New to this

[LastLegend]

How about not proselytize, leave him some room and let him decide? Give him some space to choose for himself, Last Legend.

Whatever dude...I don't actively go to people and convert them. This person is interested in Buddhism, and I am introducing Pure Land since it is easy to practice. I am sure the person is aware that he/she has a choice, and I am not choking the person either. If you have not noticed, I posted links to introductory texts about Pure Land.

[Dechen Norbu]

You don't need to become defensive.
All I'm saying is for us to give him some room to breathe! I'm sure he will choose the school that is better suited to his needs.
Pure Land may be an excellent choice, but I think he already got an overload of information in this thread.

[LastLegend]

You don't need to become defensive.
All I'm saying is for us to give him some room to breathe! I'm sure he will choose the school that is better suited to his needs.

Not really I am just re-directing the vibe that you gave off. Perhaps through your disagreements with other people in the other posts? Maybe I am just being deluded here.

[Dechen Norbu]

You don't need to become defensive.
All I'm saying is for us to give him some room to breathe! I'm sure he will choose the school that is better suited to his needs.

Not really I am just re-directing the vibe that you gave off. Perhaps through your disagreements with other people in the other posts? Maybe I am just being deluded here.

Most likely (meaning you're probably right and not deluded). That and the fact that I should have hit the sack hours ago! I'm totally busted. I really need to get some sleep.
I'm just grumpy...

Time to take a nap, friend!

See you around tomorrow!

[Sherab]

The Buddha put in so much effort to help sentient beings get rid of such tendencies. Why bring into Buddhism such concepts like "God" and "soul" which inevitability carry such heavy reification baggages? Seems to me to be completely counteracting what the Buddha has worked so hard against.

Thing is, are they the same as what Buddha denied the existence of?
Personally, I don't think so. I don't personally think they are the same thing as what Buddha denied the existence of.

A lot of people will equate God with Brahma/Brahman; and a lot of people will equate Soul with Atman. As far as I am concerned, during the time of the Buddha, he was indeed denying Brahma/Brahman as a creator of everything and the real existence of atman.

So using terms "God" and "Soul" to apply to Buddhist ideas undermine the work of the Buddha. As it is, the Buddhist ultimate, Buddhanature, etc. are already pretty hard terms to understand. To equate them with "God" and "Soul" is to make it even harder to grasp the intended meaning of the Buddha. It is no coincidence that Buddhanature is taught in the third turning after the teaching of emptiness is established by the second turning.

[catmoon]

I think the best place for a scientific-minded person to start is with a little Zen. I'm not a Zen practioner myself, but I think the absence of faith-based thinking in Zen would appeal to the scientific mind.

[gregkavarnos]

I always recommend Walpola Sri Rahula "What the Buddha Taught" to beginners. It's a very clear account of basic Buddhist theory and practice. It is available free online as well.

Welcome to the sandpit imkelly!

[Luke]

I think the best place for a scientific-minded person to start is with a little Zen. I'm not a Zen practioner myself, but I think the absence of faith-based thinking in Zen would appeal to the scientific mind.

Maybe the Batchelor-type, westernized, sanitized Zen is like that, but the more traditional Zen seems to be about torturing the mind into letting go of conventional logic (koans), so I'm not sure that scientifically-minded people would like it so much. But I'm no expert on Zen, so I could be mistaken...

I think Varayana is more "scientific" and systematic--although it's systematic about things such as deities and states of consciousness after death which require some faith! lol

[Indrajala]

Maybe the Batchelor-type, westernized, sanitized Zen is like that, but the more traditional Zen seems to be about torturing the mind into letting go of conventional logic (koans), so I'm not sure that scientifically-minded people would like it so much. But I'm no expert on Zen, so I could be mistaken...

In Soto-shu I hear they used to perform a particular ritual for women because they thought their monthly bleeding disgusted and angered the gods.