Other Religions

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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Kim OHara
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Re: Other Religions

Post by Kim OHara »

sshai45 wrote:So then you're saying that belief in other religions has bad consequences, right?
Not quite. More that belief in other religions can have bad consequences
sshai45 wrote:In what way does holding such a "pernicious", "morally destructive" view affect whether you are a "bad person"? As if what seems obvious to me is in fact wrong, then what is the truth?
Again, there is a difference between evil and misguided. 'Holding a "pernicious", "morally destructive" view' can lead to bad consequences without the holder of those views being evil and (to return to the OP) Buddhism accepts that that there are a lot of sincere believers in other religions who are good people - although not everything they do is good and not everything they believe is correct.

:namaste:
Kim
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Doshin
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Re: Other Religions

Post by Doshin »

sshai45 wrote:Hi.

Does Buddhism consider itself to be the one right religion, and all the others wrong, like how most religions approach other religions? I remembered asking a member here a similar question once in a private mail, but I figured it'd be best perhaps to ask it again on the public forum, where everyone can discuss.

To me, it seems there is room in Buddhism for the "I'm right and all you are wrong" idea.
Buddhism states that I should avoid killing other beings; Buddhism is right, and all others are wrong; so if religion X states that killing should be avoided, it is wrong ?
sshai45 wrote:Namely, note that there are things called "wrong view" in Buddhism, and many of these may overlap with the doctrines of other religions, ...
So if some part of a religion is wrong, everything that this religion states, is wrong ?

Personally I think, that everyone has his/her set of glasses, that makes each view of the world different; depending on the view, we all see different truth's.

My truth is the truth to me, and not necessarily the truth for you.
Knowing about dhamma, does not imply knowing dhamma
sshai45
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Re: Other Religions

Post by sshai45 »

So if I get this right, it seems that Buddhism may not believe in "I'm right and all the rest are wrong" in its strict, literal sense -- meaning "Buddhism is TOTAL truth" and "all other religions are TOTAL falsehood", or in the sense that, say, fundie Christianity likes to use ("if you don't follow me, you're wicked/a child of Satan/whatever!"). But, on the other hand, it does appear to believe that it's "right" and the others are "wrong" in the sense that "right" means "this will lead to the final end of suffering (Nibbana)" and "wrong" meaning "this will not lead to that". Or "right" means "contains the WHOLE path to the end of suffering", "wrong" means "contains only part of it, mixed with things that actually hinder instead of helping". I.e. only through Buddhism (or something resembling it very greatly, at least, e.g. Noble Truths, Anatta, etc.) will you gain Nibbana. You may get reborn into the heaven realms if you live a saintly life true to the teachings of one of the other religions, but you're not going to get Nibbana, the final release, since the other religions promote views and things that are not conducive to Nibbana but hindrances to it (like the belief in soul, etc. -- a form of "eternalism").

And so perhaps maybe instead of saying "Buddhism is the one true religion and all others are wrong", as that carries the implication of "totally false", one should instead say "Buddhism believes it is the truest religion, the only one capable of achieving permanent freedom from death and suffering, and all the others are not equipped to do that, and are at least in part wrong".
Last edited by sshai45 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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tiltbillings
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Re: Other Religions

Post by tiltbillings »

sshai45 wrote:So if I get this right, it seems that Buddhism may not believe in "I'm right and all the rest are wrong" in its strict, literal sense -- meaning "Buddhism is TOTAL truth" and "all other religions are TOTAL falsehood", or in the sense that, say, fundie Christianity likes to use ("if you don't follow me, you're wicked/a child of Satan/whatever!"). But, on the other hand, it does appear to believe that it's "right" and the others are "wrong" in the sense that "right" means "this will lead to the final end of suffering (Nibbana)" and "wrong" meaning "this will not lead to that". Or "right" means "contains the WHOLE path to the end of suffering", "wrong" means "contains only part of it, mixed with things that actually hinder instead of helping". I.e. only through Buddhism (or something resembling it very greatly, at least, e.g. Noble Truths, Anatta, etc.) will you gain Nibbana. You may get reborn into the heaven realms if you live a saintly life true to the teachings of one of the other religions, but you're not going to get Nibbana, the final release, since the other religions promote views and things that are not conducive to Nibbana but hindrances to it (like the belief in soul, etc. -- a form of "eternalism").
More or less that is so, but I wonder if you have come across any religion that does not do this.
>> 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
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tiltbillings
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Re: Other Religions

Post by tiltbillings »

sshai45 wrote:
And so perhaps maybe instead of saying "Buddhism is the one true religion and all others are wrong", as that carries the implication of "totally false", one should instead say "Buddhism believes it is the truest religion, the only one capable of achieving permanent freedom from death and suffering, and all the others are not equipped to do that, and are at least in part wrong".
Interesting addendum, and probably closer to the truth than the original paragraph. And my question still stands: any other religion out there that does not see itself as being the, more or less, correct way and the others missing something?
>> 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
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Kim OHara
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Re: Other Religions

Post by Kim OHara »

tiltbillings wrote:
sshai45 wrote:
And so perhaps maybe instead of saying "Buddhism is the one true religion and all others are wrong", as that carries the implication of "totally false", one should instead say "Buddhism believes it is the truest religion, the only one capable of achieving permanent freedom from death and suffering, and all the others are not equipped to do that, and are at least in part wrong".
Interesting addendum, and probably closer to the truth than the original paragraph. And my question still stands: any other religion out there that does not see itself as being the, more or less, correct way and the others missing something?
We could go further:
Is there anyone in the whole world who doesn't believe that their own beliefs - about everything - are more-or-less correct and that anyone who disagrees with them must be more-or-less wrong-headed?

:juggling:
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befriend
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Re: Other Religions

Post by befriend »

the others are missing non self.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Doshin
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Re: Other Religions

Post by Doshin »

sshai45 wrote:So if I get this right, it seems that Buddhism may not believe in "I'm right and all the rest are wrong" in its strict, literal sense -- meaning "Buddhism is TOTAL truth" and "all other religions are TOTAL falsehood", or in the sense that, say, fundie Christianity likes to use ("if you don't follow me, you're wicked/a child of Satan/whatever!"). But, on the other hand, it does appear to believe that it's "right" and the others are "wrong" in the sense that "right" means "this will lead to the final end of suffering (Nibbana)" and "wrong" meaning "this will not lead to that". Or "right" means "contains the WHOLE path to the end of suffering", "wrong" means "contains only part of it, mixed with things that actually hinder instead of helping". I.e. only through Buddhism (or something resembling it very greatly, at least, e.g. Noble Truths, Anatta, etc.) will you gain Nibbana. You may get reborn into the heaven realms if you live a saintly life true to the teachings of one of the other religions, but you're not going to get Nibbana, the final release, since the other religions promote views and things that are not conducive to Nibbana but hindrances to it (like the belief in soul, etc. -- a form of "eternalism").
It seems you have (at least) two assumptions. You assume that there is just one truth (you label it "being right"), and just *one* path to Nibbana.

What I see as truth (being right) is only true to me, I can not assume that is the truth to anyone else. I.e. you can not define just one truth, it is individual. To understand other, I need to realise that they hold there truth's, that is truly true to them.

Next, there is not just one path, we each have our own path's to walk. Why could that path not go through another belief-system (religion) ? The Dhamma is just a guide to finding a (personal) path, among many possible paths.
sshai45 wrote:And so perhaps maybe instead of saying "Buddhism is the one true religion and all others are wrong", as that carries the implication of "totally false", one should instead say "Buddhism believes it is the truest religion, the only one capable of achieving permanent freedom from death and suffering, and all the others are not equipped to do that, and are at least in part wrong".
I do not rule out other religions, of being the right path for other people; I just chose to investigate the Dhamma. I am sure that Christianity is the true/right religion to christian people, and it is the right path for them to walk (to name an example); I would be wrong in claiming that they follow a wrong path.

Why are you so eager to define right/wrong ? Or to rule someone to be right/wrong ?

_/\_
Knowing about dhamma, does not imply knowing dhamma
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