Buddhism in America

Excerpts from "The Lotus in the New World: Buddhism in America", Part One - The Three Jewels, featuring Geshe Michael Roach. This has been a work in progress since 1997.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Buddhism
• America
• documentary
• religion
• Geshe
• Michael
• Roach
• Three
• Jewels
• Gelugpa
• monk

[FrenchVanilla32]

I am confused. Is Buddha considered God or a God in Buddhism?

[mediaworks1]

Buddha is not a God. He is the founder of the religion, much like Muhammed (forgive me if I spelled it wrong) founded Islam. Buddha means "awakened one"; he awoke to the truth and spent his life teaching others how to awaken to the truth.

[natenobate]

Well I do agree that most all killing is wrong. But I will not give up eating meat thats just me. I'm a beginning Buddhist but many Buddhists eat meat. I do however think that if your home is infested with vermin such as mice you should rid your home of them humanly.

[mediaworks1]

I am a meat eater also. I understand the Buddha said it is wrong to kill an animal yourself to eat; however, if you buy meat in a store and consume it, you have not directly participated in killing. Also, early monks begged for food and had to eat what was offered, which included meat. The Buddha was offered meat in his alms.

[green6820]

i agree what this video said, but there is one point a wanna know. Is it that we have to get rid our desier? from wat i know desier it self is not bad, but the object or anything that we desier that makes it bad right? dont monk desier to become buddah to save living being from rebirth and suffering, dont we desier to have true happiness?

[mediaworks1]

You are correct. Motivation is very important, and if your motivation is altruism (to help or save others), your desire is motivated in a skillful (not harmful) way. If your desire is motivated by lust, greed, hatred or ignorance, these are unskillful (harmful) motivations and can only lead to suffering.

[sourabh2889]

buddhism does not believe that the world is created by any god or gods. buddhism believe in the heory of evolution, the dependent orientation. muslim, christians, hindus, worship god to admire him, to ask him to fulfill their desires, but buddhists worship buddha to respect, to honour his wisdom. As buddhism believe that we create our destiny by our deeds of past or previous births, and world is result of dependent orientation, there is no need of god.

[spacejunkiez]

I'm a Buddhist. And I still eat meat as long as I do not actually kill them.

[navaratne]

You have to separate core Buddhist teaching from Buddhist literature. Remember this religion is 2500 years old. If you have knowledge to separate this, you will understand this difference very clearly.

[impermanenttoo]

Buddhism is for the wise as the fools have too mmany doubts

[impermanenttoo]

Buddhism is about wisdom, not doubt

[impermanenttoo]

Buddhism is to realise there is doubts and to eradicate doublts or delusion. Once we eradicate greed, hatred and delusion. we will attain Nibbana. Nibbana is a blissful mental state that is eternel. We will suffer no more.

[gurkahali]

positive thinking and simple life is the buddhism. sorry i can't write good english but i understand.

[impermanenttoo]

Doubt is a hindrance To Nibbana. Read up TIPITAKA (on the internet), the original Buddhist teaching. Propagating wrong view is a heavy kamma in Buddhism.

[impermanenttoo]

Buddhism is about clearing our doubts. According to Lord Buddha, it is greed, hatred and delusion that prevent us from enlightening. TIPITAKA (can be found on internet) is the original teaching of Lord Buddha. It is a heavy kamma to propagate wrong views in Buddhism.

[impermanenttoo]

Buddhism is not doubt but to eradicate doubts.

Doubts is a hindrance for enlightenment. To enlighten, one has to clear all doubts. Nibbana is a blissful mental state that is eternal. TIPITAKA (can be found on internet) is the original teaching of Lord Buddha.

[hoangnhi]

You need religion classes..

[pubudu666]

you are totaly wrong. buddha is not a prophet he is greatest human being ever lived.people never invented things to buddhism. but some interprenations are fake. it kills the invaluble quality of it.