In ancient India, maybe all religions started as dhamma. I define dhamma as the highest law or knowledge possible. Different philosophers will have their own theories to how to be liberated from a unsatisfactory world. I think the word, dukka existed before the Buddha was born. And the challenge of how to overcome dukka has always been there as well.
Although, the record of the Buddha's sayings that we have now is based on an Indian setting, those earlier Buddhas may be speaking another language or from another planet other than Earth. It puzzled me why the Buddha has never mentioned another civilisation that also existed at the same time as his time, since he was said to be able to survey other worlds with his divine eye and has various psychic powers to travel very efficiently.
Was he limited by his own language or maybe Indian views and customs at that time? His descriptions of physical geographical areas seems to be limited to India only as well. In one world system for a very long time there will only be one Buddha. Wouldn't it be better if he were to speak to a bigger audience from different countries in his lifetime?
All religions started off as philosphy
Re: All religions started off as philosphy
I think the first thing you should think of is a definition of religion.
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Re: All religions started off as philosphy
I suspect it's more the other way round. Philosophy as an attempt to rationalise the irrational.
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Re: All religions started off as philosphy
No, you misread. I've written "but since there are all these metaphysical speculations it is rightly called "religion"."asahi wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:13 amSo philosophy is something about metaphysical matters ? Buddhism is accepted as a religion not by itself "is" .SteRo wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:54 am
An intention isn't a philosophy but an intention can be based on a philosophy. Whatever Gotama intended fact is that he taught a philosophy after he attained his intended goal, a philosophy of dukkha, its cause, release and the path to release.
Doesn't matter. Buddhism today is called "religion". If there weren't all these metaphysical speculations it might be called "philosophy" but since there are all these metaphysical speculations it is rightly called "religion".
Why not say Dhamma is just another type of teaching ?
But I have to admit that this hasn't been consistently analysed since there are also a lot of philosophies that do speculate metaphysically. So actually metaphysical speculation cannot be the defining characteristic of religion. However what is the defining characteristic of religion is the soteriological thrust (salvation, liberation and the like) of the underlying narrative or philosophy.
Of course, from my perspective what you call "dhamma" is just another type of religious teaching. My interest in philosophies and religions is their psychological effects.
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Re: All religions started off as philosphy
A narrative or philosophy that includes ethical guidelines and yogic methods (prayer and/or meditation and/or physical yoga or the like) and the assertion that if it is believed and followed and practiced then soteriological effects like salvation or liberation or the like will ensue.
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Re: All religions started off as philosphy
You are basically correctSpiny Norman wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 6:31 pmI suspect it's more the other way round. Philosophy as an attempt to rationalise the irrational.
Re: All religions started off as philosphy
I don't know these persons. I am not doing systematic studies. It's more kind of detached observation and drawing own conclusions in terms of lay psychology or lay psychotherapy.
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