Sorry, this is almost off-topic now, but I found it in an old, stale browser tab, and lord knows, the world craves my wisdom, and I would hate to deprive it of one word, so here it is. Plus, looks like it took a long time to type, and I don't want to waste it. - Selah! (aka Ananda Osel)
And by the way Buddha is not considered a God.
Then what does "The Lord Buddha" mean? That term is all over
http://buddhanet.net/ (which is my new one-stop shop for all Buddha-related questions). The more I learn about Buddhist monks, the less respect I have for them, I have to say.
But you can be a buddhist and not believe in reincarnation, some do...Again Buddhists are more interested in how to live this life that's why it's a philosophy.
If it is everything, then it is nothing.
That is one of the things that got in my way when I was spending an inordinate amount of time among Rastafarians, and trying to find a sympathetic common ground with them. Each one of them interpreted their way of life differently, many times in wildly contradictory ways.
If the only common tenet of your belief system is "be good," then I find your belief system sorely lacking. If it really makes you be good, then great. But I found that the people who walk it like they talk it, when it comes to any kind of supernatural belief system, are the exception to the rule.
"Bow to the statue of Buddha, Tommy."
"Why?"
"It's a sign of respect, and it will remind you to be kind and patient."
"How will it do that?"
"You must think about Buddha as you bow, and strive to be as he was."
"Can't I be kind and patient without bowing to Buddha?"
"Well...I suppose...I mean, no -- please, just stop asking stupid questions and bow already, so we can get out of here! We're late picking up your sister from dance class."
Replace Buddha with Jesus or any other mythical rock star and the conversation is the same. A lot of dark ages, I-am-not-worthy hocus pocus.
Why didn't Buddha or Jesus say anything about computers? Most of my problems stem from this box, yet
no wisdom have they for me! What did Jesus think of this current economic situation? Surely he knew it was coming. Wonder why it's not in the bible. A lot of talk of oxen in there, not so much about cars. Weird, isn't it, that he would forsake our generation?
Buddha wants me to just sit around and think, which could be related to the 11.5% unemployment rate here in California...I think it is. Yeah, I'm sure it is! Woo! My only question is, when we are all as enlightened as Buddha and just sitting around thinking, who is going to grow the food that we need to have donated to us so that we can continue our enlightened path?
This is a conundrum indeed...it's hard to be pure and holy!