Problems & challenges that buddhists is facing
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1) Mutation of buddhism
Buddhism has many traditions like Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana. As it goes, some new sects appear and doesn't seem like genuine buddhism, eg. falungong. Although claiming themselves as buddhism, but their teaching is either contradicting with original buddhism teaching or they don't treat sakyamuni buddha as the founder.
It is important that when we want to cultivate, we should seek a reliable and at least a dharma center which is recognized by the mainstream buddhism.
2) Second thing I find is we buddhists don't have a a tight cohesion. A good example of muslim is every friday, they will go to mosques to pray, they really treat it as part of their life. Mosques has become a place for them to socialize, maintain their faith and unity as well as exchange knowledge.
But when I look at we buddhists, I can only shake my head. Is it bcoz our scripture is so deep and profound that we can ignore all the social factors. In this aspect, we need to learn from the muslim.
3) 3rd is middle path in cultivation. To ensure healthy cultivation in long term, we need to have faith, understanding of dharma, practise and some social factors. It seems to me that many people don't balance up among these few points. Some people only have faith, every week go bugis burn josstick, but their dharma knowledge is empty, when asked about why not join christian, they also don't know how to debut. Social factors also very important, in the past there are many dharma tragedy happened (some monks are forced to go back as layman), just bcoz of the lack of it. A temple should have activities which can attract youngster, otherwise very soon all the dharma like karma, precepts, selfless will be lost in humanity.
4) Last is Bodhichitta.
The reason why mahayana buddhism in china flourished for so long is also because of bodhichitta, they are willing to take up their precious time to spread the dharma to layman people.
Some buddhist has a wrong perception that they don't need to preach to other people simply bcoz buddhism is precious. What a wrong concept. After buddha attain ultimate enlightenment, he went to preach the 5 bikkhus, not the 5 bikkhus come to buddha. Buddha knows sentient beings don't have the wisdom to seek the truth.
Some like to emphasize on self liberation. They are not enlightened yet but isolate themselves from the crowd, just stay alone meditating and reading books. The danger of doing so is, when he take the wrong step, no one will correct him.
These are my 2 cents. Comments welcome. -
I agree entirely on point one, Buddhists are facing this problem due to ignorance, most Buddhist will have no problem identifying such sects if they had take up sometime to read from scriptures or attended Buddhism classes. It's really upsets me a lot when some sect claim to be genuine Buddhism but the methods or whatever scripture they have tends to differ or distorted Buddhism teaching...it's really a sad thing don't you think?Originally posted by justdoit77:1) Mutation of buddhism
Buddhism has many traditions like Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana. As it goes, some new sects appear and doesn't seem like genuine buddhism, eg. falungong. Although claiming themselves as buddhism, but their teaching is either contradicting with original buddhism teaching or they don't treat sakyamuni buddha as the founder.
It is important that when we want to cultivate, we should seek a reliable and at least a dharma center which is recognized by the mainstream buddhism.
2) Second thing I find is we buddhists don't have a a tight cohesion. A good example of muslim is every friday, they will go to mosques to pray, they really treat it as part of their life. Mosques has become a place for them to socialize, maintain their faith and unity as well as exchange knowledge.
But when I look at we buddhists, I can only shake my head. Is it bcoz our scripture is so deep and profound that we can ignore all the social factors. In this aspect, we need to learn from the muslim.
3) 3rd is middle path in cultivation. To ensure healthy cultivation in long term, we need to have faith, understanding of dharma, practise and some social factors. It seems to me that many people don't balance up among these few points. Some people only have faith, every week go bugis burn josstick, but their dharma knowledge is empty, when asked about why not join christian, they also don't know how to debut. Social factors also very important, in the past there are many dharma tragedy happened (some monks are forced to go back as layman), just bcoz of the lack of it. A temple should have activities which can attract youngster, otherwise very soon all the dharma like karma, precepts, selfless will be lost in humanity.
4) Last is Bodhichitta.
The reason why mahayana buddhism in china flourished for so long is also because of bodhichitta, they are willing to take up their precious time to spread the dharma to layman people.
Some buddhist has a wrong perception that they don't need to preach to other people simply bcoz buddhism is precious. What a wrong concept. After buddha attain ultimate enlightenment, he went to preach the 5 bikkhus, not the 5 bikkhus come to buddha. Buddha knows sentient beings don't have the wisdom to seek the truth.
Some like to emphasize on self liberation. They are not enlightened yet but isolate themselves from the crowd, just stay alone meditating and reading books. The danger of doing so is, when he take the wrong step, no one will correct him.
These are my 2 cents. Comments welcome.
Just to add on to point 2-4...in order to resolve such issues, the only hope is that those knowledgeable Buddhists would come forward to teach what is Buddhism is about then...then Buddists will stand a chance and understand how wonderful Buddhism is...I guess we should cultivate ourselves even more in hope that we can pass down such important message to the masses...
Just my 2 cents... -
JOSS STICKS buddhists the weakest link ( know little of their own religion and easy targets of Evangelists )
btw justdoit77...the situation is improving and very positive...
The majority of ethnic Chinese here used to practice Buddhism and Taoism at the level of popular folk religion, which emphasises ritual and customs.
"But there has been a shift from folk religion to more canonical forms of religious life, which cover the scriptures, and the study and interpretations of these scriptures.
"The canonical forms certainly tend to attract the more educated. Because Buddhism is not a monotheistic religion, there is also a group of people who see it as a philosophical system, not a religion."
Dr Kwok, head of sociology at Nanyang Technological University, pointed out that, as Chinese schools were phased out in the early 1980s, all young Sg'reans are English-educated, although many are bilingual. [b]The trend really is one of more younger, educated Sg'reans being drawn to Buddhism, and to a level above popular Chinese folk religion.[/b]
Census figures show that in 2000, 53.6 per cent of ethnic Chinese here identified themselves as Buddhists up from 39.4 per cent in 1980. Correspondingly, Taoism, which is still largely practised as a folk religion here, saw its share of ethnic Chinese followers decline from 38.2 per cent in 1980 to 28.4 in 1990 and 10.8 in 2000.
Both Ven Kwang Sheng, who is the abbot of Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Bright Hill Road, and Ven Ming Yi, abbot of the Foo Hai Zen Monastery in Geylang East, confirmed a noticeable rise n the number of younger people attending their prayer sessions, classes and other activities.
Ven Kwang Sheng said an annual seven-day retreat which was launched at his monastery three years ago had attracted some 1,000 people each time, and more than 80 per cent of them had been youths.
In the last 40 years, Buddhism has gained followers in the West. There are about five million Buddhists in the US and four million in Europe, according to author Peter J. Conradi in his book, Going Buddhist.[/i]
pls read
http://www.yayapapayaz.com/comm/20050520_st_buddhism.htm
well let's hope tat sooner or later more and more so-called JOSS STICKS buddhists will become true buddhists so dun be so sad lar.. Relax lar
BTW...
i oso agree wf apoc.feuer. We need to awaken these so-called JOSS STICK Buddhists to a deeper appreciation for their own religion.I mean how to expect these JOSS STICK Buddhists to answer the questions Evangelists ask or to rebut the claims they make(due to 'kung fu' not enough sure kena brain washed)
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i still burn joss sticks & those joss coils at home.
because i like the aroma
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Buddhists do burn incense.
But theres a difference with the so called 'joss stick buddhists' -
Agreed on all the points.Originally posted by justdoit77:1) Mutation of buddhism
Buddhism has many traditions like Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana. As it goes, some new sects appear and doesn't seem like genuine buddhism, eg. falungong. Although claiming themselves as buddhism, but their teaching is either contradicting with original buddhism teaching or they don't treat sakyamuni buddha as the founder.
It is important that when we want to cultivate, we should seek a reliable and at least a dharma center which is recognized by the mainstream buddhism.
2) Second thing I find is we buddhists don't have a a tight cohesion. A good example of muslim is every friday, they will go to mosques to pray, they really treat it as part of their life. Mosques has become a place for them to socialize, maintain their faith and unity as well as exchange knowledge.
But when I look at we buddhists, I can only shake my head. Is it bcoz our scripture is so deep and profound that we can ignore all the social factors. In this aspect, we need to learn from the muslim.
3) 3rd is middle path in cultivation. To ensure healthy cultivation in long term, we need to have faith, understanding of dharma, practise and some social factors. It seems to me that many people don't balance up among these few points. Some people only have faith, every week go bugis burn josstick, but their dharma knowledge is empty, when asked about why not join christian, they also don't know how to debut. Social factors also very important, in the past there are many dharma tragedy happened (some monks are forced to go back as layman), just bcoz of the lack of it. A temple should have activities which can attract youngster, otherwise very soon all the dharma like karma, precepts, selfless will be lost in humanity.
4) Last is Bodhichitta.
The reason why mahayana buddhism in china flourished for so long is also because of bodhichitta, they are willing to take up their precious time to spread the dharma to layman people.
Some buddhist has a wrong perception that they don't need to preach to other people simply bcoz buddhism is precious. What a wrong concept. After buddha attain ultimate enlightenment, he went to preach the 5 bikkhus, not the 5 bikkhus come to buddha. Buddha knows sentient beings don't have the wisdom to seek the truth.
Some like to emphasize on self liberation. They are not enlightened yet but isolate themselves from the crowd, just stay alone meditating and reading books. The danger of doing so is, when he take the wrong step, no one will correct him.
These are my 2 cents. Comments welcome.
But for me, I think there is a social cohesion at least from what I experience. But well... I do not go to other monasteries so I dont konw about the others. -
Yeah, it is quite sad to know that. Some new sect cling to only one scripture and ignore the teaching of other scriptures totally.Originally posted by apoc.feuer:I agree entirely on point one, Buddhists are facing this problem due to ignorance, most Buddhist will have no problem identifying such sects if they had take up sometime to read from scriptures or attended Buddhism classes. It's really upsets me a lot when some sect claim to be genuine Buddhism but the methods or whatever scripture they have tends to differ or distorted Buddhism teaching...it's really a sad thing don't you think?
Just to add on to point 2-4...in order to resolve such issues, the only hope is that those knowledgeable Buddhists would come forward to teach what is Buddhism is about then...then Buddists will stand a chance and understand how wonderful Buddhism is...I guess we should cultivate ourselves even more in hope that we can pass down such important message to the masses...
Just my 2 cents...
Sometimes I wonder since sakyamuni buddha is so noble, why is there no series about the story of buddha. That would make a stun in movie industry at the same time teach the crowd the essence of buddhism. -
series on life of Buddha Sakyamuni ...quite difficult , becos if we potray only the theravada aspect ,then how abt the teachings of Avalokiteshvara , Medicine Buddha and so on. I dun think it is necessaryOriginally posted by justdoit77:Yeah, it is quite sad to know that. Some new sect cling to only one scripture and ignore the teaching of other scriptures totally.
Sometimes I wonder since sakyamuni buddha is so noble, why is there no series about the story of buddha. That would make a stun in movie industry at the same time teach the crowd the essence of buddhism.
Little Buddha by Bernado Bertolucci is doing a good job liao
and the Japanese made Fo dian Gu shi is quite common lor -
Originally posted by neutral_onliner:
Yeah, it is improving especially in terms of quantity.
JOSS STICKS buddhists the[b] weakest link ( know little of their own religion and easy targets of Evangelists )
btw justdoit77...the situation is improving and very positive...
Usually when the quantity increase, some will make it as a living style or habit, and subsequently will superceed practise. We have seen this happened in India and China when the teaching of buddhism reach its peak.
Of coz the collapse of buddhism in India and dharma tragedy happended in china are due to other reasons also. -
Buddhism making a comeback in ChinaOriginally posted by justdoit77:Yeah, it is improving especially in terms of quantity.
Usually when the quantity increase, some will make it as a living style or habit, and subsequently will superceed practise. We have seen this happened in India and China when the teaching of buddhism reach its peak.
Of coz the collapse of buddhism in India and dharma tragedy happended in china are due to other reasons also.
By Hamish McDonald, Herald Correspondent in Beijing
September 21 2002
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/20/1032054963313.html -
Originally posted by neutral_onliner:
Oh yes thats right... Buddhism is seeing a revival in China. As religious restrictions lightens, more people become interested in seeking spirituality.
[b]Buddhism making a comeback in China
By Hamish McDonald, Herald Correspondent in Beijing
September 21 2002
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/20/1032054963313.html
[/b] -
Documentary : BBC - The Life Of BuddhaOriginally posted by justdoit77:Yeah, it is quite sad to know that. Some new sect cling to only one scripture and ignore the teaching of other scriptures totally.
Sometimes I wonder since sakyamuni buddha is so noble, why is there no series about the story of buddha. That would make a stun in movie industry at the same time teach the crowd the essence of buddhism.
Also
Chinese team in Nepal to shoot documentary on Buddha
By Indo-Asian News Service
http://in.news.yahoo.com/050413/43/2kq5u.html
Also
Chasing Buddha
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0260796/
A former Catholic to a Buddhism nun -
I think the problems lie not outside, but inside Buddhist community.
If I am not mistaken, the Buddha did say that no external forces can harm Buddhism. The downfall of Buddhism is the cause of our own.
Buddhism will survive for another 9000 years. This is the "Fa4 Yun4" of Lord Buddha. -
nothing is permanentOriginally posted by concerned_man:I think the problems lie not outside, but inside Buddhist community.
If I am not mistaken, the Buddha did say that no external forces can harm Buddhism. The downfall of Buddhism is the cause of our own.
Buddhism will survive for another 9000 years. This is the "Fa4 Yun4" of Lord Buddha.