(January 18, 2016 at 4:55 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote:(January 18, 2016 at 12:49 pm)loganonekenobi Wrote: I don't believe the original Buddha wanted to start a religion but naturally the people did.
I'm inclined to believe that the Buddha consciously intended to profit off his teachings. I think he started out looking for enlightenment, but stopped short once people started paying attention to him for his 'method'. The Buddha was a religious charlatan like any other, selling a road to a freedom which doesn't exist. Whether that qualifies as wanting to found a religion or not is debatable, but he definitely prospered from forming a cult, and that cult grew to be a religion.
The only argument anyone has for any founder of any religion, would be that the person or people truly believed in what they were selling. But just like modern times, you still have people who stand in positions of religious power, know they are selling crap, and still don't care about the gullible they prey on. Such as the likes of Benny Hinn.
It could be that whomever started Buddhism may have thought they were onto something. But it is far more likely that a group of humans took a legend and exploited it. The underdog story is very appealing to the masses. The image of altruism is a very appealing concept and that gets wrapped up in myths and legends and those get turned into new religions.
Buddhism really is no better than any other religion. It still has those who have no ill intent but are simply stuck on a label, and others who use the label to get others to follow and can be just as corrupt. There is no such thing as a perfect or pure religion.
