What would you call Buddhism without all the mumbo jumbo? No offense intended btw.?
I've always been interested in Buddhism and about the only form of meditation I really care to practice is mindfulness. I like Buddhism because it's very logical and rational in big way but when it comes to rebirth and stuff, I'm cautious because I'm more of an Agnostic and I prefer to say I don't know when it comes to things science hasn't pr oven one way or another yet. Is there a form of Buddhism that's like humanistic Buddhism that kinda leaves out the rebirth and stuff? I dunno, any advice or commentary that is appropriately related to my question/comments would be helpful. Thanks guys.
I am not sure about the humanistic approach to Buddhism, but Buddhism goes further than agnosticism to say there are NO divine beings(Gods). Even Buddha himself, is just an enlightened man. Personally, I believe they are mistaken about what's going on, but unlike some others, I don't believe them to be actively seeking evil. Essentially, I guess they would be humanists without the reincarnation stuff. There ya go non-secular humanists.
id call it mind silence, because that's Wat it teaches and personally its Wat i think is god. i advise u think about Wat u believe about rebirth and not be confined by a religious group
Buddhism isn't for everyone and maybe it is just not for you
I don't take of fence at the mambo jumbo That was my thinking in the beginning too [ it takes time ] Now meditation is for everyone The religious and non religious alike You don't need to become Buddhist to practice mindfulness meditation
You have to be extremely careful though In meditation a person is wide open and in these times I always advice to meditate alone and in a safe place This is the reason I have not recommended any Zen group or such like
Good luck
i think you are bit afraid that Buddhism might prove that science is wrong. science has discover many ideas from Buddhism which they didn't have before. Buddhism can offer many to science. but in Buddhism, Buddhism is not trying to prove any thing to anybody. all these causes and conditions, karma, nirvana, enlighten, pass liefs, future liefs etc... are to put into practice, meditate on it, be mind fullness on it, be familiar with it. i think once we are aware of all these stuffs, we know how to react, when we know how to react the path is going to the right way. that is how we called Buddhism is the way of life.
That's where the spirit of Buddhism lies on : You don't have to believe on some supra natural things that are hard to be perceived and can't be proved by our intellectual mind yet.
Buddhism is a moral philosophy, an ethical way to live for the here and now of this world to gain the ultimate state. Buddhism focusing on suffering and the end of suffering. The Buddha once said that: if even it is proved that there is no afterlife, one who practiced Buddhism well, surely will yield happiness here and now. No need to wait for afterlife.
Remember also what he tells to the Kalamas: in Buddhism, passive acceptance are not required, but, rather, constant questioning and personal testing to identify those truths which you are able to demonstrate to yourself actually reduce your own stress or misery. So, Direct knowledge grounded in ones own experience can be called upon. "Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing, nor upon tradition, nor upon rumor, nor upon what is in a scripture, nor upon surmise, nor upon an axiom, nor upon specious reasoning, nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over, nor upon anther's seeming ability, nor upon the consideration, "The monk is our teacher. Kalamas, when you yourselves know: "These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness," enter on and abide in them.'
So, just go on with your practices, no need to find any school that sound humanistic Buddhism.
p.s.: Another thing, maybe you will be interested in learning and gaining another perspective from what many Near Death Experience accounts reveals about life, afterlife, the meaning of life etc
in this site:
http://near-death.com/
Yes, Buddhism teaches rebirth and mambo jumbo. Yet Buddhism also teaches us to question things, and to find out for ourselves what is true and what isn't. We are advised to accept those parts of the teachings that we ourselves have found to be true. Supposedly, the more we find different parts of the teachings to be true, the more we accept that the other parts just might be true, as well.
But what I'm finding is that the more mindful I become, the less I need a solid platform of knowledge to stand on -- this applies to both the acceptance of things I do not have direct knowledge of (such as rebirth), but it also applies to scientific explanations as well. Pema Chodron calls our attachment to this intellectual knowing (as opposed to first-hand experience) "looking for ground under our feet", and designates it as one more way of being attached to the idea of certainty and assurance about life. And how this attachment is one of the sources of our suffering ... this need to think we have everything "pinned down" and understood.
In other words ... the more mindful I become, the less attached I am to having explanations for things that I cannot directly experience. I guess I'm advising you to take what is useful and what "works" for you, and use it. Don't worry about the rest of it ... that which you cannot use or which you do not know first-hand. You have perfect license to not worry about it, according to Buddha's instructions on questioning.
What would you call Buddhism without all the mumbo jumbo? No offense intended btw.?
