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Originally Posted by Apexx
make no mistake about it, my post was intended for those who were still unclear as to exactly what buddhism really is. discussing it with you would be preaching to the chior and fruitless for the both of us.
oh yeah and as far as "holes" go, I my self saw none during the process. Then again, I was more about the zen, which is the part most ambitious buddhists lose sight of. They absorb them selves with the "god" and reincarnation parts, which I found no interest in.
That's the beauty of buddhism. Buddha states that one dosen't have to persue god in order to be at peace and bursting with joy.
buddhism is also the only such system that I've seen that also puts you in the good graces of any god you may chose to believe in short of luciferianism which sees strength in destruction and suffering. I can live with that 
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Exactly. That is why I have focused on the Zen sect of Buddhism, which (as you probably know) is centred around the self (that ironically, doesnt exist). After reading a large portion of the Sutras for myself, I saw that Buddha never intended to be worshipped as a God. Other sects of Buddhism that praise Siddharta, the first Buddha, I think are going about things the wrong way. And in Zen temples and Monasteries, the Buddha shrines are there as a mere reminder of the four noble truths and the eightfold path to enlightenment. I see Buddhahood as more of a state, Buddhahood aka enlightenment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apexx
as for reincarnation, buddhism states that your soul may not (and usually does not) reincarnate in a human body, you typically reincarnate as an animal, plant, or insect, depending on your level of enlightenment in your prior life time. The lower your enlightenment, the more simple the life form, the higher, the more complex. Reaching enlightenment frees you of the limits of the physical forms and moves you into the next plane of existance.
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Don't forget the non-earthly worlds of Gods and Hells.
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Originally Posted by Nostradamus
One of the main reasons for this is the simple fact that unlike almost all other religions, they are compleatly open to improvement and re-calculations based on older ideas. Which is the same as science, the wise know they can never be perfect. Which is why, while I highly reguard the buddhist belief's, I am living in this world not as a product of what I am told to believe, rather in relation to what I experience and understand on terms of my own life.
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I actually highly regard Buddhism because it is the most pure. The modern day Sutras are highly accurate depictions of their original counterparts, because of the simple fact there has been no need to hide or change any part of them, and effort was actually made to preserve them.
I believe at their roots, all the major religions (Muslim, Hinduism, Christianity etc, excluding religions like Morman, jedi, those crap ones) are essentially trying to say the same thing, the thing which is conveyed in Zen Buddhism.
I'm not sure if you or Apexx have come across the story of a Zen Master (either Ryokan or Hakuin, can't remember) being showed a portion of the bible by one of his disciples. It was some of Jesus' teachings and parables, and the Zen Master said that whoever said those words was an enlightened man.
The sad thing is the bible has been messed around and tampered with so much its hard to distinguish truth from fallacy. A prime example of truth found in the Bible is Matthew chapter six, where Jesus is laying down a few of his philosophies. They are uncannily similar to their respective categories in the sayings of Buddha in the Sutras. If you scour the bible, so many connections can be made to Buddhism in particular, as well as Hinduism and Islam and, im sure, others. The difference is these ideas conveyed in the bible are quite vague, whereas in Buddhism the themes and beliefs are the same but are put across in a crystal clear way.
Im probably not explaining myself very well, but this is something I have found to be true.
As you said, the prime difference between Buddhism and its counterparts is that Zen Buddhism does not say that it is the right way, and the others are wrong.
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Originally Posted by Nostradamus
Everyone's journey is different... And very few philosophys are ever ultimate truths with no margin of error. So I wouldnt associate myself with one school of thought when I can instead read into everything and gain a far broader perspective.....
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I used to be like that, until the broad knowledge I had gained, I found condensed into ultimate truth in Zen Buddhism.