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Buddha believed in the Creator God

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
Gospel of Buddha

Buddha says:

"Starting from the simplest forms, the mind rises and falls according to deeds, but the aspirations of a Bodhisatta pursue the straight path of wisdom and righteousness, until they reach perfect enlightenment in the Buddha. Verse-3: Chapter 41-"The Goal"

Paarsurrey comments: I think here “In the Buddha” means in the All-Wise and the All-Light- the one true God, not Buddha himself, if I have correctly understood.
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
Gospel of Buddha

Buddha says:

"Starting from the simplest forms, the mind rises and falls according to deeds, but the aspirations of a Bodhisatta pursue the straight path of wisdom and righteousness, until they reach perfect enlightenment in the Buddha. Verse-3: Chapter 41-"The Goal"

Paarsurrey comments: I think here “In the Buddha” means in the All-Wise and the All-Light- the one true God, not Buddha himself, if I have correctly understood.
If it meant God, it would say God. There are many words for God in all languages of Buddhist scriptures. Buddha is not one.
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
The scribes writing down the scriptures have undermined the true teachings of Buddha in the translations while Buddha's exact words he spoke, it seems, have not been preserved and have been toned down.
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
The scribes writing down the scriptures have undermined the true teachings of Buddha in the translations while Buddha's exact words he spoke, it seems, have not been preserved and have been toned down.
Yes, and perhaps Buddha originally said "unicorn" instead of "mind". After all, teachings were corrupted over time.
 

ratikala

Istha gosthi
dear guitar's cry ,

Originally Posted by Guitar's Cry
I understand it that Buddha first realized his oneness with God, then transcended that illusion.

how does one trancend realisation of the truth ?

I understand similarly. The illusion is of seaparteness, however, IMO.

agreed the illusion is of seperateness .
 

ratikala

Istha gosthi
dear paarsurrey ,

Thanks for your detailed appraisal of the article.
I note your words "validity of mahayana thought , which of course accepts the concept of god ."; on what suttas they base their "concept of god"?

Regards


the "concept of god" with in buddhism is not so clearly described in the way that I could give sutta or verse which alone defines god ,the suttas or collections of discorses simply lead to ones own realisation .

allthough within mahayana buddhism there are the concepts of the adi buddha ,(samantabhadra)or(vajradhara), the primordial self originating buddha from whom all other buddha's and bohhisatva's originate as elements of that buddha mind .

a creator being not so much in the material sence but that in that all originates from the dharmakaya .

however the lotus sutra and prajna paramita are well worth reading in their entirity to gain a better understanding of mahayana .
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
I think it is the Theravada Buddhists who deny most fervently that Buddha was not a Theist and that he did not believe in God.

Theravada Buddhists mostly are from Sri Lanka where Buddhism was brought by son and daughter of Kind Ashoka whom he had sent to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism.

King Ashoka’s title “Devanampiya Piyadasi” "Beloved-of-the-Gods, He Who Looks On With Affection" amply proves that up to his times the Buddhists believed in God/s.

Please correct me if I am wrong.
 

Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
atanu said:
I understand similarly. The illusion is of seaparteness, however, IMO.

dear guitar's cry ,



how does one trancend realisation of the truth ?



agreed the illusion is of seperateness .

But there is also the illusion of oneness as well. To say "I am one with God" is to acknowledge that there is the "not one with God" and thus again duality.

In my readings of Buddha, he understand that nirvana was to be found on the earthly plane, so he returned in order that he may teach as best he could (understanding that enlightenment cannot be taught). But what did he return from? Enlightenment towards nirvana (and oneness with God) was not a new concept in India, but what was new was that it was to be found on the earthly plane. Buddha's realization went beyond even that illusion.

Remembering, of course, that there is still the darkness and silence surrounding AUM. ;)
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
I think it is the Theravada Buddhists who deny most fervently that Buddha was not a Theist and that he did not believe in God.

Theravada Buddhists mostly are from Sri Lanka where Buddhism was brought by son and daughter of Kind Ashoka whom he had sent to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism.

King Ashoka’s title “Devanampiya Piyadasi” "Beloved-of-the-Gods, He Who Looks On With Affection" amply proves that up to his times the Buddhists believed in God/s.

Please correct me if I am wrong.
It implies that King Ashoka believed in gods, specifically Devas. Nothing about a creator god in there.
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
In my readings of Buddha, he understand that nirvana was to be found on the earthly plane, so he returned in order that he may teach as best he could (understanding that enlightenment cannot be taught). But what did he return from? Enlightenment towards nirvana (and oneness with God) was not a new concept in India, but what was new was that it was to be found on the earthly plane.


Please quote Buddha’s words for:

1. His going out of “earthly plane”
2. Enlightenment cannot be taught
3. Buddha attained oneness with God

Please provide full reference to enable one to see the context of Buddha’s words.

Thanks and regards
 

Wannabe Yogi

Well-Known Member
Please quote Buddha’s words for:
3. Buddha attained oneness with God

In Sanskrit there are many words for God all meaning different things. So you would have to provide the Sanskrit term for me to comment.

I also do not know of any place in any Buddhist text it says Buddha became one with God. This sounds like a Hindu concept not a Buddhist one.
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
In Sanskrit there are many words for God all meaning different things. So you would have to provide the Sanskrit term for me to comment.

I also do not know of any place in any Buddhist text it says Buddha became one with God. This sounds like a Hindu concept not a Buddhist one.

Our friends Guitar's Cry and ratikala, if I remember correctly, used the phrase being one or oneness in God, I think ratikala gave a quote from a Suttha, but I could not locate it.

That is my question.
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
On the seventh Stupa of Emperor Ashoka , it is written:

'Thus spake Devanampiya Piyadasi: "Wherefore from this very hour, I have caused religious discourses to be preached, I have appointed religious observances that mankind, having listened thereto, shall be brought to follow in the right path, and give glory to God* (Is'ana)." '

* The usage of the word 'God' in singular is highly significant.

Buddhism
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
On the seventh Stupa of Emperor Ashoka , it is written:

'Thus spake Devanampiya Piyadasi: "Wherefore from this very hour, I have caused religious discourses to be preached, I have appointed religious observances that mankind, having listened thereto, shall be brought to follow in the right path, and give glory to God* (Is'ana)." '

* The usage of the word 'God' in singular is highly significant.

Buddhism
I didn't realize Ashoka was Buddha. This is truly remarkable! Buddha was a time-traveller! Or perhaps he was immortal and is among us to this day!
 

ratikala

Istha gosthi
dear guitars cry ,

But there is also the illusion of oneness as well. To say "I am one with God" is to acknowledge that there is the "not one with God" and thus again duality.

all the while we are obsessed with the self and with worldly concerns we are not at one with god we are sepperated by the illusion of our independance .

In my readings of Buddha, he understand that nirvana was to be found on the earthly plane,
the atainment of nirvana is the atainment of a state of mind , either here within this life span or an atainment at the point of death .


so he returned in order that he may teach as best he could (understanding that enlightenment cannot be taught)
"canot be taught" , true ! , ...but can be revealed ! ,
so buddha came to teach the path which leads to realisation :D


. But what did he return from?
Tusita heaven the realm of divine beings (of bodhisattvas and budhas to be )

Enlightenment towards nirvana (and oneness with God) was not a new concept in India, but what was new was that it was to be found on the earthly plane. Buddha's realization went beyond even that illusion.
I think a lot of vedic based faiths would refute that one , it is simply that the terminology is a little different ;)
 
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