Seun:
Does anyone here know what Buddhism is about? I understand Christianity and even Islam, but Buddhism seems to be difficult to understand.

You don't understand Christianity bro , you never did

justlove91:

If you like that label, but am sure you know an atheist is not necessarily a materialist.

Explain how someone can be an Atheist, yet a non materialist

Seun:
Does anyone here know what Buddhism is about? I understand Christianity and even Islam, but Buddhism seems to be difficult to understand.

Well Buddhism is a complex religion. It was started by Buddha as a way of ending human suffering mostly by eliminating want.
Though Buddhism has no God, it can be combined with other religions that have God(s). Buddhism is even compatible with Christianity if you want it.
There are many Buddhist God's pulled from other religions where Buddhism is practiced.
If buddhism were to come to nigeria today, it would be compatible with all our local Gods.
The main thing about Buddhism is that its an ideal for eliminating suffering, that is the major take away. So why it has no God it is compatible with any religion or even atheism.

Lennycool:

Well Buddhism is a complex religion. It was started by Buddha as a way of ending human suffering mostly by eliminating want. The main thing about Buddhism is that its an ideal for eliminating suffering, that is the major take away. So why it has no God it is compatible with any religion or even atheism.

Thanks for your eplanation. That sounds like something that's obviously and demonstrably false. What makes people believe it's true?

Seun:

Thanks for your eplanation. That sounds like something that's obviously and demonstrably false. What makes people believe it's true?

Buddhism isn't about ending suffering for the whole world, it's about ending suffering for the people that practice it. Like if you feel depressed or terrible, Buddhism teaches you to let go of wants as they are the cause of your misery. Its aim is for its followers to achieve a life free from want. Which though hard isn't impossible for the individual to achieve.

Seun:

Thanks for your explanation. That sounds like something that's obviously and demonstrably false. What makes people believe it's true?

Maybe it is the the explanation that is false.

LoJ:

Maybe it is the the explanation that is false.

How?

Lennycool:

Buddhism isn't about ending suffering for the whole world, it's about ending suffering for the people that practice it. Like if you feel depressed or terrible, Buddhism teaches you to let go of wants as they are the cause of your misery. Its aim is for its followers to achieve a life free from want. Which though hard isn't impossible for the individual to achieve.

So if you're poor, the solution isn't to get educated and be enterprising in order to be rich, but to stop wanting wealth and comfort? How unwise!

Seun:

So if you're poor, the solution isn't to get educated and be enterprising in order to be rich, but to stop wanting wealth and comfort? How unwise!

Lol basically. But it will end your suffering. Buddha himself was said to have witnessed the suffering of the poor and sick around him and so he left his riches(he was born a Prince) to know more about the world he was shielded from, and later set out to find a way by which all humans can end their suffering. He came up with buddhism, letting go of the material things in life will make you truly happy. No wants no worries. Buddhism values life and its followers are vegetarians. They also believe in reincarnation(you can come back as a tree or goat in another life), and coined the term Karma.

Its better than the Abrahamic religions anyway.

Seun:

Thanks for your eplanation. That sounds like something that's obviously and demonstrably false. What makes people believe it's true?

The primary aim of Buddhism is to end human psychological suffering not necessarily the physical one. Buddha realised that the cause of human psychological suffering is resistance to what is ie life, and said if one can just bring unconditional acceptance to life then there will be peace of mind irrespective of what is happening outside.

Seun:

So if you're poor, the solution isn't to get educated and be enterprising in order to be rich, but to stop wanting wealth and comfort? How unwise!

Buddhism teaches that human suffering also arises from desire and tell people to strive to reach a state of "desirelessness"
But this state isn't about having no desire because it is not really the desire that causes suffering but the attachment to the desire. Desire becomes a source of suffering when your inner peace depends on it fulfilment.
It is possible to have a desire, work towards it's fulfilment and yet be detached from it, which means you don't wait for it to manifest before you can be at peace and happy.
The poor man can still work to better his life situation and yet be happy along the way.
What all this really means is that you don't have to feel sad and miserable before you can change your life.

Anas09:

Explain how someone can be an Atheist, yet a non materialist

Atheism is the believe that there is on God.
Materialism is the believe that only the physical reality exist.
Even though all materialists are atheists not all atheists are materialist.
If the physical can exist without God why can't the "spiritual" also exist without God?
I believe the universe is maintained by laws and not by God.

Lennycool:

Lol basically. But it will end your suffering. Buddha himself was said to have witnessed the suffering of the poor and sick around him and so he left his riches(he was born a Prince) to know more about the world he was shielded from, and later set out to find a way by which all humans can end their suffering. He came up with buddhism, letting go of the material things in life will make you truly happy. No wants no worries. Buddhism values life and its followers are vegetarians. They also believe in reincarnation(you can come back as a tree or goat in another life), and coined the term Karma.

Its better than the Abrahamic religions anyway.

The concept of Buddhism accommodates changing your life situation if you don't like it. It just advice that you totally and completely accept where you're right now instead of resisting It, this will create inner peace.
It teaches that where you're right now is the reality that what is real at the moment and not what you desire to be which is in the future. So you can walk from here to where you want but to always remember that your life is happening not in the past or future but here and now.

Lennycool:

Well Buddhism is a complex religion. It was started by Buddha as a way of ending human suffering mostly by eliminating want.
Though Buddhism has no God, it can be combined with other religions that have God(s). Buddhism is even compatible with Christianity if you want it.
There are many Buddhist God's pulled from other religions where Buddhism is practiced.
If buddhism were to come to nigeria today, it would be compatible with all our local Gods.
The main thing about Buddhism is that its an ideal for eliminating suffering, that is the major take away. So why it has no God it is compatible with any religion or even atheism.

Yes, but it has to do with eliminating psychological suffering not necessarily the physical one, in fact nobody can eliminate all physical sufferings.
Enlightenment is not about not suffering outside but about not suffering inside.

justlove91:

Atheism is the believe that there is on God.
Materialism is the believe that only the physical reality exist.
Even though all materialists are atheists not all atheists are materialist.
If the physical can exist without God why can't the "spiritual" also exist without God?
I believe the universe is maintained by laws and not by God.

Wonderdul. Does this make any sence to you?
Anyways, let what you beleive work for you. I wont waste my time on this.

Anas09:

Wonderdul. Does this make any sence to you?
Anyways, let what you beleive work for you. I wont waste my time on this.

Exactly, what matters in the end is this believe works perfectly for me, it may not make sense to you but it doesn't have to, this is about me and what works for me.

Budda is a person at the state of nirvana or perfection like Apeere in yoruba theology, buddhist worship the buddha