A few things on Buddhism I could use some clarification on...

um... guys, as much as I love a good conversation, we've discussed to death weather or not it's a religion or philosophy. lets stay on topic please.

yes humans and suffering,,,,we learn to accept both, we welcome suffering, because suffering and happiness need each other, as far as a god, the universe, earth is god....this is good enlightment for you....I have had my share in the eastern world.......enclosed is some photograghs i shot of tibet and japan ......monks and temples.......
the guy with the straw hat is on a mission of enlightment...he blessed me.....in this
shot....of course i asked him if it was ok for a photo...he said for food i will....and i bought him some rice cakes......

Great pics as always :)

ty..

yea pretty nice pics damn your so lucky man!

we come back over and over again and the goal is to be happy.
just this, simple.

I could tell you much much more but you'd think I'm crazy and you wouldn't take me seriously so it's better we wait for the book.


take care

The buddhist 3 states of being
A dog knows to many pains and can never reach true happiness
God lives in excess joy and can never obtain true wisdom
Man knows both sorrow and joy and may know Nirvana

Quote:

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Originally Posted by major crisis

we come back over and over again and the goal is to be happy.
just this, simple.

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but it's not just that. according to buddha, we are continuously reborn due to suffering and ignorance (of society, ones own existence, all that) and by reaching enlightenment, one can end the cycle of rebirth by freeing yourself of ignorance, suffering, unhappiness, and reach perfect wisdom and peace. of course it's said the true meaning of enlightened though cannot be described, you can only reach it and experience it.

which brings up the questions again, if you reach enlightenment and end the cycle of rebirth, what happens? wiped from existence?

it never stops. that idea that one day it stops is not real, I think.
because in each existance you create new karma, or you still have some left from some other life. I don't think we always deal with every aspects of our karma in just one life, it could be very painful and emotionally distressful, more than what the soul is supposed to take at that moment.

the force is to keep reborning, non stop.
jeeez! you have no idea the different combinations there can be if you consider factors like family background, education, feeding, health, school, relationships, love, etc.

I've always believed the theory of good death and bad death, almost as if there is a traumatic post-death state in which the soul is confined. the experience of liberation from the body must be also part of Karma itself. how interesting! maybe it's all about dying at ease with our consciousness.