I'fve started of this being inspired by one_ravens enthusiasm to do so.......
we have to keep in mind that many Buddhist beliefs differ regarding certain elements, but i am sre people will outline the idfferences as we proceed, and then we can analyze them as they are explained
one_raven says:
"I eagerly wawait the topic questioning:
A) If Buddhism is, in fact, a cult
B) Whether the Buddhist lifestyle--and others that value extreme self-discipline, self exploration and austerity-is one of any real value"
so, to define "cult" (" a system of religious belief:" Chamber's dict.)
which it is. it is a system of belief that has been devised and passed down, orally and through text. As far as i am aware the 'Buddha'--If he really existed--never wrote anything down, and it was only after his decease that his monks eventually wrote down THEIR interpretations of his sayings
in answer to "B"....I have menetioned elsewhere that recently i was at another forum and tried to debate with a cross section of Buddhists. i questioned their beliefs, and also mentioned about hallucinogenic inspiration. The repone i received was totally reactionary and full of sever abuse. even to the point of them questioning my sanity!.....although i had been previously aware of attitudes of defence when questioning their beliefs in other places, THIs reponse was very much an eye-opener and revealed to me what i had suspected, and was one of the reasons i DO challenge their beliefs
They tend to imagine that what they do is somehow the supreme thing. that they are at some top of the tree of cults. that they can control pain...control anger...control emotions etc
Now this gave me a startling insight. that what they choose to do 'natrually' is commensurate with what medical science seeks to do pharmaceutically with its meds---its 'anti-depressants-'''its 'pain-killers-...it anti this anti that. it is a stifling of REAL FEELING.
i believe this fear is patriarchal. that both stremas, Buddhis and medical science stem--as strange as it may seem to some readers of this--from the same root. the FEAr of Nature. the fear of anger, fear of fear, fear of sex, or being the NATURA being one is.
THAt is considered to be something to be ashamed of, so we get 'masters' we get gurus, we get medical science who seeks to phase out our natrual feelings. make them out to be dysfunctional. Their answer is pills, ECT etc
Buddhists answer is endless hours of still, motionaless, sitting sitting sitting, which in itself is not shared by any other animal --as far as i am aware. onlt humans who are sucked into the Buddha cult
we have to keep in mind that many Buddhist beliefs differ regarding certain elements, but i am sre people will outline the idfferences as we proceed, and then we can analyze them as they are explained
one_raven says:
"I eagerly wawait the topic questioning:
A) If Buddhism is, in fact, a cult
B) Whether the Buddhist lifestyle--and others that value extreme self-discipline, self exploration and austerity-is one of any real value"
so, to define "cult" (" a system of religious belief:" Chamber's dict.)
which it is. it is a system of belief that has been devised and passed down, orally and through text. As far as i am aware the 'Buddha'--If he really existed--never wrote anything down, and it was only after his decease that his monks eventually wrote down THEIR interpretations of his sayings
in answer to "B"....I have menetioned elsewhere that recently i was at another forum and tried to debate with a cross section of Buddhists. i questioned their beliefs, and also mentioned about hallucinogenic inspiration. The repone i received was totally reactionary and full of sever abuse. even to the point of them questioning my sanity!.....although i had been previously aware of attitudes of defence when questioning their beliefs in other places, THIs reponse was very much an eye-opener and revealed to me what i had suspected, and was one of the reasons i DO challenge their beliefs
They tend to imagine that what they do is somehow the supreme thing. that they are at some top of the tree of cults. that they can control pain...control anger...control emotions etc
Now this gave me a startling insight. that what they choose to do 'natrually' is commensurate with what medical science seeks to do pharmaceutically with its meds---its 'anti-depressants-'''its 'pain-killers-...it anti this anti that. it is a stifling of REAL FEELING.
i believe this fear is patriarchal. that both stremas, Buddhis and medical science stem--as strange as it may seem to some readers of this--from the same root. the FEAr of Nature. the fear of anger, fear of fear, fear of sex, or being the NATURA being one is.
THAt is considered to be something to be ashamed of, so we get 'masters' we get gurus, we get medical science who seeks to phase out our natrual feelings. make them out to be dysfunctional. Their answer is pills, ECT etc
Buddhists answer is endless hours of still, motionaless, sitting sitting sitting, which in itself is not shared by any other animal --as far as i am aware. onlt humans who are sucked into the Buddha cult