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Musicmystery -> RE: Buddhism (4/9/2010 10:29:17 AM)
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quote:
Thank you for pointing me to a couple of references. I look forward to learning more when I have the time this weekend to look up the 'Theravada' and 'Mahayana' branches. Coming from a zero knowledge base - is this similar to different branches of 'Christianity'?
Not exactly. Christianity evolved mainly through dissenting voices. Buddhism is more of a traveling in different directions as it meets different countries. Thus, Tibetan Buddhism, for example, is unique compared to, say, Zen Buddhism. But it's not that the two sects are ideologically at war, as in Christianity and Islamic sects. They are, more truly, just branches growing in various directions.
quote:
If so - does Buddhism get stuck on similar human need and argue what is the 'one true way'?
I'm not going to claim that never happens--but not in the Christianity/Islamic sense you mean.
It's not even, really, at odds with Hinduism, the culture from which it evolved. Buddha just found a way to step off the wheel of Karma.
The question, too, comes from a different cultural mindset than Buddhism. When impermanence is a key concept, one true way carries little meaning. It's more of an experiential message--others have done this, here's how you can too. But there are many paths up the mountain.
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