Another reason Buddhism doesn't get a pass.

[Brian37]

No Buddhism should not get a free pass.  I love zen as it has a positive impact on my health and well being.  I love yoga as it does the same.  

Since i don't have access to navy seal training I learn these things from the books that authors have put out.  

I don't believe the original Buddha wanted to start a religion but naturally the people did.

I don't believe he ever claimed to be THE son of a god or that he did miracles.  However, his people may have to make him seem divine somehow.

Finally the Dali lama once said to some one who was interested in becoming a Buddhist "Don't be a Buddhist. the world doesn't need more Buddhists.  Be compassionate.  The world needs more compassion."

This impressed me because almost every other mainstream religion is more concerned with you/me being in their faith than just being good people. I could not see the Pope saying this. True it by no means makes some one a better person by being "Buddhist".  Still when i hear the Dali lama speak it seems much more aligned with a wold peace attitude.

I don't know a lot about the religion of Buddhism but I do understand it's practical application.

I also feel that the Dali lama would not argue with you on it.  He might agree that everyone should look closely at the actions of themselves and others and determine if they are a positive force on the world or not.

i don't imagine a Christian or Muslim doing the same. Instead they would consult their holly book with out question.

So yea you love a club, so?

Zen Buddhism is no more universal to Buddhists than Tibet Buddhists. Just like Jesus is not a unifying figure to Christians. You have competing sects and different interpretations and different rituals like any other religion. It makes you feel good. Yea so?

"Be more compassionate", ok so how does stating the obvious that all human beings can be capable of require the Dali Lama to tell you? You don't need Buddha or Jesus or Allah or Mo, to say "don't be a dick".

Humans like to think they get their morality from religion, but it is quite the opposite. Our ability to be cruel or compassionate has always been in us. Religion as a human invented construct, is backwards, we project  our own desires into those writings and that is how they continue to be marketed. Then we look for excuses in those writings, but the words themselves are not magic.

There was no Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Hebrew ect ect ect ect 200,000 years ago, much less 4 billion years ago. There will be no religion billion of years from now after our species goes extinct.

All you are saying here is you are stuck on something you find pretty. 

QUOTE "I don't believe the original Buddha wanted to start a religion but naturally the people did."

Despite what most Buddhist claim, there are major discrepancies on the historical "first Buddha" so it depends where in Asia/India you ask that particular historian.

I am sure someone wanted to get attention to some degree, otherwise the movement would not have grown. But Buddhism is hardly even original, it is a spin off of Hinduism. 

It got started like any other religion does. A person, or group of people are not satisfied with the current crop of claims so they co opt older claims and competing surrounding claims to start a new movement. 

The oldest depictions of the alleged first Buddha are rooted in superstition and also on top of that based on the Vedas as well.