250 where are yooouuu!

[Yorick]

Where are you? I miss chatting with you bro I saw your posts at (censored so the thread doesn't get deleted) and put in a good word for you mate.

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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....

A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!

[This message has been edited by Yorick (edited 05-08-2001).]

[250]

yo my brother! pardon me, these days I have final, and I cannot get on and chat like before. I miss the conversation with you as well! I have more questions to ask you, the all-known Yorick!

last time, you told me you are christian. have you look into Buddism? what do you think about the way Buddism explain the world? Buddism believes all man are suffering, because they have various of sensations, such as love, hatred, selfishness, desire... Buddism tells people to get rid of those through somekind of "knowing" Buddism believes the world is an illumination (is this a word?) normal people cannot see the truth of it, and therefore they suffer from it. Buddism tells people to understand "matter is void, void is matter" so they can be rid of suffering.

I think Buddism is very logical, what do you think?


[This message has been edited by 250 (edited 05-08-2001).]

[Yorick]

I wrote a little treatise about my thoughts on Buddhism. I'll see if I can dig it up for you and send it. In the meantime:

I have actually read a fair bit on Buddhism which initially seems attractive, but in depth appears to me as a very very bleak outlook, denying the joys of life in an effort to avoid the negatives of life, with the reward being the souls obliteration (eternal unlife) to get out of the Karmic cycle. It is all based on Buddhas observation that "Life is suffering". Not that it contains it, but that it is it.

My philosophy is almost the opposite in every area of Buddhism. I believe life to be filled with positivity that gets blurred over because of it's frequency. It's often only when we lose the ability to do things that we stop taking it for granted. I try and notice all the little things while I have/can do them for example.

Thus I believe the negatives create a yardstick for comparison, and actually create the positives (tiredness makes a bed REALLY comfortable, and hunger makes food REALLY tasty )

There is a sayig that a wise person learns to embrace pain, as much more can be learned from the situation than avoiding it. These aren't my words. I think living without pain would be bliss myself but I can see the wisdom in the remark and so attempt maximise learning from negative experiences. (Thus actually making it a positive experience in the long term I suppose)

As an Annhialationist (a Christian who believes hell is a plave where the souls of those who don't want to be with God are obliterated) my 'hell' is the Buddhist 'Nirvana' in a sense. I'm seeking to avoid the Buddhist reward.

Mind you only Monks can attain Nirvana anyhow.

Also isn't desiring no desire a desire?

The other interesting thing, is that Buddhism is becoming popular in the West. Christians aren't converting in droves though, it is mainly the disaffected and dissatisfied rather than commited practicing Christians.

However, while I was in Singapore the Church I was teaching for had a huge Easter multimedia production where the entire congregation (12,000 members) met in the National stadium. 80% of the members are converts from Buddhism/Taoism.

My jaw dropped when I saw hundreds pile down the front at the end of the night to give their lives to Y'shua.

1756 in total. There is something Buddhism isn't supplying these long term practicioners of the faith.

What you tink?

Hey all the best with your finals BTW!

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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....

A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!

[This message has been edited by Yorick (edited 05-08-2001).]

[Draconia]

Thought I would pop in and say Hi Yorick. Hope all is well with you.

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Draconia, Dragon Queen

[Moiraine]

Hi Yorick , how is life going for you, are you in Europe already ?

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The world is my oyster !
And now I have the knives to open it ...

[250]

Originally posted by Yorick: I wrote a little treatise about my thoughts on Buddhism. I'll see if I can dig it up for you and send it. In the meantime: I have actually read a fair bit on Buddhism which initially seems attractive, but in depth appears to me as a very very bleak outlook, denying the joys of life in an effort to avoid the negatives of life, with the reward being the souls obliteration (eternal unlife) to get out of the Karmic cycle. It is all based on Buddhas observation that "Life is suffering". Not that it contains it, but that it is it. My philosophy is almost the opposite in every area of Buddhism. I believe life to be filled with positivity that gets blurred over because of it's frequency. It's often only when we lose the ability to do things that we stop taking it for granted. I try and notice all the little things while I have/can do them for example. Thus I believe the negatives create a yardstick for comparison, and actually create the positives (tiredness makes a bed REALLY comfortable, and hunger makes food REALLY tasty ) There is a sayig that a wise person learns to embrace pain, as much more can be learned from the situation than avoiding it. These aren't my words. I think living without pain would be bliss myself but I can see the wisdom in the remark and so attempt maximise learning from negative experiences. (Thus actually making it a positive experience in the long term I suppose) As an Annhialationist (a Christian who believes hell is a plave where the souls of those who don't want to be with God are obliterated) my 'hell' is the Buddhist 'Nirvana' in a sense. I'm seeking to avoid the Buddhist reward. Mind you only Monks can attain Nirvana anyhow. Also isn't desiring no desire a desire? The other interesting thing, is that Buddhism is becoming popular in the West. Christians aren't converting in droves though, it is mainly the disaffected and dissatisfied rather than commited practicing Christians. However, while I was in Singapore the Church I was teaching for had a huge Easter multimedia production where the entire congregation (12,000 members) met in the National stadium. 80% of the members are converts from Buddhism/Taoism. My jaw dropped when I saw hundreds pile down the front at the end of the night to give their lives to Y'shua. 1756 in total. There is something Buddhism isn't supplying these long term practicioners of the faith. What you tink? Hey all the best with your finals BTW!

chinese culture consists of three main philosophies, which are Toaism, Confusim and Buddism. shamefully say, being a chinese myself, I know only little of each of them, especially Buddism. However, I am very in terested in it, and I am a believer if not practioner in little of all three.

the reason why Buddisms became very popular in china has some historical reasons. Buddism believes current life's suffering is the debt from previous life. thus a rich man deserves his rich life because he has done good in his previous life. this is only the perverted version of Buddism, just like Christian has been used for crusade and other persecutions, old chinese emperors favored such ideas, and it was widely believed and taught.

anyway, to get to the point, in Budda's eyes, all creatures are suffering (isn't this guy crazy? ) their source of sufferings are their various emotions and many unreal desires. I know what you saying by "denying the joy of life" but Buddisms believes such happiness, just as illness, are illuminations rather than any real thing. (know that these words come out of my mouth are little convincing, for my own understanding is very limited.)

my understanding of buddism is they try to achieve a state of peacefulness by grasping the idea of void. within void, one finds no suffering, one finds no "happiness" and this is the state of "true happiness" (my ideas maybe wrong, because I am no real Buddist)

"a wise man learns to embrace pain" I would say, a wise man learns to detattch all emotions. Buddism does not restrain from these things. how can one know not to eat meat if he never ate one before? he will not even know what meat is. I think a real buddist should have expreinces of emotions just as any other man, but he detattches these feelings, and learn to see the source of it, and step away from it. a buddist is like a cup with no bottom, you can put in anything, but it contains nothing.

buddist helds no desire, while others see him as living a boring life, to himself, he lives a life free of worries, pety feelings, troubles. christians cannot understand buddists because one tangles himself with emotions (joys to be with God) while another trys to step away from it. (one is not neccissarily better) "isn't desire of no desire a desire? " well, there was one story, a man went to a monk (I forgot this master's name) the man said:" I want to be a buddist." the monk said nothing but turned the man away. the reason is the man should not "desire" to be a buddist, for buddist cut all desires. desires find no entrance in buddism. in another word, a buddsit would not "desire of no desire", there is just simply nothing---void. again, a cup with no bottom.

for myself, it would be hard for me to accept a life with no life-long companian. that is why I am not a buddist? or maybe my understanding of it has not yet reached a good level.

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Babara Wung!!!

ALL YOUR BAZI ARE BELONG TU USH!!!!



O Lord, bless this Thy hand grenade that, with it, Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits in Thy mercy.

[caleb]

Is it just my warped mind or does anyone else think buddism sound alot like the dustmen in planescape:torment?

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Meet my lawyer.

[250]

Originally posted by caleb: Is it just my warped mind or does anyone else think buddism sound alot like the dustmen in planescape:torment?

I think it is the former

[Djinn Raffo]

All your base are belong to us!

[Ladyzekke]

Just saying Hello 250. Hope your finals go well, miss seeing you!

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