Dharma Wheel

It is no surprise that all of us have disturbed mind streams.
Some are disturbed by Buddhism, some by Jesusians.

How do we move on?
We flow with the benefits of a raft.

Take the well being even when offered by those in confused dharmas
or from holy ghosts
and reflect only

Come on sangha, a little right thinking
as an example . . .

greentara wrote:I don't find the Sermon on the Mount to be repulsive.

There is much in the Judeo-Christian traditions that is far from offensive. If one knows the linguistic traditions well enough to choose good translations of the scriptures, there is much to be found that is thought provoking and beautiful.

But then, I hold the same to be true of Islamic texts.

JKhedrup wrote: I feel this video on the same site has very disturbing implications:
http://everyschool.com/before-it-s-too-late" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Reminds me of Campus Crusade for Christ at university back home. The difference perhaps is the Atheist groups were fiercely attacking them and offered a challenge to their activities on campus. They even had references to god removed from the graduation ceremony.

JKhedrup wrote:I feel this video on the same site has very disturbing implications:
http://everyschool.com/before-it-s-too-late" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Whereas a Buddhist lam rim teaching about the hell realms is not?

I'd have to say it would depend on how the Lam Rim was taught. Sure Gampopa, Tsongkhapa, Phabongkhapa, Patrul Rinpoche all mention the hell realms extensively in their texts.

But to me there are several major differences:

1. One is not damned to hell for eternity. When one's karma is exhausted, even though it may be a long time, one gets out of hell.

2. There is no God "sending" beings to hell because he is angry.

3. Whether one goes to hell or not is determined by negative karmas accumulated. "Just believing" is not enough.

4. Just being a Buddhist doesn't necessarily mean you will not go to hell. Not being Buddhist doesn't necessarily mean you will go.

Those are the major differences that come to mind at the moment.

Yeah but Huseng wasn't talking about the Sermon on the Mount right?

JKhedrup wrote:...
So if we believe in Jesus, we can be free. But we have to accept his gift of salvation unequivocally. In her words "Karma, good works, won't help". So our actions don't matter an iota (in this school of Christianity). Only belief does.

So by extension an axe murderer who killed 30 people but accepts Jesus' sacrifice for humanity gets to go to heaven, while an atheist cancer researcher who saved the lives of thousands gets hell.

kinda sounds like the very definition of "cheap grace"

I saw some Christians who are showing a lot of compassion, love and selfishless, their whole daily attitude is warm and open. They are not pushing 'others' believes in their shoes. They act, speak by very beautiful conduct.

I think whatever we call ourselves, that will not represent us rather it does through conduct.

Greg, The picture of Ta-dah! is funny and ironic. To be fair we don't know what Jesus said or even his core teaching, myths abound. Nothing was written down till 70 years after his death.
The believers are reliant on the gospels; the teaching and revelation of Christ. How ripe was the understanding of these men who wrote down what they remembered and what they heard? Some of the teachings handed down are uneven, some of the verses have hidden gems. Eastern religion seems to have a much clearer, well defined 'road map' Nevertheless if you have read the wonderful work of the Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart it all seems worthwhile.

gregkavarnos wrote:

ta dah.jpg

If you allow me, Greg, I print this. Anyway whatever, I print it. Since indeed these ideas are funny. It can learn me how funny are my own ideas.

I saw huge flat screens of tv's in the city, people were looking to the amazing beautiful images. Of course sellers will not show ugly images or stupid images on the tv, nobody should buy them. In fact some people ( I should do that when I had money) are only buying the images without realizing, forgetting those wonderful images are already gone on the screen when they come home. And then they look to boring news at home.

But we people sell/buy images ( ideas) only, all the time, we think that's all there is.