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Buddhism Buddhism / Sikhi Comparison Questions

Ishna

Writer
SPNer
May 9, 2006
3,261
5,192
Hello

I'm doing a comparative way of life experiment with some different paths. In this episode, I'm using Buddhism as a baseline for comparison. Your responses to these questions will go towards the 'Sikh' column of the comparison chart.

The statements about Buddhism in the below are drawn from a discussion between a Buddhist and a follower of another path, so I apologise in advance to any Buddhists who might be reading, as my own knowledge of Buddhism is extremely limited, I have simply lifted statements made by the Buddhist in the discussion I watched.

Obviously I know my own responses, but I'd like to test them against the sangat's collective knowledge. I appreciate your time if you can provide Sikh statements in response to any or all of the following (I know there are a lot of questions so even just responses to one or two your favourites will help), thank you :y:

S1: Buddhism has an emphasis on maintaining equanimity in the face of adverse circumstances, or any circumstances. Is this important in Sikhi as well?

S2: Buddhism has a ranking system of lay people, monks and enlightened people. There is sometimes argument about whether or not someone has truly reached enlightenment.

S3: Buddhism is a little similar to Christianity where Christianity has original sin, Buddhism believes people are born with some degree of confusion of the actual nature of reality and alleviation of suffering/liberation produces a clearer view of reality.

S4: Buddhism does not correlate well with Reinhold Niebuhr's Serenity Prayer, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference." Buddhism's aspiration is to be indifferent to all forms adversity and places much less emphasis on changing things you can control. What is Sikhi's relation to the Serenity Prayer, and how does Sikhi view the things in our control (if anything) vs indifference?

S5: Buddhism has no concept of an omnipotent creator god, but a natural order is implied and Buddhiss want to live in accord with. The universe is benign, not providenial.

S6: In Buddhism, you want to alleviate your own suffering and are on a quest for truth ad clarity - these things improve your own wellbeing but also make you a morally better person. There is an alignment of self-help and moral improvement.

S7: Buddhism doesn't make a distinction between one's own welfare and someone else's - the idea of not-self means the bounds of the self are illusory, so there's creater continuity between yourself and others. We are either all one, or all nothing (the practical difference is inconsequential but Buddhists believe the latter).

S8: Anger is acknowledged as a bad thing, and it is recognised that our emotional state of mind and cognition are intertwined. Mindfulness provides cognitive objectivity to be able to coexist with emotions objectively. Mindfulness meditation helps to let thoughts pass or be accepted.

S9: In Buddhism, it is believed that many of the things making people suffer are simply mental constructs/narratives and the emotional impact associated with narratives nees to be examined.

S10: The mind is playing tricks on us.

The End.
 

Sikhilove

Writer
SPNer
May 11, 2016
608
166
Hello

I'm doing a comparative way of life experiment with some different paths. In this episode, I'm using Buddhism as a baseline for comparison. Your responses to these questions will go towards the 'Sikh' column of the comparison chart.

The statements about Buddhism in the below are drawn from a discussion between a Buddhist and a follower of another path, so I apologise in advance to any Buddhists who might be reading, as my own knowledge of Buddhism is extremely limited, I have simply lifted statements made by the Buddhist in the discussion I watched.

Obviously I know my own responses, but I'd like to test them against the sangat's collective knowledge. I appreciate your time if you can provide Sikh statements in response to any or all of the following (I know there are a lot of questions so even just responses to one or two your favourites will help), thank you :y:

S1: Buddhism has an emphasis on maintaining equanimity in the face of adverse circumstances, or any circumstances. Is this important in Sikhi as well?

S2: Buddhism has a ranking system of lay people, monks and enlightened people. There is sometimes argument about whether or not someone has truly reached enlightenment.

S3: Buddhism is a little similar to Christianity where Christianity has original sin, Buddhism believes people are born with some degree of confusion of the actual nature of reality and alleviation of suffering/liberation produces a clearer view of reality.

S4: Buddhism does not correlate well with Reinhold Niebuhr's Serenity Prayer, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference." Buddhism's aspiration is to be indifferent to all forms adversity and places much less emphasis on changing things you can control. What is Sikhi's relation to the Serenity Prayer, and how does Sikhi view the things in our control (if anything) vs indifference?

S5: Buddhism has no concept of an omnipotent creator god, but a natural order is implied and Buddhiss want to live in accord with. The universe is benign, not providenial.

S6: In Buddhism, you want to alleviate your own suffering and are on a quest for truth ad clarity - these things improve your own wellbeing but also make you a morally better person. There is an alignment of self-help and moral improvement.

S7: Buddhism doesn't make a distinction between one's own welfare and someone else's - the idea of not-self means the bounds of the self are illusory, so there's creater continuity between yourself and others. We are either all one, or all nothing (the practical difference is inconsequential but Buddhists believe the latter).

S8: Anger is acknowledged as a bad thing, and it is recognised that our emotional state of mind and cognition are intertwined. Mindfulness provides cognitive objectivity to be able to coexist with emotions objectively. Mindfulness meditation helps to let thoughts pass or be accepted.

S9: In Buddhism, it is believed that many of the things making people suffer are simply mental constructs/narratives and the emotional impact associated with narratives nees to be examined.

S10: The mind is playing tricks on us.

The End.


There are alot of similarities because Truth is One and has been taught by many teachers over the ages. It existed before the Gurus taught us.

They taught us Hes been True throughout the ages, hence it's Nothing New.

They taught us that many messages and lessons taught by teachers have become corrupted over time and so Maharaj sent them to teach the pure uncorrupted Sat.

Guru Nanak Ji was and is a stunningly beautiful soul, incredibly evolved.The gyan he taught is seen to be the most highly evolved gyan taught up until his time.
 

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