Is There A Factor Common To All Religions? (rituals, Buddhism)

[d.]

Originally Posted by Hema

Do you believe in God?

no.

...

[Booko]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

When did Taoism become a religion? It used to be a philosophy.

It's both. Google "religious Taoism."

Also, to view Taoism, or indeed any Eastern religion, with Western eyes can lead to serious mistakes.

We tend to view Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism as seperate entities, with Buddhism as a religion, and the latter two as philosophies.

In reality in China these three belief systems/philosophies/whatever are so intertwined it makes more sense to refer to "Chinese religion" as if it were one thing.

It is not a contraction, to the Eastern mind, to simultaneously belong to two religions. In Japan, to be both Buddhist and Shinto is not a problem. As you can imagine, this makes enumerating adherents of religious groups worldwide *very* interesting (!), since Asians will happily answer "Yes" to more than one religion.

We Baha'is have some difficulties with those from the East, because people who are Buddhist join the Baha'i Faith and don't see it as a problem to follow both religions. The problem is, Baha'i law is pretty clear you need to decide which religion you are. You can't be Baha'i and something else.

We had a Buddhist monk and his wife in our community for years, and the institutions of the Baha'i Faith worked with them to help them understand what to them is a very foreign concept. Eventually came to the conclusion that he really did have to choose, and he did not want to be solely a Baha'i, so he withdrew from the Faith and remained a Buddhist monk. His wife is still a Baha'i, but for the sake of family unity, must stay away from Baha'i meetings.

[Booko]

Originally Posted by YmirGF

No original thought in umpteen centuries?

Sheesh, we haven't even been around for 2 centuries, much less umpteen...

[Booko]

Originally Posted by lilithu

Actually, I think this quote encapsulates what all the major religions have in common to me:
1) an understanding of how the world is and how we are
2) a faith in how the world should be and how we should be
3) a practice to get us from where we are to where we should be

Since Sunstone can't frubal you twice, I'll toss in some in his name.

Yes, this is an excellent summary of essentials of religions.

[d.]

Originally Posted by Booko

It's both. Google "religious Taoism."

personally i think of philosophical taoism (tao jia) as a religion too.

[Random]

Originally Posted by Jay

"the impulse for cohesion and meaning."

Yes, that.

I would add that common to all religions are the elements of:

1) Home life and social conduct
2) A desire to know how the Universe works
3) Intelligence and morality
4) Entropy
5) The Paranormal
6) Artistic expression
7) Optimal living and Happiness
8) Iconoclasm

Just to name a few...

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by divine

because when we say 'buddhism' or 'taoism' it's blanket terms for a field of varying practices?

I'm not sure. There are a wide variety of practices for Christians and Hindus as well but faith is still a central component regardless.

I can't speak to philosophical Taoism. All I know is that Becky is right that religion requires faith. Not necessarily a faith in deity but a faith in the way things should be, a bigger picture than just what is. And Buddhism definately has that at its core.

If you look at the four noble truths in Buddhism, what the Buddha was basically doing was laying out a diagnosis - this is what is wrong with the situation that you're in - and a treatment - this is how to get out of it. Whatever variations it might exhibit from place to place, that is the cornerstone of the Buddhist faith, true for all types of Buddhism, East or West. Yet in the West people tend to deny that there's faith involved.

It seems to me that a lot of people are stuck in the idea that faith is believing in something that can't be proven. I think that's inaccurate. Faith is placing your trust in someone or something. Yes, there is an element of accepting something without proof, but it's not just about belief in some idea; it's about trust. Belief is passive; trust is active.

That is why Fa Tsang said, "Understanding without faith will not advance to practice."

If you just believe that something is true it does not by itself motivate you to do anything about it. That is not religion. But if you trust that something is true, if you trust that if you follow the 8-fold path it will lead you to the end of suffering, then you will practice the 8-fold path. If one's religion does not cause one to live differently than one would without the religion, then I would question "what's the point?"

[YmirGF]

Originally Posted by lilithu

If one's religion does not cause one to live differently than one would without the religion, then I would question "what's the point?"

I would suspect that people take up a given religion because they are unhappy with their lot in life. They want to change and simply "shop" for a religion that appeals to their sensibilities. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with doing so, but I do see it as being somewhat unoriginal. I will never quite understand why people cannot simply learn to be content with how they are created, to accept themselves as they are. My deep-seated belief is that ultimately they do themselves no favors by following the words and thoughts of others. They will never find "true" fulfillment although they certainly may convince themselves that that is exactly what they have found.

Trust is a fickle thing and amounts to little more than a best guess scenario. People trust in others and trust schools of thought because they are too frightened to trust themselves and dare to walk their own path. I have come to the conclusion that people, in general, are content being sheep, because they do not want to face the enormous responsibility that everything they experience is of their own creation.

If people understood that it was possible for them to reach out and touch the face of god they would not be content with keeping their noses firmly within the confines of their books. But, I do understand, that is a bit more radical than many will allow themselves to believe.

I would heartily recommend that people close their books, and learn to listen to that whisper of eternity, deep within themselves. It comes from what you once were and what you will be, all too soon, once again. Religion is the physical echo of that voice and is a sad, rather poor, alternative. That is all I am trying to say.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by YmirGF

Trust is a fickle thing and amounts to little more than a best guess scenario. People trust in others and trust schools of thought because they are too frightened to trust themselves and dare to walk their own path.

If you can't trust others then you can't love others. It's much easier to walk alone than it is to stay and work things out with people with whom you sometimes disagree. In the end what do you have to show for it?

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by Godlike

Yes, that.

I would add that common to all religions are the elements of: ...

1. Home life and social conduct
   Nonsense
2. A desire to know how the Universe works
   Redundant
3. Intelligence and morality
   Ridiculous
4. Entropy
   Nonsense
5. The Paranormal
   Nonsense
6. Artistic expression
   Nonsense
7. Optimal living and Happiness
   Nonsense
8. Iconoclasm
   Absurd

You're batting less than zero.