Buddhism “rejects the theological impulse,” the philosopher Owen Flanagan declares approvingly in The Problem of the Soul. Is there Theistic Buddhism? Taking Buddhism at face value as a system of ethical precepts, a philosophy of life, and a set of meditative practices, many Christians and Jews have found it quite possible to affirm major aspects of Buddhism without abandoning their own faith. Like … Is buddhism theistic or nontheistic? Buddhism rejects a sense of self and Hinduism retains it. That said, if God or gods show up, we’ll be happy to believe. You aren’t any better than me except to the extent that you serve me and others better than I do. The Buddha himself rejected the idea of a creator god, and Buddhist philosophers have even argued that belief in an eternal god is nothing but a distraction for humans seeking enlightenment. Buddhism Is Distinctly Different From Other Religions . Buddhism is centered upon the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who came to be known as the Buddha — the enlightened one, or one who is awake — whereas Christianity is centered on the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.Buddhism is a nontheistic religion or philosophy, i.e., it does not believe in a supreme creator being a.k.a. To lead without serving is selfish and useless and silly. For example, the central focus of most religions is one or many. They must be intimately experienced to be understood. Relevance. The Buddha also plainly said that he was not a god, but was simply "awakened" to ultimate reality. Nevertheless, Buddhism has some of the outward trappings of a religion, such as temples, iconography, prayers and incense. But the Buddha figure also represents enlightenment itself and the unconditioned true nature of all things. One might say that in Buddhism, the big question is not whether gods exist, but what is the nature of existence? Buddhism is a path to "waking up," or becoming enlightened, to a reality that is not consciously perceived by most of us. In other words, God is unnecessary in Buddhism, as this is a practical religion and philosophy that emphasizes practical results over faith in beliefs or deities. The origin of Buddhism points to one man, Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who was born in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal) during the 5th century BCE. For this reason, Buddhism is more accurately called nontheistic rather than atheistic. Tibetan Buddhism teaches that through the systematic practice of its timeless methods, one's mind can be transformed into its highest potential of wisdom and compassion. While there is a more recent, modern trend to portray Buddhism as simply agnostic on the question of God, this is not the case if we are defining God as Christians (or even as Jews and Muslims) would use the word. There’s the opposite nihilistic extreme — those who have studied a little about Buddhism — and assume that the Dharma of Buddha is atheistic or non-theistic. I was raised a fundamentalist Pentecostal and then became Catholic in college. I have addressed the question of whether Buddhism is a philosophy or a religion elsewhere, arguing that it is both philosophy and religion, and that the whole "philosophy versus religion" argument is unnecessary. What did they mean? it can be both. It can be either, depending on the person. In most schools of Buddhism, it is understood that enlightenment and nirvana cannot be conceptualized or explained with words. Buddhism is commonly distinguished on doctrinal grounds from monotheistic and polytheistic religions by the fact that it refutes the existence of a divine Creator, and indeed there is ample textual evidence in early Buddhist, Mahayana, and Vajrayana treatises to support this claim.' Which means that Buddhism has not God or deities. I’ve always tried to explain it that Buddhism is a non-theistic religion, but definitely not atheistic. This essence is eternal and without form, therefore indescribable, but it can be experienced in everyday life. Buddhism is a non-theistic system. Buddhism is a non-theistic religion and way of life; it has a different view on what is ultimate reality. The Ultimate Goal of Buddhism Is Reaching Nirvana. Is Buddhism Polytheistic Or Monotheistic? Because God has no particular form and is outside of time, God, therefore, cannot be said to exist. For instance, like Buddhism, Communism is a religion based on natural laws, a non-theistic … What's "fantasy"? But what about the "naïve, petitionary, and superstitious" trappings that Harris spoke of? Further, these religions meet the 3rd and 4th criteria that give a system power to legitimize political orders and change history. Author has 157 answers and 236.9K answer views Buddhism is non-theistic because no deity (or your faith in a deity) can "save" sentient beings (Soteriology). In addition, about an estimated 488 million in the world practice Buddhism. Mar 2013 522 _ Sep 29, 2015 #2 Depends on who's practicing. Trungpa Rinpoche always described Buddhism as “non-theistic.” We aren’t a-theistic, he’d say—we don’t not believe in God, or gods. The individual may believe in a deity although it is not expressed in the Buddhism itself. Each individual is ultimately responsible for his own present and future happiness. The many mythological creatures and beings that populate Mahayana Buddhism art and literature are often called "gods" or "deities." Buddhism is non-theistic. According to the Buddhist teachings, we are all … Yet, throughout Asia, it is common to find people praying to the Buddha or to the many clearly mythical figures that populate Buddhist iconography. 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