Does Chinese Buddhism worship Buddha as God?

Does Chinese Buddhism worship Buddha as God?

I went to a Chinese Buddhist temple and they were praying to the Buddha of Mercy.

Also...can Buddhists eat meat and drink alcohol? And i mean some meat and a little alcohol?

Asked: David 

Answered by stbb,

The real practice of Buddhism is to realize who you are and what your place is in this Universe, so we seek within, because the Buddha (Enlightened one) told us that we all have the Buddha Nature, and that is we have the potential to be enlightened. To seek within and understand our own Buddha Nature is a mark of Enlightenment and Buddhism; and once you have achieved this level of Enlightenment then you understand many things and causes outside of self.

There are certain rules to determine if any sects are Buddhism, and they must follow the rules of “Three Dharma Seals” (sometimes, some sects said Four Dharma Seals- one additional condition), if any sect does not meet the rules of “Three Dharma Seals”, then they are the outer paths (the fake Buddhists or other religions)- those who seek without- such as worshiping a God or gods and or pretend to be Buddhism when worshiping God, (I saw one or two worshiped Gods groups and they claimed they are Buddhists from Korea.)

We don’t worship Buddha in same way as Christians do to their God, we merely pay respect to a teacher that taught us those very important lessons; and the lessons are of matter of immortal life and temporal deaths.

Strictly speaking, the meat eating and drinking of alcohol are not prohibited by Chinese lineages of Buddhism, unless you are in a monk-hood situation. The laymen are allowed to eat meats and drink alcohol, but suggested one should eat three purity meats, and drinking of alcohols is limited to moderation.

For both Hinayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, they do not prohib eating meat and drinking alcohol for laymen practitioners; but for those in Monk-hood, in Hinayana- the monks are still practicing their daily routine of asking “Alms”- so they eat whatever others give them. In Chinese Mahayana, the Monk-hood follows the strictest rules of no eating meat and drinking of alcohol, Korean and Japanese Mahayana follows whatever traditions they followed. Vajrayana monks meat eating habits are depending on the sects.

As you looking at the answers, you can see there are as many Buddhism Sects as there are answerers; and many of them don’t know what they are talking about, because many of them are introduced to a practice and never learned more or progressed beyond the first introduced practice.

If they went into a real Buddhism sect, then they are ok, they will be learning some real Buddhism. But if they are not, then they will have twisted views of what real Buddhism is all about. Both Korea and Japan are known to have many deviated sects, they claimed they are Buddhists, yet they worshiped God or tell their followers that they are the only one that teach Buddhism, and they discouraged their followers to go to any other Buddhist Temple for fear of contamination (or correctly speaking losing their memberships.)

The real Buddhism consists of two or three Yanas (vehicles or methods); they are the (1) Hinayana of Theravada Buddhism- learn to abide in calmness, and (2) Mahayana Buddhism- which breaks down further into the (2a) Sutrayana Buddhism- following the Buddha's Scriptures, and (3) Vajrayana Buddhism- works with the mind and views.

Hinayana Buddhism permeates in the regions of Indo-China, which include Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and other Southeastern Asian countries, etc.

Mahayana- Sutrayana Buddhism- first spread to China from India, then from China to Korea and Japan; later it also spread to other Asian countries. Mahayana- Vajrayana Buddhism spread through two routes (1) from India to China, then at later time from (2) India to Tibet. The route from China then spread to Japan, Korea and Indonesia; and the Route from Tibet spread to Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, and China.

Due to political environment, China’s Vajrayana turned underground, and Japan became the national religion and was called Shingon. Tibet being in isolation and supported by the Kings had developed its own Vajrayana Buddhism and later developed its own political system that preserved the practice.

Who would win in a fight, Jesus or Buddha?

Who would win in a fight, Jesus or Buddha?

Answered by stbb:

Why are so many people constantly asking such foolish question as to who will win the fight between Buddha and Jesus?

To answer your question directly, physically, Jesus Christ could be stronger, as he was a stone smith and a carpenter.

Yet as an Indian prince and being a member of the “Warrior Caste*” in ancient India, especially he was prophesize by the Brahman priest as to be either a Savior- teacher of the world or the Greatest King of history ever known; he was required to learn the martial arts of killing in battle fields, the art of warfare; sword fighting techniques and other weaponry were also must know skills. Buddha was noted for his skill as an accomplished bow and arrow marksman.

In addition, despite a few statues indicated during the time when Buddha practiced Acetic practices of ancient India, he was very skinny (for six months or so according to the Sutra); but he was described in the Sutra as a giant of a man, he usually stood a head and a shoulder higher than most people.

We all know that a "Shaolin Kung Fu" master will beat up and kill a muscle builder, 100 out of 100 times, there is no contest- not physical strength, but a sharp fighting skill set will win every time.

* Kshatriyas / Rathaestar(warrior-kings), one of the five classes of ranking that made up social ladders of the ancient Indian society.

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I am a follower- practitioner of Buddha’s teaching, a little more than ten years ago, once during one of my practicing sessions; Jesus manifested himself as my protector during my daily Buddhism practice session. That experience reinforced to me that Buddhism is the correct practice. Since I was only a lowly Buddhism practitioner, Jesus would stand guard for me; if the Buddha is physically here now, I am sure Jesus will stand guard for him also, since the Buddha is so much greater than I am. So there wouldn't be any fight between them.

He showed me in the day time, he was as a glorious Christ (with the Crown and white robe and all, with a red heart of thorn in his chest and white light enveloping him; and toward the evening he manifested as the suffering Christ - dirty ragged rob made out of Hem, suffering looks as though the burden of men are too much to bear.)

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As the history has indicated that during Buddha's time, there were as least six-four different religious groups in India, not including the original Brahmanism (a pre- Hinduism religion of India- the original indigenous Indian religion; Hinduism is a mere take off of this once great religion with much of Buddhism ideas mixed in.)

Buddha did not engage in a single direct physical confrontation with any of those founders. There were verbal contests, and most of them were direct theological and philosophical disputes only; and many times Buddha won the theological debates, hence the growth and development of Buddhism. Today there are only a handful of those religious groups that had survived the time, and Buddhism is such a survivor, so obviously Buddhism won over many of those religions.

If Buddha and Jesus met at that time, most likely they will engage in theological debates, no physical violence, and in the end Jesus will follow the Buddhist paths. According to the alternative history, during his missing years, he was a Buddhist and a professor who taught in Nalanda Buddhism University in West India, of which this fact may have been covered up by his followers and the Churches.

How can an enlightened Buddhist possibly go to Hell?

Edgeorge

How can an enlightened Buddhist possibly go to Hell?

Let's say that there's a Buddhist who reaches Nirvana or satori. But the Bible says that following Jesus is the only way to salvation. So if Christianity is really the "right" religion, how can an enlightened Buddhist go to hell? Enlightenment is to detach oneself completely from passion, lust, fear, and eventually, suffering.

My point is, an enlightened person, by his nature, cannot possibly suffer in Hell.

Is this another example on how mind-numbingly simplistic Christianity is?
I want answers freom ppl who know a couple of things about both Christianity and what enlightenment really is.

Ans: Stbb

With the “Enlightened Mind”, the sufferings of Hells are merely mirages; just as the activities in this world are mere dreams of our “Primordial Awareness/Mind”. So an Enlightened person is someone aware of his/ hers own “Primordial Limitless Mind”, and they can be anywhere and don’t have any feelings of Suffering.

Some of you might comment, but this world is real and I can’t see any other possible “Reality” exist anywhere, but here and now. I think if you reflect upon all the dreams you have had during your hours of sleep, which of them is real to you now? Yet we all engrossed and engaged in the dreams as they were the only real existence while in a dream state, just like the “Matrix” movie series. So in dream, the Dream state appeared as real to us as in this reality; Being unenlightened, so how do you know you are not dreaming at our current state?

By the grace of Mahasattva Kristigarbha, I once toured the Hells for two days; I did not see anything that were memorable or upsetting at all, although when I woke up all the memories were blocked, but I felt no lingering sadness, suffering or anything else. And I am not enlightened, so Buddha must be able to do at least this and more.

Second part of your question, the Christians merely achieve very little understanding of this reality and that is all; just like a five year old kid can have just certain mental capacity versus a twenty year old person could have different and greater mental and understanding ability. So a religion of nomads and illiterates versus the top scholars in between the region of China and India, and the kings and princes’ philosophical following of Buddhism, you can see which is more credible. It is like comparing the Hill Billie’s versus top minds of the scientific community.

Note:

Explanation:

Most people don't know this, that "The Universe" is made up of multiple realms; including multiple galaxies and multiple planetary systems; this includes every living system, and there exists multiple heavens, multiple hells, multiracial human kinds and other planetary residents that can be identified as humans in their living systems”; there are also multiple animal kinds and other unimaginable sentient beings that permeate throughout each universal system.

It is as explained and quoted in multiple Buddhist Sutras, [that Buddha exclaimed, “The sentient beings are unimaginable and unaccountable; the types of beings and their dwellings are equally unimaginable”]

This will help explain to Don H, who is obviously influenced by his upbringing of Christianity or “Monolithic God” concepts, who is questioning why there are multiple religions, with their Gods speaking of different ideals and rule of conducts; it is because these different races of people once tapped into one of the multiple levels of consciousness that can be identified as the “God” in their own believes; of which the Buddhists clearly identify them as Heavenly Beings of different levels of heavens: such as God of Christians, of Muslim, and of Hindus, etc….

These Heavens are not decaying as claimed by “FallenAngel”, but “decadence” as in the “Realms of Desires Heavens”, and they play, have fun plus engage in all types of enjoyments and stimulations- (caused by Greed). The stubbornness and pride of the “Realms of Form Heavens”- (Anger/Pride), where many Gods (Kings of Heavens) of various heavens in this realm are coming from, who believed that they have created the Universe; therefore they believe they have the right to do as they please. Formless Heavens of sleep and in meditative states of playing with themselves, they are completely oblivion of others (Stupidity/ Ignorance).

But then again those humans could have just as easily tapped into Asura Realms, as Buddhists called them “Asura; or Semi-Gods, Warring Gods, Not of Heavens, etc….” These are the gods of mythologies, such as the Norse, Roman, Greeks and Egyptians and many other nations- constant warring and trickeries and strong love hate emotions; because these beings live in an environment of a higher place than ours, yet still considered grounded to earth (planets) that is why they are “Not of Heavens”.

There are even lower forms of worships that dealing with evil or demonic spirits- or just plain neutral spiritual beings, of which there are many variations. If you read all the folklore and myths, they can basically categorized as of similar kinds and levels of awareness; the representing religions or magical practices of Voodoos of African, Kabala of Judaism, Bon of Tibetan, Fairies’ tales of Irish and European nations, Kang Tao of Southeast Asia and Malaysia region etc….

In Buddhism the highest awareness is “Ultimate Enlightened Minds” achieved by Buddha, and then there are many levels of lower Enlightenments, such as those achieved by “Ten” levels of Bodhisattvas, “Four” levels of Arahant, and various Mantrayana Immortals. Even Heavenly beings at Form and Formless Heavens achieve some glances of Awareness as do the humans in this realm.

What are the central beliefs of Buddhism?

Pam Asked:

What are the central beliefs of Buddhism?

Answered by stbb

Remember that Matrix movie series, where people are all sleep in their contraptions and dream dreams, one after another. It takes Keanu Reeves acting as the savior to save the humanity from the eternal dreams state. Actually that movie series was strongly influenced by Buddhism.

The Buddhism central theme is that, we as sentient beings dream dreams for Eternity, and thinking that we are living a real life; not knowing we transmigrate from life to life and we never wake up. We feel pain and we feel joy, more sufferings than happiness, and we cling on to these factitious lives and think they are real. But the true reality may be too shocking for the common people at that times, so Buddha started by telling people he could teach them how to eliminate the personal sufferings.

In order to tell people how to eliminate suffering, he had to point out there is suffering all around us, hence the Four Noble Truths. How to eliminate the suffering, by following the Eight Noble Paths; he explained Karma, Universe structures, Theology, and tried to convert peoples' minds from obsessing with world affairs of the outside world, he told people to turn inside by starting with meditation, that way when you are fully self content you eliminate your own sufferings.

He then explained all the sufferings in the world are all derived from our own minds. We have Millionaires and Billionaires having millions of dollars, yet worried about not having money, so they work themselves to death.  Just like that you don't worry about money then you have no worries. So he pointed out all matters of Suffering are really from individual minds only. Meditation and wisdom acquired from meditation is the strength to eliminate the Sufferings.

Second level, once people begin to achieve Arhatship, they achieved the letting go of Sufferings, then he reminded the practitioners that there are still many people who don't understand this simple theory, and that we should constantly remind ourselves that it isn't enough to have ourselves released from Sufferings; we should help others achieve their release as well, that is the basis of Mahayana Buddhism. By first becoming aware then helping others become aware as well. How do we do that, by relying on meditation and wisdom.

Finally the Eternal Truth, we are dreaming dreams, and the life that we regarded as so important is really another cosmic joke; and that we cling on to this life and it is no truer than the cartoons or dramas we see on TV. How do we release ourselves from this mirage? Again, we have to go back to meditation and wisdom.

Are all the meditation techniques the same or different? They different in the views and techniques and are the same with few twisted concentrations. Once you reach a certain level, then you realized that you are indeed dreaming dreams; and that you travel back and forth between here and spiritual realms and other negative realms all the time- the Vajrayana view. 

PS: Click here for more information on Ah-Mi-Toh-Fo Buddha and to hear what this Buddha sounds like!

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“Primordial Awareness”- the Awareness that does not die

Q: golden round eye

I think I am getting what you are trying to say, maybe.Your saying I am a being rather than a soul and that I am a body and consciences that are ultimately linked up to this great oness that we all are and that my past and future lives are just like pictures that make up some sort of sasmara film , every picture leads to another that is the result of what happened in the last one. Is that right.

A:Stbb

Question )          Your saying I am a being rather than a soul and that I am a body and consciences that are ultimately linked up to this great oness that we all are.

 Answer )             You are a physical body containing 6 Consciousness’s/ Awareness, the eye sight, hearing, smelling, taste, touch and Intention- all part of your brain’s functions. Is it the physical body that has all of these “Awareness”? Obviously not, when you die they dissolve; so what is that “Something” that makes you aware?

All the Enlightened Masters found this special “Awareness”, for lack of a better word; they called it “Primordial Awareness”- the Awareness that does not die, yet is not living in the human sense; Fully Aware since time immemorial, fully permeating throughout all of the Universes, eternally aware and existing, yet experiencing no emotions- a Pure Awareness that knows no boundary. Is this “Awareness” dead (because it has no physical body, is it in a spiritual form (like ghosts and other spiritual beings, but many levels or dimensions higher,)) yet alive in the sense of being fully aware.

It knows no physical boundaries, it can be a size as great as the entire Universe Systems combined, yet can be confined in a single sesame seed. Whole and Omni- Conscious with everything that ever existed in the past, present and future; yet it is with the distinctive individuality of you and all of your summations of past, present and future, a distinctive individual not another God outside of you (not physically), that is why Buddhist believe in no “God or Creator”.

This Awareness exists eternally but not really, and never fully participates in the game of Samsara (Realms controlled by Cycles of Reincarnation); it is another part of our makeup that participates.

And now on to the second part of your question 2:

that I am a body and consciences that are ultimately linked up to this great oness that we all are and that my past and future lives are just like pictures that make up some sort of sasmara film, every picture leads to another that is the result of what happened in the last one. Is that right.

A:

While the “Primordial Consciousness” does not participate directly with the Samsara (it merely is eternally aware; an integrated Sub-Consciousness for lack of better word), the “Alaya Consciousness” or the Eighth Consciousness does participate, and this is what we call the “Tathagathagarbha”- treasure of Tathagatha (Buddha’s Treasure), within it all the seedlings of the Ten Realms, Six Realms of Samsara and Four Realms of non-regressed states (Four Sainthoods of Buddhism). This is where it accumulates all of your experiences of past, present and future lives, karma; and all are played out and written within this Awareness.

Your rebirth is directly related to this Samsara through this 8^th Awareness, but this Awareness also has no emotions; it functions much like a hard drive in a computer system. It takes in and it spits out to balance all events whether they are positive, neutral or negative.

I guess some lower level religions may consider this as their God? But it is distinctive, you and yours only, yet it is linked with every other Alaya Consciousnesses everywhere. So Brahmanism (predecessor of Hinduism) called it Akasha Record, because they weren’t able to distinguish it is also you in a sense, so they treated it as something separate of oneself.

Our job as a Buddhist is to first discover and experience this “8^th Consciousness”- first stage of Enlightenment, and then confirm the “Primordial Awareness”, at which stage you are fully “Enlightened”, the state of Annutara-Samyak-Sambodhi, the Supreme Enlightenment, and the Buddhahood in one’s lifetime.

Most clowns in this world don’t know what they are talking about, and those that know, don’t talk. I am a fool and a Bodhisattva who speaks out everything, and with few people who understood, I will close my mouth shut soon.

Be Joyful that you received one of the highest teachings in Buddhism, and use it well, if you will follow the path of Buddhism. 

Let’s transfer all our merits for the sake of all sentient beings; may they be awakened from their slumber and follow the correct path of Buddhism, and ultimately achieve the Full Awareness and the Enlightenment.

This is a rare teaching few have heard, it took me thirty five years to learn and hear about it, keep it true and keep it well. If you got it then you are my “Heart Son”- my hereditary heir to this teaching. If you don’t get it then it will fade back into Emptiness eventually; as I may or may not expound this teaching ever again, to anyone so casually over internet, keep the knowing and continue on with your search for perfection, that way you don’t waste my time for writing all these words to you.

The Buddhists students are always looking for the right masters to learn from; but in the same token, the masters are also looking for their right students to pass on the knowledge. This is called transmission of knowing.

**           You are in the right time and right place and ask the right person.