buddha

[bodhigirlsmiles]

what are the (lds) church's teachings on the buddha? if any....

[john doe]

We don't worship him.

[bodhigirlsmiles]

We don't worship him.

you don't say....? i did realize that. just wondered if there was anything said about him at all.

(i don't worship him, either, btw. :))

[john doe]

No, our scriptures and official doctrine say nothing about Buddha. However, my kids rub my belly for good luck. Does that count?

[bodhigirlsmiles]

No, our scriptures and official doctrine say nothing about Buddha. However, my kids rub my belly for good luck. Does that count?

it does! how sweet....

[L_and_P21]

spirituality is a good thing. but i believe that there should almost be a balance between spiritual, physical, social and intellectual well beings.

im sure the church wouldnt mind if one were to read up on his ways. and im sure that he was, in some way, inspired by the Holy Ghost

remember, we believe that almost all religions have portions of the truth, what we believe it to be. and i say almost all because im sure there are some religions out there that are in no way similar for anything. and i mean anything.

Edited December 11, 2008 by L_and_P21

[Aesa]

Worship is reserved for the Living God and His Son Jesus Christ, who communicate to us through the Holy Ghost.

[YoungMormonRoyalist]

what are the (lds) church's teachings on the buddha? if any....

How Mormons Are Buddhists & Vice Versa at Mormon Matters

This is a good page.

A general authority (Maybe even a prophet...I can't remember) talked of how there have been inspired men in all times and all places in history. God didn't just shine his truth on one particular place at one particular time, but inspired all men to do and to teach goodness. Buddha is mentioned as being one of these, and while we may not hold him in the same regard as a prophet, none can deny that he was truly inspired to bring forth teaches which help bring men to goodness.

[ninjormon]

I have a co worker/ friend and the more he tells me about budda the more I think that he is Christ himself as he came and taught the Nephites just in asia instead of america, thats why there are different variations of what is taught in buddism from country to country because it was passed down by word of mouth, He also says that monks speak a more ancient language that regualr people

[bodhigirlsmiles]

I have a co worker/ friend and the more he tells me about budda the more I think that he is Christ himself as he came and taught the Nephites just in asia instead of america, thats why there are different variations of what is taught in buddism from country to country because it was passed down by word of mouth, He also says that monks speak a more ancient language that regualr people

you have inspired me to create a new thread called "was jesus a buddhist?" check it out! :)

[Moksha]

I think past LDS Church officials touted a kinship with Mohammad, due to the Islamic faith allowing polygamy. Buddha on the other hand would have seen a husband being subjected to multiple wives as a root of suffering.

[bodhigirlsmiles]

I think past LDS Church officials touted a kinship with Mohammad, due to the Islamic faith allowing polygamy. Buddha on the other hand would have seen a husband being subjected to multiple wives as a root of suffering.

ROTFL....that was good. it is interesting that you say that. in actuality, tibet (the birthplace of my parents) is one of the few historical societies to practice the other type of polygyny.....polyandry.

polyandry is a rare form of marriage where one wife may take two or more husbands. the tibetan, toda, sherpa, and marquesan are the only four societies worldwide that practice polyandry today. there are two types of polyandrous unions: fraternal and non-fraternal. fraternal polyandry occurs when multiple brothers share a common wife, and non-fraternal polyandry occurs when co-husbands are unrelated to one another.

[HiJolly]

...interesting...

Wonder if Joseph Smith was a tibetan buddhist? :)

HiJolly

[FunkyTown]

On the original subject, Bodhigirl, I want to apologize. Buddha is not something that is studied by many within the church. Because I studied many religions before I joined, I do know about the Gautama, Siddharta and Mahamudra. I know the eightfold Path Siddharta, the Four Noble Truths, the Fivefold path of Mahamudra.

I believe Buddha was a brilliant man, enlightened and necessary in his time. When previous posters said to you "We don't worship him." they spoke well - Even Buddha said, "Don't worship me."

I don't pretend to have the in-depth knowledge of the religion that you do, but I have respect for the man. I believe he honestly sought for truth and, because of that, God loved him. I believe that because God loves all honest seekers of truth. I believe he will make manifest to those who seek it.

[rameumptom]

In Alma 29:8 we are taught that God gives to all peoples and nations the amount of light and truth they are ready to receive.

I believe Buddha was inspired to give the people in Asia a greater truth than they previously had had. The ability to meditate, in order to find peace, is something LDS believe in. We are encouraged to ponder and find God through listening to the Holy Spirit, which speaks inwardly to our spirit.

Buddha taught a simple lifestyle that eschewed lavishing riches upon oneself. Instead, he taught the importance of living a single-minded lifestyle with purity of heart and charity towards others.

Oh, and JD, while most Americans recognize the laughing Buddha, most Buddhists do not worship him. So the belly rub does not necessarily apply in this instance.

[Aesa]

I think past LDS Church officials touted a kinship with Mohammad, due to the Islamic faith allowing polygamy. Buddha on the other hand would have seen a husband being subjected to multiple wives as a root of suffering.

When did LDS Church officials think polygamy was "fun"?

Obviously I understand that obeying the commandments of God brings fullness of joy - but that doesn't mean some are much harder on us at time to time than others.

[PeterVenkman]

Buddhism has brought me many valuable insights since I have started studying it. I appreciate Buddhism and it offers a perspective on things that bring me peace. I must say, though, that I never once heard anything about Buddha or Buddhism in the church while growing up.

Two aspects of Buddhism that mean a lot to me:

1.) Mindfulness - The notion of mindfulness is illuminating. Buddhism taught me to cultivate an awareness and appreciation for "now", which has led to some profound spiritual moments in my life. Those spiritual moments have brought me closer to an understanding of being, and a simply overwhelming sense of connectedness with the universe. Some may call it pantheism, but I call it Beauty.

2.) The Middle Way - The Buddhist notion of the "third way" is the most fulfilling way for me to view communicative disagreements. It's not simply a compromise, but a mutual investigation of values and interests that causes people in dialogue to produce third options. These options were inconceivable prior to said dialogue. Socrates referred to it as "birthing idea children."

Edited December 12, 2008 by PeterVenkman

[HiJolly]

Reminiscing...

Several years ago when I was studying The Secret of the Golden Flower, I was reading comments made by Buddhist masters on their reading of the book, and ran across one that stated (roughly - from chinese) "And the ultimate achievement in meditation is, of course, the visit or appearance of a shining, glorious man. Who else could it be, but the Buddha?"

I really enjoyed that comment. Who else indeed!

HiJolly

[Moksha]

Oh, and JD, while most Americans recognize the laughing Buddha, most Buddhists do not worship him. So the belly rub does not necessarily apply in this instance.

Smiling Buddha and Smiling Penguin - Neither one desires worship, although the Penguin does like his belly rubbed.

[sister_in_faith]

I think that sometimes we get caught up in the culture of being christians and forget that there are a lot of people in the world who are not christians, and yet they often times are more 'christian' than your average christian.

I do think that a person's actions, regardless of their chosen faith, have a lot to do with how they manage after they pass away and while in this life.

While I DO believe this is the one and only true church, I am sure there are people out there who are not LDS and who live more according to the wishes of Heavenly Father than I do on any given day. I don't think that their not being LDS makes them evil in the eyes of Heavenly Father.

That said, I respect anyone living according to the wishes of Heavenly Father (being humble, kind, loving, charitable, etc), LDS, Buddist, or whatever. :)

[rayhale]

Here are some web sites with information about Buddhism:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/index.htm

http://www.buddhanet.net/

The last sentence of the 13th article of the Articles of Faith says: ‘If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.’ I feel this means learning about other faiths, even non-Christian faiths. Find all the virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy things in all faiths and bring it home. As another post said, these non-Christian faiths are more Christian than most Christians are.

[prisonchaplain]

From a broader Christian perspective, some have found certain forms of Buddhism to be compatible with their Christian beliefs. Most commonly, I've encountered Zen Buddhists who suggest such. They see their practice more as mental exercise, and find it meshing well with Christian meditation and contemplation. Of course, other Christians will say this is syncretism or worse. Personally, I'm not sure combining the two is advantageous for the Christian, as there are specifically Christian forms of meditation, centering, mindfulness, etc. I can't bring myself to fully condemn the marriage of some Buddhist exercises with Christian faith, but neither am I ready to encourage it.