23
votes
Accepted
Emotional Support without God in Theravada
You point out several supposed benefits of God and then ask how the godless fare without these benefits. I would first challenge the virtue of the benefits mentioned:
In religions with God, the ...
- 23.8k
18
votes
Accepted
Does God exist in Buddhism?
Unfortunately, this is one of the first questions people ask, especially if they are coming from a theistic background. As a result, many who require the belief of a 'God' as a precondition, turn away ...
- 25.6k
15
votes
Why do Buddhists believe there is no creator?
For most people God is a dualistic concept. Meaning, for a typical person the unspoken assumption is: "I am here and God is over there". So when I think about God, when I speak to God -- I inevitably ...
- 55.2k
12
votes
Did Gautama Buddha believe in God?
As mentioned in another thread by @catpnosis, in MN 100: Sangarava Sutta:
“kiṃ nu kho, bho gotama, atthi devā”ti?
"How is it then, good Gotama; are there divine beings?"
“ṭhānaso metaṃ, ...
- 23.8k
12
votes
Do Buddhists believe in gods?
Most Buddhists believe in some form of "higher" being; brahmas, devas, etc. It is not an orthodox Buddhist practice to pray to these deities, but people are people. Ordinary Buddhists from most, if ...
- 23.8k
11
votes
Accepted
Why do Buddhists believe there is no creator?
First, some canonical background:
According to the Acintita Sutta, speculating on the origin of the cosmos or similar topics will lead one to confusion i.e. it cannot be understood.
According to the ...
- 33.5k
11
votes
Accepted
Are there Goddesses in Buddhism? If yes, who are they?
I'll answer in two parts-- what sort of looks like a god in Buddhism and which of those are female.
Early Buddhism didn't see gods as important to solving their fundamental problem of ending ...
- 7,016
10
votes
Why do Buddhists believe there is no creator?
"Monks, I will teach you the All. Listen & pay close attention. I will
speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "What is the All? Simply the eye & ...
- 25.6k
9
votes
Emotional Support without God in Theravada
However, in Theravada Buddhism, there exists no such emotional support from any deity.
Yes this is the same problem i experienced.Having come from a back ground of devout Christianity i was very used ...
- 3,042
9
votes
Praying to God - What are the consequences?
How you should consider what do to depends on your situation. Have you converted to Buddhism? Do you believe in an all powerful God? If you haven't converted to Buddhism and still believe in a God and ...
- 7,356
9
votes
Is the Buddha God?
The Dona Sutta might be helpful:
On one occasion the Blessed One was traveling along the road between
Ukkattha and Setabya, and Dona the brahman was also traveling along
the road between ...
- 2,534
7
votes
How does Buddhism describe God?
For Buddhism, If you define God as someone who created the world, God does not exist.
But if you define the God as someone who is superior to other beings, then god exist.
However, such a god exists ...
- 71
7
votes
Accepted
Karma instead of God's plan
God's plan implies a working towards some goal, or a rhyme or reason at least. Karma implies no such thing; it simply describes an orderliness to the mental aspect of reality, in the same way that ...
- 23.8k
7
votes
Would Buddhists object if Gautama Buddha were seen as a Prophet by Islam
You see friend, it's a sad state of affairs. Even the Buddhists of this site reject your respect of our teacher on the grounds that your faith is wrong in their eyes. And if your faith is "wrong&...
- 55.2k
6
votes
Praying to God - What are the consequences?
Chogyam Trungpa spoke about theistic vs. non-theistic perspective:
For most people, God is a dualistic concept. Meaning, for a typical person the unspoken assumption is: "I am here and God is over ...
- 55.2k
6
votes
How does Buddhism describe God?
Which Buddhism?
In Theravada, the gods are less important, and if they exist, are subject to all the same problems we are, being mortal, petty, flawed, etc.
In Mayahayana, the Buddhas have a lot of ...
- 7,016
6
votes
Why do Buddhists believe there is no creator?
For completeness, there isn't one Buddhism, there are many Buddhisms. The other questions already address the Buddhisms with either no god or no interesting and relevant gods.
By a process of ...
- 7,016
6
votes
Accepted
Did the Buddha know God?
The God you speak of, is known as the Great Brahma or Mahabrahma, the first being to appear in the Mahabrahma plane, when the world expands again. Also, take a look at the 31 planes of existence.
The ...
- 33.5k
5
votes
Do Buddhists believe in gods?
(Vajrayana) Buddhism is an non-theistic teaching. All deities, yidams etc. are understood to be expressions of one's own nature, one's own mind. At the same time, it is clearly understood that "one's ...
- 55.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Is there a proper English word to call Brahmas?
I always use "angel" to refer to devas, and "god" to refer to brahmas; though the terms have a different connotation in Judeo-Christian tradition, the relationship the terms have with each other is ...
- 23.8k
5
votes
Why do Buddhists believe there is no creator?
The Buddha used to remain silent, when Hindu Brahmins used to ask him about his views on God. He used to give the example of a man carrying a lamp and walking along a village road in the night, trying ...
- 157
5
votes
Accepted
Saying May God Bless you
Just think of the flip side of it @Akila… If the patient is a devout Buddhist.. still almost all will say "may god bless you" at the time of leaving. Will they ever say "Namo Buddhaya" when arriving, ...
- 9,517
5
votes
Accepted
Is Maha Brahma a GOD?
Maha Brahma is a realm, and not “A GOD”. Any living being (including each of us) has been in all realms in this beginningless sansara. We have been at the highest (except the five pure abodes in rupa ...
- 9,517
5
votes
Can a non-Buddhist get Nirvana?
Attaining Nirvana is not about labeling one self as Buddhist. To attain Nirvana you should follow the path to Nirvana. Any body following this path will reach the destination regardless of what they ...
5
votes
God in Buddhism
Buddhism is agnostic: it makes no claims about the existence (or non-existence) of any god. The Buddhas (for there were several aside from the eponymous Gautama) were merely those who are sufficiently ...
- 4,230
4
votes
Is there a proper English word to call Brahmas?
It's safest to leave them in the Pali or Sanskrit.
Angels sounds very Christian. It creates a "don't think about polar bears" situation to hear these Christian words. If you try not to think about ...
- 7,016
4
votes
Emotional Support without God in Theravada
Usually a Buddhist isn't completely only a Theravadin and does use mantrayana methods to generate merit and ask for assistance from various deities which exist only to serve.
There is no one to turn ...
- 5,065
4
votes
Why do Buddhists believe there is no creator?
Admittedly, I'm a beginner myself. However, it is my understanding that the Buddha took no position as to the existence/non-existence of a God who created everything we see, on the grounds that there ...
- 835
4
votes
Are there rules that prevent chaos in our world?
My scientific education tells me that:
The world is as it is and behaves as it does (and is observed by people).
People (scientists) observe that behaviour and then invent rules which describe (or ...
- 43.1k
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