Originally posted by An Eternal Now:I see... that's interesting. How did you come to talk to them about Buddhism?
I don't feel it is very appropriate to talk to my friends about it. Perhaps also because my age group don't really feel drawn to spiritual things yet.. I just turned 20. Though a few of them has been to church (but left/back slided).
Wow ! I didn't know you are so young !
I used to go out with friends but sometimes I can't make it because I need to go to the temple for chanting. From here, they know I chant frequently and they become curious why I become a Buddhist. I told them that I do not wish to be within the rebirth cycle again and that is how the conversation get started.
I will e-mail them some interesting articles on Buddhism or pass to them æƒ å¾‹æ³•å¸ˆ VCD. Some will follow me to the temple for chanting and I consider my job done because the monk said it is important to plant "seed" (by chanting Buddha's name at least once) into them and the rest is up to them. I will not pester them further. They will call me automatically if they wish to go to the temple again.
There are a few who told me that they are grateful that I spread Buddhism to them. I did all these because I was grateful to my ex-colleague from my very first job. She went round spreading Buddhism patiently and she had successfully brought six of us (including myself) to take the 3 refuges.
Let's help to spread the words of Buddha. My purpose is to let them know the truth and it is up to them to believe it or not.
hey dawn which temple u go to, can we meet and chant together?
Originally posted by Franceso Totti:hey dawn which temple u go to, can we meet and chant together?
Do you chant ? Joking or serious ? I go to all temples.
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Do you chant ? Joking or serious ? I go to all temples.
yes i chant. all temples? u must be super busy
Originally posted by Spnw07:I have heard about example 3 but not the rest yet. Indeed example 2 is the most ridiculous one I have heard and this is the first time I'm hearing about it.
Can you share more? Or you can pm me if you wish to share in private.
It is ok to share openly.
1) They said it does not make sense to be vegetarian because vegetables are also living things. I have even come across a Christian who told me that animals have no feelings of pain. I do not know how many Christians out there share his view or only him. I asked him to go slaughtering house to have a look or he can ask vets why vets have to inject anesthesia on animals when operating on them.
He told me why not Buddhists tell the wild animals not to kill each other for food. I told him let nature takes its course. If they have to kill each other, it is their karma.
Correction : Vegetables are not within the rebirth cycle. They have no eyes, ears, nose, tongue etc.
2) Their explanations of the presence of ghosts :
There are no ghosts. What people see are demons disguise as our relatives.
Another group of explanation (mainly methodists) for ghosts is the souls will not go to heaven or hell immediately after death. All the souls will be wondering around till the judgement day.
My question is : If that is the case, some souls must have wandering around for at least 2000 years! Poor souls.
If I remember more, I shall share them here.
Originally posted by Franceso Totti:yes i chant. all temples? u must be super busy
No, I chant at temple only once a week. There is a chanting at Tai Pei Buddhist Centre neart Lavender MRT(三时系念) at 1 pm. If you are interested, you can go there but sorry too shy to meet you, go there yourself ok?
Yes I must respect other ppl's religion.
But it's true some of the buddhists i met i quarreled with them .
I have my own beliefs and they wanna tell me theirs .
I dun wanna get angry with them too.
I din evangelise them first so it's not my fault.
I think christianality is more suitable for me.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:1) tell them tibetan and thai monks eat meat. dont eat meat is only in yi guan dao, buddhism allows eating meat, though mahayana encourages (but not a must) vegetarianism
2) tell them by that logic they should read bible too
3) you can ask them back if they imply they themselves are shang shang geng ppl
That one is not tian dao ppl is really buddhist. they themselves eat meat too.
they told me to reduce eating meat not completely abstaine from meat.
they dun read bible .
I think they say they gt medium roots . they say they not high not low roots so should be medium roots.
BB leaving forum.
An Eternal now
I wont post .
Thanks for ur help .
Originally posted by Rooney9:the so called miracles or faith healing are placebo effect. so it is not a miracle after all. if you can get your skin diseases cured at your church and since god is so almighty, can get cancer, heart and HIV patients convert to christianity and get them cured in church?
Buddha never used his powers to cure illnesses and neither did he used it to impress people so that they may follow his teachings. there is no need to do that as you need to realise the truth yourself. The Buddha said he is a teacher only, you yourself need to walk the path and realised the truth yourself.
Just to share a bit of related information here. If I recall correctly, Buddha did teach some verses or stanzas for monks or anyone to recite to help a sick or mentally stressed person to feel better or more at ease.
I seriously can't recall the title. If anyone knows please let me know.
Originally posted by Rooney9:its a placebo effect. there are research on this topic. its not so a miracle after all.if got miracle, why not get to cure those people who have cancer? since can cure skin diseases, why not perform a miracle to cure those who have cancer?
I watched a tv documentary on sai baba. sai baba once used to perform a trick, where he conjured a gold out of nothing. a critic said if he can made a gold out of nothing, why not made gold for the poor and give it to them? Yes he is right. if he can make gold out of nothing, why not made gold and distribute it to all the poor in the world, esp Africa.
I had hear of sai baba when i was still schooling. I agree with the rebuttal.
Originally posted by Rooney9:if rely on miracles or faith healing, there is no need to study so hard for a medical degree. no need to carry out research to find cure for cancer and HIV virus. spend so much money and effort on this, why not use miracles instead?
there is no need to go see doctor when you are sick, just go to church and have it cured by miracle. when you have cancer, no need to go to hospital to have surgery or have chemotherapy cos church got miracle and can have you cured.
Reasonable alternative viewpoints. I can take note of this to remind myself.
Originally posted by Weychin:Hello Ironfist,
First I hope in the future you do not use the words such as:
Hate, Slander and Bash in vain.
You are a christian and your god is "love", which is good, and "hate", the opposite of love is "evil', therefore bad. Your body is the temple of god,so if you are unable to love and can only hate, there not much god inside you is'nt it?!
Slander is making false accusations and bashing is to verbally hit with violence.
Just because you do not like what people are saying does'nt neccessarily make it false, just only proves you don't like like it. To prove slander, you must prove the statements made untrue!
Comments made in other forums, I do not read, anyway, I am not my blubber's keeper!
To answer your first statement about the buddhist son who scolded the mother for selling meat. The son had the right intentions,perhaps like you, meaning well, but he lacked the skillfull means to go about it, Buddhism is also about skillful means if you do not know.
Anyway, he do not understand what livelihood really means, it means you need it to survive, therefore cannot abandon it just like that! That why right livelihood is important, because we cannot change it easily, especially if you are old.
The problem for non christians with christians is some of them are self righteous, pay lips service about love and do not respect other people religion. As far as I know, correct me if I am wrong, christians are the only religion I know in Singapore to harass dying people in hospitals.
Religion is an identity, a sense of belonging to, so many people including lay buddhist is sensitive to it. Many taoist and buddhist or even christians are nominal one, eg. they are born in a family of that religion. Most of the time it is the sense belonging they are trying to protect, not really the religion! Just like you trying defend your religion without fully understand what people writng about!
Like I said about slandering and bashing, have you been reading what the articles are trying to say?!
Yes, Rony Tan is not the only one, but he is a community leader, who instead fostering better community ties, just to promote his religion, is tearing up a multicultural Singapore, and what do you know, he is slandering,because he can be proven false!
If somebody is lying once, you may dismiss it, but if you allow him continuously say the same lies over and over again, then people start to take it as gospel truth. Do you wish to see Singaporeans fighting in the streets?!
Just want to say I like the way Weychin uses Christian concepts of love and the body being the temple of God in the discussion.
I share Weychin's concerns about the great influence of a religious leader, with or without referring to Pastor Rony Tan. If certain untruths about any one religion, not just on Buddhism is repeated, those untruths may eventually be known or accepted as truths.
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:One will not become a true Buddhist just by chanting. Buddhism is not about chanting. 佛法是心法. You have chanted Diamond Sutra (金刚�). Do you know why it is called 金刚� and what it is being said ?
I believe your relatives are concerned for you, it is only that they express it in the wrong manner. Anyway, since now you are already a Christian, my advise to you is to be good. If you read the bible correctly, Jesus mentioned only those who are good are allowed to enter the heaven.
If you ever read the obituaries in Straits Times, have you ever wondered why miracles do not work on every christians ? Of course, dying of old age is a natural process but what about the young ones ? You are one of the lucky one that miracles healing work on you.
I have reflected deeply about the highlighted part too. I too have similar doubts - as in do miracles work on every Christian? If there's one thing people wish for most, that is to have no illness at all and live as long as one desires...
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Wow ! I didn't know you are so young !
I used to go out with friends but sometimes I can't make it because I need to go to the temple for chanting. From here, they know I chant frequently and they become curious why I become a Buddhist. I told them that I do not wish to be within the rebirth cycle again and that is how the conversation get started.
I will e-mail them some interesting articles on Buddhism or pass to them æƒ å¾‹æ³•å¸ˆ VCD. Some will follow me to the temple for chanting and I consider my job done because the monk said it is important to plant "seed" (by chanting Buddha's name at least once) into them and the rest is up to them. I will not pester them further. They will call me automatically if they wish to go to the temple again.
There are a few who told me that they are grateful that I spread Buddhism to them. I did all these because I was grateful to my ex-colleague from my very first job. She went round spreading Buddhism patiently and she had successfully brought six of us (including myself) to take the 3 refuges.
Let's help to spread the words of Buddha. My purpose is to let them know the truth and it is up to them to believe it or not.
I too don't know AEN is so young. =)
You have good dharma affinity with your non-Buddhist friends there. I have tried something similar but the most they could accept was just some Buddhist books from me. Some hardly read them though due to reasons like work.
Yes, it is very important to help fellow human beings 'plant' good karmic seeds or good seeds of affinity with the Triple Gems/Dharma. To remain contactable, friendly, understanding and sincere is very important.
Wow, very good ex-colleague there! I wish I had a colleague like yours.
Yes indeed, keep on spreading the Dharma via our words and actions - let them feel like wanting to understand Buddhism better than what they have heard or read so far.
Let them feel the sincerity and compassion of practising Buddhists. =)
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:
It is ok to share openly.1) They said it does not make sense to be vegetarian because vegetables are also living things. I have even come across a Christian who told me that animals have no feelings of pain. I do not know how many Christians out there share his view or only him. I asked him to go slaughtering house to have a look or he can ask vets why vets have to inject anesthesia on animals when operating on them.
He told me why not Buddhists tell the wild animals not to kill each other for food. I told him let nature takes its course. If they have to kill each other, it is their karma.
Correction : Vegetables are not within the rebirth cycle. They have no eyes, ears, nose, tongue etc.
2) Their explanations of the presence of ghosts :
There are no ghosts. What people see are demons disguise as our relatives.
Another group of explanation (mainly methodists) for ghosts is the souls will not go to heaven or hell immediately after death. All the souls will be wondering around till the judgement day.
My question is : If that is the case, some souls must have wandering around for at least 2000 years! Poor souls.
If I remember more, I shall share them here.
"I asked him to go slaughtering house to have a look or he can ask vets why vets have to inject anesthesia on animals when operating on them."
Good one there. I can keep this for use should I be asked similar questions.
"My question is : If that is the case, some souls must have wandering around for at least 2000 years! Poor souls."
Yes, I have similar doubts as well. Souls wondering till judgment day?! Oh my...
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Wow ! I didn't know you are so young !
I used to go out with friends but sometimes I can't make it because I need to go to the temple for chanting. From here, they know I chant frequently and they become curious why I become a Buddhist. I told them that I do not wish to be within the rebirth cycle again and that is how the conversation get started.
I will e-mail them some interesting articles on Buddhism or pass to them æƒ å¾‹æ³•å¸ˆ VCD. Some will follow me to the temple for chanting and I consider my job done because the monk said it is important to plant "seed" (by chanting Buddha's name at least once) into them and the rest is up to them. I will not pester them further. They will call me automatically if they wish to go to the temple again.
There are a few who told me that they are grateful that I spread Buddhism to them. I did all these because I was grateful to my ex-colleague from my very first job. She went round spreading Buddhism patiently and she had successfully brought six of us (including myself) to take the 3 refuges.
Let's help to spread the words of Buddha. My purpose is to let them know the truth and it is up to them to believe it or not.
Wow... that's great... hope I can learn to spread the word also. Still don't know how at the moment.. lol. Maybe don't have the conditions.
Originally posted by xXIron_fistXx:
That one is not tian dao ppl is really buddhist. they themselves eat meat too.they told me to reduce eating meat not completely abstaine from meat.
they dun read bible .
I think they say they gt medium roots . they say they not high not low roots so should be medium roots.
1) Reducing meat for health reasons is also good. But there is no reason to impose Buddhist beliefs on anybody such as 'bad karma' etc. In fact the Buddha never made vegetarianism a rule and turned down the request to make vegetarianism compulsory by Devadatta, and Buddha himself ate meat - he simply accepted alms as it is from devotees.
2) Then you should tell them, if they do not feel like reading bible, why do they expect you to feel like reading sutras?
3) Tell them that high, medium, and low roots only apply to Buddhist practitioners. It cannot apply to non-Buddhists. The nine grades which are categorised into higher-high, higher-medium... etc.. to lower-low, actually applies to those who going to be born into Amitabha's Pure Land. Hence it does not apply to non-Buddhists.
Originally posted by xXIron_fistXx:BB leaving forum.
Bye Bye. and by the way Buddha is not satan or some other devils disguised. Buddha is an enlightened man. he taught the causes of sufferings and there is a way to end sufferings. an enlightened man/women need not rely on some other divine beings for salvation, which may be alien to you.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
1) Reducing meat for health reasons is also good. But there is no reason to impose Buddhist beliefs on anybody such as 'bad karma' etc. In fact the Buddha never made vegetarianism a rule and turned down the request to make vegetarianism compulsory by Devadatta, and Buddha himself ate meat - he simply accepted alms as it is from devotees.
2) Then you should tell them, if they do not feel like reading bible, why do they expect you to feel like reading sutras?
3) Tell them that high, medium, and low roots only apply to Buddhist practitioners. It cannot apply to non-Buddhists. The nine grades which are categorised into higher-high, higher-medium... etc.. to lower-low, actually applies to those who going to be born into Amitabha's Pure Land. Hence it does not apply to non-Buddhists.
since u post .
1) they said eating meat even if u dun kill personally got a bit of bad karma. If u repeat eating for years small becomes big. Yes they asked me dont kill personally, kill personally more karma . but i told them i dont believe. they unhappy .yes i ocassionally kill animals like fish . Kill insects .
2) sutra because lastime i gt read so they said i should not waste last time the effort i put in . I told them i so young i read sutra i dunno wad it means, just read only ma. my grandma diun explain .
Now other religion le. so cant read . I can see unhappiness on their faces. they like dun like it.
3)They seemed to imply they have medium roots . I asked them u said i low low root then you all leh? they said not high not low roots , logically means medium roots. I told them i dont need roots. Our religion dun have roots.
They gt take refuge , heard from my mom they ahve taken. but maybe they din study buddhism properly.
Originally posted by Franceso Totti:hey dawn which temple u go to, can we meet and chant together?
You only interested to go out with females?
Originally posted by xXIron_fistXx:
since u post .1) they said eating meat even if u dun kill personally got a bit of bad karma. If u repeat eating for years small becomes big. Yes they asked me dont kill personally, kill personally more karma . but i told them i dont believe. they unhappy .yes i ocassionally kill animals like fish . Kill insects .
2) sutra because lastime i gt read so they said i should not waste last time the effort i put in . I told them i so young i read sutra i dunno wad it means, just read only ma. my grandma diun explain .
Now other religion le. so cant read . I can see unhappiness on their faces. they like dun like it.
3)They seemed to imply they have medium roots . I asked them u said i low low root then you all leh? they said not high not low roots , logically means medium roots. I told them i dont need roots. Our religion dun have roots.
They gt take refuge , heard from my mom they ahve taken. but maybe they din study buddhism properly.
1) I can only advice you to have compassion for animals. I don't kill fish, though sometimes I still kill mosquitoes (very very rarely now, sometimes I just let them off). Best is to avoid killing completely, since these beings are innocent.
2) Yes, if you don't understand the sutras meaning, reading it even more is also not much use. If you want to understand Buddhism one must learn step by step with proper guidance. However since you are now Christian, I would not impose such things on people - it should be by their interest.
3) Yes I do not think the 'root' thing applies for non-Buddhists.
Originally posted by Dondontan:
You only interested to go out with females?
lol... chanting is not dating lah
anyway usually chanting is segregated, males on one side, females another side
Originally posted by xXIron_fistXx:
since u post .1) they said eating meat even if u dun kill personally got a bit of bad karma. If u repeat eating for years small becomes big. Yes they asked me dont kill personally, kill personally more karma . but i told them i dont believe. they unhappy .yes i ocassionally kill animals like fish . Kill insects .
2) sutra because lastime i gt read so they said i should not waste last time the effort i put in . I told them i so young i read sutra i dunno wad it means, just read only ma. my grandma diun explain .
Now other religion le. so cant read . I can see unhappiness on their faces. they like dun like it.
3)They seemed to imply they have medium roots . I asked them u said i low low root then you all leh? they said not high not low roots , logically means medium roots. I told them i dont need roots. Our religion dun have roots.
They gt take refuge , heard from my mom they ahve taken. but maybe they din study buddhism properly.
I doubt u know Buddhism very much from the ignorant comments you made. rote learning of sutra doesnt make one know about buddhism. anyone can do rote learning, even a 7 year old children, but do they understand the meaning? doubt so.