In Hinayana Buddhism, which is likely to be closer to the original doctrine, there is a striking similarity to Stoicism.
Stoicism ... hmmmmm. Yes wouldn't it be really fun to
go back and meet some of these fellows in person ?
Like " My Dinner With Andre "... 'cept it would be
"My Dinner With Zeno " , or
" My Dinner with Aristotle " ?
Dinner with the physicist Epicurious would seem
by today's definition possibly very sumptuous ,
but who knows, for life is fleeting
say the Epicureans. Since they saw the atoms
never keeping their form for very long ,
and our lives fleeting .
After death there is nothing, so we should
attempt to live life to its fullest pleasure.
Since there was no afterlife, the Epicureans thought
that this would eliminate the fear that fills so much
of human life --->unecessary suffering.
Dinner with Diogenes/Cynics would be rather cramped , for
he lived in a barrel didn't he ? But it would
be an honest faire . And it wouldn't matter if the
food was cooked or uncooked , say the cynics,
the only real distinction that matters in the world is the distinction between true values and false values. All differences such as yours and mine, cooked and uncooked, private and public, were believed to be
irrelevant , we are looking past the
"illusions" & conventions.
And the Stoics , and our dinner with Zeno?
I know it was very dominate the Roman Empire. So the Stoics held that because suffering, adversity, and death are out of our control, we should face them with quiet dignified acceptance. Stoics believe that emotions were judgments, and not always correct. By bringing emotion under the control of reason, we can ensure proper judgments and we will then be at one with things as they actually are ...
Yes , actually our dinner with Buddha would have much
in common on an essential level with our dinner with Zeno, Epicurious , and Diogenes a world away.
Compassion is Buddha's version of " Love " , so
he would also be very much at home with Jesus
the Last Supper as well.
There is also "That Pure Land" Buddhism , where there
is not one Buddha but many ... there is the
the idea of the " Promised Pure Land " ,
so Buddha would be at home with Moses
on the mountain....
And there is instruction for much prayer
and meditations , instruction for avoidance
of intoxicants and alcohol , purity of mind and body
and humility of demeaner, service, and equality
...and above
all tolerance for other's beliefs ...so Little Buddha
would be very much at
home with Mohammed & Islam.
The little Buddhas do get around ...
;-) |
