"Maybe We Should Help..."
The quote above contains the only words ever said by the Buddha Shakyamuni on The Simpsons.
Happy Vesak, everybody! Around 2500 years ago today, a boy was born who would grow up to be the round mound of embodied Enlightenment. Born a wealthy prince who never wanted for anything, he cast aside his old life (including a wife and child) to search for enlightenment. After spending years roaming the countryside searching for wise men to teach him, he realized that just about anyone claiming to be a wise man is pretty much full of shit, and so he decided to just sit under a tree and figure things out for himself. And he did. So there.
It seems like all of our religious superheroes have rejected the world of material possessions and said how nice it would be if we got over ourselves and were nice to each other. They realized that to chase after money and power was just asking to be lead around by the nose from one empty pursuit to another. They realized that possessions can be weights that hold us down rather than tools to help us life easier lives (have you noticed that with every time saving device that gets invented, we are just expected to do more stuff with the time we've saved?). And they realized that pretty much no one would listen to them, but, to their credit, they kept on talking anyway. They realized that every time they suggested that we help someone, there was Spongebob Squarepants saying, "Screw 'em!!!" and laughing maniacally. By the way, Jesus and Buddha don't care wether or not Spongebob's gay, so maybe you shouldn't either.
I suppose I like Buddhism because it is a religion of no-religion. Doubt and critical examination of your mind is not only encouraged, but is really the only way to attain enlightenment. I read somewhere (link in title above) that many Christians believe that they can get into heaven through good works, and some believe that they get into heaven through proper beliefs alone (our President is among the latter group). This "belief only" group (I know there are proper terms for both groups but I can't remember them) seems to me the antithesis of what religion should be. If you do not question and doubt and seek answers, both within yourself and in the world at large, you really stop developing spiritually. That's what I've found to be true, anyway.
I also like the fact that when the Dali Lama dies, we won't be hearing about it forever, like with some religious leaders.
Well, I've got to go now, so go out in the world and wish everyone a Happy Vesak. You just gotta love those blank stares you get back. At least now you've got them thinking.
Happy Vesak, everybody! Around 2500 years ago today, a boy was born who would grow up to be the round mound of embodied Enlightenment. Born a wealthy prince who never wanted for anything, he cast aside his old life (including a wife and child) to search for enlightenment. After spending years roaming the countryside searching for wise men to teach him, he realized that just about anyone claiming to be a wise man is pretty much full of shit, and so he decided to just sit under a tree and figure things out for himself. And he did. So there.
It seems like all of our religious superheroes have rejected the world of material possessions and said how nice it would be if we got over ourselves and were nice to each other. They realized that to chase after money and power was just asking to be lead around by the nose from one empty pursuit to another. They realized that possessions can be weights that hold us down rather than tools to help us life easier lives (have you noticed that with every time saving device that gets invented, we are just expected to do more stuff with the time we've saved?). And they realized that pretty much no one would listen to them, but, to their credit, they kept on talking anyway. They realized that every time they suggested that we help someone, there was Spongebob Squarepants saying, "Screw 'em!!!" and laughing maniacally. By the way, Jesus and Buddha don't care wether or not Spongebob's gay, so maybe you shouldn't either.
I suppose I like Buddhism because it is a religion of no-religion. Doubt and critical examination of your mind is not only encouraged, but is really the only way to attain enlightenment. I read somewhere (link in title above) that many Christians believe that they can get into heaven through good works, and some believe that they get into heaven through proper beliefs alone (our President is among the latter group). This "belief only" group (I know there are proper terms for both groups but I can't remember them) seems to me the antithesis of what religion should be. If you do not question and doubt and seek answers, both within yourself and in the world at large, you really stop developing spiritually. That's what I've found to be true, anyway.
I also like the fact that when the Dali Lama dies, we won't be hearing about it forever, like with some religious leaders.
Well, I've got to go now, so go out in the world and wish everyone a Happy Vesak. You just gotta love those blank stares you get back. At least now you've got them thinking.
posted by Isaac Carmichael at
9:35 PM
2 Comments:
That's why I don't like organized religions. We're suppose to accept that the guys at the front of the church have been choosen by God to represent Him, and no matter how far-fetched the ideas that are flung at us like so much monkey poo from the pulpit, we are just supposed to follow them because they speak for God.
By
Sylvana, at Sat Apr 09, 12:13:00 PM 2005
Yeah, me and religion aren't jiving too well right now. I think I'll be like Homer and just live like a pseudo-monk in my filthy bathrobe while my house burns down around me and Flanders has to save me.
By
Maria, at Sun Apr 10, 12:40:00 AM 2005
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