Buddhism…………….?

GE3z.: Buddhism…………….?
so in my philosophy class we were told buddhism is not a religion, but a way of life….has buddhism changed your life into a more peaceful one.?

Answers and Views:

Answer by SUPERPOWER INDIA
yeah

Answer by JohnH
it help you to find your innerself, to reach a so called No mind.
but it is not enough to create a “true” peaceful world.
Any religion which does not teach about God is not a religion.

J

Answer by Arbitrary Concordance
Pretty darn spiffy. Gotta love them buddha’s!

Answer by Leaf of the Soul
i am not a buddhist but since learning about the core principles i can only say it has enhanced my life in many ways, my life isn’t necessarily more peaceful…but my attitude is.

Answer by bo k
Buddhist goal is to get rid of addiction to physical pleasure.
If we can reach it, we will definitely live in Peace.
I am halfway there.

Answer by Been There
I do not see Buddha as a god … he is our role-model and the first teacher of Buddhism.
I do not worship Buddha. Yes, I prostrate to the statue, as a way of imprinting into my being a respect for the teachings of Buddha, and imprinting humility about my big ego into my heart (remember than eastern cultures bow down in respect, this is not worship). I also make offerings, as way to imprint the urge to feel warm generosity towards all.

Buddhism is a way of life. It is things you do, it is things you refrain from doing, it is a continual awareness (mindfulness) and effort to generate feelings of compassion for all … it is done 24/7. It is a discovery of being, through one’s own awareness and one’s own experience … and a freeing from being constantly pushed this-way-and-that by our thoughts, emotions, our cravings, our fears, our aversions. In the middle of all this commotion, we learn to find light, joyful freedom.

What the practices of Buddhism do are to retrain our unconscious, to reorient the way we respond to life, circumstances, and our own emotions and conception of “self”. It is a method of learning to discipline our mind; we all have very active, noisy, hyper “monkey minds” that actually keep us from experiencing this very moment fully. These practices allow us to tolerate the pushing urge of our attractions and our emotional upsets, without being pushed around by them; as a matter of fact, the longer one practices Buddhism, the more amused they become as their response to wanting or hating something.

The practices of Buddhism use the same techniques that psychologists use when they want a person to learn to modify or change a behavior, and the same techniques that marriage counselors use when they show a couple how to learn to love each other again. The major difference is that Buddhism does not work with one specific behavior … it “retrains” our entire orientation to every aspect of being alive.

Buddhism is something you DO, it is a system of retraining one’s self. There is no “belief” needed, no appeal or hope from a “higher power”. If you wanted to win the Gold in Olympic figure-skating, you would find a teacher/coach, and learn how to figure skate. You would spend as much time practicing as you could, and listen to the suggestions of your coach to improve your efforts. Buddhism is exactly the same. You would not get very far in your training if you did not have a skillful coach, nor if you did not practice much. Furthermore, belief and higher powers will not get you to the Olympic Gold … nor to enlightenment.

I cannot speak for others, but it has changed my life. I used to be very irritable, moody, full of yearnings and fear, and could really blow my top. Gradually over many years of practicing (under the guidance of one of the Dalai Lama’s monks), I have gotten to the point where I never blow my top and almost never get irritable. When my husband tries to pick a fight (he does this when he gets tense), instead of responding to my own emotional hurt, I look to see his tension and feel compassion … as a result, his prodding makes me more loving. My mood is now mostly one of lightness and calmness, and when it isn’t, it is very minor. It is not that there is no more sorrow or pain, but that it does not push me around like it used to. Fear and strong cravings are there, but powerless … this very moment, I am having a moderate gall-bladder attack with pain under my right lower ribs .. but I do not mind … there is nothing to be done at this point in time … the pain co-exists alongside my light joy, and all is well despite the pain.

I have only been practicing for 11 years, but I didn’t start to get results until I had been practicing about 5 years. I am FAR from enlightened, but even these few “baby-steps” have changed my inner life, my outer life, and my relationships incredibly. Everyone has noticed, including my family and .. your family is always the last to notice when you have changed.

Answer by Reality
Yes, Buddhism is a religion that teaches compassion, tolerance and patience. It has definitely enriched my life.