Nalanda University reopens after hundreds of years!

[Chinese-Dragon]

@Chinese-Dragon As per my knowledge Gautam Buddha was against idol worship.....???

Maybe. He was definitely not an egotistical person though, if he saw the enormous statues we made of him, I'm sure he would NOT have been happy with it.

I try to tell this to my friends who are Buddhists but they don't care, lol. For them he is a God to be worshiped, even if that was not Buddha's original intention.

But at least they are still following the fundamental Buddhist principles (like the Noble Eightfold Path "八正道"), so it's not a complete loss. Since that is the most important part.

 

[Indian_Devil]

Maybe. He was definitely not an egotistical person though, if he saw the enormous statues we made of him, I'm sure he would NOT have been happy with it.

I try to tell this to my friends who are Buddhists but they don't care, lol. For them he is a God to be worshiped, even if that was not Buddha's original intention.

But at least they are still following the fundamental Buddhist principles (like the Noble Eightfold Path "八正道"), so it's not a complete loss. Since that is the most important part.

yeah... That is why he is considered as god and we are humans... but i asked this question as in Islam and and Christianity idol worshipping is a big taboo. So i thought Buddhists wanted to differentiate their identities from Hindus.

 

[Chronos]

This is an ancient rock carving of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara in Buduruwagala in Sri Lanka.. So even in Theravada school they worshiped Bodhisattva's.. @Chinese-Dragon

Another sculpture of goddess tara from ancient Ceylon at the British museum

what a beautiful thread.

 

[Nova2]

Buddha (the original Buddha) said that he was not a God or a creator, and should not be worshiped like one. However in Chinese Buddhism he is worshiped just like a God, so I don't know, lol.

Hasn't? buddha actually said that he is neither a man nor a god and hence shouldn't be worshiped as one .

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

So i thought Buddhists wanted to differentiate their identities from Hindus.

Doesn't matter. They are branches of the same philosophy anyway.

Check this out this great video to see what I mean:

Make sure to watch it in high definition mode.

@Nihonjin1051

 

[Gibbs]

Maybe. He was definitely not an egotistical person though, if he saw the enormous statues we made of him, I'm sure he would NOT have been happy with it.

I try to tell this to my friends who are Buddhists but they don't care, lol. For them he is a God to be worshiped, even if that was not Buddha's original intention.

But at least they are still following the fundamental Buddhist principles (like the Noble Eightfold Path "八正道"), so it's not a complete loss. Since that is the most important part.

Buddhas teachings are some times complex and very deep.. Though i was born to a strict Catholic house hold and upbringing i study his teaching's though i consider myself a agnostic . IMO Buddhism or to be more specific Gautama Buddhas teaching's are the most timely apt, Scientific and universal.. It's amazing that he had insights to reality of the world 3000 years after his life time

 

[Bang Galore]

Maybe. He was definitely not an egotistical person though, if he saw the enormous statues we made of him, I'm sure he would NOT have been happy with it.

I try to tell this to my friends who are Buddhists but they don't care, lol. For them he is a God to be worshiped, even if that was not Buddha's original intention.

But at least they are still following the fundamental Buddhist principles (like the Noble Eightfold Path "八正道"), so it's not a complete loss. Since that is the most important part.

A famous quote of the Buddha:
Praying to the Buddha will get you no closer to Nirvana than mere sight of the physician will cure you of your illness. You have to take the medicine to get better just as you have to work hard on becoming enlightened yourself.

 

[Chronos]

yeah... That is why he is considered as god and we are humans... but i asked this question as in Islam and and Christianity idol worshipping is a big taboo. So i thought Buddhists wanted to differentiate their identities from Hindus.

The Abrahamic faith and it's more strict adherents are ignorant of the nuances of the Eastern philosophies.

Buddhas teachings are some times complex and very deep.. Though i was born to a strict Catholic house hold and upbringing i study his teaching's though i consider myself a agnostic . IMO Buddhism or to be more specific Gautama Buddhas teaching's are the most timely apt, Scientific and universal.. It's amazing that he had insights to reality of the world 3000 years after

because greed, love and compassion are timeless values.

Buddhas teachings are some times complex and very deep.. Though i was born to a strict Catholic house hold and upbringing i study his teaching's though i consider myself a agnostic . IMO Buddhism or to be more specific Gautama Buddhas teaching's are the most timely apt, Scientific and universal.. It's amazing that he had insights to reality of the world 3000 years after his life time

Those extremist Buddhist Monks needs to go back and examine the teachings of Buddha again

 

[Bang Galore]

Buddhas teachings are some times complex and very deep.. Though i was born to a strict Catholic house hold and upbringing i study his teaching's though i consider myself a agnostic . IMO Buddhism or to be more specific Gautama Buddhas teaching's are the most timely apt, Scientific and universal.. It's amazing that he had insights to reality of the world 3000 years after his life time

Too complicated & deep for most ordinary people. Buddhism started out having far more favour among the elite. Most people can't handle such complicated thoughts, it is why simplistic forms of religion are the most successful.

 

[Gibbs]

Those extremist Buddhist Monks needs to go back and examine the teachings of Buddha again

Too complicated & deep for most ordinary people. Buddhism started out having far more favour among the elite. Most people can't handle such complicated thoughts, it is why simplistic forms of religion are the most successful.

Especially those with threat's .. Heavens and hell.. Eternal damnation's and bliss.. Simple rules for simple minds.. Way control the sheep

 

[Chronos]

Too complicated & deep for most ordinary people. Buddhism started out having far more favour among the elite. Most people can't handle such complicated thoughts, it is why simplistic forms of religion are the most successful.

is that why well meaning, yet naive well to do westerners look to it?

well that's the demographic for it in New Zealand. White people who are wealthy and are deep thinkers, or more importantly, like to think they are.

Especially those with threat's .. Heavens and hell.. Eternal damnation's and bliss.. Simple rules for sheep

what's a Burgher mate?

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

is that why well meaning, yet naive well to do westerners look to it?

well that's the demographic for it in New Zealand. White people who are wealthy and are deep thinkers, or more importantly, like to think they are.

That's the same in all Western countries, even Steve Jobs converted to Buddhism.

Well, it's their choice I guess.

 

[Gibbs]

is that why well meaning, yet naive well to do westerners look to it?

well that's the demographic for it in New Zealand. White people who are wealthy and are deep thinkers, or more importantly, like to think they are.



what's a Burgher mate?

Well some people make it a fad.. As with most things.. The Beatles made Hinduism a fad.. Made sex guru's and hippies a thing..

Hmmm.. a Burgher?? .. Literally means a towns person in Dutch..

 

[Chronos]

Well some people make it a fad.. As with most things.. The Beatles made Hinduism a fad.. Made sex guru's and hippies a thing..

Hmmm.. a Burgher?? .. Literally means a towns person in Dutch..

what does it mean in the Sri Lankan context though? a person with Dutch ancestry?

 

[Bang Galore]

Especially those with threat's .. Heavens and hell.. Eternal damnation's and bliss.. Simple rules for sheep

There is a famous quote attributed to the great Hindu thinker Adi Shankara whose philosophy was a very complicated one called Advaita (non-dualism). When he was asked about the practice of praying to God in temples (something that contradicted his essential philosophy), he voiced his approval and said " there is no purpose in burdening a man's head with more knowledge than he can handle" (further - praying to God in temples has no effect but is essentially a harmless exercise)