Why do we see things so differently?

[Spirit of Light]

I have noticed that we sometimes get very long discussions about topics within religion and even between different people from same religion there are different views of what they scriptires means.

In my own search for the truth i found that when i speak with buddhists from same branch (theravada) even then we can see a topic totally different. To me this is not strage because i see that what has happend is that we are on different level of understading or wisdom if you like. What does this mean? it only means that when we study the same teachings/ dhamma we will only understand the teaching up to the level we have risen to.

What is your thought of this question? (why do we see things so differently)

 

[syo]

The sun shines for all people. But each people has their own unique way of how they will receive the sun.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I have noticed that we sometimes get very long discussions about topics within religion and even between different people from same religion there are different views of what they scriptires means.

In my own search for the truth i found that when i speak with buddhists from same branch (theravada) even then we can see a topic totally different. To me this is not strage because i see that what has happend is that we are on different level of understading or wisdom if you like. What does this mean? it only means that when we study the same teachings/ dhamma we will only understand the teaching up to the level we have risen to.

What is your thought of this question? (why do we see things so differently)

Nature and nurture and education all have a lot to do with our views.

Regards Tony

 

[Jollybear]

I have noticed that we sometimes get very long discussions about topics within religion and even between different people from same religion there are different views of what they scriptires means.

In my own search for the truth i found that when i speak with buddhists from same branch (theravada) even then we can see a topic totally different. To me this is not strage because i see that what has happend is that we are on different level of understading or wisdom if you like. What does this mean? it only means that when we study the same teachings/ dhamma we will only understand the teaching up to the level we have risen to.

What is your thought of this question? (why do we see things so differently)

I think thats a good point. Its like saying we understand things better through experiences rather then through intellectualism.

So if you get a teaching, that you interprete a certain way, but then experience it, then you may interprete it different, unless you interpreted right the first time. But experience will almost always bring the true meaning.

 

[pearl]

I agree our life experience may tilt our reception of Scripture. I think its important to realize that difference itself is neither right or wrong,

 

[Marcion]

I have noticed that we sometimes get very long discussions about topics within religion and even between different people from same religion there are different views of what they scriptires means.

In my own search for the truth i found that when i speak with buddhists from same branch (theravada) even then we can see a topic totally different. To me this is not strage because i see that what has happend is that we are on different level of understading or wisdom if you like. What does this mean? it only means that when we study the same teachings/ dhamma we will only understand the teaching up to the level we have risen to.

What is your thought of this question? (why do we see things so differently)

We use certain frames which we prefer to analyse paths and scriptures.
Those frames differ.
The more universal philosophies have the frames that are the most rational and the least distorting.

 

[Shantanu]

I have noticed that we sometimes get very long discussions about topics within religion and even between different people from same religion there are different views of what they scriptires means.

In my own search for the truth i found that when i speak with buddhists from same branch (theravada) even then we can see a topic totally different. To me this is not strage because i see that what has happend is that we are on different level of understading or wisdom if you like. What does this mean? it only means that when we study the same teachings/ dhamma we will only understand the teaching up to the level we have risen to.

What is your thought of this question? (why do we see things so differently)

We are predisposed genetically to see things differently by virtue of the gunas that we acquire as to where in the sattvic, rajasic and tamasic triad of attributes each individual resides and lives out his life. No matter what you cannot change your innate nature.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I think thats a good point. Its like saying we understand things better through experiences rather then through intellectualism.

So if you get a teaching, that you interprete a certain way, but then experience it, then you may interprete it different, unless you interpreted right the first time. But experience will almost always bring the true meaning.

This is my experience too we can read all the scriptures, but without experience it our self, how can we understand theory only get us so far

 

[Spirit of Light]

We are predisposed genetically to see things differently by virtue of the gunas that we acquire as to where in the sattvic, rajasic and tamasic triad of attributes each individual resides and lives out his life. No matter what you cannot change your innate nature.

I kind of agree with you on this, but where i might see it a little different is to the innate nature. Because in my experience we can highten the inborn quality of our nature. meaning we do not know our highest potential in spirituality before we reach it (In my understanding)

 

[Shantanu]

I kind of agree with you on this, but where i might see it a little different is to the innate nature. Because in my experience we can highten the inborn quality of our nature. meaning we do not know our highest potential in spirituality before we reach it (In my understanding)

Are you sure you are not looking at Buddhism to justify your own nature, rather than the other way round?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Are you sure you are not looking at Buddhism to justify your own nature, rather than the other way round?

Dhamma is theteaching i follow to realise enlightenment, not sure why i would have a need to justify my nature?

 

[Shantanu]

Dhamma is theteaching i follow to realise enlightenment, not sure why i would have a need to justify my nature?

Yes, dharma is the path to enlightenment, but why the Dhamma of Buddhism? - Is it not just because you took a vow to become a Buddhist so that you cannot go back on it and so deprive yourself of the enlightenment that I know from my own nature and seeking God to guide me on what is the right dharma. God is here right now to guide, so why do you need a Buddha-prescribed Dhamma of 2500 years ago that few others practice and there is so much disagreement even among Buddhists on the presecription.

This is a useful topic that you have raised, but you should consider the faults in the Dhamma as being the reason that 'people see it so differently'. Who is successful in the practice of any religion. How many people today can claim that they have acquired nirvana as a Buddhist, and what proof do they offer that they have attained enlightenment. Who believes them?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Yes, dharma is the path to enlightenment, but why the Dhamma of Buddhism? - Is it not just because you took a vow to become a Buddhist so that you cannot go back on it and so deprive yourself of enlightenment that I know from my own nature and seeking God to guide me on what is the right dharma. God is here right now to guide, so why do you need a Buddha-prescribed Dhamma of 2500 years ago that few others practice and there is so much disagreement even among Buddhists on the presecription.

This is a useful topic that you have raised, but you should consider the faults in the Dhamma as being the reason that 'people see it so differently'. Who is successful in the practice of any religion. How many people today can claim that they have acquired nirvana as a Buddhist, and what proof do they offer that they have attained enlightenment. Who believes them?

When i first converted to buddhism from Christianity in 1997 i has spend 5 years studying different religious texts, spoken to a lot of people from different religions and spiritual paths, but to me the theravada buddhist teaching was what felt closest to me, and ever since 1997 i have not have any need of looking back toward other religions, even i still have interests in understanding different religions, i stay on the path of buddhist teaching.
To me searching for enlightenment does not happen in the teaching it self, nor does it happen in the physical world, it all happen within the one who seek. but without the teach and without the physical world to practice the teaching there can not be enlightenment.
Even it has passed 2500 year since the teaching was told by the Buddha there is no need to be worried it does not work or lead toward enlightenment.
But where we must be carefull is that some changes to some parts of the teaching can have happend due to mistranslation or misunderstanding from those who did the translation. but taking that in to the situation, knowing to look for more then one source or other translations, will help giving a more correct picture of Buddhas true teachings.

The reason you not hearing of people getting enlighten from the teaching today, is because first of all it is really difficult to reach enlightenment, but when you do reach it, you see how easy it could have been done. And enlighten masters do know that if they speak they must teach human beings, and it is maybe the most difficult task a buddha can do. this is also the reason there are only a few buddhas who have made teaching public (some hidden teachings still exist in himalaya)

 

[VoidCat]

I have noticed that we sometimes get very long discussions about topics within religion and even between different people from same religion there are different views of what they scriptires means.

In my own search for the truth i found that when i speak with buddhists from same branch (theravada) even then we can see a topic totally different. To me this is not strage because i see that what has happend is that we are on different level of understading or wisdom if you like. What does this mean? it only means that when we study the same teachings/ dhamma we will only understand the teaching up to the level we have risen to.

What is your thought of this question? (why do we see things so differently)

I just have no issue of people seeing the world differently in fact it kind of interests me...I love hearing different views...How we view the world is related to a lot of things...experience,nature,etc...

 

[Shantanu]

When i first converted to buddhism from Christianity in 1997 i has spend 5 years studying different religious texts, spoken to a lot of people from different religions and spiritual paths, but to me the theravada buddhist teaching was what felt closest to me, and ever since 1997 i have not have any need of looking back toward other religions, even i still have interests in understanding different religions, i stay on the path of buddhist teaching.
To me searching for enlightenment does not happen in the teaching it self, nor does it happen in the physical world, it all happen within the one who seek. but without the teach and without the physical world to practice the teaching there can not be enlightenment.
Even it has passed 2500 year since the teaching was told by the Buddha there is no need to be worried it does not work or lead toward enlightenment.
But where we must be carefull is that some changes to some parts of the teaching can have happend due to mistranslation or misunderstanding from those who did the translation. but taking that in to the situation, knowing to look for more then one source or other translations, will help giving a more correct picture of Buddhas true teachings.

The reason you not hearing of people getting enlighten from the teaching today, is because first of all it is really difficult to reach enlightenment, but when you do reach it, you see how easy it could have been done. And enlighten masters do know that if they speak they must teach human beings, and it is maybe the most difficult task a buddha can do. this is also the reason there are only a few buddhas who have made teaching public (some hidden teachings still exist in himalaya)

Christians would find easy to covert to Buddhism because they practice compassion and love. The only way to attain peace is through attrition with one's enemies such that the sattvic guna person thrives. I would distrust any religion that uses compulsion such as Baptism/Christening and Vow taking to force itself upon the human being.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Christians would find easy to covert to Buddhism because they practice compassion and love. The only way to attain peace is through attrition with one's enemies such that the sattvic guna person thrives. I would distrust any religion that uses compulsion such as Baptism and Vow taking to force itself upon the human being.

Mostly all religions do have compassion and love in their teaching, but they might use different words for it. The big different from christianity to buddhism is that christianity teach there is a creator God, something that is not teaching in Buddhism.

Baptism is a ritual not something that is forced up on anybody (as far as i know)

 

[Shantanu]

Mostly all religions do have compassion and love in their teaching, but they might use different words for it. The big different from christianity to buddhism is that christianity teach there is a creator God, something that is not teaching in Buddhism.

Baptism is a ritual not something that is forced up on anybody (as far as i know)

You cannot force religions on the great humanity as not all would accept the teachings of love and compassion. I do not for example.

 

[Spirit of Light]

You cannot force religions on the great humanity as not all would accept the teachings of love and compassion. I do not for example.

In my life i have never been forced in to any form of religion or religious belief, it has always been my own decision to what and whoi follow or belive has a truthful teaching.
But i noticed you feel that someone pushing belief on you. if you do not want to follow any religion or spiritual path that is ok

 

[Shantanu]

In my life i have never been forced in to any form of religion or religious belief, it has always been my own decision to what and whoi follow or belive has a truthful teaching.
But i noticed you feel that someone pushing belief on you. if you do not want to follow any religion or spiritual path that is ok

I am answering the OP in expressing my view that Buddhism is not right for everyone because they are genetically different and will always argue against beliefs that does not match their psyche. This is the reason that Buddhism fractured into diverse sub-religions. People wanted an alternative to suit their innate nature. Your innate nature made you a Christian first and when you rebelled against the existence of God, you turned to Buddhism.

 

[dybmh]

The sun shines for all people. But each people has their own unique way of how they will receive the sun.

Bingo!

I was having a similar discussion recently and this is one of the points that came up.

Why do we see things so differently?

Light. No one sees the same thing exactly the same way. The light traveling from the object that hits our eyes is unique. No person receives the same light into their cornea; therefore, no two people see the world exactly the same way. It's an example from the natural world that describes the difference between what is Real and what is True.

Example: If you and I are standing in the same place at sunset, it's easy for us to agree that the sky is lovely shades of pink purple blending into blue.

This is assuming you are not red-blue color blind.

For someone who is red-blue color blind, their version of a sunset is very different from mine. I propose that both versions are Real. But the True sunset includes both Red wavelengths and Blue wavelengths of light along with many wavelengths of light that the human eye cannot detect.

Consider though, what if we are talking to someone who has never seen a sunset before, they may not believe us. they may not believe in sunsets at all.

Amanaki: You can take this concept to some very deep places when related to the spiritual / supernatural phenomena and experiences you have reported in other threads.

But I digress...

I think, everyone has their own Reality, but there is only one Truth.

Most people don't distinguish between what is Real and is True. This is because when 2 ( or more ) people are in the same time, the same place, it's easy to agree on what is Real.

Here's a another example:

There was an amazing picture i saw of a smoke cloud from a demolished power-plant that looks exactly like a person. I mean exactly. If I hadn't seen the picture, and someone tried to describe it to me, I would not believe it was real. And I propose, until I saw the picture for myself, it wasn't Real for me, but since it actually happened, it was still True. This is the difference between what is Real and what is True.

Two people can disagree on what is Real, but Truth is always true.

To demonstrate this idea from a religious perspective:

For me God is Truth.
For you, as a cultivator, maybe, Dao is Truth?
For Hindu, maybe, Brahman is Truth?

Using this to answer your question:

Two people from the same religion reading the same scripture often come to similar conclusions. If these two people have very similar life experiences and very similar prior knowledge on the subject matter, they will be even more likely come to the same conclusions.

However if these two people have different life experiences and vastly different knowledge on the subject matter, even if they identify as the same religion, they may come to two totally different conclusions.

If these conclusions are vastly different they may argue vigorously. Why? Because they both agree the book exists, they both speak the same language, and maybe they both agree the book is divine. But if they are coming to a different conclusion, someone has to be wrong. If they never come to an agreement, they are in a way, living in different Realities. And this is frustrating if these two people believe there is only one Truth.

My opinion: It doesn't matter which opinion reflects Truth. Who's right and who's wrong doesn't matter. Everyone can have their own reality. As long as everyone is healthy, happy, not hurting anyone; that's what matters to me.