How is Buddhism wrong?

[enchanted]

What is the signal and what is noise? 

I hardly know anything about Buddhism, should I study it or just ignore it? 

[emil1234]

@enchanted imo its a depressing approach seeking to reduce suffering, when you should be seeking to maximize joy.

 

Edited June 9 by emil1234

[enchanted]

2 minutes ago, emil1234 said:

@enchanted imo its a depressing approach seeking to reduce suffering, when you should be seeking to maximize joy.

 

Good point 

[Leo Gura]

It really depends on who is holding it. There's no such thing as "Buddhism", there are people who hold various ideas, some of which they call Buddhist.

There is a huge range of quality in Buddhism. From totally clueless to quite consciousness, and mostly somewhere in between.

You really need to evaluate on a person by person basis to get any kind of accuracy.

Keep in mind that most Buddhists don't even understand Buddhism.

Edited June 10 by Leo Gura

[UnbornTao]

I recommend you study a few ancient, original sources on Buddhism--Huang Po, Rinzai, Dogen, Bodhidharma, Gautama--and make up your mind about it. Also remember to leave it all aside (any belief) when questioning existence on your own.

Edited June 9 by UnbornTao

[Breakingthewall]

I think that Buddhism has a religious premise that is not true (but who knows), which is: you are within a cycle of reincarnation that at a given moment will end, when you merge with the whole and reincarnation will not occur again.

If this were so, in eternity it would have already happened infinite times and would happen again infinite times. The ultimate goal of Buddhism seems to be stopping the wheel of reincarnation, and not full opening to your true nature. It maintains a certain identification, it does not promote total enlightenment. It assumes that being human is the final scale of the possibilities of sentient beings, and that from here we reach nirvana. I think it's just a religious idea

[What Am I]

Zen is great for its simple and blunt attitude of "Practice and see for yourself", and Tibetan is great for filling in a bunch of lesser-known details relating to the subtle and subconscious areas of existence. It'd be best to take what's valuable from Buddhism while not giving it excessive weight. Ultimately, your success will come down to you.

[Tanz]

Adyashanti and Thich Nhat Hanh are great teachers.  They focus a lot of embodying "being'ness"  

[Jwayne]

On 6/9/2024 at 9:10 PM, enchanted said:

What is the signal and what is noise? 

I hardly know anything about Buddhism, should I study it or just ignore it? 

Read Doctrine of the Buddha by George Grimm

[Lyubov]

I prefer Taoism much more 

[Ajay0]

On 6/9/2024 at 6:40 PM, enchanted said:

What is the signal and what is noise? 

I hardly know anything about Buddhism, should I study it or just ignore it? 

Buddhism aims with the study of the mind and using right approaches ( right speech, right livelihood, right effort and so on ) to minimize psychological suffering and ensure a disciplined mind that is conducive to the intrinsic bliss and joy in human nature or the Buddha nature within.

I find Buddhism clinical and coherent without the emotions of devotion based practices of other religions. 

[Ajay0]

On 6/9/2024 at 6:43 PM, emil1234 said:

@enchanted imo its a depressing approach seeking to reduce suffering, when you should be seeking to maximize joy.

 

Understanding of Buddhist psychology enables one to understand the mechanics of psychological suffering.  There is no sin or punishment by God or gods, but only one's mental discipline or lack of it that determines one's happiness or unhappiness respectively. 

The exacting physical and mental regimen that may appear depressing are actually austerities that enable self-mastery. Buddha had emphasized a healthy body for ensuring the clarity and soundness of the mind.

Also the Buddha insists on students evaluating his teachings logically rather than accepting them blindly. 

'O bhikshus and wise men, just as a goldsmith would test his gold by burning, cutting, and rubbing it, so you must examine my words and accept them, but not merely out of reverence for me.' ~ Buddha , ghanavyuha sutra (Sutra of Dense Array)

Buddha emphasized personal observation and experience to examine the utility of a teaching, using the example of the goldsmith . If it is useful and non-harmful , use it ; if not , discard it.

Edited June 11 by Ajay0