Vedic and Hinduism (ritual, reject, Earth, tradition, evolution)

[Seyorni]

Originally Posted by vandervalley

But don't buddhists believe that gods are also subjected to samsara (cycle of death and rebirth) ? So in this sense Vishnu and all Hindu gods are also subjected to samsara

Philosophical Buddhists don't concern themselves with Gods at all.

[vandervalley]

Philosophical Buddhists don't concern themselves with Gods at all.

Thats correct; however I'd like to know how Buddism became just one school of Hinduism. One way to find out is by looking at the teachings of these 2 religions

Another thing is that Buddha said everyone can achieve Nirvana and become Buddha.

So I wonder if everyone can be like the Hindu God/Gods/Brahman through hard work and self cultivation?

[Seyorni]

Originally Posted by vandervalley

Thats correct; however I'd like to know how Buddism became just one school of Hinduism. One way to find out is by looking at the teachings of these 2 religions

Another thing is that Buddha said everyone can achieve Nirvana and become Buddha.

So I wonder if everyone can be like the Hindu God/Gods/Brahman through hard work and self cultivation?

Buddha was Indian. The movement he started was just another school of Hinduism.

Of course everyone can become a Hindu God, or even Brahman itself. The Gods are products of our imagination, after all. We construct them with our minds. Eventually we all wake up and realize we were God all along and were merely indulging ourselves in a virtual reality game all along.

[Hema]

Originally Posted by Seyorni

Of course everyone can become a Hindu God, or even Brahman itself. The Gods are products of our imagination, after all. We construct them with our minds. Eventually we all wake up and realize we were God all along and were merely indulging ourselves in a virtual reality game all along.

Thanks to a newer member - Kamala, I was thinking about Swami Vivekananda who said that we are all potentially Divine, only to awaken the Divinity within. Your response just reminded me of that. Good response.

[Don Penguinoini]

vandervalley, buddhism is effectively another school of hinduisn, it jsut ddoesent believe in hinduism and tweaks the odd bit here and there, and no, Buddhism does not predate hinduism by ANY MEANS.

[michaelm]

It is important to understand that there is only one 'God' - Brahman. All other 'Gods' are just aspects of Brahman. There are two ways of viewing them. One is to say, all is Brahman - Gods, ourselves, everything and therefore they are also subject to birth, decay, death, karma etc - but their timescales are different. The other is to view everyting as imagination/delusion - including ourselves, the Gods. Once we completely know that we Realise we are Brahman - one without a second.

[vandervalley]

Originally Posted by penguino

vandervalley, buddhism is effectively another school of hinduisn, it jsut ddoesent believe in hinduism and tweaks the odd bit here and there, and no, Buddhism does not predate hinduism by ANY MEANS.

Buddhism in this age on this Earth does not pre-date Vedic by any means; I agree with that.

But Buddhism surely does pre-date the current form of "Hinduism" by maybe a thousand years.

[Seyorni]

I''ve never thought of Brahman as God. Brahman, at least in its essential nirguna form, is Reality itself, the Universal Consciousnes, the Universe. It is in no way a personage.
Usually, to denote a singular divine peronality, Hindus refer to Ishwara.

In re: Hinduism vs Buddhism, religion and culture are in a constant state of flux. The "current" form of Hinduism is not that of fifty years ago. Buddhism is an offshoot of the Hinduism of the time.

[michaelm]

It could be argued that the Buddha just came to reform the Hinduism of the time, as did Shankara and others at other times.

All religions and beliefs go through phases when perhaps the teachings get confused, lost, misinterpreted, misunderstood.

[Don Penguinoini]

Originally Posted by vandervalley

Buddhism in this age on this Earth does not pre-date Vedic by any means; I agree with that.

But Buddhism surely does pre-date the current form of "Hinduism" by maybe a thousand years.

That doesent really make sense. its an ever-changing religion.