RE: Thoughts on Buddhism
January 30, 2012 at 1:06 pm
(This post was last modified: January 30, 2012 at 1:26 pm by passionatefool.)
I can understand and believe in karma in a sense that for every actions, there is a resulting effect to it. I dont believe in karma when it comes to be the factor that determine what rebirth will be.
Karma is a belief, though varied in views from one tradition to another, that originally came from Hinduism. However if you meet more liberal Zen priest, i personally know one, they dont even see karma as something that held back nirvana or enlightenment. They also dont believe that karma is a factor that control rebirth, they dont believe in rebirth in that sense. That is also because their definition of nirvana is one-life time realization of wisdom, nothing eternal or magical. So maybe karma is a dogma in some traditions of buddhism, not in many.
One thing about Buddhism, contrary to hinduism, is the idea of "annata" or "anatman", or no self,no soul. There is no eternal soul or self. Rebirth is not the passing of a soul to a different body, but just passing of reflected consciousness. they use the analogy of rebirth as candle passing its fire to other candles. Therefore rebirth interpret by many, combine the idea emptiness, or no-self and interconnection, as just simply means whatever you do influence others, and in that way your ideas and consciouness is reborn. Different realm ot samsara is just a metaphor. this is the idea that many more moderate or western Zen buddhist have. I like those Buddhists much more.
Karma is a belief, though varied in views from one tradition to another, that originally came from Hinduism. However if you meet more liberal Zen priest, i personally know one, they dont even see karma as something that held back nirvana or enlightenment. They also dont believe that karma is a factor that control rebirth, they dont believe in rebirth in that sense. That is also because their definition of nirvana is one-life time realization of wisdom, nothing eternal or magical. So maybe karma is a dogma in some traditions of buddhism, not in many.
One thing about Buddhism, contrary to hinduism, is the idea of "annata" or "anatman", or no self,no soul. There is no eternal soul or self. Rebirth is not the passing of a soul to a different body, but just passing of reflected consciousness. they use the analogy of rebirth as candle passing its fire to other candles. Therefore rebirth interpret by many, combine the idea emptiness, or no-self and interconnection, as just simply means whatever you do influence others, and in that way your ideas and consciouness is reborn. Different realm ot samsara is just a metaphor. this is the idea that many more moderate or western Zen buddhist have. I like those Buddhists much more.
