I like bodhisattvas but I'm not into Pure Lands as much. I never wanted to go to Heaven either. I'm happy on Earth. I would rather spend time in the woods than in some fancy rich mansion...

It seems that some (not all) faiths are based in a desire to escape Mother Earth... why is that?

I think many humans have a contempt for animals and a hatred of their own bodyminds, which they blame for their own mortality. This leads to a desire to "rise above" the bodymind with ascetic practices...

I'm still thinking about "he is continually living amongst asses, hogs, jackals, and dogs."

I want to hang out with the hogs... 🐷 Sounds like a good time to me...

#MastoDharma #LotusSutra #books #reading #Buddhism #religion

Reading the Lotus Sutra, it is obvious that Buddhism is a religion with mythology and supernatural ideas like any other. So, I wonder why so many people insist that Buddhism and Daoism are "philosophies, not religions." I was taught this in school and many Western books on Eastern spirituality say the same thing.

I think it is good that Buddhism is adaptable enough to be secularized, but the complete ignorance of the other stuff even existing is crazy. When I was in school I was taught about meditation, but never anything about bodhisattvas or the six realms or things like that. Maybe my teacher had never heard of them.

#MastoDharma #LotusSutra #Buddhism #religion #Taoism #Daoism #SecularBuddhism

Reading the Lotus Sutra, it is obvious that Buddhism is a religion with mythology and supernatural ideas like any other. So, I wonder why so many people insist that Buddhism and Daoism are "philosophies, not religions." I was taught this in school and many Western books on Eastern spirituality say the same thing.

I think it is good that Buddhism is adaptable enough to be secularized, but the complete ignorance of the other stuff even existing is crazy. When I was in school I was taught about meditation, but never anything about bodhisattvas or the six realms or things like that. Maybe my teacher had never heard of them.

#MastoDharma #LotusSutra #Buddhism #religion #Taoism #Daoism #SecularBuddhism