How do you know what the TRUE 'right way' is?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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sshai45
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 6:39 am

How do you know what the TRUE 'right way' is?

Post by sshai45 »

Hi.

I saw this website:

http://chatlg.blogspot.com/search?updat ... results=33" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is somewhat odd, they seem to have a lot of stuff drawn from Buddhism, but it oddly enough seems mixed up with Christianity(!). Like look at the post... "JESUS <this and that>". Then it goes into stuff with Buddha and talks about things from Buddhism and what not.

Yet to me it just adds more confusion, as how do we know what the true "right way" is? Is Buddhism the right way? Is THIS Buddhism the right way? What's right? Who's right? Everyone claims their way is the right one. Yet take two of those ways and put them next to each other and BAM! Differences appear, as clear as day! The two are not compatible! Some say X is right, the others say, no it's wrong. So how to find the truth of what is truly right and wrong?

Here's some stuff from the site:
These life skills can only be programs or schemes of training to be indoctrinated into youths so that they become competent at rendering as robots and so these life skills are not good even if they succeed in providing means of sustaining life in youths.
LIFE SKILLS ARE ABOUT PROGRAMMING YOUTHS TO BECOME ROBOTS OF THOSE LIFE SKILLS AND EVEN IF THEY SUCCEED IN SURVIVING WELL IT IS TORMENTING EXISTING AS ROBOTS AND SO DON’T GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR MERIT, THERE MAY BE KARMA INVOLVED IN THESE LIFE SKILLS.
So then what -- accoridng to this, just not bother with it? How do you not be a "robot"? How do you do things in the non-robotic way? The site doesn't answer, it just provides a list of "THIS IS BAD, THAT IS BAD". What is RIGHT? Is this bad, is the above even a fair judgement?
She has no trouble seeing the act as senseless but she has insurmountable trouble seeing her acting in the film as senseless and setting a bad example.
Those who attend such movies are senseless too, no sensible person would pay money to watch such trash.
YES THE MASS MURDERER WAS SENSELESS, INSANE BUT SO TOO ARE THE CAST AND AUDIENCE. THOSE WHO ARE KILLED OR INJURED ARE FAR FROM INNOCENT AND IT IS OBJECTIVE, IF YOU OBJECT YOU HAVE WRONG VIEW THAT LEADS TO HELL OR THE ANIMAL WOMB.
Is this of Buddhism? You will go to hell if you object? This sounds like he's saying "LOP UP WHAT I SAY OR ELSE!" without question. But isn't in Buddhism, one is supposed to not just accept the teaching like a gullible fool without first questioning (and perhaps, yes, objecting!) to it?
PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE REASON TO DO SOMETHING, TELLING THEM TO GET CREATIVE IS TELLING THEM TO DO THINGS FOR AN INVALID REASON THAT LEADS TO WOE AND YOU ARE HEAPING DEBT TO BE REPAID AS FUTURE SUFFERING TELLING OTHERS TO GET CREATIVE.
TO THE MATERIALISTIC ACQUISITIVE PERSON IT IS ABOUT ‘GET THIS AND GET THAT’, ‘GET CREATIVE’ IN THE NAME OF BEATING OTHERS IN A CONTEST.
So is not being materialistically competitive the right thing? But it seems to say just "telling to get creative" is itself bad, the reason is always invalid! It doesn't say "you can say get creative, as long as you tell that for some reason other than a bad one like competition". Confused.
THUS BEING A GOOD PROFESSIONAL IS ABOUT BEING A GOOD OR DEDICATED OR MINDLESS MECHANICAL ROBOT CARRYING OUT WHAT IS EXPECTED IN HIS PROFESSION. RATHER THAN GOOD, ADMIRABLE BEING A PROFESSIONAL IS BAD, EVIL, THE PATH TO WOE AND WHOEVER TALKS OF PROFESSIONALISM IS DELUDED, DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE TALKS.
(then he quotes the Buddhist Pali canon, translated into English, apparently http://dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Iti_70" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

So how does the Buddhist approach his/her job? The one that REALLY follows the teaching of Buddha? Should we get amateur? Yet amateur sounds bad! What if we want to be a surgeon who saves someone's life. Should we not be a knowledgeable expert, and do the job 'professionally' so as to avoid them coming to harm as a result of botching the surgery? Confused.
It is not good to be courteous, it is a conditioned, programmed rehashed state designed to please and impress others (eg with your manners and manners are programmed ways of saying or doing things). The courteous person is a programmed robot who does not understand things. Courtesy is not about substance or specific but generalized way of doing things.
What is required is not courtesy but understanding the specifics of a situation and doing the right or good thing about it. Courtesy is about pretence, hypocrisy, ritualized rendering of behaviour designed to please or impress others.
HOW do you do this, and more importantly, how do you know it is the truly right way? And does this mean the right thing may be to go out and insult and mock? That seems wrong. But then, what's the RIGHT way? The site doesn't answer.
INSTEAD IF YOU AN STOP THINKING THERE IS TWO ETERNITIES IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, IF YOU CAN STOP LIKING AND DISLIKING, THERE IS FOUR ETERNITIES IN HEAVEN FOR YOU ACCORDING TO THE BUDDHA.
Is this correct Buddhism? I thought in Buddhism, what is called as heaven is not eternal, but just part of the wheel of pain.
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tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: How do you know what the TRUE 'right way' is?

Post by tiltbillings »

sshai45 wrote: Is this correct Buddhism? I thought in Buddhism, what is called as heaven is not eternal, but just part of the wheel of pain.
Why would take such a silly bloggoie thing as this a even remotely reflecting the Buddha's teachings accurately?
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
sshai45
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 6:39 am

Re: How do you know what the TRUE 'right way' is?

Post by sshai45 »

tiltbillings wrote:
sshai45 wrote: Is this correct Buddhism? I thought in Buddhism, what is called as heaven is not eternal, but just part of the wheel of pain.
Why would take such a silly bloggoie thing as this a even remotely reflecting the Buddha's teachings accurately?
I guess you're right. But I'd still be curious to know how much of it corresponds to "actual" Buddhism and how much doesn't.
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James the Giant
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Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2009 6:41 am

Re: How do you know what the TRUE 'right way' is?

Post by James the Giant »

ANY WEBSITE WHICH USES CAPITAL LETTERS THAT MUCH SHOULD BE VIEWED WITH SUSPICION. I WOULD DISMISS IT AS FLAKY FRINGE SPIRITUAL POTPOURRI, AND NOTHING REPRESENTATIVE OF BUDDHISM.
sshai45 wrote:Hi.

I saw this website:

http://chatlg.blogspot.com/search?updat ... results=33" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
LIFE SKILLS ARE ABOUT PROGRAMMING YOUTHS TO BECOME ROBOTS OF THOSE LIFE SKILLS AND EVEN IF THEY SUCCEED IN SURVIVING WELL IT IS TORMENTING EXISTING AS ROBOTS AND SO DON’T GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT YOUR MERIT, THERE MAY BE KARMA INVOLVED IN THESE LIFE SKILLS.
YES THE MASS MURDERER WAS SENSELESS, INSANE BUT SO TOO ARE THE CAST AND AUDIENCE. THOSE WHO ARE KILLED OR INJURED ARE FAR FROM INNOCENT AND IT IS OBJECTIVE, IF YOU OBJECT YOU HAVE WRONG VIEW THAT LEADS TO HELL OR THE ANIMAL WOMB.
PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE REASON TO DO SOMETHING, TELLING THEM TO GET CREATIVE IS TELLING THEM TO DO THINGS FOR AN INVALID REASON THAT LEADS TO WOE AND YOU ARE HEAPING DEBT TO BE REPAID AS FUTURE SUFFERING TELLING OTHERS TO GET CREATIVE.
TO THE MATERIALISTIC ACQUISITIVE PERSON IT IS ABOUT ‘GET THIS AND GET THAT’, ‘GET CREATIVE’ IN THE NAME OF BEATING OTHERS IN A CONTEST.
THUS BEING A GOOD PROFESSIONAL IS ABOUT BEING A GOOD OR DEDICATED OR MINDLESS MECHANICAL ROBOT CARRYING OUT WHAT IS EXPECTED IN HIS PROFESSION. RATHER THAN GOOD, ADMIRABLE BEING A PROFESSIONAL IS BAD, EVIL, THE PATH TO WOE AND WHOEVER TALKS OF PROFESSIONALISM IS DELUDED, DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE TALKS.
INSTEAD IF YOU AN STOP THINKING THERE IS TWO ETERNITIES IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, IF YOU CAN STOP LIKING AND DISLIKING, THERE IS FOUR ETERNITIES IN HEAVEN FOR YOU ACCORDING TO THE BUDDHA.
Then,
saturated with joy,
you will put an end to suffering and stress.
SN 9.11
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Goofaholix
Posts: 4017
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:49 am
Location: New Zealand

Re: How do you know what the TRUE 'right way' is?

Post by Goofaholix »

James the Giant wrote:ANY WEBSITE WHICH USES CAPITAL LETTERS THAT MUCH SHOULD BE VIEWED WITH SUSPICION.
this was my first reaction also, if they had the true right way they wouldn't need to shout about it.

it's like those religious groups that try to squeeze as much on the page of their proselyting literature as possible, as if the volume of words was more important than the readability.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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