Posts tagged ‘Buddhism’
The analogy with reincarnations as dominoes is interesting – when they are lined up in a row and the first domino falls on the second, and so on – that is samsara. And no questions arise when it is a closed circle, i.e., if the end is the beginning.
But if the circle is broken by Nirvana (Moksha), then a question immediately arises – one that the Buddha refused to answer: if someone who has completely paid off their karma has no more bad karma and has attained Nirvana (timelessness), then what initiates a new cycle of samsara? Where does the karma for a new life come from?
I’m studying ancient philosophy now. It’s interesting that in the 5th-4th centuries BCE, ideas that would later appear in world religions and political systems had already been articulated.
For example, Plato’s idea of the Demiurge as a creator is quite close to the biblical narrative – in both a man was first created after a women. He also had his own version of a socialist system, according to which the ruling class (philosophers and warriors) should own no property, money, or families – neither men nor women. The lower classes, however, may have all these things.
It’s also interesting that Pythagoras believed in reincarnation and was a vegetarian for that reason. The first recorded idea of saṃsāra and karma appeared in Upanishads in India earlier, in the 8th century BCE.
It’s also worth noting that the Christian ethic of humility was preceded by the ideas of the Stoics, who taught that an ascetic life elevates the spirit.
In short, the Buddha Gautama said that the Dhamma (the teaching) has always existed, and the role of past and future Buddhas is to rediscover the eternal teaching for people who have forgotten it.
Studying religions I realized there are no human-made perfect systems, only divine system is perfect. I believe in science not in religions, but I dont exclude Divine cos of unexplainable power of deaths and rebirths… I have own connection with God without any religion, Buddhism so far is the closest understanding of the system I found and its atheistic cos the role of God plays Karma Law. I also believe that faith in God is humans natural purpose and its nice to put service to God first to kill ego and be more effective in everyday life. So I believe I’m agnostic – I believe in God but not in that God can be explained. I like Buddhism also.
I found some gaps in Buddhism.
The Buddha refused to answer two questions:
- Where the very first cause of karma comes from.
- Whether nirvana is eternal.
He said the first question is not useful for practice,
and the second one is beyond human understanding of beginning and end – like a singularity outside time.
Because of this, it doesn’t really work to say that nirvana is the beginning of samsara.
It’s unclear how a perfectly enlightened being, who has reached nirvana, could suddenly produce initial karma that starts samsara (the wheel of rebirth).
Also, the word “eternal” feels strange.
“Forever” doesn’t really exist – never forever, keep the beat.
- Bodhisattva vows – what they really mean
Living beings are countless – I swear to free them all.
Mental aberrations are endless – I swear to end them all.
Teachings are limitless – I swear to understand them all.
The Buddha’s path is the highest – I swear to realize it.
It is like saying: “I live as if there are no limits.”
For example: “To free all beings” does not mean literally saving everyone. It means: I do not exclude anyone from my compassion, even difficult people, unpleasant people, or guilty people.
- Why a bodhisattva is NOT altruism (this is very important).
Ordinary altruism: There is me who helps others. I sacrifice myself. I am good; you receive help.
Even in the best case, there is still: hidden hierarchy, moral superiority, expectation of gratitude (even unconsciously).
The bodhisattva path is different. A bodhisattva acts from the understanding that: the boundary between “me” and “others” is conditional, another person’s suffering is not really “someone else’s but also mine”.
So: the bodhisattva does not “sacrifice himself”, he removes suffering where it exists.
A good formula: a bodhisattva is not kind, a bodhisattva is clear-seeing.
He does not help out of duty. He simply cannot ignore suffering – just like you cannot ignore pain in your own hand.
Why is this hard to accept? Because our mind is built on “me/mine/not mine”. The bodhisattva acts after this structure begins to fall apart.
- Why the bodhisattva path is psychologically very difficult:
3.1. Because there is no final “exit”. In Hinayana/Theravada there is an idea: “I will be liberated — and then it ends.” In Mahayana: there is no final ending, no point where you can say: “I did enough.”
This is hard because: the ego wants completion and reward.
3.2. Because you cannot hide in purity
A bodhisattva: stays in the world, works with conflict, aggression, ignorance,is constantly in contact with suffering.
At the same time: he cannot allow hatred, he cannot say: “This is not my problem.” This requires great inner stability.
3.3. Because compassion without wisdom breaks a person. This is very important and rarely said.
If there is compassion, but no understanding of emptiness, then a person burns out, becomes a rescuer, a martyr, or a cynic.
That is why Mahayana always says: compassion + emptiness,
not just “be a good person”.
3.4. Because the image “I am a good person” keeps collapsing.
The bodhisattva path constantly uncovers: hidden egoism, pride, the desire to be important.
Again and again you see: “I helped, but not purely,” “I wanted recognition,” “I felt anger.”
This is unpleasant. And you cannot simply walk away from it without abandoning the path.
- One simple summary
Bodhisattva vows are not promises, but direction. A bodhisattva is not an altruist, because there is no “other”. The difficulty of the path is the lack of final comfort and ego reward.
Said honestly and directly:
The bodhisattva path is a life without spiritual illusions – even without the illusion of one’s own spiritual growth and perfection.
The main difference between Mahayana and Hinayana:
The icon in Mahayana practice is the bodhisattva, not the “individual saint.”
A bodhisattva strives for awakening for the sake of all beings, not just for their own liberation.
Compassion and wisdom are equal in importance.
Hinayana asks: “How can I end my suffering?”
Mahayana asks: “How can there be liberation if someone else is still suffering?”
P.S. A bodhisattva is not necessarily a deity or a rebirthed; one can follow the bodhisattva path as a monk or an average person.
I want to add that bodhisattva way of thinking can be applied to all the aspects of life, to business as well. When you start business not for own prosperity but for the progress and well-being of others as well. the accent in this case shifts towards altruism and charity, not ego. Dont do business to become rich, but gain main target to help as many ppl as it is possible via money you get from business staying sustainable.
