Science vs Religion

[Drone]

But if I have to do the work then I don't need to be a Buddhist then

 

If there is nothing good to gain then I would consider it pointless on my behalf

[PaliRichard]

But if I have to do the work then I don't need to be a Buddhist then[/Quote]

 

That doesn't make sense but you are right in one respect, you don't need to be a Buddhist. As I said before 'Buddhist' is an active word, it is actively following the teachings of the Buddha, you could accept those teachings 100% and not practice them. Even people who consider the teachings as truth don't have to practice them. There is no divine punishment for not 'becoming' Buddhist.

 

If there is nothing good to gain then I would consider it pointless on my behalf

 

There is nothing to gain, but alot to lose. As you said earlier, you like to win, you can't practice Buddhism and win.

[Drone]

It's not like I like to win, win at all costs, im not like that

 

You just said there is nothing to gain but alot to lose

 

So why put yourself through it?

 

I have nothing against Buddhism, i just want to know the selling point to it, it must have one

 

You don't go to work for free do ya?

[PaliRichard]

It's not like I like to win, win at all costs, im not like that

 

You just said there is nothing to gain but alot to lose

 

So why put yourself through it?

 

Put yourself through what? Like I said earlier, the rules lead to freedom, I don't consider them a chore.

[Drone]

Put yourself through what? Like I said earlier, the rules lead to freedom, I don't consider them a chore.

Who says you can't have freedom if you don't follow those rules?

[PaliRichard]

Who says you can't have freedom if you don't follow those rules?

 

No one.

 

have you read this thread?

 

I have already stated the Buddha didn't claim his teachings were the exclusive way to Nibbana.

 

I never said you can't have freedom if you don't follow the rules, I merely said the rules lead to freedom.

 

Just noticed this edit from you, sorry;

 

I have nothing against Buddhism, i just want to know the selling point to it, it must have one

 

You don't go to work for free do ya?[/Quote]

 

I never suggested you had anything against Buddhism

 

No I don't go to work for free that would be being passive, I already said we're not passive.

[Drone]

Yes buy if I said to you, you can have freedom without following his rules then would I be right to say that his rules are pointless?

[PaliRichard]

Yes buy if I said to you, you can have freedom without following his rules then would I be right to say that his rules are pointless?

 

That depends.

 

If you were speaking from the perspective of some other system that had the same criteria that lead to Nibbana without the rules then you would be right.

 

But within Buddhism, or outside of Buddhism in systems that don't lead to Nibbana then the Buddhist rules are not at all pointless, they facilitate the path to Nibbana.

 

If the teachings were a bridge crossing a river to Nibbana then the rules would be the support to that bridge.

[Drone]

So its about control then, what budda is saying is follow my rules and you will be alright

 

But what he doesn't say that if you don't follow my rules you will still be alright

[PaliRichard]

So its about control then, what budda is saying is follow my rules and you will be alright[/Quote]

 

No it's no about control.

 

You don't have to follow the rules if you don't want to, even if you believe the Buddha's teaching 100% you still don't have to follow the rules.

 

But what he doesn't say that if you don't follow my rules you will still be alright

 

That's not entirely true, what he said was that if there were other systems that employed certain criteria that are also present in his system you would achieve the same result if you followed those systems.

 

That is a world away from saying that if you don't follow his system you will still be alright, if that was the case there would have been no need for him to teach at all, he would have just left people to do whatever.