'God' Breathes Free

In Other Words:

Sit Under A Tree
Inhale, Then Exhale,
Understand (Sense/Feel) that
You And That Tree And Your
Breath is No Separation; Be Free
Just
Be...
Now...
Other Folks
Erect Statues
of Words in
Books And
Worship Those
Idols of Words
Separate from Breath
Under A Living Tree Now
They Never Come to Be...
Inhale
Exhale
Breathe
Just Be Free...
Be The Whole
Living Tree Free..:)

i Suggest, Create Your 'Own Religion'; Feel/Sense
Your Way Through it as 'Buddha' Is reported to do;
And Really At Core, What the Story Book Character
Jesus Does until folks take/twist His Parables Literally and get lost...

Per What Lies and Tells the Truth below,
Christianity is A 'Molding Bread' indeed of Lies Now;
i Highly Do Not Suggest what has Honestly become A Cult oF Lies...

Note: Before What is below; Honestly, it's easier just to Breathe In And Out
And Be the Entire Living Tree (Existence/Reality/All) in Flow Like A River
At Ease Creating Your Own Shores Expanding or Receding as you go...

Eventually Water, Streams, Rivers, Bays, And the
Entire Ocean Finds You And You See the Ocean as You; You Realize You Are All;

No Separation; nothing to gain and nothing to lose; Just Free to Breathe in Balance...

Bliss... Eternally Breathing in and Out No WHere to Go but Complete Now Ocean WHole.

‘Iconoclasm’: 'Trump' has Destroyed A ‘Statue’
of what Christianity And Republicans ‘Used’ to
Stand For in Terms of Ideals And Truth but
Since he ‘Literally’ didn’t Tear Down
Any Statues, His Followers
Can’t see It: ‘Ironiclasm’,
‘Predicticlasm’, For
It Reveals the
Beatitudes and
Real Conservatism
Were Never Really
Dear And Worth Keeping
As Ideals, And Principles of Core
Truth; Indeed, Revelation occurs:

The 'Wicked Witch' of 'the
West' is Melting And ‘They’
Have No Clue, This ain’t
Kansas Anymore: Point of
No Return, Dust in the
Wind...

It Requires ‘Soul’
To understand
This ‘Word Salad’
And that’s Ironic too..

It only gets to
intended
Recipients:

Just Another
Long Tradition
From: the Other Side..;)

Buddhism is A Verb of God;
The Living Breath; The Living one
Within; The 'Gospel of Thomas' Describes
This Living one Within Similarly as does most Other
'Poetry' Arriving at Living Breath as Living Trees Come to see..:)

Generally SpeaKinG, Across Cultures, When You Find People of Different
Religions/Languages Finding the Same Flow of Bliss; Just Breathing in and Out Effortlessly
'Tween Apathy and Anxiety of Increasing Complexity in Creativity and Productivity in Autotelic Bliss

What You May
Find is the
Science And
Religion of the
Living one Loving
Life Within is surely the All You Master too..:)

In this way, Per Biblical Stories, the 'Tower of Babel' is Falling Down now.

Smiles; i for one no longer Have to Wait; And Many other Living Trees too;
God is Dark; God Is Light; God Is Dance; Song; And On An '8th Day', 'God'
Creates Poetry to Share God True iN LiGHT; These are all Just Leaves of a Living Tree..:)

There are Different Kinds of Trees and Leaves; Go Figure, Everyone Creates Their Own Leaves of Religion...

Actually A
'Tower of
Babel'
Will
Never Fall
As Long as
Trees Flower
Less And More Colorful to Be i Am..:)


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envirozentinel
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29 Jul 2020, 10:11 am

Misslizard wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Misslizard wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Buddhism is mostly benign, except for all that idolatry and the denial of G^D.
The statues are symbolic,or they are suppose to be.That was made clear to me by my teacher.
Do you face toward them or away from them when you pray to them?  Do you place your offerings at the base of the statues or at the door of the temple?

I suppose that would depend on what type of Buddhism you practice.I’m only familiar with one.
Usually there are flowers, incense ,and there are seven offering bowls filled with various substances.Water is a universal offering.We prayed facing the shrine,the images are a representation of the Dharma.
Lots of symbolism.
Supposedly the Buddha never wanted any statue of him.
I’m really lazy so I don’t put out offerings that often.



Putting offerings out for the local wild animals, e.g. nuts for the gophers or squirrels, is a great idea and better than offerings which no one can make use of, least of all a statue.


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29 Jul 2020, 10:28 am

envirozentinel wrote:
Putting offerings out for the local wild animals, e.g. nuts for the gophers or squirrels, is a great idea and better than offerings which no one can make use of, least of all a statue.
Seeds in the bird (squirrel) feeder and leafy greens for the bunnies.  Done!


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aghogday
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29 Jul 2020, 11:10 am

SunFlower Offerings for
Birds and Squirrels
Laid Down Freely
At Their Beaks
And Paws
And
Talons
And Such

^^^
It's What
We Do in
'Our Naked Garden
of Eden'; me and Eve hehe..;)


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29 Jul 2020, 1:01 pm

envirozentinel wrote:
Misslizard wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Misslizard wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Buddhism is mostly benign, except for all that idolatry and the denial of G^D.
The statues are symbolic,or they are suppose to be.That was made clear to me by my teacher.
Do you face toward them or away from them when you pray to them?  Do you place your offerings at the base of the statues or at the door of the temple?

I suppose that would depend on what type of Buddhism you practice.I’m only familiar with one.
Usually there are flowers, incense ,and there are seven offering bowls filled with various substances.Water is a universal offering.We prayed facing the shrine,the images are a representation of the Dharma.
Lots of symbolism.
Supposedly the Buddha never wanted any statue of him.
I’m really lazy so I don’t put out offerings that often.



Putting offerings out for the local wild animals, e.g. nuts for the gophers or squirrels, is a great idea and better than offerings which no one can make use of, least of all a statue.

You can also release animals.Some people buy worms that would be used as fish bait and turn out into the garden.I bought a slider turtle and put him in the garden pond.He is free now and happy.
Just don’t release invasive species.
I plant shrubs and plants that have berries for birds,habitat and food for bees and butterflies.I was feeding the birds and squirrels but I developed a large rat population so I stopped that.There is a really smart one that won’t go in the live trap.It poops on the porch every night.It’s mocking me.Bound to be a NIMH rat. :D


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Misslizard
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29 Jul 2020, 1:16 pm

You don’t have to use food.Just clean water.
https://www.yowangdu.com/tibetan-buddhi ... bowls.html


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