Was Buddha an Incarnation of God?
Many might have questions regarding this one so here it is.http://www.tipitaka.net/ebooks/pageload.php?book=0004&page=01#Was%20Buddha%20an%20Incarnation%20of%20God?
Was Buddha an Incarnation of God?
Never had the Buddha claimed that He was the son or a messenger of God.
The Buddha was a unique human being who was self-Enlightened. He had no one whom He could regard as His teacher. Through His own efforts, He practised to perfection the ten supreme qualities of generosity, discipline, renunciation, wisdom, energy, endurance, truthfulness, determination, goodwill and equanimity. Through His mental purification, He opened the doors to all knowledge. He knew all things to be known, cultivated all things to be cultivated, and destroyed all things to be destroyed. Indeed, no other religious teacher was comparable to Him in terms of cultivation and attainment.
So special was He and so electrifying His message, that many people asked Him 'What (not so much as Who) He was'. Questions on 'Who He was' would be with respect to His name, origin, ancestry, etc., while 'What He was' referred to the order of beings to which He belonged. So 'godly and inspiring was He that even during His time, there were numerous attempts of others to turn Him into a god or a reincarnation of god. Never did He agree to be regarded as such. In the Anguttara Nikaya, He said: 'I am not indeed a deva, nor a gandharva, nor a yaksa, nor a manusya. Know ye that I am the Buddha.' After Enlightenment, the Buddha could no longer be classified even as a 'manusya' or an ordinary human being. He belonged to the Buddha Wangsa, special race or species of enlightened beings, all of whom are Buddhas.
Buddhas appear in this world from time to time. But some people have the mistaken idea that it is the same Buddha who is reincarnated or appears in the world over and over again. Actually, they are not the same person, otherwise there is no scope for others to attain Buddhahood. Buddhists believe that anyone can become a Buddha if he develops his qualities to perfection and is able to remove his ignorance completely through his own efforts. After Enlightenment, all Buddhas are similar in their attainment and experience of Nibbana.
In India, the followers of many orthodox religious groups tried to condemn the Buddha because of His liberal teaching which revolutionized the Indian society. Many regarded Him as an enemy when increasing numbers of intellectuals as well as people from all ranks of society took up the religion. When they failed in their attempt to destroy Him, they adopted the reverse strategy of introducing Him as a reincarnation of one of their gods. This way they could absorb Buddhism into their religion. To a certain extent, this strategy worked in India since it had, through the centuries, contributed to the decay and the subsequent uprooting of Buddhism from the land of its origin.
Even today there are certain religionists who try to absorb the Buddha into their beliefs as a way of gaining converts among Buddhists. Their basis for doing so is by claiming that the Buddha Himself had predicted that another Buddha would appear in this world, and that the latest Buddha will become even more popular. One group named a religious teacher who lived 600 years after Gautama the Buddha as the latest Buddha. Another group said that the next Buddha had already arrived in Japan in the 13th century. Yet another group believed that their founder came from the lineage of great teachers(like Gautama and Jesus) and that founder was the latest Buddha. These groups advised Buddhists to give up their old Buddha and follow the so-called new Buddha. While it is good to see them giving the Buddha the same status as their own religious teachers, we feel that these attempts to absorb Buddhists into another faith by misrepresenting the truth are in extreme bad taste.
Those who claim that the new Buddha had already arrived are obviously misrepresenting what the Buddha had said. Although the Buddha predicted the coming of the next Buddha, He mentioned some conditions which had to be met before this can be possible. It is the nature of Buddhahood that the next Buddha will not appear as the dispensation of the current Buddha still exits. He will appear only when the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path have been completely forgotten. The people living then must be properly guided in order to understand the same Truth taught by the previous Buddhas. We are still living within the dispensation of Gautama the Buddha. Although the moral conduct of the people has, with very few exceptions, deteriorated, the future Buddha would only appear at some incalculable period when the Path to Nibbana is completely lost to mankind and when people are ready to receive Him.
[ Last edited by ariyamusafir on 15-7-2004 at 11:00 PM ] can u explain.. concept of god in buddhism
how about.. god & goddess in chinese belief..coz in mesia if u look at buddhism wat u see is chinese.. how bout other buddhist ... tibet, thailand .. sometimes outsider can confius with taoist god & goddess like in Journey to the west story
from wat i understand from ur posting above is there is no god in buddhism.. am i right Originally posted by jinakji at 23-6-2004 12:29 PM:
there is no god in buddhism.. am i right
In Buddhism, we do have god. But our definition is very different from other religion. In Buddhism, our god have emotions such as love, hate, etc. Also, the god in buddhism doesn't create the Universe or human. Originally posted by lyhmsia at 23-6-2004 13:16:
In Buddhism, we do have god. But our definition is very different from other religion. In Buddhism, our god have emotions such as love, hate, etc. Also, the god in buddhism doesn't create the Uni ...
To add a a point. Gods are also known as Devas (dewa in malay) and they too one day will die. Originally posted by jinakji at 23-6-2004 12:29:
can u explain.. concept of god in buddhism
how about.. god & goddess in chinese belief..coz in mesia if u look at buddhism wat u see is chinese.. how bout other buddhist ... tibet, thailand .. ...
There is gods but the definition is different from other religion such as in Chrsitianity and Islam. Gods are also known as devas and they too one day will die. Originally posted by jinakji at 23-6-2004 12:29 PM:
can u explain.. concept of god in buddhism
how about.. god & goddess in chinese belief..coz in mesia if u look at buddhism wat u see is chinese.. how bout other buddhist ... tibet, thailand .. ...
Definition of gods and goddesses for the Chinese really varies a lot with other religions...The gods are usually dead people respected a lot by the Chinese because of their contribution OR as an example of morality..When you see Chinese "praying" to "statues" ..it's not actually worshipping it just like the Christians and Muslims do...It's more as a way of respect and asking for guide or blessing in every day...i think so it's like that...
And Gods for the Chinese do die...they'll reincarnate as other life forms and will be judged accordingly..:)
[ Last edited by Seraphim on 24-6-2004 at 07:44 PM ] Originally posted by Seraphim at 24-6-2004 19:43:
Definition of gods and goddesses for the Chinese really varies a lot with other religions...The gods are usually dead people respected a lot by the Chinese because of their contribution OR as a ...
What do you mean by dead people??? In Buddhism, the word reincarnation is not to be mixed with rebirth. Buddhist believe in rebirth, not reincarnation according to the definition I know. Later when I return will post more. Originally posted by Seraphim at 24-6-2004 07:43 PM:
Definition of gods and goddesses for the Chinese really varies a lot with other religions...The gods are usually dead people respected a lot by the Chinese because of their contribution OR as a ...
Seraphim,
How is the judgement done?
thanks. Originally posted by Seraphim at 24-6-2004 07:43 PM:
Definition of gods and goddesses for the Chinese really varies a lot with other religions...The gods are usually dead people respected a lot by the Chinese because of their contribution OR as a ...
Seraphim is right about the definition of goddess for chinese is different from other religions. For instance, in cantonese movies (gangster or police movies) they people usually pray to this god called Kuan Gong (a chinese god that represent righteousness, fearless, loyalty, etc). We defined them as god because we respected their values they represent while they were alive. However, it's important that you don't mixed up Chinese/Taoism religion with Buddhism. The thing with Malaysian Chinese is very mixed-up with religion.
p/s: Kuan Gong don't really protect the Gangster.
Who is Kuan Gong? He used to be a very courageous general during the Three Kingdom period.
Originally posted by ariyamusafir at 24-6-2004 08:48 PM:
What do you mean by dead people??? In Buddhism, the word reincarnation is not to be mixed with rebirth. Buddhist believe in rebirth, not reincarnation according to the definition I know. Later...
I thought rebirth and reincarnation is inter-related, right?
(If you guys are reading our stuff remember you might need to get information from other sources too. Since we might present the wrong information to you. http://www.buddhanet.net is a pretty good website) Originally posted by Seraphim at 24-6-2004 07:43 PM:
And Gods for the Chinese do die...they'll reincarnate as other life forms and will be judged accordingly..
This explained how go is still under the Cycle of Rebirth and the definition of god.
Sources: http://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm
The Cycle of Rebirth
Karma plays out in the Buddhism cycle of rebirth. There are six separate planes into which any living being can be reborn -- three fortunate realms, and three unfortunate realms. Those with favorable, positive karma are reborn into one of the fortunate realms: the realm of demigods, the realm of gods, and the realm of men. While the demigods and gods enjoy gratification unknown to men, they also suffer unceasing jealousy and envy. The realm of man is considered the highest realm of rebirth. Humanity lacks some of the extravagances of the demigods and gods, but is also free from their relentless conflict. Similarly, while inhabitants of the three unfortunate realms -- of animals, ghosts and hell -- suffer untold suffering, the suffering of the realm of man is far less.
The realm of man also offers one other aspect lacking in the other five planes, an opportunity to achieve enlightenment, or Nirvana. Given the sheer number of living things, to be born human is to Buddhists a precious chance at spiritual bliss, a rarity that one should not forsake Before I explain the concept of Buddhism, whether or not he is considered God or just anyone who achieve enlightenment and thus break free from the rules of samsara and karma, I shall explain about the origin and concept of Chinese worship of God.
I had elucidated similar enquiry in the Hinduism section in Malay language: http://forum.cari.com.my/viewthread.php?tid=113448&fpage=1
I'll give a brief explanation in English here.
Originally, Chinese believe in one God. In Taoism, there is one universal force which is undescribable but can only witness its manifestations. Thus, Taoist advocates living in harmony with the rules of the universe. Going against 'the way' how the force works is detrimental to ourself. Thus, better don't be foolish. We're nothing. Cannot fight it.
The founder of Taoism, Lao Tze wrote a poem Tao Te Ching some 2500 years ago. In Chapter 1 itself it says:
The Tao that can be described is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be spoken is not the eternal Name.
Obviously, the beginning of this verse explains that the 'force' that can be described is not the real one and won't last long. No true name can be used to describe it. Even if there is it's not the real one as it won't last long(name will change as history had proven as time pass by). So, the force still remains there even as we have forgotten it. Forgot its name. Forgot its rules. It is still there no matter what. To force ourself to give it a name, thus, we gave it the name Tao - The Way.
In the study of Chinese Art of Divination via I-Ching(Divination Book) or sometimes called Zhou Yi, it depicts Fu Xi, the mythology Sage believed to be the ancestor of Chinese race observed the world phenomena. He studies life, reactions, workings of day & night, effects of climate...etc. He investigated the mysterious workings of nature. He believed whether it was outward phenomena(climate, stars, sky) or one's own movements, they all followed a common law of existence. That's the rule I've been talking about. And 'the force' i'm putting forth. After he achieved enlightenment he devised the 8 Trigrams for divination purposes.
Therefore, the concept of one God existed in true Taoism. But why have it all changed? History have shown that even before the fall of China to Japanese, the society is corrupted. The civilization is degrading. They're losing their culture and faith. Even religion can be twisted to suit their greed. Rotten to the core. Moreover, Taoism and Confucianism is officially discouraged in China. Overseas Chinese originated from this era of society also. Lost its meaning. Therefore, the practice is no longer accurate & correct. Taiwan is the last stronghold of true Taoism & Confucianism.
Confucius preserved many Taoist rituals and rites. He wrote and compiled many ancient teachings including Taoism & Chinese culture. How we pray to Heaven (referring to God) is recorded and to be practiced. Unfortunately, during the Qin Dynasty, Emperor Qin Shih Huang Ti ordered Confucian books to be burned. Many were destroyed and gone. Only a few COnfucian books remained today. Some were the original works by Confucius like Analects (Lun Yu). Some were re-produced via memory by Confucian scholars. Most of the way we pray such as using incense is actually the benefit of Confucian teachings that survived.
Ancient Chinese prayed to Heaven in a very solemn & sacred ritual. Because we're praying to that 'one force' that creates life, move the world and supports the universe. It even precedes Lao Tze's era. Inscribed on a big concrete pole is "Ming Ming Shang Ti" - another name referring to God. This ritual gone extinct. No longer accurately practiced. But Taoism in Taiwan had tried to revive the ancient rituals. I'm delighted. ;) When Christianity came to China, they use the name Ming Ming Shang Ti to name their God; Jehovah. Therefore, Chinese nowadays automatically would refer it as Christian God. Not true at all.
Chinese of today are actually confused or ignorant. In the Chinese society of the past, they'd perform rituals in honour of the dead for their contributions. It started with paying respects to deceased parents for their deep kindness. Filial piety is of utmost importance to Chinese. It later was applied to remember the deeds of Teachers they respected the most. Later on, the warriors that served, fight, save and sacrificed their life for the people. Again, we honour them through rituals so as to remember them. It then applies to Buddha also.
Therefore, Chinese have actually forgotten that initially, it was meant to pay respects, give honour, remember deeds and acknowledge kindness. Aunties in the street will tell you these are Gods. Not true. They believe these Sages, Saints, Deities, Teachers (Fu Zi as in Kong Fu Zi - COnfucius) will bless them if pray to them. It had became the meaning of pray.
That explains why Chinese are like praying to so many Gods including Buddha as if it is God. However, Chinese place Buddha above other Chinese Deities.
What Seraphim tries to say is actually Deities. Deities will be reborn again to this world once their merit is over. Because they have not fully reached enlightenment stage. Just that their deed & merit exempts them from condescend into Hell. Sage is different to Confucian. Sage& Buddha usually goes straight to Heaven & live with God. Originally posted by Adm_Cheng_Ho at 25-6-2004 12:27 AM:
Buddha usually goes straight to Heaven
Buddha don't go to heaven right? Originally posted by lyhmsia at 24-6-2004 22:25:
Seraphim is right about the definition of goddess for chinese is different from other religions. For instance, in cantonese movies (gangster or police movies) they people usually pray to this...
rebirth is very different from reincarnation.:) I will explain later. Originally posted by lyhmsia at 25-6-2004 00:41:
Buddha don't go to heaven right?
Buddha achieved parinibbana already, not have gone to heaven. Those dieties that lived in heaven are actually still in the wheel of samsara or, cycle of birth and death to those who do not know the meaning of samsara.
[ Last edited by ariyamusafir on 25-6-2004 at 10:39 AM ] Originally posted by ariyamusafir at 25-6-2004 10:29 AM:
rebirth is very different from reincarnation.:) I will explain later.
Ok. Originally posted by lyhmsia at 25-6-2004 12:33:
Ok.
:):):)
I gather Zen Buddhist don't belief in any God.
source :dia:Zen Buddhism
In that sense, Zen Buddhism and Atheist are very much alike. :)
Originally posted by FaithHealer3 at 2-7-2004 06:47 PM:
I gather Zen Buddhist don't belief in any God.
source :dia:Zen Buddhism
In that sense, Zen Buddhism ...
Partially correct. But all Buddhist believe in Karma, Rebirth, Buddha, etc. No answer! Talk so much nanti lagi kena deduct Kredit!:onf: Originally posted by cclee at 3-7-2004 04:15 PM:
No answer! Talk so much nanti lagi kena deduct Kredit!:onf:
Credit is deducted not because of talking too much.
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