What do I stand to get from Buddhism?

[yrreg]

Then my suggestion and request stands for you and to the JREF Forum.

First, let us smile together, it is not as though someone will never get to Nirvana for the present cycle of the Buddhist Hindu vast time episode.

No, I'm not a moderator here.

Would it matter if I was?

If you were a moderator or in any way holding office in the JREF Forum that is of any influence in the operation and policy making agenda of the forum, then I would cordially suggest that you resign, because you don't need that job to stay alive and Buddhist, and I would still hold out the request to the owner, James Randi, of this forum, to make it easy for you to leave the post whether moderator or anything of any influence in the operation and policy making agenda of the forum.


But tell me, now that we are both in a self-baring phase of our mutual acquaintance, do you really believe even from your conviction as per personal experience that Gautama knows about life and the universe that is the real order of the whole scheme of the world and the phenomenon of life specifically human life, or that even just the optimal desideranda for how humans should order their existence, including of course the myriads of sentient beings, starting with our pet dogs and cats at home?


Smile again, for this is the way of doing philosophical and religious probing among civilized folks who have arrived at what one ancient philosopher in the West, or at the border of the Western world, but on the Western side, tells us, "I only know that I do not know."

Hahaha softly.


If I were a Buddhist I would resign out of dedicaleza (Spanish: a meticulous scruposity out of fear of being motivated by self interest, or being apprehended or just suspected by others of conflict of interest).


Yrreg

 

[Ryokan]

First, let us smile together, it is not as though someone will never get to Nirvana for the present cycle of the Buddhist Hindu vast time episode.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

If you were a moderator or in any way holding office in the JREF Forum that is of any influence in the operation and policy making agenda of the forum, then I would cordially suggest that you resign, because you don't need that job to stay alive and Buddhist, and I would still hold out the request to the owner, James Randi, of this forum, to make it easy for you to leave the post whether moderator or anything of any influence in the operation and policy making agenda of the forum.

There are lots of things that I don't have to stay alive and be a Buddhist, actually. So what? What do you mean with this?

But tell me, now that we are both in a self-baring phase of our mutual acquaintance, do you really believe even from your conviction as per personal experience that Gautama knows about life and the universe that is the real order of the whole scheme of the world and the phenomenon of life specifically human life, or that even just the optimal desideranda for how humans should order their existence, including of course the myriads of sentient beings, starting with our pet dogs and cats at home?

I've read this sentence thrice now. I have no idea what you're asking.

Smile again, for this is the way of doing philosophical and religious probing among civilized folks who have arrived at what one ancient philosopher in the West, or at the border of the Western world, but on the Western side, tells us, "I only know that I do not know."

Hahaha softly.

If you're refering to the story if Socrates and the Oracle of Delphi, I think you missed the point of the story.

If that's not what you're refering to, then I have no idea what you're talking about.

If I were a Buddhist I would resign out of dedicaleza (Spanish: a meticulous scruposity out of fear of being motivated by self interest, or being apprehended or just suspected by others of conflict of interest).


Yrreg

What if one of the moderators is a Jew? Should he also quit?

What if one of the moderators is a Unitarian Universalist? Should he quit?

What if one of the moderators is a liberal? What if one is a Catholic?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, why?

 

[yrreg]

We have impasses, my pet dogs and cats have quarrels.

I have no idea what you're talking about.



There are lots of things that I don't have to stay alive and be a Buddhist, actually. So what? What do you mean with this?




I've read this sentence thrice now. I have no idea what you're asking.



If you're refering to the story if Socrates and the Oracle of Delphi, I think you missed the point of the story.

If that's not what you're refering to, then I have no idea what you're talking about.



What if one of the moderators is a Jew? Should he also quit?

What if one of the moderators is a Unitarian Universalist? Should he quit?

What if one of the moderators is a liberal? What if one is a Catholic?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, why?

Lack of ideas in one party on what the other party is talking about, missing the point by one party of the other party's point, these are some factors for impasses between parties engaged in civilized discourse. That's all very normal.

What if one of the moderators is a Jew? Should he also quit?​

Yes, if he is obviously letting his being a Jew influence his work as a moderator of posts from people who voice criticism and critique against Jews or their religion, which is tantamount to restraint of free inquiry, free thought, and free speech.

Same answer and reason to next two questions, below.

What if one of the moderators is a Unitarian Universalist? Should he quit?

What if one of the moderators is a liberal? What if one is a Catholic?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, why?​

Yrreg

 

[Ryokan]

What if one of the moderators is a Jew? Should he also quit?​

Yes, if he is obviously letting his being a Jew influence his work as a moderator of posts from people who voice criticism and critique against Jews or their religion, which is tantamount to restraint of free inquiry, free thought, and free speech.

Same answer and reason to next two questions, below.

What if one of the moderators is a Unitarian Universalist? Should he quit?

What if one of the moderators is a liberal? What if one is a Catholic?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, why?​

Yrreg

So a Jew can't be a moderator on and internet forum if he's obviously letting his being a Jew influence his work as a moderator of posts from people who voice criticism and critique against Jews or their religion.

Same goes for Unitarian Universalists, liberals and Catholics, and can I assume any other label a man might earn or give himself?

But a Buddhist has to quit before and regardless if such problems arise.

Why? Why are there different standards for Buddhists and Jews?

 

[Dancing David]

So a Jew can't be a moderator on and internet forum if he's obviously letting his being a Jew influence his work as a moderator of posts from people who voice criticism and critique against Jews or their religion.

Same goes for Unitarian Universalists, liberals and Catholics, and can I assume any other label a man might earn or give himself?

But a Buddhist has to quit before and regardless if such problems arise.

Why? Why are there different standards for Buddhists and Jews?

Because they have a base cause of a foolish blood soaked sinai dust devil, so if you remove the human you still have the blood soaked sinai dust devil, and that is what counts after all.

Obviously someone is a theist bigot and always was a poseur, not a sceptic at all.

 

[yrreg]

Ryokan, you say you are not a moderator here.

So a Jew can't be a moderator on and internet forum if he's obviously letting his being a Jew influence his work as a moderator of posts from people who voice criticism and critique against Jews or their religion.

Same goes for Unitarian Universalists, liberals and Catholics, and can I assume any other label a man might earn or give himself?

But a Buddhist has to quit before and regardless if such problems arise.

Why? Why are there different standards for Buddhists and Jews?

Before anything else, Ryokan, you say you are not a moderator here; and I presume you were not either a moderator earlier, therefore you have never been a moderator in this JREF Forum.


Let us review carefully what I say in the post you are answering to, here reproduced below:

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2046634&postcount=143

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2046161#post2046161

I have no idea what you're talking about.

There are lots of things that I don't have to stay alive and be a Buddhist, actually. So what? What do you mean with this?

I've read this sentence thrice now. I have no idea what you're asking.

If you're refering to the story if Socrates and the Oracle of Delphi, I think you missed the point of the story.

If that's not what you're refering to, then I have no idea what you're talking about.

What if one of the moderators is a Jew? Should he also quit?

What if one of the moderators is a Unitarian Universalist? Should he quit?

What if one of the moderators is a liberal? What if one is a Catholic?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, why?

Lack of ideas in one party on what the other party is talking about, missing the point by one party of the other party's point, these are some factors for impasses between parties engaged in civilized discourse. That's all very normal.

What if one of the moderators is a Jew? Should he also quit?​

Yes, if he is obviously letting his being a Jew influence his work as a moderator of posts from people who voice criticism and critique against Jews or their religion, which is tantamount to restraint of free inquiry, free thought, and free speech.

Same answer and reason to next two questions, below.

What if one of the moderators is a Unitarian Universalist? Should he quit?

What if one of the moderators is a liberal? What if one is a Catholic?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, why?​

Can you see or you should see that I am tallking about you Ryokan a Buddhist already appointed to the moderator's job and also those kinds of people you enumerate, already moderators.

Please attend faithfully to the whole context of my posts -- don't be selective in your attention, including the broader and earlier scopes (think concentric circles) of the present exchange, here read this post reproduced below from me immediately earlier, and tell me what I am talking about: moderators already appointed and on active duty or aspiring candidates (also nominees) to moderatorship not yet appointed and not yet on active duty.

First, let us smile together, it is not as though someone will never get to Nirvana for the present cycle of the Buddhist Hindu vast time episode.

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2046026#post2046026

No, I'm not a moderator here.

Would it matter if I was?

If you were a moderator or in any way holding office in the JREF Forum that is of any influence in the operation and policy making agenda of the forum, then I would cordially suggest that you resign, because you don't need that job to stay alive and Buddhist, and I would still hold out the request to the owner, James Randi, of this forum, to make it easy for you to leave the post whether moderator or anything of any influence in the operation and policy making agenda of the forum.

So, in my very strong view, moderators who are already on active duty obviously acting out their religious affiliation or a particular philosophical world-view in their moderatorship of posts critical of their religion or philosophical world-view, they should resign and the owner of this forum, James Randi, should make it easy for them to resign -- for example by giving them other volunteer jobs like purely technical services to the forum.

You ask me, to further the issue: all right, what about aspiring candidates or nominees who are Buddhist, Jew, Catholic, Unitarian, liberal, etc., should they be or not be appointed to the post of moderator or any position whereby they can influence the posting discipline founded on free inquiry, free thought, and free speech in this James Randi Educational Foundation which is explicitly oriented toward scientific skepticism founded again, upon the ideals of free inquiry, free thought, and free speech:

my very strong position is that they should not be appointed moderators; but if the owner prefers to appoint them because he is the owner, then at least he owes the members here the very serious concern to examine their writings outside web boards and their messages as members of online forums, in order to ascertain that they can exercise their discretion as moderators, without being influenced by their affiliation to their religion or particular philosophical world-view.​

Yrreg

 

[Moochie]

Being a Buddhist means never having to say "sorry."

M.

 

[skeptic griggsy]

Faith-based beliefs

Karma and reincarnation are just myths .We ought to be skeptical about all religions and it would help to describe faults in other ones to educate us. I m going to read up on other ones for that purpose .A good start is with the" The Transcendental Temptation" by Randi's friend Paul Kurtz, which also shows religion on par with the paranormal.Some atheists go in for the paranormal and some think there is a future state . That is why I use the terms naturalists, rationalist and skeptic for myself.

 

[yrreg]

They stand to lose their critical thinking habit and practice.

Karma and reincarnation are just myths .We ought to be skeptical about all religions and it would help to describe faults in other ones to educate us. I m going to read up on other ones for that purpose .A good start is with the" The Transcendental Temptation" by Randi's friend Paul Kurtz, which also shows religion on par with the paranormal.Some atheists go in for the paranormal and some think there is a future state . That is why I use the terms naturalists, rationalist and skeptic for myself.

I have not so far come across anything which Buddhists and their sympathizers here have adduced as benefit in ascribing to Buddhism, which benefit is not also and better and easier and quicker available outside Buddhism.

If you observe carefully, you will notice that in ascribing to Buddhism they have already compromised their habit and practice of critical thinking.

Thanks for that reference to The Transcendental Temptation by Kurtz, I will look it up in the web; I hope if it can't be read online, then you might be able to send the text you might have in your possession.

Perhaps Kurtz might have an explanation for why and how otherwise atheists, infidels, skeptics, rationalists, can fall for the trap of Buddhism. From my part, the explanation is very simple: they forget to practice their critical thinking all the time.


Yrreg

 

[Terry]

Addressing the owner, James Randi, and the operators of this JREF Forum:

Please tell me who is this Buddhist in your admin/mod staff, and I will put him on my ignore list, because I wouldn't want to succumb to his obscurantism of being first a Buddhist and then everything else but not critical or 'disparaging' to Buddha and Buddhism and Buddhists.​

Good luck with that, you can't ignore mods or admins...

[This is a testing of the JREF Forum, to see whether they and how far they will allow members here to express freely their free thoughts. My suggestion to them, set up a new thread in the appropriate board on Complaints against Abuses of Web Forums and Their Operators against Free Thought and Free Speech.}

Well... you haven't been made an unperson yet, I'd say that means we're doing okay.

 

[Jeff Wagg]

You are not entitled to know the religious or philosophical preference of anyone volunteering for or employed by the JREF.

If you believe there is a Buddhist conspiracy here, you are mistaken.

Addressing the owner, James Randi, and the operators of this JREF Forum:

Please tell me who is this Buddhist in your admin/mod staff, and I will put him on my ignore list, because I wouldn't want to succumb to his obscurantism of being first a Buddhist and then everything else but not critical or 'disparaging' to Buddha and Buddhism and Buddhists.​

And if that is true, namely, this forum knowingly allowed a Buddhist to be an admin or mod here, then it is to their discredit, I am sorry to say that, but that is my personal sentiment, in this forum of free thought and free speech.

When there are so many people who cultivate and practice and advocate free thought and free speech, it is the most absurd thing to do in a forum given to free thought and free speech to allow a Buddhist to be among the admins and mods, when Buddhists have shown themselves time and again to put their Buddhism first and foremost before anything else -- they can't see that reason rules over everything in the world of human discourse; for them it's their Buddhism.

Sorry for this analogy, but it seems most appropriate for an illustration of an abstract thought which otherwise could not be appreciated by Buddhists:

Buddhists are like horses drawing the cart of Buddhism with their eyes covered by blinders.​

[This is a testing of the JREF Forum, to see whether they and how far they will allow members here to express freely their free thoughts. My suggestion to them, set up a new thread in the appropriate board on Complaints against Abuses of Web Forums and Their Operators against Free Thought and Free Speech.}

Smile here, everyone.


Yrreg

=========================================

My words may not be soothing, but consider the ideas

The Buddhist non-self, and its implications, living the everyday non-self existence?
http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/ind...ost&pid=500486

[From the Kalama Sutra by Gautama]

1. Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it long ago.
2. Do not believe in traditions simply because they have been handed down for many generations.
3. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many.
4. Do not confirm anything just because it agrees with your scriptures.
5. Do not foolishly make assumptions.
6. Do not abruptly draw conclusions by what you see and hear.
7. Do not be fooled by outward appearances.
8. Do not hold on tightly to any view or idea just because you are comfortable with it.
9. Do not accept as fact anything that you yourself find to be logical.
10. Do not be convinced of anything out of respect and deference to your spiritual teachers.
11. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.​

But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reasons and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

See: http://www.buddhistinformation.com/the_kalama_sutra.htm

 

[Canadian Malcontent]

Scientology can get rid of your suffering, WITH SCIENCE!!! AND
A clear, easy to understand fee schedule!!!

 

[Canadian Malcontent]

Here goes another test:

Did you hear about Salman Rushdie's new book?
Its called "Buddha! You Fat Bastard!"

Testing Testing
So before China freed the Tibetan people 50 some odd yrs ago, isnt it true that they were serfs? Literally owned by the theocractic ruling class?

And before you go all anti christian on me;
NO MAN tells me what God wants, God tells me, and when He does, He tells me what He wants for ME, he never tells me what He wants for others. Gods business with other peolple is between God and them and has nothing to do with me!!!
He has told me to do nice/good things for people though.

Let me make it clear, my father has passed and so there is no human authority in my life.
Its God , Mother Nature and me.
I know my purpose is to serve my fellow creatures and our Mother. ( This is what serves God)

Christ is a gift ( of life) and an example ( of a man) and I hold Him in the highest.

Trust me, no jerkwad Mercedes driving gearbox holds my attention.

Oh and that little collection of 'wisdom' was lame. I bet it goes better with a lot of carbs and deprivation.

Your friend,
Canadian Malcontent

 

[Canadian Malcontent]

whats more !
the site is private property (I'm sure) and if the owner of the property wants it moderated by the monkey in a "nucular-powered monkey navigated rocket sled" that is " blasting across the alkali flats" well thats the owners right.
If anyone tries to take that right away then there is a REAL problem.

 

[Canadian Malcontent]

the best education money could buy huh?
that means no education
education costs effort not money

 

[Canadian Malcontent]

Why not Islam?

Hey Mephisto! Hey yrreg!

Islam? What is Islam? Thats like saying ' the Christian world' or 'Westerners' or "White people"

Tell you something, I heard on the news 'bout a 13 yr old Afghani girl in prison over there cuz she refused to marry the 50 yr old sick puke that her father sold her to.
That alone, that one girl, is reason enough for our soldiers to be there.

 

[Dancing David]

Hi CM, and welcome to the forum.

Obviously Yrreg is a troll, and I have spent all my money on troll chow, and just like most children he has now gone and just started chewing on the IIDB, bad troll, bad troll,

 

[Canadian Malcontent]

Hi Dancing , thank you.
I get called a troll too. But this is the first stimulating group of forums I have encountered ( not that I looked) so I'm gonna stick around as long as I am able.

 

[yrreg]

Let's concentrate on this side of the grave.

Let the events develop in that thread of mine:

In re: Pachomius aka Yrreg being banned from the IIDB.
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2048379&postcount=1

I will attend meanwhile to my main fun here, the examination of Buddhism from the standpoint of critical thinking as a rational skeptic.
​

Okay, Ryokan, Dancing David, and all Buddhists here and Buddhism sympathizers, let us all go to the benefits obtained by embracing and practicing Buddhism, benefits namely on this side of the grave.

You see, it is inane to discuss about benefits on the other side of the grave; being all of us here presumably skeptics, there is so far no way we can know what is our existence if any on the other side of the grave, on the ground of evidence and logic acceptable to rational skeptics; so please let us not not bother about benefits on the other grave of the grave.


Here, tell me, Buddhists and Buddhism sympathizers here, what have you obtained or attained or enjoyed so far of decrease in all kinds of sufferings on this side of the grave?

Name just five (5) concrete instances of decrease in suffering on all levels and domains of human existence and life, on this side of the grave, experienced by Buddhists and Buddhism sympathizers.


Yrreg

 

[Dorian Gray]

Forgive the drive-by, but:

You don't STAND to get anything in Buddhism! You sit in the lotus position!

So obvious.