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iRoyalty
reply to post by AfterInfinity
Exactly! Although I wish more Christians aspired to be more like Jesus... the world would be a better place... but that is massively off topic!edit on 14-2-2014 by iRoyalty because: (no reason given)
Serdgiam
Buddhism, as a practice, tends to focus on the moment to moment experience of "life" (the "now).
Zen buddhism is not necessarily something that one can "convert" to, or "practice" since it is a realization of what is already there. How does one "convert" to what they already are?
iRoyalty
Just realised I haven't really answered your questions!
No this is not a common thought amongst western Buddhists, my girlfriend gets so annoyed with me literally handing my cash out. She get's angry that I 'should be saving it!' but after my bills and the bit I DO put into saving, I don't care about it.
Put it this way, I would rather buy me and a friend an icecream rather than just myself. I find that good things are better enjoyed when others are enjoying it too, so why be selfish? It will never be as good as sharing. Ever.
Material things are temporary happiness, not true happiness. I would rather I emptied my account to the people around me and they be happy than get the latest Xbox or something.
FyreByrd
I'd like to respond to your atheist vs. non-theist statement. The two terms are synonyms. An athesit doesn't believe in a supreme being or beings and a theist does; therefore a non-theist would not believe in those things as well.
Cathcart
FyreByrd
I'd like to respond to your atheist vs. non-theist statement. The two terms are synonyms. An athesit doesn't believe in a supreme being or beings and a theist does; therefore a non-theist would not believe in those things as well.
Well, I was under the impression that a theist believes in a personal diety, while a non-theist doesn't believe in a personal diety, and an atheist doesn't believe in any metaphysical notion whatsoever, personal or impersonal.
FyreByrd
I'd recommend looking up the terms in the dictionary.
Full Definition of THEISM
: belief in the existence of a god or gods; specifically: belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of the human race and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world
FyreByrd
I would ask what makes a personal diety as opposed to a diety. A personal diety implies that we all have a specific deity rather then, as Muslims say "There is only one God and....".