dorjeshugden.com
General Buddhism => General Buddhism => Topic started by: RedLantern on July 14, 2013, 04:56:49 PM
-
It is very difficult for one to find out why there are so many religions,and which is the true one.Followers of every religion are trying to show the superiority of their religion.Diversity has created some uniformity,but in matters of religion.one has to look upon each other with jealousy,hatred and disdain.
The most respected religious practices in one religion are deemed ridiculous to others.To introduce their divine and powerful messages some people have resorted to weapons and wars. Have they not polluted the good name of religion?It seems that certain religions are responsible for dividing instead of uniting mankind.
-
We cannot fault the religion. Religion is the spiritual path for people who wish to become a better person. It is the people who uses religion to practise non-religion that is non-spirituality. A similar analogy can be made to a language. There is no best or proper language to adopt. It is not the fault of the language if someone is bitter, anger some, hateful, jealous, or greedy. It is the fault of the person who used the language for his own ends. Language is more or less neutral; that cannot be said for religions. Religions taught us to do good, maintain moral discipline, and be of service to others. If one do opposite of religion than it become something which is negative.
-
In my humble opinion, religions are all of kind and good intention. They spread love, compassion and kindness to make this world (and beyond) a better place.
The voilent acts being carried out are by HUMAN and NOT RELIGIONS, the acts of cruelty are fueled by greed and ignorance of human nature.
So stop blaming religions for acts of voilent and cruelty, instead look inside us, can we be rid of our 3-poisons???
-
There are many religions in this world, but we often hear people asking what is the best religion of the religions?? I think there is no need to find out which religion is the best or which is a true one. For me, the religion that tells you not to hurt others, not to be hateful, be kind to others, that gives you logic in your questions in life and tells you to be a good person is a good religion. Religions do not tell you to hurt and be hateful of others till the extend of killing others for your own interest.
-
In most situations, we are unlikely to go through the A-Zs of a religion before we put our faith to a selected one. Most get an overview of the more popular ones and some gained faith through helps from the respective religious groups. All good religions spread the word of kindness and love on a human level at the minimum, but for Buddhism, we are encouraged to extend our inner qualities to many beings including the unknowns. And most importantly, its the real food for the mind.
-
During Buddha's time, similar question was asked, and Buddha has given guidelines on how to choose or follow a religion; the advice of Buddha is known as the Kalama Sutta (in Pali).
"The Kalama Sutta, which sets forth the principles that should be followed by a seeker of truth, and which contains a standard things are judged by, belongs to a framework of the Dhamma; the four solaces taught in the sutta point out the extent to which the Buddha permits suspense of judgment in matters beyond normal cognition. The solaces show that the reason for a virtuous life does not necessarily depend on belief in rebirth or retribution, but on mental well-being acquired through the overcoming of greed, hate, and delusion." ~ Soma Thera
Kalama Sutta
The people of Kalama asked the Buddha who to believe out of all the ascetics, sages, venerables, and holy ones who, like himself, passed through their town. They complained that they were confused by the many contradictions they discovered in what they heard. The Kalama Sutta is the Buddha's reply.
• Do not believe anything on mere hearsay.
• Do not believe in traditions merely because they are old and have been handed down for many generations and in many places.
• Do not believe anything on account of rumors or because people talk a a great deal about it.
• Do not believe anything because you are shown the written testimony of some ancient sage.
• Do not believe in what you have fancied, thinking that, because it is extraordinary, it must have been inspired by a god or other wonderful being.
• Do not believe anything merely because presumption is in its favor, or because the custom of many years inclines you to take it as true.
• Do not believe anything merely on the authority of your teachers and priests.
• But, whatever, after thorough investigation and reflection, you find to agree with reason and experience, as conducive to the good and benefit of one and all and of the world at large, accept only that as true, and shape your life in accordance with it.
The same text, said the Buddha, must be applied to his own teachings.
• Do not accept any doctrine from reverence, but first try it as gold is tried by fire.
-
There are many religions in this world, but we often hear people asking what is the best religion of the religions?? I think there is no need to find out which religion is the best or which is a true one. For me, the religion that tells you not to hurt others, not to be hateful, be kind to others, that gives you logic in your questions in life and tells you to be a good person is a good religion. Religions do not tell you to hurt and be hateful of others till the extend of killing others for your own interest.
The best religion for you may not be for others. Unfortunately many do not think this way and forcing others to accept their religious belief. It is a form of self-validation. Mine is the best therefore others must join us. This contradicts the spirit of religion which is to develop love and respect of others. Therefore it is best one decides for oneself. No one wants second best religion because one would want the best for oneself. Religious text, therefore, would written that it is the best religion. The answer is to study more.
-
It is said that one do not need to be a Buddhist for one to be enlightened or at least to be on the path. Hence, one can be of any religion to be renounced and to that refuge in the virtuous and to work for the benefit for others and through these actions one can gain the merits and wisdom to ultimate happiness. There are many great examples of these types known to us for example, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi and even greater numbers I suspect not known to us.
All religion teaches one to be virtuous and compassionate and to transform ons mind and conduct. Depending on the scope of mind of the person, all religion advocate methods that suit the mind of the person. In choosing the religion; if one is not born into it (sometimes are not allowed by law or the religion to change their religion); the person need to consider which one is more suitable to him/her and within a certain religion there are different denomination and practices that one may chose from.
So, to me, the religion is not the problem, it is the practice that is the most important.
-
All the major religions in the world spread love and compassionate, and this should be the way as this is what most people can relate to now. Of course there are people who interpreted the teachings wrongly and started killing others, and this happen in all religions.
Having said that, any religions who spread love, compassion and give up self for the benefit of others, to me, is a proper religion.
-
During Buddha's time, similar question was asked, and Buddha has given guidelines on how to choose or follow a religion; the advice of Buddha is known as the Kalama Sutta (in Pali).
"The Kalama Sutta, which sets forth the principles that should be followed by a seeker of truth, and which contains a standard things are judged by, belongs to a framework of the Dhamma; the four solaces taught in the sutta point out the extent to which the Buddha permits suspense of judgment in matters beyond normal cognition. The solaces show that the reason for a virtuous life does not necessarily depend on belief in rebirth or retribution, but on mental well-being acquired through the overcoming of greed, hate, and delusion." ~ Soma Thera
Kalama Sutta
The people of Kalama asked the Buddha who to believe out of all the ascetics, sages, venerables, and holy ones who, like himself, passed through their town. They complained that they were confused by the many contradictions they discovered in what they heard. The Kalama Sutta is the Buddha's reply.
• Do not believe anything on mere hearsay.
• Do not believe in traditions merely because they are old and have been handed down for many generations and in many places.
• Do not believe anything on account of rumors or because people talk a a great deal about it.
• Do not believe anything because you are shown the written testimony of some ancient sage.
• Do not believe in what you have fancied, thinking that, because it is extraordinary, it must have been inspired by a god or other wonderful being.
• Do not believe anything merely because presumption is in its favor, or because the custom of many years inclines you to take it as true.
• Do not believe anything merely on the authority of your teachers and priests.
• But, whatever, after thorough investigation and reflection, you find to agree with reason and experience, as conducive to the good and benefit of one and all and of the world at large, accept only that as true, and shape your life in accordance with it.
The same text, said the Buddha, must be applied to his own teachings.
• Do not accept any doctrine from reverence, but first try it as gold is tried by fire.
The Buddha's teachings are without fault nor contradictions and the above are His teaching on finding a religion that leads us to the ultimate truth for our being here on earth.
Amazingly neutral and the proper religion is one that you find rings the truth for you. The truth is what is needed to start on our spiritual path. Not traditions, cultures, hearsay or whatever that is being preached.
-
I believe during the time of historical Buddha , there is no such label of religion such as Buddhism or Hinduism etc… I particularly like one that quoted in Kalama Sutra , so simple to understand for my limited mind and knowledge not as complex as how we argued or debate about which is the best religion of today or pitching the Southern against the Northern lineage of Buddhism . As stated above, Buddha quoted a simple way to check if the teacher is worth the salt if he teaches that will resulted in one becoming more selfless and less selfish then, he is a good teacher. If it resulted in increasing of one three poison , then dump him like a plague ! ::)
-
In my opinion the most proper or best religion is the one that can actually transform the being to be better ie more patient, less anger, more generous, more kind, more compassionate, wiser, treats others equally etc etc.
or in other words, in order for people to claim that their religion is the best, they should show great transformation to embody more virtues in their lives which are used to benefit those around them and more !!
-
A religion is "a particular system of faith and worship based on religious belief: the Christian/Jewish/ Hindu religion." (from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary). It is difficult to define the term "proper religion". Does it mean the "best" religion? But it is a relative term. I believe that people have karmic affinity with a certain religion and would practice that religion at the spiritual level that they are at within that religion. Karma has a lot to do with the religion we are practising in this life. What is important is that a religion should teach love, tolerance, forgiveness, and respect for others and their beliefs.
-
Having or not having a religion is one's personal choice. And what is best for one may not be the best for another. One man's poison is another man's meat.
The best religion would be what is best for you and what helps you to develop your mind and grow spiritually, one that helps you to solve your problems currently and future lifetimes if I may say.
Buddhism is a religion that reveals the truth of our reality and existence to us, and I am happy to have met Buddhism and teachers in this life once again.
-
Can there be more than one truth? That is the questions that pit religions against religion. Even if 2 or 3 religion believe in basically the God, human finds the differences and even go to war over the differences. Or did they really go to war because of religion? Perhaps it is the human delusions such as pride, jealousy, attachment and anger that causes the conflict.
All religion teaches love and compassion to one and others and essentially that is the most important thing. Religion should essentially lead to peace and harmony.
-
Can there be more than one truth? That is the questions that pit religions against religion. Even if 2 or 3 religion believe in basically the God, human finds the differences and even go to war over the differences. Or did they really go to war because of religion? Perhaps it is the human delusions such as pride, jealousy, attachment and anger that causes the conflict.
All religion teaches love and compassion to one and others and essentially that is the most important thing. Religion should essentially lead to peace and harmony.
It is confirmed to be delusions which cause us to see others as friends or enemies. If there is no enemy there is no need for wars, or all the dramas that have happened in our human history.
-
There are many religions in this world, but we often hear people asking what is the best religion of the religions?? I think there is no need to find out which religion is the best or which is a true one. For me, the religion that tells you not to hurt others, not to be hateful, be kind to others, that gives you logic in your questions in life and tells you to be a good person is a good religion. Religions do not tell you to hurt and be hateful of others till the extend of killing others for your own interest.
I agree with what you wrote. There is no blanket ruling as to which religion is the most proper. Whichever appeals to us more and we can be consistent enough to practice it would be the best choice. The religious institution should always focus on compassion, kindness, acceptance, and selflessness. Any teachings that promote violence, creating sufferings for others, non acceptance, selfishness, selectiveness and fear should be frowned upon coz they are most probably an individual's interpretation that's tainted with bias and narrow perception. We don't need a religion to teach us to do more negativities in the name of the religion. We can do that very well on our own.
-
Personally I think all religions are good in their own ways as religions are the means for us to connect with our inner spirituality. All religions promote kindness, compassion, generosity, respect, acceptance, etc. Yet, humans with their ego, greed and pride are inferring their ignorance into religions and changing the tenets to suit their wrong views. The further we move away from the "originator" of the religion, ie. Buddha Shakyamuni, Jesus, Prophet Mohammed, etc. the more distorted the teachings become. That is why it is so rare for people to receive pure teachings and practices nowadays. Which is why it is important we support the pure lineage teachers like H.H. Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche, H.E. Gangchen Rinpoche, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, etc. in their Dharma teachings and activities. These Gurus holds the purest Dharma teachings through their stainless Guru Devotion and attainments through realisations.
Having said that, I would encourage the religion that suits you best which brings forth the best of your potential to benefit others. Happiness can only be found when we are selfless.
-
I think all religions are good. In this degenerate age, people are drifting away from spirituality/religion. It could be due to their disillusion, dislike or distrust or too busy with their secular lives but for whatever reasons I think that the society in generally need religion in their lives.
Religion helps us to conduct and behave better in society by providing a set of morals and value system for human existence, and guides our actions in life. Religion ensures a peaceful co-existence of love and harmony amongst human beings. It is human nature that brings the worst out of religion not the foundations of religion itself. A religion that creates violence and disharmony is not a religion at all. Thus one should choose wisely the religion that is suitable and even if people share different religious views, it they keep their morals intact, it will help them lead a life doing more right than wrong.
-
Religion is a systematic way to guide us how to live our lives with the right conduct and motivation. All religions have the same objective, i.e., to cultivate good habits and virtues and not to harm other people. Every religion will have their own method to learn and practice the good virtues.
Some people think religion is a brainwashing institution. In a way it is true. Religion institution is brainwashing the followers what good conducts are and how to practice them. However, the samsara is also constantly brainwashing us. For examples the TV commercials, the advertisement in a magazine, etc. We are brainwashed into believing a successful life is when you can afford to buy a big house, a big car, etc.
A good religion will not ask the followers to harm another person because as a religious person, we should have tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, etc. The objective of a religion is to help us to become better and be able to live in harmony with the differences we have. If the religion wants you to kill, something is not quite right here, we should keep our distance away.
-
In my humble opinion, all religion in the world is good and suitable in their own way. Different places have different type of religions depending on their history, culture and also the background. It depends on what suits the lifestyle of the people of that region. A good religion is the one that promotes love, kindness, peace and humanity.
All good religion talks about generosity, kindness and compassion. They will teach us to do charity, feed the poor, and help those who are in distress. To me, religion is Kindness and Compassion. That is the true religion of humankind. All the rituals and customs of the religion is just a manifestation of the culture of that particular place. The essences of religion are kindness and compassion.
Religion act as a hope for many people in the world because it has kindness. Kindness and compassion give warmth to this cold world and give hope for the people out there that there are good things in this world. That is why people will find churches or temples peaceful and comfortable because it is a place where we spread kindness and love.
-
In my opinion, religions teach us how to behave, what are the good conduct, how to live in harmony with each other despite the differences we have. A good religion will teach us to be a good person and behave correctly. It is not just about going to heaven or hell.
If a religion preaches about killing people who are different from us it is not a religion. No god will encourage the followers to inflict pain or suffering on others. If the god loves all his children, no one should deserve to be killed.
Therefore, before we decide to join a worshipping place, always examine the qualification of the teacher and the mission of the center. Look at their teaching whether it will bring benefit to people, whether the values of respect and tolerance are being taught. If they don't teach the above 2, it will be better not to join them.
-
A proper religion is a religion that promotes love, peace, harmony and kindness. That is the true religion that every mankind should have. If you look at all the major religion around the world, all of the promotes love, peace, harmony and kindness as their core values. These are the values that all human being should have to have a better life for themselves and everyone around them.
There is a lot of religion in the world. Religion has always been one of the reasons for people to create conflict to fulfil their own selfish needs. Religion is supposed to be used to spread love and compassion across the world but it was being used as one of the deadliest weapons to create chaos and war.
Many said they are fighting in the name of their religion or their god but in fact, they are fighting for their own needs. That is the irony. That is how selfish we are that we turn something that is supposed to be good for us into something really bad.
-
Personally I think all religions are good in their own ways as religions are the means for us to connect with our inner spirituality. All religions promote kindness, compassion, generosity, respect, acceptance, etc. Yet, humans with their ego, greed and pride are inferring their ignorance into religions and changing the tenets to suit their wrong views. The further we move away from the "originator" of the religion, ie. Buddha Shakyamuni, Jesus, Prophet Mohammed, etc. the more distorted the teachings become. That is why it is so rare for people to receive pure teachings and practices nowadays. Which is why it is important we support the pure lineage teachers like H.H. Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche, H.E. Gangchen Rinpoche, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, etc. in their Dharma teachings and activities. These Gurus holds the purest Dharma teachings through their stainless Guru Devotion and attainments through realisations.
Having said that, I would encourage the religion that suits you best which brings forth the best of your potential to benefit others. Happiness can only be found when we are selfless.
I don't think there is only one proper religion in the world. There are different religions to suit the preferences of people. A proper religion should be a religion that teaches people to be good, to be respectful to others, be tolerant and always live in harmony. Religion is about spiritual practice, therefore it is about how to develop good qualities and become a better person.
A proper religion will not ask the followers to take revenge or murder someone. Inflicting harm on others is not a good virtue, this is not a spiritual practice. Since god is very loving, he will not instruct his followers to create sufferings to others.
Therefore, when we decide to practice a religion, we must examine the teachings first, is the teaching for promoting good virtues such as tolerant and respectful? Will the teaching help us to overcome our negative qualities and become a better person? If the answer is yes, then this is a proper religion.
-
Most of the time the religion itself has no problem. A genuine religion will not ask people to hate or to kill. Kindness, compassion, tolerance are always the basic values or good virtues preached by the religion. It is human who sometimes misuses religion to control people for personal interest.
We want love and happiness, we don't want sufferings. That is why we seek spirituality. If religion is where we can find love and happiness, it is impossible the religion preaches hatred. Thus, when we see a religion that preaches hatred, we have to be careful with the person who preaches it.
Regardless of how a religion is practiced, we must always remember a proper or genuine religion will not preach hatred and encourage killing. A proper religion wants the followers to be happy by being giving, generous and respectful to everyone and everything. When we practice a religion, we should find ourselves less angry and more peaceful.
-
Many people are misusing religion to achieve their personal interest. It is easy to manipulate people with religion because there are many things we cannot find the answer and we hope religion can give us some relief.
Even though there are people who misuse religion for personal interest, we must not lose our faith in religion. Religion itself is not bad, sometimes people misinterpret it for personal gain. Generally, religion teaches us to be kind, loving, caring and generous to everyone.
The normal educational institutions do not put much focus in developing good qualities. Religious organisations are the best place where we can learn how to develop good qualities and put them in practice. When we have decided to pursue the spiritual path, we have to choose carefully which organisation we go. As a simple guideline, we should look at the result of the organisation and also the people who are running the organisation.
-
Which is the proper religion?
A more urgent and important question is rather “which is no proper religion”. Indeed, how could one find whatever is “proper religion” without first eliminating that which is no religion at all?
For instance, a so-called “religion” which commands death penalty (or any penalty to that effect) for repudiating their obnoxious “god” is no religion at all, but a mere criminal ideology.
This is the case with Abrahamic ideologies, such as Judaism first and foremost, Christianity, and Islam.
Having cleaned the research field from such psychopatic ideologies mislabeled “religions”, then everything else may be proper religion, as long as it repudiates violence, deception, and self-cherishing.
-
To me, all religion attempts to fulfill the best conditions for happiness and peace within the mind. Buddha had gain realizations into the various conditions for our sufferings and taught in 84,000 methods to gaining that escape or salvation. Imagine, 84,000 ways. So I would say the proper religion is one that leads to no more sufferings. For the true religion is when all answers to any questions that arise are indisputable and can be proven to be right. It is human imputation of their own perception and expectations that warp the best of any religion and as such lead to many dissatisfaction and disbelief. The way to promote the right religion is through our own actions.