What will happen to people who don't believe in Buddhism?
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So each person can find their own truth in Buddhism. Buddha gives you some guidelines and ask to discover it for yourself. But it seems the nature of many people not to be able to trust their own experiences. They want certainty. When they do not find the evidence for something, they cannot simply say I do not know. It makes him feel unstable. So they cling on to "truths" based on other's experience. So you hold on to truths that Jesus and Buddha or the Holy Book teaches even when it does not jell with your own experience.
Although Buddhism definitely helps in our living, in ethical ways, and also seeking tranquility and bliss, liberatedness, I have not yet have any real attainment or insights. But with Awareness of our living, emotions, we do not become afflicted or deluded, that is how we gain in wisdom. Buddhadharma is definitely practical in life and if one practises it will bring results. One should never believe in Buddhism for the sake of believing, but actually practise what the Buddha taught. If one only believes, and never actually utilize what the Buddha taught, then the belief is of little use. I remember Thusness once asked me about my faith.
It takes someone of the stature of Einstein to understand that Buddha does not expect his disciples to apply his teachings in a dogmatic manner. Buddha expects his disciples to discover the truths for themselves.
I would suggest that you tell me what your experiences are that makes you hold on to beliefs that should be in the realm of "maybe" "interesting" "I do not know" instead of holding on to them in a dogmatic manner when there are no evidence for them based on your own experience.
[00:04] oh yes...faith will definitely strengthen when your practice reaps fruit.
[00:05] just want to know whether it is becoz of ur family or urself.
[00:06] my family isnt so into buddhism except my mother. i get to know about it through my mother when i was younger
[00:10] ic.
[00:10] then u leh
[00:10] through mostly my experiences.
[00:11] oic
Everyone comes into Buddhism for various reasons. Some people like me, initially got into Buddhism simply liked the teachings and found it very useful. Others have certain meditative experiences and insights and are simply in line with what the Buddha taught... therefore their confidence is unshakeable.
Reminds me about shariputra.
http://www.dhammabooks.org/food_for_heart/samma_samadhi_detachment_with2.htm
SAMMA SAMADHI - DETACHMENT WITHIN ACTIVITY
Take a look at the example of the Buddha. Both in his own practice and in his methods for teaching the disciples he was exemplary. The Buddha taught the standards of practice as skilful means for getting rid of conceit, he couldn't do the practice for us. Having heard that teaching we must further teach ourselves, practice for ourselves. The results will arise here, not at the teaching.
The Buddha's teaching can only enable us to get an initial understanding of the Dhamma, but that Dhamma is not yet within our hearts. Why not? Because we haven't yet practiced, we haven't yet taught ourselves. The Dhamma arises at the practice. If you know it, you know it through the practice. If you doubt it, you doubt it at the practice. Teachings from the Masters may be true, but simply listening to Dhamma is not yet enough to enable us to realize it. The teaching simply points out the way to realize. To realize the Dhamma we must take that teaching and bring it into our hearts. That part which is for the body we apply to the body, that part which is for the speech we apply to the speech, and that part which is for the mind we apply to the mind. This means that after hearing the teaching we must further teach ourselves to know that Dhamma, to be that Dhamma.
The Buddha said that those who simply believe others are not truly wise. A wise person practices until he is one with the Dhamma, until he can have confidence in himself, independent of others.
On one occasion, while Venerable Sariputta was sitting, listening respectfully at his feet as the Buddha expounded the Dhamma, the Buddha turned to him and asked:
"Sariputta, do you believe this teaching?" Venerable Sariputta replied, "No, I don't yet believe it". Now this is a good illustration. Venerable Sariputta listened, and he took note. When he said he didn't yet believe he wasn't being careless, he was speaking the truth. He simply took note of that teaching, because he had not yet developed his own understanding of it, so he told the Buddha that he didn't yet believe, because he really didn't believe. These words almost sound as if Venerable Sariputta was being rude, but actually he wasn't. He spoke the truth, and the Buddha praised him for it.
"Good, good, Sariputta. A wise person doesn't readily believe, he should consider first before believing."
Conviction in a belief can take various forms. One form reasons according to Dhamma, while another form is contrary to the Dhamma. This second way is heedless, it is a foolhardy understanding, micchaditthi, wrong view. One doesn't listen to anybody else.
Take the example of Dighanakha the Brahmin. This Brahmin only believed himself, he wouldn't believe others. At one time when the Buddha was resting at Rajagaha, Dighanakha went to listen to his teaching. Or you might say that Dighanakha went to teach the Buddha, because he was intent on expounding his own views ...
"I am of the view that nothing suits me."
This was his view. The Buddha listened to DighanakhaÂ’s view and then answered,
"Brahmin, this view of yours doesn't suit you either." When the Buddha had answered in this way, Dighanakha was stumped. He didn't know what to say. The Buddha explained in many ways, till the Brahmin understood. He stopped to reflect and saw...
"Hmm, this view of mine isn't right."
On hearing the Buddha's answer the Brahmin abandoned his conceited views and immediately saw the truth. He changed right then and there, turning right around, just as one would invert one's hand. He praised the teaching of the Buddha thus:
"Listening to the Blessed One's teaching, my mind was illumined, just as one living in darkness might perceive light. My mind is like an overturned basin which has been up righted, like a man who has been lost and finds the way."
Now at that time a certain knowledge arose within his mind, within that mind which had been up righted. Wrong view vanished and right view took its place. Darkness disappeared and light arose.
The Buddha declared that the Brahmin Dighanakha was one who had opened the Dhamma Eye. Previously Dighanakha clung to his own views and had no intention of changing them. But when he heard the Buddha's teaching his mind saw the truth, he saw that his clinging to those views was wrong. When the
right understanding arose he was able to perceive his previous understanding as mistaken, so he compared his experience with a person living in darkness who had found light. This is how it is. At that time the Brahmin Dighanakha transcended his wrong view.
Now we must change in this way. Before we can give up defilements we must change our perspective. We must begin to practice rightly and practice well Previously we didn't practice rightly or well, and yet we thought we were right and good just the same. When we really look into the matter we upright ourselves, just like turning over one's hand. -
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Then what about Faith? Yes, for a beginner, faith definitely still help in one's path towards enlightenment. Just like if a person is full of sceptical doubts and no faith, how can he ever start to practise? It's not asking him to blindly believe. But the very least to be a Buddhist, we need to take refuge in the Three Treasures, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, as our guide. Of course, it is important to find a Buddhist teacher who can guide you. Take refuge's essence is to return to the domain of the enlightenment.
http://www.astepback.com/buddhism.htm
9. From potential to actual Enlightenment there lies the Middle Path, the Eightfold Path "from desire to peace", a process of self-development between the "opposites", avoiding all extremes. The Buddha trod this Path to the end, and the only faith required in Buddhism is the reasonable belief that where a Guide has trodden it is worth our while to tread. The Path must be trodden by the whole man, not merely the best of him, and heart and mind must be developed equally. The Buddha was the All-Compassionate as well as the All-Enlightened One.If you have experienced it, then maybe you can tell me about it and I see if I experience the same and if I do, we are then in agreement. Otherwise, we continue to cling on to doubt and continue to search or simply rest in the unknown and base all our decisions in life on reality, the known, the ethical if you want to and the logical.
If so far all you have done is only reading, reasoning, then I am afraid no matter how enlightened or experienced (i am not - just an example) i am, you will never be in agreement with me. -
Originally posted by casino_king:
You have to admit that there are many unknown in this world that science has yet to explain and discover. Im not suggesting you should blindly follow or even accept what people in this forum has said. You should explore and uncover buddhism teachings; find something you can relate to spiritually. Faith comes naturally when you can relate to it spirtually.
When I asked you to find out what dogma is, you just refuse don't you? If like you say, Buddha asked you not to accept his teaching dogmatically, he meant that you must relate to it based on your own experience.
As far as my experience tells me and by looking at reality, there is simply no evidence of past lives and rebirth. Neither has your experience. [b]Without past lives and rebirth, then Karma is out too. You said that you are not at a certain level to be able to discern these things. When you fail to experience it or obtain conclusive evidence of it for yourself, you use dogma, that is, Buddha's teachings and all those references to the websites. Buddha himself tells you not to do that didn't he? He asked you to find out for yourself, to experience it yourself isn't it?
That is what Einstein find so interesting about Buddhism. That and the fact the there is no personal God.
So each person can find their own truth in Buddhism. Buddha gives you some guidelines and ask to discover it for yourself. But it seems the nature of many people not to be able to trust their own experiences. They want certainty. When they do not find the evidence for something, they cannot simply say I do not know. It makes him feel unstable. So they cling on to "truths" based on other's experience. So you hold on to truths that Jesus and Buddha or the Holy Book teaches even when it does not jell with your own experience.
It takes someone of the stature of Einstein to understand that Buddha does not expect his disciples to apply his teachings in a dogmatic manner. Buddha expects his disciples to discover the truths for themselves.
I would suggest that you tell me what your experiences are that makes you hold on to beliefs that should be in the realm of "maybe" "interesting" "I do not know" instead of holding on to them in a dogmatic manner when there are no evidence for them based on your own experience.
If you have experienced it, then maybe you can tell me about it and I see if I experience the same and if I do, we are then in agreement. Otherwise, we continue to cling on to doubt and continue to search or simply rest in the unknown and base all our decisions in life on reality, the known, the ethical if you want to and the logical.[/b]
I was a skeptic of buddhism.When i read the 4 noble truth, i was young and carefree and i cant relate to it at all but as i grow older,sometime things in life make u rethink. Time can remould the way you think...
No matter which religion you believe, as long it make you a happy person.. what does it matters... what the point of all this pointless arguement? For the sake of arguing?
To base your reality solely on your experience is dogmatic and narrow. For example, you did base on ur inaccurate deduction/experience with Buddhism and critcise it openly. It's important to do ur proper research before commenting on any topics.
I suggest u try to immense urself in buddhism.... try meditation, try to attend a dhamma talk or talk to a venerable to answer ur queries about buddhism..
before critcise on it. Of cos, pls make sure u attend the 'correct' buddhism groups.. cos there are some cults using buddhism in name but does not spread correct teachings. -
Some pple will appreciate the teachings of the Buddha, some dun, but it doesnt matter as people who believe and practise the dhamma are the ones who will benefit.
There are not one who has not been criticised before, and there will never be one who will not be criticised in future. That's the nature of this world. -
For people who criticises, they failed to see their faults unfortunately.
Easy to see other faults, but one's fault is indeed hard to see.
They are their worst enemies, cutting off their nose to spite their faces, its a bit like biting the hand that feeds you.
They are playing with fire, but they didnt realise they are burning their own houses. The dhamma which is like in heaven, those fools who criticise, thought by spitting at the heaven, reckon the spit will soil the heaven, but the spit comes back and soiled oneself. -
Relax my fren... these pple just nt awaken yetOriginally posted by marcteng:For people who criticises, they failed to see their faults unfortunately.
Easy to see other faults, but one's fault is indeed hard to see.
They are their worst enemies, cutting off their nose to spite their faces, its a bit like biting the hand that feeds you.
They are playing with fire, but they didnt realise they are burning their own houses. The dhamma which is like in heaven, those fools who criticise, thought by spitting at the heaven, reckon the spit will soil the heaven, but the spit comes back and soiled oneself.
-
Lol, not only them, we also unawakened yet.Originally posted by neutral_onliner:Relax my fren... these pple just nt awaken yet
When we scold other people, we are also unwittingly scold ourselves, because the faults in other people, also can find on ourselves. -
Originally posted by paperflower:
This makes so much sense and is so useful for everyday living right? Buddhism can be very useful if not for all the fantastic beliefs that goes with it.
the Buddha once told the layman Dighajanu that there are 4 things conducive to happiness in this world:
to be skilled,
to be efficient,
to be energetic,
to be earnest and learned...
in whatever profession one has; to conscientiously protect one's income and family's mean of support; to have virtuous, trustworthy and faithful friends and spiritual aspirations; to be content and to live within one's means.
this advice aptly demontrates the [b]Buddha's commonsense approach as well as his capacity to relate to laymen.
[/b] -
what fantastic beliefs? Elaborate more... plsOriginally posted by casino_king:This makes so much sense and is so useful for everyday living right? Buddhism can be very useful if not for all the fantastic beliefs that goes with it. -
I am doing this openly in a forum not so much as to criticise but to find answers to questions in my mind. The foremost of which is why people choose to believe and run their lives according to unsubstantiated theories. There seems to be a fault in the human thought.Originally posted by Isis:You have to admit that there are many unknown in this world that science has yet to explain and discover. Im not suggesting you should blindly follow or even accept what people in this forum has said. You should explore and uncover buddhism teachings; find something you can relate to spiritually. Faith comes naturally when you can relate to it spirtually.
I was a skeptic of buddhism.When i read the 4 noble truth, i was young and carefree and i cant relate to it at all but as i grow older,sometime things in life make u rethink. Time can remould the way you think...
No matter which religion you believe, as long it make you a happy person.. what does it matters... what the point of all this pointless arguement? For the sake of arguing?
To base your reality solely on your experience is dogmatic and narrow. For example, you did base on ur inaccurate deduction/experience with Buddhism and critcise it openly. It's important to do ur proper research before commenting on any topics.
I suggest u try to immense urself in buddhism.... try meditation, try to attend a dhamma talk or talk to a venerable to answer ur queries about buddhism..
before critcise on it. Of cos, pls make sure u attend the 'correct' buddhism groups.. cos there are some cults using buddhism in name but does not spread correct teachings.
Someone mentioned "symbols" and I understand that to mean "patterns." We all make assumptions. Like if you ask me which forum I am in, I will say sgforums. Sgforums could very well have be hacked and hijacked and I am writing in a pseudo server that claims to be sgforums.
I do not try to verify that it is really sgforums and simply assume that it is.
So people have this flaw. Many will believe things that others in a uniform... Priest's collar; the nun's habit, and the monk's robe without question.
This is dangerous. -
Like people can levitate if they meditate?Originally posted by Isis:what fantastic beliefs? Elaborate more... pls -
Pal, we only utilise our brain power in our life 1%, the other 99% latent ability untapped. Those so called genius, utilise the other 99% power to the maximum.Originally posted by casino_king:Like people can levitate if they meditate?
There are other things you are not aware of, which I will refrain from saying here.
To each its own. You will look at this issue differently in 5 years time, trust me.
I also been asking some of the questions you asked when I first started Buddhism, but I am keep my mind open. -
Actually Genius use 2-3% of the brain-power, the rest are not used..Originally posted by marcteng:Pal, we only utilise our brain power in our life 1%, the other 99% latent ability untapped. Those so called genius, utilise the other 99% power to the maximum.
There are other things you are not aware of, which I will refrain from saying here.
To each its own. You will look at this issue differently in 5 years time, trust me.
I also been asking some of the questions you asked when I first started Buddhism, but I am keep my mind open. -
So tell me, how are we running our lives on the belief that we can levitate if we meditate?Originally posted by casino_king:Like people can levitate if they meditate? -
Again it is precisely because you are using logical reasoning to deal with areas that cannot be comprehended by logic. All these things have already been discussed in previous posts, and I wonder if you have read them.Originally posted by casino_king:Like people can levitate if they meditate?
What do you mean by looking at reality? I think Thusness said very well here. It is merely your assumption. Logical assumption. Is logical reasoning REALITY? Far from it. If "logical reasoning" can lead someone to believe that we will never one day fly on aeroplanes, or the world is actually not flat but round, then there is no reason why "logical reasoning" alone cannot lead to the comprehension of spiritual truths.
Let me cite you an example. You are just like a person, who after seeing that a scientist has done certain experiments and proven a scientific fact. Then you say "as far as my experience tell me and by looking at reality, there is simply no evidence of past live and rebirth". The fact is the experiment is done by uncountable people, and you can do it yourself to find out, but instead of doing that experiment you proclaim that just because it is not within your perception it is not true. So what is Reality? Your own perception of "reality"? What Buddha attained is attainable by all of us. The ultimate result is ENLIGHTENMENT, BUDDHAHOOD.
And Thusness also said, you cannot derive answers to spiritual matters through logical deduction. Please read carefully and seriously consider what Thusness said.
A lot more than that have been said in previous posts in regards to this matter.
Also, I have posted a link which I found was interesting. amazing abilities by concentration. Another thing is, in regards to these psychic/paranormal abilities, it is well known that a lot of monks and masters have these. But they do NOT perform miracles publicly because Buddha specifically made a law to forbid it. Only those who are near them will know for certain. Also, I do not need and am not convincing anyone, but I just find it an interesting read, it is up to readers to decide. A person does not necessarily have to believe in levitation to practise Dharma at all, because as I mentioned earlier too, performing so called paranormal abilities is not important in Buddhism. It is OK if you are not convinced about some of these things, but if you have a prejudiced view, and perception of your "reality", then you are in fact living in DOGMATISM. Just like a scientist wld tell a scepticist, if you dont believe, why dont you try to experiment yourself. I have already done it, you can do it too. But instead of doing the experiment and finding out himself which he is able, the person say "It's impossible. Looking at reality, it musn't be true." In that case the person is living in his Dogmas. I think his perception of reality is reality. He doesn't have an open mind. -
Very well. Which is why Buddha said,Originally posted by casino_king:So people have this flaw. Many will believe things that others in a uniform... Priest's collar; the nun's habit, and the monk's robe without question.
This is dangerous.
Rely on the teaching, not on the person;
Rely on the meaning, not on the words;
Rely on the definitive meaning, not on the provisional;
Rely on your wisdom mind, not on your ordinary mind.
-The Four Reliances -
When you are talking about levitating, you are talking about how gravity does not apply. It is not a question of assumption or logic.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Again it is precisely because you are using logical reasoning to deal with areas that cannot be comprehended by logic. All these things have already been discussed in previous posts, and I wonder if you have read them.
What do you mean by looking at reality? I think Thusness said very well here. It is merely your assumption. Logical assumption. Is logical reasoning REALITY? Far from it. If "logical reasoning" can lead someone to believe that we will never one day fly on aeroplanes, or the world is actually not flat but round, then there is no reason why "logical reasoning" alone cannot lead to the comprehension of spiritual truths.
Let me cite you an example. You are just like a person, who after seeing that a scientist has done certain experiments and proven a scientific fact. Then you say "as far as my experience tell me and by looking at reality, there is simply no evidence of past live and rebirth". The fact is the experiment is done by uncountable people, and you can do it yourself to find out, but instead of doing that experiment you proclaim that just because it is not within your perception it is not true. So what is Reality? Your own perception of "reality"? What Buddha attained is attainable by all of us. The ultimate result is ENLIGHTENMENT, BUDDHAHOOD.
And Thusness also said, you cannot derive answers to spiritual matters through logical deduction. Please read carefully and seriously consider what Thusness said.
A lot more than that have been said in previous posts in regards to this matter.
Also, I have posted a link which I found was interesting. amazing abilities by concentration. Another thing is, in regards to these psychic/paranormal abilities, it is well known that a lot of monks and masters have these. But they do NOT perform miracles publicly because Buddha specifically made a law to forbid it. Only those who are near them will know for certain. Also, I do not need and am not convincing anyone, but I just find it an interesting read, it is up to readers to decide. A person does not necessarily have to believe in levitation to practise Dharma at all, because as I mentioned earlier too, performing so called paranormal abilities is not important in Buddhism.
When i said that scientist are beginning to find meditation interesting and beneficial, I and the scientists are not talking about levitating. They are just pointing out that if you learn to concentrate your mind through practising mediation, you will improve your ability to concentrate and that is beneficial for learning and to do many types of work.
You said that paranormal activities are not importamnt to Buddhist teachings. I am of the opinion that if Buddhist can have the illusion that they can levitate through meditation, how much of Buddhist teachings are then based on such illusions?
While I admire Christian teachings I ask myself that if they can believe in God and heaven and hell; how much of Christian teaching is nonsense? -
If you have read my previous post on 'amazing abilities by concentration', you would already have read the answer.Originally posted by casino_king:When you are talking about levitating, you are talking about how gravity does not apply. It is not a question of assumption or logic.
When i said that scientist are beginning to find meditation interesting and beneficial, I and the scientists are not talking about levitating. They are just pointing out that if you learn to concentrate your mind through practising mediation, you will improve your ability to concentrate and that is beneficial for learning and to do many types of work.
You said that paranormal activities are not importamnt to Buddhist teachings. I am of the opinion that if Buddhist can have the illusion that they can levitate through meditation, how much of Buddhist teachings are then based on such illusions?
While I admire Christian teachings I ask myself that if they can believe in God and heaven and hell; how much of Christian teaching is nonsense?
If such accounts of human levitation are true, then what enables a human being to counter the force of gravity and levitate? It defies Western logic. Perhaps the physical universe is not a physical universe at all. Perhaps it is just a play of our own conscious thinking, limited by our own consciousness. Perhaps by shifting our conscious awareness to the subtle more powerful regions of the mind we can transcend the limitations that we have at the more concrete expressions of consciousness that we call physical matter.
Quantum mechanics, an aspect of modern physics, identifies a field of life called the unified field, or ground state, which is the fundamental nonchanging field of life. It is eternal, unbounded, beyond space and time, wherein are contained all possibilities. It is the unmanifested field of pure potentiality from where all force and matter fields emerge. If you have this you have everything. Some physicists early on have postulated that this unmanifested field of pure potentiality may be consciousness itself. Max Planck stated, "I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness." And Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington said, "All through the physical world runs the unknown content that must surely be the stuff of our consciousness."
Renowned Harvard graduate and physicist, Dr. John Hagelin, is spearheading the cutting edge of the recent discovery that a unified field of consciousness is indeed at the foundation of all conscious experience. He argues that consciousness is fundamental in nature; the lively origin and basis of everything in creation and not merely the result of biochemical processes in the brain. Dr. Hagelin identifies numerous parallels between the qualities of the single unified field sought by Einstein and the qualities of consciousness. He argues that consciousness is the unified field.
This unified field of consciousness, that is the unified field of nature, is your own inner nature as well. It is your inner Being. It is from here that all impulses of creativity emerge. The reality of life, which was once shrouded in mysticism, is today being understood in terms of modern science. To better understand how consciousness constructs our reality, I highly recommend seeing the documentary-drama film, What the Bleep Do We Know!? For more information, please visit their website at What the BLEEP Do We Know!?
The unified field is the field of all possibilities because it is the home of all the laws of nature, the residence of the constitution of the universe. This is the level from which all of nature manifests and operates. And it does so according to its inherent constitution, the laws of nature that reside therein. This unified field of the universe has now been discovered to be the unified field of consciousness.
Because the unified field of consciousness is your own inner nature you need not look far to find it. It is easily experienced through the practice of deep meditation. All you need to do is to bring your awareness to the deep inner level of unified consciousness, and imbibe that status within your conscious awareness. Operating from that status you gain command and support of all the laws of nature. -
In fact with regards to this, The Universe as a Hologram - Holographic Reality is also a good read.
If there are so many accounts of these things, not only levitation, then people instead of arguing against it should find out WHY it is that way.
Again, it is dogmas if one simply reject these things, just because it is THREATENING our views, or the world's views.
When it comes to things we don't like to believe, they call just one experience, one clear factual undeniable experience, an anomaly. Anomaly is a word in science for disconcerting evidence that we can put in the back of a filing cabinet and not look at again, because it's threatens our worldview. It undermines what we want to believe. It is threatening to our dogma. However, an essential part of the scientific method is that theories have to be abandoned in favour of the evidence, in respect of the facts. - Ajahn Brahmavamso, 'Buddhism and Science' -
Please don't compare Christianity and Buddhism here.
While I admire Christian teachings I ask myself that if they can believe in God and heaven and hell; how much of Christian teaching is nonsense?
What Buddha taught is that we can realise and attain whatever he has attained. That no need to have blind faith on authority and his words.
Christian teachings are more emphasized on faith. -
Do you not notice that there is no evidence whatsoever to support all these assertions? Yet you take them as scientific theories.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:If you have read my previous post on 'amazing abilities by concentration', you would already have read the answer.[/i]
While I might even keep an open mind and allow the possibility, I will definately not run my life based on such unproven speculation.
REALITY... keep your focus on REALITY. -
Did Buddha specifically state anywhere that you can levitate if you meditate?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Please don't compare Christianity and Buddhism here.
What Buddha taught is that we can realise and attain whatever he has attained. That no need to have blind faith on authority and his words.
Christian teachings are more emphasized on faith. -
In modern science, unexplained phenomena are termed as ANOMOLIES and nobody will bother it because it threatens our world views or we are unable to explain it.Originally posted by casino_king:Do you not notice that there is no evidence whatsoever to support all these assertions? Yet you take them as scientific theories.
While I might even keep an open mind and allow the possibility, I will definately not run my life based on such unproven speculation.
REALITY... keep your focus on REALITY.
There has in fact been many documented cases of such miracles. So many of them! Levitating alone is documented so many but without scientific explanation. I have only given you one website of it. Doctors are also unable to explain certain mysterious, for example for 'Prahlad Jani'. Like I said - Modern Science will not be able to understand these matters anytime soon because so much attention has been directed to the 'outer world' and not the 'inner'.
Secondly, even if I believe that such things exist, as Cenarious pointed out, how does it affect how I live my life? It doesn't at all. That's why Buddhism place so less emphasize on it.
So I say - Keep your Focus on DHARMA. -
Yes, although Buddha and Buddhism places so little emphasize on aspects of paranormal abilities, Buddha did spoke about it before. He himself has also performed miracles.Originally posted by casino_king:Did Buddha specifically state anywhere that you can levitate if you meditate?
Buddha spoke of 6 kinds of Supernatural Powers: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/tinhla01.htm
But however, only the 6th is of most important and crucial for liberation. It is 6. ASAVAKKHAYA - SUPRA-MUNDANE KNOWLEDGE OR POWER RELATING TO DESTRUCTION OF ASAVAS AND THE RECOGNITION OF THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS.
Practitioners and yogis outside Buddhism may enter Samadhi and cultivate the 5 Supernatural Powers, but the 6th is only attained by cultivating the Buddhadharma and reaching liberation/enlightenment. -
Let's say all the scientist become Buddhists. That will be the biggest disaster known to Human kind, no? They will spend time chasing after "unfalsifiable" statements and no new knowledge and no new technology and no new medical discovery and no new .... will come along.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:In modern science, unexplained phenomena are termed as ANOMOLIES and nobody will bother it because it threatens our world views or we are unable to explain it.
There has in fact been many documented cases of such miracles. So many of them! Levitating alone is documented so many but without scientific explanation. I have only given you one website of it. Doctors are also unable to explain certain mysterious, for example for 'Prahlad Jani'. Like I said - Modern Science will not be able to understand these matters anytime soon because so much attention has been directed to the 'outer world' and not the 'inner'.
Secondly, even if I believe that such things exist, as Cenarious pointed out, how does it affect how I live my life? It doesn't at all. That's why Buddhism place so less emphasize on it.
So I say - Keep your Focus on DHARMA.
Buddhists have been given 2549 years to come up with something tangible. Christians 2000 years. Nothing to show for it. It is time to move on or to undertsand just what exactly is Buddhism and Christianity; the illusions, delusions and speculations as well as the essence and teaching that can be beneficial to mankind.