Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?

In what do you believe?

A1) I believe in rebirth.
29
21%
A2) I dont believe in rebirth.
6
4%
B1) I believe in the real* [read thread first] existence of other realms, like hell, heaven, ghost realm, etc?
25
18%
B2) I dont believe in the real* existence of other realms, like hell, heaven, ghost realm, etc?
7
5%
C1) I believe that Buddha and some rare and advanced meditators have siddhis (the power to make "miracles").
26
19%
C2) I dont believe that Buddha and some rare and advanced meditators have siddhis (the power to make "miracles").
6
4%
D1) I believe in karma law.
34
25%
D2) I dont believe in karma law.
5
4%
 
Total votes: 138

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Ben
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by Ben »

Bubbabuddhist wrote:Or maybe I'm just loonie.
Jon,
There's been something I've been meaning to say to you...

Welcome to the club!

kind regards

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

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BubbaBuddhist
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by BubbaBuddhist »

Hooray, I'm in a club!

J
Author of Redneck Buddhism: or Will You Reincarnate as Your Own Cousin?
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BlackBird
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by BlackBird »

Can I join guys? How much are the subs?
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

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Ben
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by Ben »

Yeah, you can join Jack, but not your invisible friends, ok?
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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suriyopama
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by suriyopama »

I also miss the option "I don't know".

I am not a believer. I'm just learning to observe.
nathan
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by nathan »

An honest assessment of the situation, for individuals and in the world as a whole, is that ignorance predominates. Most people may prefer to believe things as opposed to accepting the much less flattering truth that there is a great deal of ignorance to deal with. Theravada buddhists that study and practice the teachings according to the Tipitaka are probably coming to terms, to one extent or another, with the fact that ignorance predominates for them as individuals and in the world at large.

In this context it is not helpful to bettering one's understanding of the nature of the community to approach it by means of polls that are concerned with what Theravada buddhists believe. It completely misses the much more important point which is that we are people and that people are predominantly ignorant. Becoming aware of the ignorance, accepting it and working to overcome it to some extent is what properly concerns people who are actually benefiting from the practice of Theravada buddhism. That doesn't fit neatly into conventional thinking about what religions are more commonly concerned with and I think that is a very good thing about Theravada buddhism.

Personally, I don't 'believe in' anything. It serves no purpose for me to do so.
But whoever walking, standing, sitting, or lying down overcomes thought, delighting in the stilling of thought: he's capable, a monk like this, of touching superlative self-awakening. § 110. {Iti 4.11; Iti 115}
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Sobeh
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by Sobeh »

I voted for A1 and A2.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by retrofuturist »

I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need
There's the key, your adventure for today

-- "I Believe" (R.E.M.)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
kirana
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by kirana »

i do believed it
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Refugee
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by Refugee »

Voted for A1 and D1 only. I have not given subjects included in B & C sections much attention in my actual practice and therefore cannot vote with any degree of confidence. But I am inclined to "believe" that B1 and C1 are possibilities ... but in more subtle forms.
My practice is simply this: Avoid evil, do good, and purify the mind.
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jcsuperstar
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by jcsuperstar »

i was thinking about spirits, or what ever you want to call non material beings the other day, and then i thought about plants, we are supposed to believe that these things are living creatures with all the features of a living creature, they are born, they live and die, they eat, they reproduce, the respond to stimulus etc yet they have no mind they are a creature of nothing but form so why couldn't there be a creature of nothing but mind? i don't know, just a thought
สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat
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retrofuturist
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings JC,

Maybe... though it feels a little to me like wondering how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Ben
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Re: Belief in rebirth, realms, siddhis, etc

Post by Ben »

retrofuturist wrote:I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need
There's the key, your adventure for today

-- "I Believe" (R.E.M.)
Good to see you're developing some taste in music, Retro!
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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