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Thread: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

  1. #11
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    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Elizabeth108 View Post
    Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic? Can you backup your view?
    Namaste.

    Okay, I shall support the 14 month necro-bump of this topic (if you should ever return to read this) just to give my totally unsupported views.

    For many years, I believed that Buddhism was 'Atheistic' because Lord Buddha is not a 'God' per se.

    He is only a sage...and 'Enlightened One'...a teacher.

    Many Buddhists pray to Buddha, but what's that all about? are they really worshiping their 'God' when they do that?

    Up until very recently, I thought that Buddhism was just like Advaita Vedanta, without a 'God' but with a 'Goal'...Nibbana (Nirvana), Satori, 24/7 'Mindfulness', Samadhi, 'Self-Realisation'...'union with Brahman' or whatever anybody wants to call that experience.

    The problem I am having in my Sadhana, is that I am totally stuck making the distinction between God (Lord Shiva) with a form and without a form. The mind knows that there's no difference between Saguna and Nirguna Brahman...yes, the MIND knows it...but I am still stuck here nonetheless.

    So, are Buddhists Atheists? No, they are not. They may worship a Saint instead of a 'God' but why worship a Saint like Lord Buddha? What did Buddha do? Why, he realised God! Why do people worship Buddha? So they can do likewise through his amazing teachings, devotions to him and prayers...it's like when we worship our Guru, right?

    I could also go into the 'Celestial Buddhas' like Avalokiteshwara...who is Maha Kala....who is Virocana....who is Bhairava...who is Lord Shiva Himself (see what I did there)?

    So, in one way or another, Buddhism is totally Theistic...up to a point (as everything really is).

    Aum Namah Shivaya

  2. #12
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    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    All schools of Buddhism don't believe in a Creator God but some schools believe in demigods..planes of hell and heaven.
    ॐ महेश्वराय नमः

    || Om Namo Bhagavate Rudraya ||

    Hara Hara Mahadeva Shambo Shankara

  3. #13
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    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    Namaste

    As I was raised in Theravada Buddhist. I had studied Theravada Buddhist since I was a child. We NEVER mention to God even only once. I would say again in Theravada Buddhist perspective. We refer the Lord Buddha is the founder of the Buddhist religion. He is the person can enlightenment on the Dharma. So, the Theravada Buddhist is sticky believe in Three Jewels which contains Buddha, Dharma and Sangha(monk). So totally, Theravada Buddhism does not believe in God. But they believe in heaven, hell and Karma.

    They also believe in angel. I don't know how exactly of that point but some Thai Buddhist they refer our deity like Lord Indra as the angel who listen and acknowledge Lord Buddha's Dharma. But I won't mention on this because that might be only some Thai Buddhist believe that.

    In Mahayana Buddhist, they mention in many deity of them but I don't know much in this sect. But as I know, they also never refer God. just only their deity or angel.
    Totally, that depends on the sect too. But if my previous religion which is Theravada Buddhist is atheistic.

    Om Shanti
    Om Sri Saraswatiya Namah

  4. #14

    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?


  5. #15

    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    Quote Originally Posted by wundermonk View Post
    Regarding Buddhism, I am not so sure. Buddhism, just like Hinduism, diversified after the Buddha into a heady concoction of differing and sometimes contradictory beliefs...some believe in reincarnation, some do not, some are realists, some are idealists, etc., etc.
    All schools of Buddhism teach rebirth. It's only recently in western countries that there have been Buddhists have denying post-mortem rebirth.

    Quote Originally Posted by realdemigod View Post
    All schools of Buddhism don't believe in a Creator God but some schools believe in demigods..planes of hell and heaven.

    As above, all schools of Buddhism believe in devas and planes of hell and heaven.

  6. #16

    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    Having grown up Buddhist, it's kind of complicated. In Pure Land Buddhism, Amitabha plays a theistic role as creator of Sukhavati, savour of beings in the saha world and teacher of those reborn in Sukhavati.

    There is also the trikaya doctrine in Mahayana. The physical body is nirmanakaya, this is Gautama Buddha. Then there is the celestial body of the Buddha or sambhogakaya, Amitabha Buddha. Finally there is the Dharmakaya or truth body, Mahavairocana Buddha. The Dharmakaya is the ground of being from which everything arises and returns.

    Mahayana shares a lot of similarities with Sanatana Dharma. The Yogacara philosophical school is very similar to Advaita Vedanta and makes Dharmakaya the "Clear Light" of pure consciousness. It is not different to Brahman.

    In terms of personal deities, Shiva, Tara, Kali, Vishnu, Brahma, and Indra all have their place. Some of them are transformed into Buddhist deities while others remain distinct.

    As an aside when I was at university I went to a Thai (Theravada) temple and there were far more out right theists than I ever expected. They talked about God and Buddha.

    For further readings check out:
    Lankavatara Sutra
    Sukhavativyuha Sutra
    Tathagatagarbha Sutra
    Mahaparinirvana Sutra
    Mahavairocana Sutra
    Suvarna Sutra
    The 25th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra
    Nilakantha Dharani (complete version)
    Kshitigarbha Sutra and Dharani
    Bhaisajyaguru Sutra

    Aum Hari Aum!

  7. #17

    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    Namaste Lakshmidevi,

    A very helpful posting indeed! In my studies of Buddhist texts, but even more so in my interactions with Buddhists (mostly in Japan, though also in the USA where I reside), I find there is far more affinity than differentiation between Buddhist (especially Mahayana) and Hindu (especially Advaita Vedanta) traditions. The "atheism" of Buddhism is, I would say, exaggerated (and not even correct to assert if one takes "atheism" to include its usual contemporary connotations, such as a materialist metaphysics--which the Buddha explicitly rejected--and a general disregard of spiritual pursuits as delusory).
    "One who makes a habit of prayer and meditation will easily overcome all difficulties and remain calm and unruffled in the midst of the trials of life." (Holy Mother Sarada Devi)

  8. #18

    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeffery D. Long View Post
    Namaste Lakshmidevi,

    A very helpful posting indeed! In my studies of Buddhist texts, but even more so in my interactions with Buddhists (mostly in Japan, though also in the USA where I reside), I find there is far more affinity than differentiation between Buddhist (especially Mahayana) and Hindu (especially Advaita Vedanta) traditions. The "atheism" of Buddhism is, I would say, exaggerated (and not even correct to assert if one takes "atheism" to include its usual contemporary connotations, such as a materialist metaphysics--which the Buddha explicitly rejected--and a general disregard of spiritual pursuits as delusory).
    Vannakkam Jeffery,

    Thank you. Yes Buddhism in the US (where I also live) has taken an interesting turn. It seems to be that western converts (which my family was) are far more interested in the God vs no god idea than native born Buddhists. There is a strong movement in post modern American Buddhism to completely brush aside deities, theism, literal rebirth and karma etc.

    Buddhism in it's Asian form tends to be (although not always) more flexible with theism as long as it doesn't hurt one's path to liberation. If it takes one from the path of dharma then it becomes problematic.

    Aum Hari Aum!

  9. #19
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    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lakshmidevi View Post

    Buddhism in it's Asian form tends to be (although not always) more flexible with theism as long as it doesn't hurt one's path to liberation. If it takes one from the path of dharma then it becomes problematic.

    Aum Hari Aum!
    Your point is right! As I was Theravada Buddhist by born in Asian. I would confirm that as you told us is happening now in my country. In Theologically, our school always teach about Theravada Buddhist way which is atheistic. No god talks in this sect. The philosophy of it does not talk about god or supreme being. But some of Buddhist is more flexible with theism as Lakshmidevi said. They believe in heaven which has angel and hell has devil. And many stories refer to deities.

    Quite some Buddhist in my country also worship Hindu deity too. They've just worship only our Hindu deity for their desired but they don't follow Sanatana Dharma as we're proceeding now. That's why if any members here have been Hindu temple in Thailand and see many Thais join the ceremony and if you ask, "Are you Hindu?" Some of them probably says "No, I'm Buddhist"

    OM Shanti
    Om Sri Saraswatiya Namah

  10. #20
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    Re: Is Buddhism theistic or atheistic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lakshmidevi View Post
    There is also the trikaya doctrine in Mahayana. The physical body is nirmanakaya, this is Gautama Buddha. Then there is the celestial body of the Buddha or sambhogakaya, Amitabha Buddha. Finally there is the Dharmakaya or truth body, Mahavairocana Buddha. The Dharmakaya is the ground of being from which everything arises and returns.

    Mahayana shares a lot of similarities with Sanatana Dharma. Aum Hari Aum!

    Namaste Laxmi ,
    Informative post
    The buddhist classification of kaya or‘bodies’ appear to be analogous with the hindu scriptural classification of our physical and metaphysical bodies that are associated with each one of us.
    Consider the below given pancha (five) koshas (bodies) typically described by hindus:
    According to Hindu dharma, we have 5 bodies called kosha-s, पञ्च कोश (five sheaths) :

    अन्नमय कोश (physical body, anatomical structure), Anna maya kosha

    प्राणमय कोश (physiological body, energy body, aura) , Prana maya kosha

    मनोमय (mental sheath), manomaya kosha
    विज्ञानमय कोश (intellectual sheath), vijnana maya kosha
    आनन्दमय कोश (bliss sheath). Ananda maya kosha.


    Buddhism, right from its inception, and spreading over many centuries later borrowed heavily from Hinduism, in fact the faith borrowed their founder himself from an hindu family. My tone may sound accusatory, which it is not, instead it only stems from academic curiosity on my part. Some of the experts in both the above faiths must bring out the similarities for the benefit of the readers. Dissimilarities also must be highlighted at the same time. All Dharmic faiths have some common doctrines that bind them to Hinduism inseparably. That's my perception at least.
    Last edited by charitra; 31 August 2013 at 09:00 AM.

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