Greatest Miracles
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There are many who believe that miracles are proof of godÂ’s existence. We hear wild claims that a healing has taken place but we never get an independent testimony from a medical office or a surgeon. We hear second-hand reports that someone was miraculously saved from disaster but we never get an eyewitness account of what is supposed to have happened. We hear rumors that prayer straightened a diseased body or strengthened a withered limb, but we never see X-rays or get comments from doctors or nurses. Wild claims, second-hand reports and rumors are no substitute for solid evidence and solid evidence of miracles is very rare.
However, sometimes unexplained things do happen, unexpected events do occur. But our inability to explain such things does not prove the existence of gods. It only proves that our knowledge is as yet incomplete. Before the development of modern medicine, when people didnÂ’t know what caused sickness people believed that god or the gods sent diseases as a punishment. Now we know what causes such things and when we get sick, we take medicine. In time when our knowledge of the world is more complete, we will be able to understand what causes unexplained phenomena, just as we can now understand what causes disease.
The Buddha knew of the power that could be developed by training the human mind. He also knew that his disciples could acquire such powers through mental development. Thus the Buddha advised them not to exercise such psychic power in order to convert less intelligent people. He was referring to the 'miraculous' power to walk on water, to exorcise spirits, raise the dead and perform the so-called supernormal practices. He was also referring to the 'miracles of prophesy' such as thought-reading, soothe-saying, fortune-telling, and so on. When the uneducated believers see the performance of such powers, their faith deepens. But the nominal converts who are attracted to a religion because of these powers embrace a faith, not because they realise the truth, but because they harbour hallucinations. Besides, some people may pass remarks that these miracles are due to certain charms. In drawing people to listen to the Dharma, the Buddha appealed to their reasoning power -
Buddha also say to test and verify what's written on the sutras on whether they are the truth
Including the unnatural abilities
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In certain religions, a man's miraculous performance can help him to become a saint. But in Buddhism, miracles can be a hindrance for a person to attain sainthood, which is a gradual personal attainment and individual concern. Each person himself must work for his sainthood through self-purification and no one else can make another person a saint.
The Buddha says that a person can gain miraculous power without gaining spiritual power. He teaches us that if we first gain spiritual power, then we automatically receive the miraculous or psychic powers too. But if we develop miraculous powers without spiritual development, then we are in danger. We can misuse this power for worldly gain. There are many who have deviated from the right path by using their miraculous powers without having any spiritual development. Many people who are supposed to have obtained some miraculous powers succumbed to the vain glory of obtaining some worldly gain.
Many so-called miracles talked about by people are merely imaginations and hallucinations created by their own minds due to a lack of understanding of things as they truly are. All these miracles remain as miracles as long as people fail to know what these powers really are.
Many psychic powers were attributed to Shakyamuni Buddha, but he did not consider these important. To him, the greatest miracle was to explain the Truth and make a man realise it. As a teacher with deep compassion, he was moved by human suffering and determined to free men from its fetters by a rational system of thought and way of life.
When we study Buddhism, we are studying ourselves, the nature of our own minds. Instead of focusing on some supreme being, Buddhism emphasizes more practical matters, such as how to lead our lives, how to integrate our minds and how to keep our everyday lives peaceful and healthy. In other words, Buddhism always accentuates experiential knowledge-wisdom rather than some dogmatic view.
The human mind instinctively seeks happiness. East, West—there’s no difference; everybody’s doing the same thing.How buddhism do that?Well by making us Rediscover our true nature.What is this true nature of ours?It is Our buddha nature.The nature of loving-kindness and Compassion
We do good not because we can use this as a bargain to go to heaven.
We do good not because we are afraid of being punished to hell.
We do good because this is what we are.
We do good because we are happy to do so
We do good because we have loving-kindness and Compassion
This is what we really are and Buddha has certainly made us realise that.
According to the Buddha, the miracle of realisation is a real miracle. When a murderer, thief, terrorist, drunkard, or adulterer is made to realise that what he had been doing is wrong and gives up his bad, immoral and harmful way of life, this change can be regarded as a miracle. The change for the better arising from an understanding of Dharma is the highest miracle that any man can perform. -
well i came upon this website the other day ..
http://www.nectarmonastery.org/
pretty much left me speechless..
what do u guys think abt it? -
Nectar!?Originally posted by geforce:well i came upon this website the other day ..
http://www.nectarmonastery.org/
pretty much left me speechless..
what do u guys think abt it?
OH NO the "insectoid" aliens are coming -
The Buddha's greatest miracle is not his superpowers, but his ability to lead the ignorant, uneducated, dullards, criminals etc to salvation or Nibbana.
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Dear Geforce ,Originally posted by geforce:well i came upon this website the other day ..
http://www.nectarmonastery.org/
pretty much left me speechless..
what do u guys think abt it?
the website is not a authentic school of esoteric as no Lama of any tradition allowed to break the samaya vows of keeping hair dignity
I am not sure whehter it is passed down by the black zen of lingyun master
another one not recognised in Buddhist community -
I've sent an email to Henry at E-sangha to enquire about the Nectar Monastery.
It aroused my suspicion as Buddhist traditions don't talk always about supernatural and encourage people to be in awe of the supernatural. -
thank you for yr insights bohiruci..
hope more pple turn to buddhism for wisdom and compassion, instead of hoping winning a lottery or changing their overall luck.
with metta -
Very doubtful.
There are a lot of fake vajrayana teachers - beware. If you want to receive teachings must check carefully. -
some pple get conned in the name of buddhism. Why is tat so? Becos of lack of understand wat buddhism is all abt.Thus true buddhists should educate them abt the basic concept of buddhism
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I fully agree. What use is the ability to split oceans, turn people into salts and to perform other theatrical (but insubstantial) abilities if you cannot make an impact where it counts; I.e. leading to enlightenment, nirvana and the cessation of all sufferings?Originally posted by marcteng:The Buddha's greatest miracle is not his superpowers, but his ability to lead the ignorant, uneducated, dullards, criminals etc to salvation or Nibbana.
I also question the motive of anyone who claims to be all-powerful, yet choose to heal only one or a select few, while millions others are still suffering from illnesses, diseases and other ailments. -
Science today does not deny the possibility of miracies.;s it once did but is beginning to accept that what were known as miracles were but manifestations of phenomena as yet unknown. The Buddha himself expounded this view: to him miracles were not in themselves to be regarded as demonstration of truth, but showed only a mastery of little-known powers that may be developed by some people. It did not necessarily follow that their possessor was an enlightened or divine being.
This being so, the Buddha not only taught his followers to be wary in the exercise of any miraculous powers they might acquire, but also warned others not to be unduly impressed by such exhibitions Thus whereas other religions exploit their miraculous elements to the greatest possible extent in order to convince the masses. Buddhism treats all such things as of very minor importance and irrelevant to the real task of spiritual development and emancipation. According to the Buddha the highest miracle is the conversion of an ignorant manto become a wise man.
In this connection, Swami Vivekananda says. "The idea of supernatural beings may arouse to a cerain extent, the power of action in man, but it also brings dependence; it brings fear; it brings superstion. It degenerates into a horrible belief in the natural weakness of the man."
The scientific attitude and content of Buddhism has led Albert Einstein to say that "If there is any religian that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism." -
One of the reasons why Buddha did not perform miracles frequently, because demons can also perform such miracles. It is a good strategy to focus only on wisdom development based on self-examination/investigation and realisation.
There are very interesting stories about a Mother who had lost her son - both in Buddha's and Jesus's period. Both Mother came to Buddha and Jesus, but they have a very different ending ...
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The greatest miracle of all is to understand the Dharma - NaMoAMiTuoFo.