Thoughts on Buddhism

[Angrboda]

apophenia wrote

to pretend that the dark and the light can be separated by any religion known to man is, I think a forlorn hope, yet I understand why Buddhists are vulnerable to that delusion — that's precisely what their dogmatic religious beliefs tell them, that the Buddha can teach them a trick of the mind that will separate the two halves cleanly

Buddhism doesn't teach that....

...The Bible has been directly used as justification of totalitaian dictatorships all throughout history. Think about it..a Monotheistic God who rules the universe through force and fear. Just like Kim Jong-Il and plenty of others try to do.

Democracy was born in Ancient Greece, and they were a polytheistic culture. All the Abrahamic religions are inherently wrong, corrupt and evil. Easten religions are FAR more superior in intellect, virtue and practice. Case closed Carnavon. Christianity is dead. Become a buddhist if you want to experience true awakening and spirituality lol. But whatever you do, put down the fucking cross and walk upright!

Flowers

Who shall overcome this earth, and the world of Yama (the lord of the departed), and the world of the gods?
Who shall find out the plainly shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower?

The disciple will overcome the earth, and the world of Yama, and the world of the gods.
The disciple will find out the plainly shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower.

He who knows that this body is like froth, and has learnt that it is as unsubstantial as a mirage,
will break the flower-pointed arrow of Mara, and never see the king of death.

Death carries off a man who is gathering flowers and whose mind is distracted, as a flood
carries off a sleeping village.

Death subdues a man who is gathering flowers, and whose mind is distracted, before he
is satiated in his pleasures.

As the bee collects nectar and departs without injuring the flower, or its colour or scent,
so let a sage dwell in his village.

Not the perversities of others, not their sins of commission or omission, but his own misdeeds
and negligences should a sage take notice of.

Like a beautiful flower, full of colour, but without scent, are the fine but fruitless words of him
who does not act accordingly.

But, like a beautiful flower, full of colour and full of scent, are the fine and fruitful words of him
who acts accordingly.

As many kinds of wreaths can be made from a heap of flowers, so many good things may
be achieved by a mortal when once he is born.

The scent of flowers does not travel against the wind, nor (that of) sandal-wood, or of Tagara and Mallika flowers;
but the odour of good people travels even against the wind; a good man pervades every place.

Sandal-wood or Tagara, a lotus-flower, or a Vassiki, among these sorts of perfumes, the perfume of virtue is unsurpassed.

Mean is the scent that comes from Tagara and sandal-wood;--the perfume of those who possess virtue
rises up to the gods as the highest.

Of the people who possess these virtues, who live without thoughtlessness, and who are emancipated through true knowledge,
Mara, the tempter, never finds the way.

As on a heap of rubbish cast upon the highway the lily will grow full of sweet perfume and delight, thus the disciple of the truly enlightened Buddha
shines forth by his knowledge among those who are like rubbish, among the people that walk in darkness.

- The Dhammapada