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Politics : High Tolerance Plasticity -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Chas. who wrote (22337)	11/12/2004 9:10:02 AM
From: Sun Tzu	Respond to of 23153

Chuck, you presume too much. Unlike other religions, Buddhism believes that anyone can achieve Buddhahood. When you achieve Enlightenment, there is no difference between you and the original Buddha. This Enlightenment is not achieved by simply reading/praying/meditating. It is done by independent thinking. It is something you achieve on your own rather than handed over to you as reward for piety. The value of reading Buddhist scripts and various texts is not in some sense of "holiness" such as that attached to the Bible or Koran. It is in understanding the wisdom that has been perfected over centuries. Buddhism is very malleable. It does not claim that a certain text or teaching is good for all ages. Rather it claims that there are few simple truths that when pondered upon can lead you towards Enlightenment in any era. Zen starts not by "giving" you ideas, but rather by taking them away from you. Independent thought is essential to Buddhism. It is the opposite of "programmed indoctrination". ST