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Old 03-13-2010, 11:14 PM
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Default Is ALL Mahayana Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism believe in deities/gods?

Is ALL Mahayana Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism believe in deities/gods?
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Old 03-17-2010, 12:14 AM
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No, Buddhists can be atheists. I dint think they even describe specific gods in some of those but i dint know which.
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Old 03-19-2010, 12:14 AM
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All traditional schools of Buddhism including the Theravada believe in Deva's (i.e. gods, deities, or whatever you wish to call them) as well as other beings carried over from the Vedic cosmology. They aren't just in Mahayana straws, they are all over the Pali Canon as well.

Modern Buddhists even in traditional schools may take these things metaphorically or at least not so literally. Western converts or those who've read a few books (usually by other Westerners) and have decided to identify as Buddhist either do not know about this, or pretend its not there, or try to deny it and say that it was added later. This is not being honest. The deities were there from the very beginning. One of the Buddha's titles is even "Teacher of Gods and Men" and one of the types of beings one can be reborn as is a Deva.

Now, I think it is possible to be a Buddhist or at least to study, practice, and benefit from Buddhism without literally believing in the traditional cosmology. But it is dishonest to deny the traditional cosmology or that all the traditional schools (including Theravada and Zen) do in fact have gods as part of the backdrop of the teachings.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
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Old 03-21-2010, 12:14 AM
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There are no gods, but more often than not the Sanskrit word "Deva" is confusingly translated "god". Devas are mortal but very long-lived beings living in great happiness, unaware of the fact that they have to be reborn like everyone else. There is no worship whatsoever of any of the numerous Deva's in Buddhism. Sometimes Brahman/God/Allah is considered a Deva that mistakenly believe he is the immortal/eternal creator of the world.

Many Western Buddhists have difficulty accepting the concept of Deva's literally, and often it is interpreted symbolically, as one aspect of human life, e.g. an exceedingly rich person with no material worries, almost feeling like an almighty master over great riches, servants, companies, lands or whatever - emotionally unaware of the impermanence of everything, including his health and life, riches, position, world happiness, reputation and prestige, and so on.
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